EP merit Badge

We live in a stable but fairly fragile state. Emergencies happen all the time and all over the world. Those that think we are immune are living in a Hurricane Katrina denial fantasy.

I used to joke about people living in areas that are devastated annually with floods. I also had quips (that I thought were humorous) about tornadoes being caused by mobile homes communities. I even remember a comedian joking about famines in the desert, but not anymore. Our weather is changing whether we like it or not, and the world is growing much smaller in the sense that we get natural disasters piped into our homes nightly.

Being and Eagle Scout myself, I thought it would be cool to share some of my EP wisdom with the rest of you.

Lucky Peak

I recall just hearing about a huge meteorite that just missed the earth. I used to joke about having beach front property for when California slips off into the Pacific in the next big earthquake. Haiti should be a wake up call, and the firestorm in Columbia Village of a few years  back brings it a bit closer to home. An East coast freak ice storm early this fall had some of my extended family stuck without most city services for six days. I also responded to the Challis Idaho earthquake a few decades ago, where two children died from a falling building facade, the fear was that there would be many miners stuck in mine shafts.

At Levco, we build with the thought of earthquake in mind, but the codes are far less stringent than say, California. Idaho has the honor of being the state which is the 6th most earthquake active state in the US.

I'm Not Making it Up

Here in Ada County, we have the Department of Emergency Management. They have lots of good information and links to other sites that speak to being prepared. The essence is that although our government says it is, and will be prepared it doesn’t take much to overload the system. We need to be equipped with the proper knowledge and materials to successfully navigate those first few days on our own.

Things to be familiar with their operation:

Scout's Honor

Your husband (or the mechanical one of the household) may not be there, or may be incapacitated in the moment of need.

1. Water shut off.
2. Gas Shut off.
3. Electrical shutoff.
4. Emergency meeting location.
5. Location of your emergency stash of supplies.

Things to be aware of:

When failures of a massive proportion occur, the government services are often affected too.

Are cell phones going to work? Maybe.

I recall that there was an estimate that the downtown streets would be covered in 6′ of rubble, Fires and floods are always a possibility and flood too. Lucky Peak … Hope it holds!

What to stash:

Auto Safety

Containers of stored water & food, a heat source and fuel for it, blankets, shelter, battery operated radio, flashlights, shovel, money, a weapon, first aid kit, and personal medications. The list goes on the important thing is to have the basics. It could happen at any time of year.

Automotive Preparedness:

Think about an automotive problem that leaves you stranded. There might not be a knight in shining armor out there for you. On-Star helps, but I like to say that taking a road trip off the beaten path is like doing a raft trip…If you don’t have it with you when you leave, odds are you won’t have it when you need it.

Every year, we hear about those that get stuck in storms. There once were some city guys that got stuck on horseback in the middle of winter, they killed and gutted their horses to protect themselves from the cold night. I now call horses “flat lander sleeping bags.” There are GPS units that are getting folks in trouble too. Turns out the shortest way between two places may be an impossible road for your transportation means in the given weather conditions.

My best advice is to keep your wits about you and be prepared within reason. Your best resource is your clear, calm brain, which is much more likely to perform properly when dealing with a crisis, any sort of an emergency or survival situation, rather than to reacting to one. Oh, and remember, “You don’t have to be a Boy Scout to be prepared”.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

Moldy Stuff

Mold, also know as Fungus, has become a huge issue in homes as of late, with concerns coming from the medical as well as the insurance communities. Many misconceptions are floating around, which that have caused panic and hysteria. Usually a trained sense of smell is all that is required to locate a problem, and visible signs all that you need to confirm the diagnosis. The spores can cause a respiratory irritation, and if a preexisting sensitivity or respiratory illness exists, it can exacerbate that problem.

But all mold  is not bad, although I often refer to it as the “M” word. I prefer to use “bacterial growth” as it is more subtle. We must remember that mold is what makes the blue in blue cheese. It is what makes bread rise in the form of yeast. Mold is also the natural decomposer, it digests rotten organic matter (sometimes before the expiration date).  It is also the foundation of fermentation. God only knows where we would be as a civilization without that.

