Shoot us an email at leadsafe@thetoollibrary.org, we would love to hear from you! If you do not have an email address then give The Tool Library a call and mention that you are interested in the Lead Safe Tool Borrowing Program. Our phone number is (716) 510-1745.

Homeowners, renters, and landlords are encouraged to participate in the program. This program is not intended for contractors and high volume commercial use.

The short answer is no. Due to the safety issues surrounding lead, we require that you attend a free 6-hour training offered by Erie County DOH before you participate in our Lead Safe Program. Proof of certification offered from the training is required to participate in our program, a government-issued ID is also required and the names must match.

Because we will not accept back a dirty HEPA Vac, we ask that you troubleshoot any issues with the HEPA Vac to the best of your ability while it’s in your care. As always, we will work with you, not against you so please communicate to us if you are having any issues. There are multiple YouTube videos available, a user manual, and a link to a Festool Owners Group which serves as a Q&A troubleshooting forum to assist you with the HEPA Vac.

YES. Because lead poisoning is a serious issue, lead remediation requires attentiveness and care. Therefore, cleaning the HEPA Vac with a wet wipe before and after use is required. It is imperative that participants remove the vacuum bag from the vacuum and dispose of it properly before wiping down all of the surfaces with a wet wipe. Once registered in our program, we will offer up the information you need to properly take care of the HEPA Vac. A required part of this program is attending the Lead Safe Work Practices Training offered through Erie County, that will go over all the necessary steps to safely conduct lead remediation.

Wet wipes are required for cleaning the HEPA Vac and they are the best option for the job. As you will learn in the mandatory Lead Safe Work Practices training, any cleaning that has to do with lead needs to be wet. We will be providing wet wipes as a consumable item on a first come first serve basis.

Just like borrowing regular tools through The Tool Library, borrowing time is one week. However we understand that projects take longer than one week. As always we ask for clear and consistent communication. We will work with you to extend the time as needed, as long as there are no other members waiting.

We are working with the Erie County Department of Health to offer a list of consumable items that are needed for lead remediation. Once you reach out to us at leadsafe@thetoollibrary.org to initiate the process, we can provide a list of consumable items that we offer on a first come first serve basis. 

You will learn all of the proper and necessary steps to remain safe while getting certified in the mandatory Lead Safe Work Practices Training. As part of consumable items that we offer, we will give out PPE on a first come first serve basis to members in the Lead Safe Program. 

Send us an email at leadsafe@thetoollibrary.org expressing interest in the program and attend the mandatory Lead Safe Work Practices Training held by the Erie County DOH. The link to register for LSWP is: Lead Safe Tool Borrowing Program | Environmental Health