Lead-Safe Wisconsin: Apply for Lead Course Accreditation
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) accredits training that qualifies a person to get certified by DHS in a lead discipline. The different lead disciplines and associated training requirements are listed in our Certification Requirements for Lead Disciplines, P-00848 (PDF).
What is accreditation?
Accreditation is permission to offer a lead training course. If a course receives accreditation, it meets standards and requirements set by DHS to ensure people working with lead are properly trained.
Each distinct course leading to certification in a lead discipline must be separately accredited. This includes initial and refresher courses. If you want to teach both initial and refresher courses for a particular discipline (for example, lead abatement worker), you must apply for both. However, a training provider may have no more than one application for accreditation submitted for review at a time.
DHS only accredits courses held in Wisconsin. Live, instructor led, online training may be substituted for some classroom portions of classes as appropriate as long as DHS has access to attend the online training to audit for compliance.
How do I get ready to apply for accreditation?
Certify your company
Lead company certification, F-00171 (English and Spanish) is required before you can offer or conduct lead training.
- DHS needs to certify a person as a lead company before starting tasks like lead renovation, hazard reduction, lead investigation, or lead training.
- Additionally, staff hired under company must also be appropriately certified.
Choose a training manager and principal instructor
DHS must approve your company's chosen training manager and principal instructor. Both roles can be filled by the same person, or you can choose different people.
Training manager responsibilities
The lead training manager is responsible for:
- Ensuring all advertising for the course includes the same name and address as is listed for the training provider on its application for accreditation.
- Retaining training records and transferring to DHS if the provider closes or no longer offers the course.
- Notifying DHS of scheduled classes and revising and needed.
- Designating instructors for the course.
- Informing DHS of any changes to the name, ownership, or address of the provider.
- Notifying DHS of any course revisions (for example, to course materials or resources).
- Developing and implementing the written quality control plan for the course.
- Submitting post-class student data to DHS.
- Permitting DHS representatives to audit any training course and access training records for compliance.
The actions of the training manager are deemed the actions of the training provider company.
Lead Training Manager Application, F-44062 (PDF)
Principal instructor responsibilities
The principal instructor has primary responsibility for the organization and teaching of the course, and for direct supervision of all guest instructors for the course. This includes covering all course requirements and learning objectives, conducting and documenting hands on skills assessments, and administering the closed book written test.
There are two types of principal instructor approval for lead courses.
Lead hazard reduction approval
Apply for lead hazard reduction approval, F-44063 (PDF) to be the principal instructor for lead-safe renovation, lead abatement work and lead abatement supervision training courses. To qualify for this approval, you must:
- Be certified as a lead abatement supervisor, F-02996 (PDF),
- Complete a 16-hour teaching methods course, and
- Have at least one year of experience with direct responsibility for activities related to lead hazard reduction.
Lead investigation approval
Apply for lead investigation approval, F-44063 (PDF) to be the principal instructor for lead sampling, lead inspection, lead hazard investigation and lead risk assessment training courses. To qualify for this approval, you must:
- Be certified as a lead risk assessor, F-02031 (PDF),
- Complete a 16-hour teaching methods course, and
- Have at least one year of experience with direct responsibility for activities related to lead investigation.
Gather resources, supplies, and equipment
You’ll need to have enough space for classroom and hands-on training. You’ll also need to have supplies and properly maintained equipment that’s in working condition for demonstrating and practicing the hands-on skills. Accredited courses need to use instructional materials, like manuals and handouts, that are approved by DHS.
When you apply for accreditation, you’ll need to submit a training resources description that shows you have what you need for the specific course requirements.
Putting together your application
The training manager must submit all of the following as a completed application for course accreditation
Training Course Accreditation Application, F-02346 (PDF)
Submit an index of the materials and attachments that are included with your application. It should list each required attachment (named as shown on the application form) and provide the page number or document filename of the attachment so that DHS can identify it.
If you are accredited to offer the course in other states or by the EPA, include documentation to show this with your application.
