By:MONTE LEEPER
Q.
How much peace of mind should cost? My name is Kevin and I work for an Environmental Company called Action Remediation (www.actionhazmat.com). Last week we received a call from a landlord who owns a small Cape that he leases to a family in Oceanside. Being a nice guy, the landlord decided to add a small bath on the second floor and change a couple of old door frames and doors. When the local contractor started the job, the occupant, having small children, asked the contractor to take some precautions so that asbestos dust and lead dust would be controlled.
Well, the contractor used a circular saw to cut through the asbestos-containing roof material for the bathroom dormer and ripped out the lead-painted moldings and door jams without the proper dust controls in place. The renter is very upset about this and stops the job from continuing. He then calls the department of labor and the Nassau County Dept. of Health, and stops paying his rent. Now the nice guy landlord must hire a licensed Environmental Company such as ours to meticulously clean most of the dwelling, and a third party lab to sample our work and satisfy the Dept. of Labor and Nassau County Dept. Of Health.
So the landlord will have incurred the following fees:
New Bathroom $4,000-$6,000
Lost Rent (6 weeks) $7,000
Clean up and Disposal $2,000
Third party Lab Sampling $550
For a few hundred dollars the job could have been properly set up for removal of these potentially dangerous materials. Peace of mind, I guess, costs a few hundred dollars.
A.
Sadly, few people realize the true meaning of "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Even though there are specific rules, regulations and common sense dictates a little research before the work begins, the average worker is unaware of the dangers and damage they can do. Whether the worker agrees with the laws set in place to protect health, safety, and welfare, they must adapt, along with the landlord, who may not have considered the extra precautions affordable or convenient.
I hope readers take your observations seriously, since a few hundred dollars of prevention, in this case, could have easily avoided thousands of dollars of cure. Thank you for your letter.
Readers are encouraged to send questions to: HERALD Homes, 379 Central Avenue, Lawrence, N.Y. 11559
Attn: Monte Leeper, Architect.
