Residential contractors and other Massachusetts businesses face a potential 19.3% workers' compensation rate increase. The Massachusetts Workers Compensation Bureau is seeking this increase to be effective in September of 2012. Here is an excerpt from an article from www.workerscompensation.com

Safety Trainers Inc and The Contractor Coaching Partnership are holding a Fall Protection Training on 3/21/2012 at the Convention Center JLC Live Show in Providence. Following are the links for the registration for the show and the conference schedule.

Today Senator Inhofe (R) introduced Bill 2148 seeking to reinstate the RRP Opt Out removed when the Sierra Club sued the EPA in 2009.  As you may recall the original RRP Law included an OPT OUT Provision which allowed homeowners without children under 6 and pregnant women living in the home, the choice to forgo the costs of RRP work on top of the cost of renovations.

Last week a worker was killed in Shelton Connecticut when he fell 39 feet from a roof while installing skylights.

For late bloomer contractors still holding off on getting RRP Certified in Mass we have two training this week. The Mass/EPA RRP class on Tuesday 2/28/2012 still has a few seats open. Class qualifies for 8 CEU credits for Mass CSL's.

Recently Shawn McCadden started a conversation on linkedin on what is the real definition of design build and should there be one standard. The concept of Design/Build is often confused with the Design/Bid/Build by contractors, remodelers, builders and the design community. Just imagine how confused the consumer is. This confusion does not help an industry which consumers' believe is one of the most untrustworthy in America. Most consumer reports in the past 12 years show residential contractors at the top of most complained about industries. 

Contractors are starting to get busy with spring projects in the Boston and Metrowest Mass markets. Many clients are starting to see their marketing efforts pay off with more lead generation. These contractors are getting back to basic marketing they left when things were very busy and a blind squirrel could find work. Most of the basic steps cost little or no money.

We have new dates up for Mass EPA RRP training in Massachusetts. Given that the EPA and OSHA in Region 1 (New England) just announced that they will work together to enforce RRP and OSHA Standards many contractors are now seeking certification.

National Lumber is hosting a Fall Protection Training Program on 2/22/2012 at their Mansfield Mass training facility. Steven Linsky and National Lumber has scheduled many trainings this spring to help contractors with these regulatory requirements by OSHA, DOLS, Energy Code and CEU requirements. The training will be conducted by Safety Trainers, Inc and The Contractor Coaching Partnership, Inc.

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).