A Mass painting contractor was issued a stop work order yesterday for not being in compliance with the Mass RRP Lead Law. The job is in Brookline Massachusetts. Here are the details;
A homeowner across the street from the painting contractors project had concerns about the painting job. The painter was sanding creating dust and debris. The painter did have protection down and had a hepa vacuum on site. However it was a windy day and the neightbor was concerned. It turns out the neighbor has a young child and was concerned about her child being exposed. The neighbor called the building inspector who in turn reported the job to the health department. We were told she said she was going to have her child tested for lead poisoning. (OH! OH!)
The Board of Health came to the job and asked to see the painting contractor's documentation. The painter was RRP trained and had his RRP certificate. However when asked for the Mass Lead Safe Renovation Contractor License he could not produce it because he never applied. The painter was issued a stop work order and was instructed to stop work until he secured a Mass Lead Safe Renovation Contractor License.
The painter called me for assistance on what to do and we guided him through the process. The painter secured the Mass Lead Safe Renovation Contractor License application. Next he has to fill it out and send it in to the state with his payment of $375.00. Last night I was told he had to go to several state agencies to prove that he was up to date on taxes and he had to prove that he was a contractor in good standing. In addition he has to provide proof of insurance and an signed affidavit as evidence that he has no employees.
It turns out the painter was RRP trained before the State of Massachustts took over the law on 7/9/2011. He said he was not aware of the new Mass requirements which are significantly different and more stringent than the EPA RRP Law.
Have you heard form your RRP trainer lately?
We are receiving calls from contractors who were trained on RRP by other trainers before the Mass takeover. They are telling us that they are in the dark on the Mass requirements. Most contractors tell us they have never heard from their trainer since the training.
Outreach to our clients; The Contractor Coaching Partnership RRP outreach programs
Contractors we have trained are constantly sent emails and notifications about changes in the law, new developments and are outreach programs. We are in constanct contact with RRP officials and OSHA to make sure we have the most up to date information for you and coaching services to help you when you are stuck or just too busy to do it yourself. I believe it is imperative that we consistently provide outreach on this contraversial subject to all we have trained.
The painting contractor referenced above did not fulfill the Firm Certification required by the law. Last weekend I had Mass DOLS representatives at the Worcester Home Show for an outreach seminar to homeowners. They told me that many contractors who have been RRP trained have not applied for their Mass Lead Safe Renovation License. To date their are only 1700 contractors in Massachusetts who have obtained the mandatory license. This means there are only 1700 contractors in the whole state that can legally offer to work or work on pre 1978 homes. Mass DOLS told me they will increase their enforcement of contractors. They are checking buidling permits, people who are RRP trained yet have not applied for the license, and they are checking the EPA Certified Firm List and calling contractors who have not applied in Massachusetts.
If you are reading this and you know you have not followed through on your training now might be a good time to call me and we can help you avoid the hassle of job shut down by an inspector. If you have not obtained you Mass Lead Safe Renovation Contractor License yet feel free to contact me and we will guide you through the process. If you have not heard from your trainer since the training you are probably unaware of critical information regarding the Mass RRP rules.
Having a job shut down is a pain in the rear you probably want to avoid.
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