Mold Triangle

Mold, like fire, has a triangle of opportunity to proliferate: some sort of food (some sort of organic matter),  warmth (in most cases), and moisture. When combined the organism flourishes and reproduces at an incredible pace.

The EPA has set guidelines for dealing with mold and I believe they have a very sensible approach. they have provided many resources and reading materials to understand mold, to prevent it, and remove it as needed. The bottom line is that we want to prevent its growth and proliferation by being aware of where it comes from and making sure we treat it with respect.

From Levco’s perspective, mold in an area that is moist is an outward sign of a water problem that requires fixing. If dry, it is a sign that there was an issue that was not cleaned adequately. From a health perspective we focus upon proper respiratory protection, proper disposal of contaminated materials, and good personal hygiene.

We categorize water problems into two categories Acute and Chronic.

Acute:

The source of acute water problems are usually obvious. The stopping of the leak is of foremost importance. Cleaning up after an acute leak takes patience and attention to detail. we have seen many acute leaks that have not been dried adequately and have provided the third leg of the mold triangle. Seepage between floors and under materials tat do not breathe like vinyl flooring are prime locations for mold growth.

Chronic:

We find all sorts of telltale signs of mold that have existed for eons. In one case, a hillside leak came through a foundation crack and created mold growth in the insulation. It was stopped by the visqueen vapor barrier and never made it to the drywall. The wall eventually dried out, but when we went to remodel we needed to take special precautions not to breath in the spores.

Chronic Mold

We were recently referred by an insurance agent to a client who was having her laundry room flooring replaced with tile. When the contractor removed the vinyl, there were all sorts of black colored mold that had disintegrated the particleboard underlayment and left visible stains on the OSB subfloor. Within a few minutes, it became obvious that the leak was resolved long ago and the moisture was gone as well. The dust like material was easily vacuumed up with a HEPA vacuum and then the area was scrubbed with a soap and water solution. Finally, the entire area was soaked with a strong antibacterial solution and allowed to dry prior to having the new plastic underlayment applied and tile set.

How We Attack a Mold Issue:

Once we have decided to remediate a mold issue,

1. We survey the affected area from a safe distance.
2. We protect ourselves and provide containment.
3. We rapidly determine whether this is a project we can handle or if it requires referring to a specialty subcontractor.
4. We focus our attention upon ensuring that the leak or source of moisture has been resolved.
5. Once resolved, we make a plan for cleanup and repair.
6. Depending upon the severity, building components might require cleaning and disinfectant all the way to removal and disposal.

As a remodeler I was forced to add a mold clause that addresses the issue.

MOLD: Mold is a naturally occurring form of bacteria, it is everywhere including in healthy homes. In some occurrences, rare instances, sensitivity and reactions to particular types of mold can occur. We do not proclaim to be specialists in this field; however, we are aware of what it looks like, how to clean it up, and basic prevention techniques. When we suspect a mold hazard to health, we will at our discretion, contact a specialty contractor or mold resource for third party verifications and or recommendations. The Owner will be consulted and a Change Order will be initiated to provide this task at the Owners expense.

Having a third party response to a mold issue can be an expensive undertaking. At Levco, we try our best to handle these issues for our clients reasonably and responsibly. We have several backups in this area, most of which come with a hefty price tag.

Disclaimer: Some of these images came from the WEB. If they are yours, and you object to them being used, please claim them and I will gladly remove and replace them at once.

A Little Help Anyone!

I have been a safety nut for my entire adult life. My Emergency Medical profession has had me picking up the pieces of so many broken people over the years, I thought it only natural that I make this safety moment segment a regular portion of Levco’s BLOG.

Winter time brings all sorts of additional peril into our lives and to drive the message home, I have added a snip it of national statistics to prove my point.

• 45% of home decoration fires start with candles.
• 260 home fires begin with Christmas trees each year, resulting in 12 deaths, 24 injuries, and $16.4 million in property damage.
• 5,800 people per year are treated in hospital emergency rooms for falls associated with holiday decorations.
• 1,170 home fires began with decorations, excluding Christmas trees.
• 3 top days of year for candle fires–Christmas, Christmas Eve, and New Year’s Day.
• 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms.
• 3,300 home fires originate in extension cords each year, killing 50 people and injuring about 270 more.

