As the title for this blog states, that really is the question. Or rather, the question becomes how the EPA, federal legislators and contractors nationwide can agree to a consensus on the best way to move forward with a lead-paint removal/restoration policy. In the upcoming issue of the RSES Journal, I penned a column about how the flooding in Tennessee has had not just a dramatic effect on home- and business owners, but on contractors trying to repair the damage Mother Nature has wrought.
Originally, the EPA had passed its regulations stating that contractors had to be certified to work on pre-1978-built buildings if they were residences, schools or day-care facilities. But with so few contractors licensed...and so few groups available to provide the proper training, the EPA has changed its tune. Sort of.
On June 18, the EPA issued a memorandum extending the EPA's Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting (RRP) rule deadline for renovators to enroll in training classes to September 30, 2010. In addition, it has extended the deadline for contractors to complete training to December 31, 2010. EPA also has agreed to work to provide additional trainers in areas of need. An article from the Greensboro (NC) News-Record offers some basic information here.
That raises the larger question of how the EPA, government officials and contractors/developers/technicians/laborers will be able to work together on the proposed lead-paint rules for commercial buildings. Oklahoma's Republican Senator James Inhofe has asked EPA to extend the period for public comment on those rules. Inhofe has stated that the additional period is necessary because of the wide scope of individuals that such a regulation could impact. Inhofe wrote to Stephen Owens, Assistant EPA administrator in the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, that "previous lead-paint programs have focused on high-need subpopulations, such as pregnant women and children, and residential buildings. Public and commercial buildings will present an array of different issues."
What the next steps will be is anyone's guess. But one thing is certain: HVACR professionals should keep their eyes peeled and their ears open. Because as soon as one action gets pushed forward, it appears that another one is right on its heels.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Measuring Success
It's been said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Unfortunately, with people being creatures of habit, we often find ourselves falling into familiar patterns. We do the same thing because we've always done it that way. When it comes to work, perhaps the person who mentored you "showed you the ropes," and you took those reins and just kept going the same way.
But that familiarity also can serve as a breeding ground for complacency. It allows us to feel comfortable, rather than challenge our conventional thoughts and actions to see if there might be a better way of doing things. I say this because now, here in 2010, the status quo is anything but...status quo.
I am presently on the road visiting with several HVACR manufacturers and component suppliers in Missouri. The conversations I've had have been interesting, lively and, most importantly, discussed how change is good. The shakeup of the economy over the past two years has been very difficult. It's forced companies to get leaner, make due with what they have and get more done with less. But it's also provided opportunities for them to challenge conventional wisdom and look at how they can get better results. As one c-level executive told me frankly, "We thought we were doing a lot better than we really were. Now we're focusing on measuring just how our messages, the information about our products, is getting out to people so that we can move the needle. We want to make sure that when a contractor is making a buying decision about a product, we're in consideration. And we need to be able to track that."
At RSES, we're doing much of the same thing. We're changing our processes, looking for faster ways to get new products brought to market, and seeking out opportunities with industry partners to develop content that can benefit the industry at large, and RSES Members in particular. It's not easy. There is pain involved. But the long-term benefits are there to be had.
On the contractor and technician level, I'm curious what steps toward change you're making? Are you taking time out to get yourself or your firm lead-paint certified (see my last blog for more about that) so that you can legally provide services to owners of older homes (as an FYI, any non-certified contractor performing work that disturbs lead-based paint on a home prior to 1978 that exceeds the space requirements of the rulling faces a $37,500 per day PER INFRACTION fine)? Are you attending seminars or programs to help you understand the plethora of energy-efficient products that continue to roll out into the marketplace?
The status quo may seem very comfortable. It may be putting revenue in your pocket and allow you to go about your daily routine. But if you continue to do the same thing while others challenge and move forward, then you're not maintaining at all. You're falling behind.
But that familiarity also can serve as a breeding ground for complacency. It allows us to feel comfortable, rather than challenge our conventional thoughts and actions to see if there might be a better way of doing things. I say this because now, here in 2010, the status quo is anything but...status quo.
I am presently on the road visiting with several HVACR manufacturers and component suppliers in Missouri. The conversations I've had have been interesting, lively and, most importantly, discussed how change is good. The shakeup of the economy over the past two years has been very difficult. It's forced companies to get leaner, make due with what they have and get more done with less. But it's also provided opportunities for them to challenge conventional wisdom and look at how they can get better results. As one c-level executive told me frankly, "We thought we were doing a lot better than we really were. Now we're focusing on measuring just how our messages, the information about our products, is getting out to people so that we can move the needle. We want to make sure that when a contractor is making a buying decision about a product, we're in consideration. And we need to be able to track that."
At RSES, we're doing much of the same thing. We're changing our processes, looking for faster ways to get new products brought to market, and seeking out opportunities with industry partners to develop content that can benefit the industry at large, and RSES Members in particular. It's not easy. There is pain involved. But the long-term benefits are there to be had.
On the contractor and technician level, I'm curious what steps toward change you're making? Are you taking time out to get yourself or your firm lead-paint certified (see my last blog for more about that) so that you can legally provide services to owners of older homes (as an FYI, any non-certified contractor performing work that disturbs lead-based paint on a home prior to 1978 that exceeds the space requirements of the rulling faces a $37,500 per day PER INFRACTION fine)? Are you attending seminars or programs to help you understand the plethora of energy-efficient products that continue to roll out into the marketplace?
The status quo may seem very comfortable. It may be putting revenue in your pocket and allow you to go about your daily routine. But if you continue to do the same thing while others challenge and move forward, then you're not maintaining at all. You're falling behind.
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