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 Brian Taylor
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Dismantling or demolishing a structure or processing and recycling C&D materials can be challenging tasks requiring the attention of several skilled people. Doing these things safely and profitably has always involved paying attention to multiple factors at once. Recently, one of these many considerations has grown in importance: dust suppression.
When dust kicks up at a job site or at a recycling plant, it can be a nuisance to neighbors, be troublesome in the short-term for employees and potentially cause harm in the long run to the health of employees.
It is that third consideration that plays a role in the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting Program Rule, which took effect in April. The rule has an array of notification, certification and compliance aspects, including one that requires workers at renovation and demolition sites where lead paint is present to wear protective suits.
In an “Enforcement Alert” pertaining to the new rule, the EPA comments that “People who sand, scrape, burn or otherwise disturb lead-based paint are at risk from inhalation of lead dust or fumes.”
The EPA rule focuses in particular on “child-occupied facilities built before 1978,” so remodeling contractors and construction tradespeople will be affected to a greater extent than demolition contractors or recyclers.
However, the lead-based paint legacy often works its way into the activities of demolition contractors and recyclers, providing yet one more reason why they are paying more attention than ever to controlling dust.
Contractors and recyclers alike can be certain that should a complaint or inspection reveal that dust containing lead is being produced by their activities, the only option available will be to address the issue promptly.
A positive development for contractors and recyclers is that equipment makers and entrepreneurs have responded to the increased attention to dust suppression, as evidenced by their greater presence at trade shows and in the advertisements and equipment news coverage in this publication.
Adding yet one more layer of responsibility is seldom easy for business owners and managers, but in this case it’s good to know they can turn to a field of suppliers for help.
Correction
In the article “A Matter of Trust” in the March/April 2010 issue, Drew Lammers is referred to as president of the National Demolition Association. Lammers is now the past president of the association; Ray Passeno of Bierlien Companies Inc., Midland, Mich., is the current president.
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