Turns out that there are others out there that are entirely focused upon safety and one of them is my friend Dr. Isabel Perry. She has a regular business of sharing her advice and is a nationally known speaker on the topic. I have decided to link her newsletter here to get the full brunt of her wisdom. In fact the above information came directly from one of her newsletters!

My primary focus in life is being a professional Remodeler in Boise Idaho. I feel it is my responsibility as a professional to share these helpful hints and tips to keep my community and clients healthy and happy for years to come.

Thermocouple with a Button

This situation caught me off guard. I was presented with a thermocouple from an AO Smith, sealed combustion chamber water heater. The symptoms included that the water heater would go off for no reason. Eventually he couldn’t even get the pilot lit. With careful inspection, you could see it had a little button in line. I had never seen one before, but this is what what I learned.

Thermocouples are used in gas appliances that use a standing pilot. That means that there is a small gas flame on all the time.  Without the Thermocouple doing its thing, the pilot won’t stay lit. Flame sensors work similarly, and basically ensure that there is a flame before the gas is allowed through the main gas valve to be turned into flame for heat. If it wasn’t for a functional thermocouple, the gas valve would just allow the gas to flow into your home without being burned. This is when explosions happen, and entire buildings get blown to smithereens.

A thermocouple is an impressive little safety device that senses the heat made by a flame. Through a system of having dissimilar metals joined, thermocouples generates a millivolt charge of around 12 – just enough to tell the gas valve that the pilot light is on. I think that the coolest part is that there are no moving parts.

OOPS!

Many appliances don’t have thermocouples, like gas stoves and barbeques. Because of that, they need to be watched closely and are very dangerous, especially around children and especially in windy conditions.

The thermocouple is always high on the list of possible problems in gas appliances troubleshooting. Unless you are handy and understand how to test them and or change them out, I would recommend calling a professional. The problem with this one in particular was that it was intermittently shutting off the pilot.

It wasn’t until that fateful Sunday morning when my friend’s wife couldn’t take a hot shower that hubby had to spring into action and fix it. He called on a Sunday to help make it better, and being the go to guy that I am, I accepted the challenge. It took lots of research to discover what the aforementioned button was. It had a 190 stamped on it, and this is what we finally discovered.

The typical thermocouple costs about $7.00 The fancier one is $35.00. The little button is called a Thermal Cut Off, or TCO. Unfortunately, there is no place open on a Sunday that carries the fancier one. This reminds me of a “suspenders and belt fix” only it is a “suspenders and two belts”… a bit of overkill in my opinion.

This is what A.O. Smith has to say about their fancy Thermocouple device.

Faulty Connection

COMBUSTION CHAMBER TEMPERATURE SENSOR
The C3 Technology water heaters will come equipped with a thermal cutoff (TCO) device that is
integral with the thermocouple. Temperature cutoff points range from 160°C to 200°C depending on
model. The TCO is an automatic reset thermal switch. When activated it will open the
thermocouple circuit and shut off the main and pilot burner gas flow. The pilot would have to be relit
after the TCO has had sufficient time to cool down (sensor is below 120 degrees F).
The TCO performs two primary functions:
• In the event of flammable vapor ignition inside the combustion chamber, it senses the
corresponding increase in temperature and shuts off gas flow to the main and pilot burners.
• If excessive temperatures inside the combustion chamber indicate poor combustion due to
a clogged LDO screen or inadequate air for combustion, the TCO will shut off gas flow to
the main and pilot burners.

Ultimately I discovered ours had a broken weld at one side of the button that was most likely due to a manufacturing defect. I saw lots of complaints about this little button, but no good solutions or explanation of what they were on the internet. There just wasn’t any good advice about where to find them, or if they were essential. I replaced it with readily available “universal type” from the hardware store . It worked just fine. I also removed the air screen or LDO ( if you want to be technical). The LDO is a flimsy air filter that commonly gets clogged anyway. I left it up to the owner to replace it with the correct one as they see fit. On Monday, I went to the wholesale house and sure enough I found them for $35.00 but they were out.

