Flashings

Roofing contractor found in civil contempt

Stephen Lessard, owner of Lessard Roofing & Siding, Greene, Maine, and Lessard Brothers Construction, Greene, has been found in civil contempt by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit in Boston after refusing to pay $405,000 in fines for violating federal occupational safety standards.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Lessard's companies for 11 safety violations at 11 work sites in Maine between 2000 and 2011. Lessard has refused to correct the violations and pay the fines and interest ordered by the court in February. Lessard's companies are not NRCA members.

NRCA and CNA seek entries for community service award

CNA and NRCA are accepting nominations for the CNA/NRCA Community Involvement Award, which honors charitable works by NRCA member contractors. Charitable projects, activities or donations completed between Jan. 1, 2015, and Dec. 31, 2015, are eligible to be nominated for a chance to win up to $5,000 for the charity.

A panel of judges from CNA and NRCA will select one winning company to receive $5,000 payable to its charity. Two honorable mentions will receive $1,000 each payable to their charities. The awards will be presented during NRCA's 129th Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 15-19, 2016.

Projects, activities or donations do not need to involve roofing work to be eligible. For example, funds raised for a cause or volunteer work at a children's hospital would qualify. Submissions should include an in-depth description of the charitable work, testimonial from the receiving charity and any supporting material (photos, press clippings, video, etc.).

The deadline for submissions is Dec. 31. Applications are available at www.nrca.net/roofing/CNA-NRCA-Community-Involvement-Award-722. If you have questions, contact Charlotte Norgaard, NRCA's media relations manager, at (847) 493-7548 or cnorgaard@nrca.net.

IRS provides online ACA filing resource

The IRS has provided a new online resource to help employers determine whether they are classified as an applicable large employer for the upcoming filing season.

The ACA Information Center for Applicable Large Employers page available at IRS.gov has information for employers of all sizes regarding how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) law may affect them if they fit the definition of an applicable large employer. Links on the page direct visitors to detailed information about tax provisions, including the reporting requirements for employers.

Applicable large employers typically are companies that employed at least 50 full-time employees or full-time equivalent employees during 2014. In 2016, all applicable large employers must file annual information returns and provide statements containing the same information to each of their full-time employees.

To access the ACA Information Center for Applicable Large Employers page, go to www.irs.gov/Affordable-Care-Act/Employers/ACA-Information-Center-for-Applicable-Large-Employers-ALEs.

UL receives SunShot Initiative

The U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Initiative has awarded $1.35 million in funding to Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Inc., Northbrook, Ill. UL will partner with other leading research companies and institutions to develop new scientific methods for predicting photovoltaic (PV) module material performance and reliability over time.

Accelerated laboratory testing will be conducted on polymeric backsheets, a multilayer plastic sheet designed to cover the back of PV modules that protect people from high voltage and the parts inside the panel from exposure to the elements. The results of the testing will enable the industry to identify key characteristics of polymeric backsheets that significantly will improve the future reliability and durability of PV modules installed in various climates. Manufacturers will have a better understanding of which materials to incorporate into their PV module designs, and the industry will benefit from a reduction in uncertainty currently inherent in polymeric backsheet performance.

"This project will examine the correlation between data in the laboratory and data that's collected from modules in the field," says Ken Boyce, principal engineer manager for Energy & Power Technologies at UL. "This will provide some missing links so that realistic models can be built to better predict lifetime performance."