UNC Asheville’s Lead Poisoning Prevention Program will offer a training course on lead-safe work practices from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at Asheville Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood Road, Asheville. Cost is $60; registration deadline is Monday, Feb. 11. The course is designed for painters, renovators, maintenance workers, realtors or anyone working on home improvement projects in structures built before 1978, where the likelihood of lead paint is high.

The course will cover a variety of topics concerning lead, including its history and hazards, a review of current legislation, lead-waste disposal and how workers can protect themselves as well as their families and the families for whom they are performing work. Attendees will also practice techniques to minimize lead dust. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive a protective suit, dust mask, study materials and a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Certificate.

Contractors who complete the course can choose to be listed among the lead-safe contractors referral list, which is posted on the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program's Web site.

For more information or to register, call Adrianne Weir at the Lead Poisoning Prevention Program at 828/251-6104. Registration forms can also be found at www.unca.edu/lpp.