Asbestos in the Raw

Asbestos is a mined substance commonly found in all sorts of building materials.  In the meantime it was used since the days of the ancient Greeks for its many fire resistant and its ability to be used as cloth. It has gone in and out of vogue. There had been suspicion about asbestos and health problems. It was not clinically associated with serious medical problems until the late 1920′s, when workers in the mines began to fall ill with lung disease, cancer and death at a young age, that asbestos became a known health hazard.

Here in Boise Levco brings samples to Materials Testing Incorporated to be tested. According to them they are the only lab in the region that does asbestos analysis using a special microscope and procedures that currently do this work.

Asbestos wrapped hot water pipes

Like Lead based paint, asbestos was pulled from the market in 1977 by the EPA; however existing stock piles were allowed to be used up so there may be new installations as late as 1986.

There are many building materials we come across when remodeling here in Boise Idaho that contained asbestos. The problem is that it breaks down into such minute dust particle that even HEPA vacuums can’t catch it all. Wet wiping is a better method of containing dust created during removal.

This list from the EPA website is very complete

• STEAM PIPES, BOILERS, and FURNACE DUCTS insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape. These materials may release asbestos fibers if damaged, repaired, or removed improperly.
• RESILIENT FLOOR TILES (vinyl asbestos, asphalt, and rubber), the backing on VINYL SHEET FLOORING, and ADHESIVES used for installing floor tile. Sanding tiles can release fibers. So may scraping or sanding the backing of sheet flooring during removal.
• CEMENT SHEET, MILLBOARD, and PAPER used as insulation around furnaces and wood burning stoves. Repairing or removing appliances may release asbestos fibers. So may cutting, tearing, sanding, drilling or sawing insulation.
• DOOR GASKETS in furnaces, wood stoves, and coal stoves. Worn seals can release asbestos fibers during use.
• SOUNDPROOFING OR DECORATIVE MATERIAL sprayed on walls and ceilings. Loose, crumbly, or water-damaged material may release fibers. So will sanding, drilling or scraping the material.
• PATCHING AND JOINT COMPOUNDS for walls and ceilings, and TEXTURED PAINTS. Sanding, scraping, or drilling these surfaces may release asbestos.
  

  Asbestos wrapped ducts

• ASBESTOS CEMENT ROOFING, SHINGLES, and SIDING. These products are not likely to release asbestos fibers unless sawed, drilled or cut.
• ARTIFICIAL ASHES AND EMBERS sold for use in gas-fired fireplaces. Also, other older household products such as FIREPROOF GLOVES, STOVE-TOP PADS, IRONING BOARD COVERS, and certain HAIRDRYERS.
• AUTOMOBILE BRAKE PADS AND LININGS, CLUTCH FACINGS, and GASKETS.

Vermiculite ore that looks like little pellets of light weight mica and was mined in Libby Montana from 1919 to 1990. It was sold under the brand name Zonolite and was used in 70% of all homes insulated with Vermiculite. Attics were stocked full of it for insulation properties and fire resistance. Unfortunately, nearly all of the Zonolite mined in the Libby Montana area was mixed with/contaminated with asbestos, which was plentiful in the region. Incidentally, we have seen this product in Boise.

As hazardous as it is, when left alone or encapsulated or contained (say with paint) and not disturbed, asbestos it is not hazardous at all. The difference is that is is not aerosolized or turned into dust, also known as being friable.

As far as federal regulations are concerned, there are strict regulations for municipal, commercial & federal projects. There are Asbestos Professionals that do abatement, however there is no mandate for residential applications from the EPA at least.

EPA federal registry part 40 CFR 61 sub part M excerpt:

Facility means any institutional, commercial, public, industrial, or residential structure, installation, or building (including any structure, installation, or building containing condominiums or individual dwelling units operated as a residential cooperative, but excluding residential buildings having four or fewer dwelling units); any ship; and any active or inactive waste disposal site. For purposes of this definition, any building, structure, or installation that contains a loft used as a dwelling is not considered a residential structure, installation, or building. Any structure, installation or building that was previously subject to this sub-part is not excluded, regardless of its current use or function.

