In February, Mass DOS promised RRP enforcement of state contractors would increase in the spring.  I informed the DOS officials at the meeting that contractors who stepped up to the plate to be RRP compliant were concerned about a level playing field. Manager Ernie Kelly said contractors who do not take us seriously will be surprised as soon as the winter breaks.

Mass contractors are learning that the EPA RRP Lead Rule has been taken over by the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety. Just when you thought you had it figured out the landscape is changing again.

Many of you know that Shawn McCadden and I have been working aggressively on RRP issues with both the Mass DOS and EPA. Sometimes we wonder if all this time and effort will lead to good outcomes for residential contractors and our industry.

On Thursday 12/16/2010 in Boston, the Mass Department of Occupational Safety will be meeting with the Division of Labor to discuss funding for their department for 2011. The DOL and DOS hearing is open to the public. I have been invited by the DOS to share thoughts and suggestions regarding the Mass RRP Lead Law.

I learned yesterday that a Mass Building Inspector, unaware of the EPA RRP Law, criticized a local contractor for following mandated lead safe practices on a remodeling job. The EPA RRP Lead Law mandates that contractors utilize specific practices when working on pre 1978 properties.

The Mass Department of Safety has revised their applications for Mass Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor and for Mass Lead-Safe Renovation Contractor Licensing Waiver.

On 10/20/2010 our RRP Contractor Workshop team will be joined by OSHA expert Darcy Cook, President of Safety Trainers. The new Massachusetts Lead RRP Law requires contractors to be compliant with the OSHA Lead Standard. This includes respiratory programs, fit testing, medical monitoring and worker protection programs. Darcy will be working with The Contractor Coaching Partnership to help Massachusetts contractors with OSHA/RRP compliance.

While at the Mass DOS/OSHA Workshop at UMass we were told about the enforcement efforts currently underway in Mass. DOS is going out into the field and catching contractors not following the RRP Lead Rule. OSHA inpsectors are instructed to stop by any job they see with violations. 

Yesterday Shawn McCadden and I attended a workshop presented by Mass. Depart. of Safety and OSHA at the U Mass. The presenters covered OSHA regulations that need to be considered in order to be compliant with RRP lead safe practices. It was very obvious that these agencies will be working closely with each other. Here are  highlights from the workshop; (the post is long, yet contains important details about RRP and OSHA in Mass)

At a recent safety workshop held in Waltham, Mass on 9/17/2010 it was learned that the EPA, DOS and OSHA are going to work together to insure companies comply with regulations of both RRP and OSHA. It was reported that if an EPA or DOS RRP inspector discovers OSHA violations that they would report it to the local OSHA office. Conversely OSHA will do the same reciprocally.