MSB's Environmental Conditions Database Helps Carriers Comply With New EPA Regulations

MILWAUKEE, May 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In response to the EPA's recent Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule for lead paint, MSB, the leading worldwide provider of building cost data and estimating technology to the property insurance industry, has expanded its hazardous materials dataset.  The Environmental Conditions database, available through the company's IntegriClaim™ and EyeQ® claims estimating systems, contains more than 250 item operations created specifically for dealing with potentially hazardous repairs, including those related to the lead paint regulation.

"The original dataset was created to deal with mold.  Today, new regulations, like the EPA's RRP, have made estimating restoration work on older homes more complex," explained Jonathan Kost, senior vice president for MSB.  "MSB's expanded Environmental Conditions dataset, accessible through drop-down menus in EyeQ®, is designed to support the user with easy-to-use, timely, and localized building cost information to reduce the complexity of dealing with remediation claims."

MSB's Environmental Conditions database includes items that range from personal protection equipment and air movers to containment chambers and emergency power.  Labor charges have also been revised to accurately reflect the additional time needed to gather and dispose of this hazardous waste. "When you're dealing with a hazardous remediation project, productivity naturally goes down because of the additional steps required," Kost explained. "We've included these additional costs as part of the item operations themselves, so they won't be overlooked."

To ensure that subsequent releases are always one step ahead of changing needs and regulations, MSB recently hired a remediation expert with more than a decade of field experience in the industry to focus on this area.  "We are committed to providing the tools and information our customers need to provide compliant, accurate estimates as quickly and easily as possible," Kost said.  "Our investment in the resources needed to keep our Environmental Conditions dataset current and complete is only one example of how we put this commitment into action."

About MSB

MSB, also known as Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, is an MDA company and the leading supplier of local building cost information, residential and commercial property valuation technology and services for the property and casualty insurance sector of the United States and Canada.  MSB has five offices throughout the U.S. and Canada. 

SOURCE MSB