Lead is an extremely dangerous chemical that covers over 50 million structures throughout the United States. Most contractors have no understanding of the dangers, and are negligent when it comes to the dangers the work they conduct poses for the citizens who are near their work.

I have seen thousands of employees, homeowners, and tenants exposed to lead becuse contractors refuse to take the time to work safely. The same thing used to be said about asbestos, only now that the EPA has strict rules, exposure to asbesos is rare.

When I visit contractors they typically say the same thing, “how was I supposed to know lead was dangerous?” Or “why weren’t we told that we had to reduce lead exposure?”

Well, here we are with a rule that will give contractors, tenants, and property owners the guidance they need to ensure work is done safely and no one gets sick. But, do business owners want the help? No Way!

I can here them whining right now, “stay out of my way Mr. Big Governement. I only want your help when I get sued for poisoning a family or a childcare facility. You can’t expect me to work safely like the EPA rule tells me to. It’s way to hard…except when I get sued, then it’s your fault Mr. Big Governement, where were you when I needed help?”