Coming Soon!
The Contractor's program will be releasing a new policy form later this year. We are very excited to provide this enhanced policy form. A date for the release has not been set yet, but stay tuned!
Mold Prevention Tips & Tools
As risk managers, we have found that one of the best ways to prevent mold on a construction site is to have a water intrusion and mold prevention plan in place. We offer a two page checklist to insureds in our program through our Risk Management website. This checklist is designed to help insureds protect themselves and be aware of the potential for mold in all phases of a project.
An additional source for education on mold prevention is through the Mechanical Contractors Association of America. MCAA has a model mold prevention plan disc and instruction booklet that is very good. They recommend to their members that they establish and implement a mold prevention plan for every project. Using the model should make the process quick and easy.
A couple of tips are:
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Establish a pre-construction project management team to evaluate the building plans and specifications, and inspect the building before the mechanical work begins.
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If building materials become wet during construction, then the project manager should ensure that the material is replaced or dried out according to EPA guidelines.
If someone is interested in the disc or booklet they should contact MCAA AT 301-869-5800. They can also view MCAA’s website for additional resources and information.
It's Spring, Go Green!
Everywhere you turn you hear the word green- whether it's through recycling, the changing of lightbulbs or LEED building design. With more than 6.7 billion people on Earth, the initiative to reduce the level of carbon in the atmosphere and create a more sustainable way of life has never been greater. This has initiated an emergence in the movement of the design-build industry, giving way to LEED design and green building practices with codes being an integral element.
On March 15th 2010, the International Code Council (ICC) released its International Green Construction Code (IGCC), a collaboration between the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) International. The IGCC incorporated a previous code, Standard 189- a LEED modeled standard unveiled in January by the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC), the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). Integrating these codes is welcoming news for architects and engineers, ensuring the consistency in codes and compliances from one jurisdiction to another. The IGCC and Standard 189 provide standards that can both broaden and strengthen building codes by addressing such objectives as sustainable site development, water and energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality and reducing the overall consumption of building materials.
The introduction of green standards is just beginning. We can expect green codes to move forward nationwide much more and to involve all aspects of our daily routine, as all industries are trying to do their part for the environment.