The description should include all of the following:
- Major topics covered in course
- Course length of training in days and training hours per day
- Hands on training segments
- The student to instructor ratio
Training Resources Description, F-3281c (DOCX)
The description should cover all of the following:
- Facilities that will be used, including location and address
- Equipment that will be used for training and hands-on activities
- Audiovisual materials that will be used (e.g. video clips, slides)
Recordkeeping Description, F-03281a (DOCX)
This description must include all of the following:
- A list of all the types of records you will keep
- How long you will keep them
- The address and business hours of the records location
Course Registration Plan, F-03281 (DOCX)
This plan must ensure that training providers will only admit students to class who:
- Meet the age requirement.
- Show a valid form of photo identification.
- Are eligible to get certified with a refresher class (if the course is a refresher).
- Have completed any necessary pre-requisite courses (for courses with pre-requisites).
Each course has a set of curriculum requirements that must be covered. These requirements must be reflected in the written learning goals and objectives for the course. These requirements include specific topics to cover in lecture or through other appropriate teaching methods, as well as hands-on skills to demonstrate, practice, and assess.
When you apply, you should submit your curriculum categorized by instructor materials versus student materials. Instructor materials are typically much more detailed as they include the same information students receive in the corresponding materials but also prompts and directions for the instructor about how to cover that information.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Training Course Materials can be submitted to fulfil required course materials.
- Lead-based Paint Activities Training Providers Course Information | US EPA
- RRP Training Providers Course Information | US EPA
Instructor materials
- Student learning goals and objectives
- Training outlines for each topic
- Timeframes for each topic
- Student-to-instructor ratio
- Teaching methods for each topic
- Audiovisual materials used for each topic, including copies of handouts, videos, slides, photographs and displays
- Interactive training exercises, including instructions and descriptions or samples of materials
- Hands-on training exercise segments, if used, including instructions and descriptions or samples of materials
Student materials
- Student manual and other hand-outs or materials
Each course has a minimum number of total training hours as well as a minimum number of hands-on training hours, and the agenda should reflect this.
- Topic analysis worksheet showing where each of the required curricular topics for the course is covered in the student materials
Submit the following course test materials:
- The course test (with at least 25 multiple choice questions for every 8 training hours of the course) and answer key
- The course test blueprint (download the template (DOCX)) showing how the test was developed to reflect the learning goals and objectives of the training course
- The Score Report and Test Policy Form, F-03281d (DOCX) explaining how students will be notified of their scores and what the company's procedure for handling re-takes is
This is the document you will hand to students who successfully complete all course requirements.
It must meet the format and content requirements under Wis. Admin. Code § DHS 163.20(9)(c).
This is the evaluation form (DOCX) you will give to students to rate the instructor and course after class so you can get feedback about what to improve.
Trainers will also need to complete the Quality Control Plan Form, F-03281b (DOCX) for their course.
This is the trainer’s roadmap for making sure that their course meets all requirements to comply with Wis. Admin . Code ch. DHS 163.
It also ensures the trainer makes any needed improvements to their course based on student feedback.
Show us samples of how you will advertise the training.
Once all application materials are ready to submit, contact DHSAsbestosLead@dhs.wisconsin.gov for instructions.
What happens once I have submitted my application?
DHS reviews applications for course accreditation to make sure the course as described in writing meets all requirements. This can take up to 60 days.
If DHS determines the course meets requirements, it will issue contingent accreditation. This will allow you to schedule (notify) and hold classes. Your classes must be notified to DHS at least 10 days before the start date. Once your class starts, you must complete it within the next 30 days.
A DHS representative will visit your class to make sure you are meeting the requirements. If DHS determines that your class as actually held meets all requirements, your course will receive full accreditation.
DHS may audit your course to assure compliance throughout the duration of the accreditation.
Renewing your course accreditation
Once your training course accreditation expires, you cannot hold any more classes. To maintain continuous accreditation, submit your lead course accreditation renewal application form, F-03246 (PDF) at least 60 days before it expires.
If you apply for renewal within one year after expiring, DHS may reinstate accreditation. If you wait longer to apply for renewal, you will need to submit a new application for contingent accreditation.