OSHA sees things differently, They are not concerned with the environment parse, only employees, here is the link to their regulations This is a class 1 Toxic substance and needs to be dealt with accordingly. Essentially if a contractor is going to be performing this work on a residential remodeling project, they need to do similar protection as Lead Safe Work Practices.

Common sense suggests that when doing removal or disturbing asbestos impregnated materials that proper respiratory protection is required. Preventing friable (airborne) materials is the best way to handle removal.

Wetting the entire surface and removing it in a dust free way immediately, then double bagging it, is our technique. We have removed Asbestos roofing in this way and double lined the dump truck. There are also special disposal techniques as well as disclosure forms at the Ada County Landfill that must be followed. As I like to say ” Fees & Forms” That being said this is no joke and something we take very seriously.

In the event you want to remove asbestos yourself check into proper safety techniques. Always consider a professional abatement company to protect the health of everyone involved. Just because you can’t see the darn stuff doesn’t mean it can’t reach out and touch you.

The new 2009 IRC mandates wired together smoke detectors and Carbon Monoxide detectors be placed at the entry of each bedroom. This means that if one detector alarms then all of them alarm. When remodeling, there is a mandate to upgrade homes when a permit is pulled. Thankfully there are times when it would be a hardship and/or too complicated or expensive to retrofit the entire home. In some cases battery operated devices are still allowed. Essentially, If there is a crawl space below or an attic above then you are able to go ahead and upgrade without too much difficulty.  At Levco this upgrade is discussed early in the project planning phase so as not to be a surprise to my clients.

Smoke

Smoke detectors detect smoke by two basic types, photoelectric detectors and ionization detectors. Smoke is the precursor to fire which as we all know is deadly. There are all kinds of harmful ingredients in smoke and if working properly they detect and alarm loud enough to alert the occupants. Theoretically folks will have early warning and use the time wisely to get out to fresh air and safety. Studies have shown that they are not always successful waking children so parents be warned.

CO Poisoning

Carbon Monoxide on the other hand is a byproduct of incomplete combustion that is not necessarily a precursor to fire and is odorless and invisible. It kills by working at the cellular level. Your oxygen carrying hemoglobin of the red blood cells prefer carbon monoxide to oxygen.  Once in your blood stream, your cells have no oxygen to use for cellular metabolism so you begin to suffocate at a cellular level. A faulty furnace or combustion chamber can cause it. One neighbor of mine took the flu off the top of the furnace in the basement “to get the extra heat that was being wasted and escaping”. They survived thanks to having few windows that were not broken out. Common symptoms include headache and drowsiness. Severe long lasting neurological complications have resulted from moderate exposures.

Combination detector

Dual Acting Units Levco has located several dual acting devices that work. They look good so I encourage everyone to update their devices to the dual acting ones. Both First Alert and Kidde make them and they are available through your favorite big box store. This one also talks telling you what to do.

Through my years in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) there has been too many saves from smoke detectors to count. Not to mention a reduced number of house fires. It was common place for us to check smoke detectors on medical calls and replace batteries or offer free devices for the needy.  I believe that mandatory implementation of this life saving device is long overdue. I was inadvertently exposed in the line of duty to Carbon Monoxide during a major incident many years ago under the Bay Bridge. I have cared for those who have suffered long term sequelae, such a sad unnecessary situation. I have had a detector installed in all of my rentals and in my own home for years. In fact that detector was my first indication of my furnace failure ten years ago.

2009 IRC

As of January 1st 2011 Boise City along with all of the other jurisdictions that adopt building codes, followed the states lead and adopted parts of the 2009 IRC international Residential Building Code. The last code was the 2006 IRC which was implemented in the same year. Plumbers use their own code 2003 UPC and electricians use their own code 2008 UEC, there are fire codes, mechanical codes, and energy codes to navigate as well. Thankfully the inspectors in this city are fantastic. As long as it is clear that they are not the enemy, they do a great job of mentoring. Why they all don’t use the same one is a bit of a mystery to me, that is another story.

