With spring right around the corner, Mass contractors who work on pre 1978 homes without their RRP license will find a less lenient DOLS. (RRP Enforcement Agency).
The most recent list of Mass contractors fined for RRP violations was released. You will notice that the locations are from all over the state. The fine amounts are well below the vaunted $37,500 from the EPA however they are significant enough to get a contractor's attention. Here is a sampling of the list. The entire list link is below.
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/13/11 |
LD-11-070 |
Davidson Painting & Remodeling Company, Inc. |
Littleton |
$1,200 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/16/11 |
LD-11-076 |
Valdemar Barboza/Valdemar Home Improvements |
Fall River |
$300 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/30/11 |
LD-11-077 |
Classical Details |
Dorchester |
$1,500 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/30/11 |
LD-11-078 |
Holland Development, LLC |
Weymouth |
$1,500 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/30/11 |
LD-11-079 |
Alpha Building Construction and Development |
Dorchester |
$4,000 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/30/11 |
LD-11-080 |
Daniel Construction Co., LLC |
Medford |
$600 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
12/30/11 |
LD-11-081 |
Dainius Kuprusevicius d/b/a Dainius Construction |
Walpole |
$2,200 |
|
CC-CP |
Lead |
1/24/12 |
LD-12-090 |
Samuel Silva, d/b/a A to Z Construction Co., inc. |
Westport, MA |
$600.00 |
RRP Fined Contractor List; http://www.mass.gov/lwd/labor-standards/dls/news-articles/enforcement-actions.html
The easy focus for RRP enforcement will be contractors who work outside. Painters, Roofers, Siding, Windows, Gutters and any contractor doing exterior projects. However don't be surprised if someone stops by once they see a dumpster or work truck.
The safest way to make sure you don't have a bad day when DOLS comes on your site is to simply complete the Mass Lead Safe Renovation Contractor application. As of today there are just over 2,200 Mass contractors who have signed up and obtained their RRP License.
Here is the link to the updated list. Are you on it?
http://www.mass.gov/lwd/docs/dos/lead-asbestos/lead/la-rpt-list-lr.pdf
Check out these interesting statistics on Mass contractors
- There are 4500 EPA Certified Firms from Mass.
- There are over 25,000 contractors trained on RPP in Mass.
- There are 2247 RRP Licensed Mass contractors
Why are so many Mass contractors avoiding signing up for their RRP License?
- Reason # 1 is the OSHA medical monitoring and respiratory requirments written into the Mass Lead Law. (We have been told by many contractors that they are uneasy with the OSHA requirements, blood testing, respiratory testing, keeping medical records, paying for the testing and potential liability if they don't proceed correctly) To learn more check out our training page explaining how we help contractors navigate the standard; RRP/Respiratory/OSHA/Training
- Reason # 2 is a belief that Mass/EPA will not enforce the law and contractors can slip under the radar.
- Reason # 3 is some contractors trained before Mass took over the law in July, 2010 are still unaware of the changes in the law.
- Reason # 4 is some contractors say they could give a $#!+ and they could care less about the law.
- Reason # 5 is contractors believe that they will lose jobs to homeowners unwilling to pay for it and also lose jobs to the underground contracting community.
With the recent Region 1 EPA/OSHA joint enforcement announcement and RRP fines now happening in Mass it will be more difficult for contractors to fly under the radar. As more news develops I will keep you informed on this blog and in our newsletter.
If you want to be keep up to date on enforcement news and new developments on OSHA, EPA, RRP, DOLS or Consumer Affairs make sure you sign up for the blog on the upper left of the page.
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