Safety Checklist for Homeowners
In Massachusetts, homeowners are not held responsible for complying with safety regulations in construction. They can sandblast paint that may contain lead, walk on their roofs without protection and operate in blissful ignorance of the laws regarding safety. If homeowners hire contractors who do not follow safety rules, they are not responsible for that either. The risk of noncompliance falls on the contractor. If a homeowner creates an unsafe condition, of course he/she may be liable if someone gets hurt, but the homeowner does not have to police the contractor. In fact, since many safety regulations make the cost of doing a job more expensive, there is an incentive for homeowners to hire contractors who do not follow the rules! Today my friend and colleague, Mark Paskell posted a story about a roofer in Connecticut who died after falling off a roof http://www.thecontractorcoachingpartnership.com/Blog-Contractor-Coaching--Construction-Business-Coach-EPA-RRP-Lead-Rule/bid/6547