Us remodelers got spared most of the changes the new construction companies are subjected to, many of which involve mechanical things like ducting and proper sizing oh HVAC systems. In fact the HVAC contractors were pretty worried about all of the things they have to be responsible for. It includes blower door testing for new homes. Seems the government wants us to have much more energy efficient homes. You can read all of the updates here or see the Boise City website for updated documents and requirements.

Areas that effect Levco include framing upgrades and lots about trusses. Including Carbon Monoxide detectors outside of bedrooms along with smoke detectors. Thankfully there are some good dual acting units on the market now. All in all I am seeing some strong progress in the insulation division as well as mandating energy efficiency as well as eliminating heat loss through shabby workmanship.

Boise City also requires us to install egress size windows when possible whenever changing out windows in bedrooms. This includes above ground applications.

Oldies but goodies

As far as plumbing is concerned I discovered something that bares a mention. I was under the mistaken belief that toilets that are the old high water 3GPF (Gallons Per Flush) usage were outlawed. “RONG” sort of. They are outlawed to be manufactured so they are essentially no longer available. This means you can’t install them in new residents… If you pull one out however, and relocate it or want to reinstall it… you are allowed to reuse it. The question that comes to mind is why you would want to n light of the water savings provided by the newer technology.

The truth is the the 1.6 GPF ones are working fantastically now and they are perfecting even more water conscious ones that work well. Initially they had problems clearing the tank and there was concern that there was not enough water flowing to keep material headed towards the sewage treatment plants. Turns out that was a myth. I just saw a .8 GPF toilet for sale at the supply house. Don’t forget the dual flushers, we just installed some that use .8 GPF for liquids and 1.6 GPF for solids and the report is that they can handle the business.

Special thanks to Perry E Paine for helping with this post

Plans Examiner II
Planning & Development Services
208/395-7858
208/384-3801
TDD/TTY 800/377-3529

Earth day

OK, say you live in a home built prior to 1978, and you are interested in remodeling. The first thing you must understand is that “the home is completely painted with lead based paint” according the the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) unless tested and proven otherwise. This was done on Earth Day 4,22,2010 . The RRP rule is a federal law that required contractors to Lead Safe Work Practices (LSWP) when Renovating, Repairing or painting pre-1978 homes throughout the country. The rationale for that date is because Lead Based Paint was outlawed ( reduced to a very small amount allowable) for residential applications on 12/31/1977. The EPA has been slow to educate and inform the public but all indications are that fines for non compliance will propel the rule into the public eye in the coming months.

Lead Safe Certified Firm

Idaho resides in EPA Region 10 administered out of Seattle Washington, Many states have taken the responsibility of enforcing the RRP rule as it is called but Idaho remains a federally run program.

Lead Safe Contractor is one that has taken the 8 hour classroom combination didactic and hands on education and has demonstrated comprehension of the dangers involved with lead based paint and the how to work with it safely. The contractor also has the ability to document the proper processes and preform lead safe work practices. They have paid an additional $300 fee and are registered with the EPA. This is the insignia used to identify RRP certified contractors and Lead Safe Firms.

Renovate Right booklet

To avoid the stigma of lead based paint all together,owners are choosing non certified contractors to do the work. Unfortunately the contractor bares all the risk and if caught will be essentially put out of business once fined.

There are two schools of thought out there for contractors.

TO TEST or NOT TO TEST

If you do test, you will know exactly what is, and isn’t leaded, thus giving knowledge to the owner in the form of a report. The down side is that the report must stay with the home.

If you don’t test,You won’t attach the stigma of knowing that which components are leaded, thus rendering the home in a “everything is leaded” state just like millions of other homes in the country.

Dust wipe sampling

This may seem like a simple decision but it is not. Testing is how Levco operates. Knowledge is power. Only providing the super duper dust protection when it is needed is 99.9% less expensive and it addresses the intent of the rule.

OSHA also has a series of lead requirements for  companies to be aware of the potential lead hazards to the employees. You really don’t know till you’ve tested. This means air monitoring and medical monitoring is always necessary if you don’t test and perhaps if you test but there again, If you test and find none you save lots of time and money.

