Frequent Questions

Containing the Work Area

Do I need to cover a closet door with plastic?
Does the RRP rule require people working on a renovation to wear respirators, Tyvek(R) suits or other personal protective equipment (PPE)?
During exterior power washing, instead of plastic, can landscaping fabric or a similar material be used to capture any paint chips or other debris, but permit the water to seep through?
How can I use plastic sheeting in exterior renovations without creating a safety hazard? Moisture on the plastic from precipitation can cause plastic sheeting to become slippery.
If a door is outside the work area but used by workers to enter and exit the room, does the door need to be covered with plastic?
If I mist and HEPA vacuum the plastic sheeting used by my firm for interior containment, can I move and re-use plastic sheeting on the same day and job?
If I paint without disturbing the surface of the existing paint, can I use a tarp instead of 6 mil plastic?
In Chapter 4 of the EPA Certified Renovator Initial course, there is a PowerPoint slide showing plastic sheeting being taped to the floor at several corners, but not around the entire perimeter of the plastic. Must the plastic be "sealed" to the floor on all four edges by tape or just "secured or held" to the floor by tape at several locations?
In exterior containment if a large tree or shrub is within the work area can the plastic be placed around the base and would the plant, however large, need to be covered also need to be covered?
Is interior containment required as well as exterior containment for an exterior window removal?
My firm is replacing windows on the second floor of a 90 year old home. The windows are built into a bay that projects out from a steeply pitched slate roof. When setting up exterior containment for this job, does the RRP Rule require me to install plastic on the roof under the windows?
My firm removes and replaces windows from the exterior of a building or residence. To contain dust in the work area, we cover the entire interior surface of the window with impermeable plastic sheeting and affix the sheeting to the surrounding interior wall. This creates a pocket, accessible only from the exterior, from which the window is removed and replaced. All removal and replacement work is performed from the exterior, and we still apply the exterior containment measures as provided in the Rule. Does the interior containment method described meet the requirements under the Rule?
My firm replaces windows. Various obstacles make it difficult to set up the ten-foot exterior ground containment in a way that would enable our renovators to perform the work and still effectively contain dust. In these cases we lay the ground containment, but also use vertical containment measures to completely enclose the area in which we work. Is this a permissible method of exterior containment? If the vertical containment is set up at a distance of less than ten feet from the work surface, must we still extend the ground containment beyond the vertical barrier to meet the ten-foot requirement?
Plastic can be a slip hazard in some jobs, such as handling granite counter tops. This creates a more immediate safety concern than protecting the floor from dust. Can't I just clean the floor at the end of the job?
The RRP Rule provisions require exterior containment. At what point is the wind too strong to allow work to continue?
The rules require exterior containment. At what point is the wind too strong to allow work to continue?
To avoid harming the homeowner's grass and landscaping, may my firm fold up the plastic sheeting used for containment at night and re-use it the next day?
Under the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule, in exterior containment if a large tree or shrub is within the work area can the plastic be placed around the base and would the plant, however large, also need to be covered?
Under the RRP Rule, what type of container is adequate for on-site storage of debris? Must the container be covered and locked? Must it be placed behind a locked barrier?
What are the requirements for covering doorways used to access the work area?
What is the “work area?”
What is your recommendation if work under the Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) Rule has started and it begins to rain? What do we do with the water that is on the plastic in the containment area?
What mil plastic is considered impermeable?
What, if any, additional requirements or liabilities exist if a homeowner independently removes the protective barriers and containment measures implemented by the firm during a renovation?
When I replace windows, I set up interior vertical containment barriers that extend from floor to ceiling and completely enclose the interior area in which I physically work. If these barriers are set up at a distance less than six feet from the perimeter of the work surface, must I still extend the containment on the floor beyond the vertical barrier to meet the six foot requirement?
When must scaffolding and vertical shrouding be used on an exterior renovation when other buildings are in close proximity to the work area?
When replacing an unpainted roof, sometimes sections of paint-covered lumber under the roof need to be removed as well. If my firm removed damaged lumber from only certain sections of the roof, does only this area need to be contained while we fix the lumber?

Sign in
Exit

Welcome Guest

Advanced Search