Why are gloves, which are exposed to large amounts of lead dust, not required to be disposed of under the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule?

The RRP Rule requires the renovation firm to use precautions to ensure that all personnel, tools, and other items are free of dust and debris before leaving the work area.  Workers with contaminated clothing can take that contamination home to their own children, and taking contaminated equipment to another jobsite could potentially create a lead hazard at a new site. There are several ways of ensuring that gloves and other clothing are free of dust and debris before leaving the work area. For example, tacky mats may be put down immediately adjacent to the plastic sheeting covering the work area floor to remove dust and debris from the bottom of the workers' shoes as they leave the work area. If workers wear shoe covers, they may remove them as they leave the work area. Clothing and materials may be wet-wiped and/or HEPA-vacuumed before they are removed from the work area.  

While the rule does not specifically address gloves, if they are contaminated with lead dust or debris that cannot be removed, EPA recommends that they not be removed from the work site during the job and that they be disposed of as part of final cleanup.  

Question Number: 23002-24833

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