Once the job is completed, verification of lead safe is done with a series of dust samples and soil sampling if appropriate. Do yourself, your family and your contractor a big favor and get a lead test in your pre-78 home before you ask them to remodel or paint.

OSHA

Oh boy is there ever a problem between the three of the federal agencies that regulate how lead is handled in the residential remodeling world. The EPA’s RRP rule came out last April and Levco has been all over it with training and lead safe work practices. I knew that OSHA was in existence, In fact we’ve visited and I have heard speakers from the organization on many safety issues related to workers falling or being crushed or killed. We even implemented a safety talk and keep first aid kits on the job. HUD and their rules are well established too and are similar to RRP but there are glaring inconsistencies both within them, and between them.

It wasn’t until I was attending my third RRP training and dealing with the national NARI work group helping to create a NARI position statement that the light went on. I was looking at a Linkedin conversation where an Oregon painting firm was being required to do air monitoring by OSHA among other things, and my thought was that they were being unfairly persecuted. They were following RRP and doing everything properly, why beat them up with additional requirements. Don’t theses agencies talk to one another?

HUD

DING. I called local OSHA and low and behold Jacob Ewer told me that there is a very specific procedure for Lead in Construction that has been on the books for years. The trouble is that no one in the residential remodeling world knows about it, or is following that rule. What is my excuse? I thought the OSHA lead rule was for industrial exposures and commercial work. I suppose it is best suited for that application, but it is clearly intended to protect all employees and we all need to be aware the rules. We simply have no choice but to follow.

Turns out that The big 3 government agencies are divided up into OSHA being responsible for workers safety, EPA is responsible for public health and environmental safety, and HUD is all about safe housing.

EPA

My goal is to reach out to OSHA and get their assistance with becoming compliant then educate my fellow contractors in the ways of OSHA. All the while working behind the scenes to eliminate confusing rules, and overlapping regulations that make my job more difficult than I believe it needs to be.

Fortunately, in communicating with the local OSHA group we are a federally regulated unlike our surrounding states. That being said we still require training on hazardous things like being up on a ladder and dealing with fall protection, the difference is we can teach each other. Lead rules are going to take some time to grasp a better understanding of our responsibilities. When it comes to mask fitting, dealing with air pumps and monitoring,  and all of the regulations that come with the Lead In Construction rule. If while monitoring air we reach the AL (Action Level) and or PEL (Permissible Exposure Limit) we must do medical monitoring including blood lead level. Those of you that thought the RRP rule was a hoot will love the fact that regardless of the amount of lead in a room, OSHA rules apply. My dream is that the big three can come together and devise one rule that makes sense and covers all issues related to property.

Non egress

This is the nightmare no one wants to see. A fire in the basement with no way out.  Here is an example of why the building code insists that below ground living spaces must have Egress Windows.  Above ground living spaces need them too but below ground is where the biggest bang for the buck comes from. There are other rules / building codes for Boise City related to smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors as well, but this one makes perfect sense.  The last thing anyone wants to be is stuck when smoke and fire is billowing around you. At Levco we take this seriously and want to install proper egress windows whenever we can.

I realized that we have installed lots of Egress Windows over the years. Instead of doing a post of each one. I would add a photo gallery of lots of projects to share some of creative solutions we have come up with to satisfy our customers needs.

OSHA approved ramp

Levco Builders has a firm foundation in the safety world Joe is a Flight Paramedic and Diane is a former EMT. We as a company are always looking at our processes and procedures as well as our tools to ensure safety. Although all accidents cant be prevented we pride ourselves in our safety record. From job site audits of extension cords to removing ladders from the site that are unsafe to constructing OSHA approved ramps, we always are looking out for our selves our homeowners and our selves. We recently were invited to the Nampa Civic Center for a Dig Line safety program presented by an emergency responder and former police officer from Kansas. Levco has been using Dig Line for years and despite the line locating services they provide we have nicked an underground line from time to time.

Nicked cable line

Fortunately there has been no serious incidents and our hats go off to them for all that they do.