When it comes to safety, the law in
most states holds the general contractor
responsible for everything that goes
wrong on a project, because the general
contractor is assumed to have the
most control over the work. But control
can be illusory. Even though the
general contractor has the power to
hire and fire, does he or she really
have the knowledge and expertise to
know what safety measures are most
appropriate? If not, does it make sense
for the general contractor to accept all
of the risk?
While it may not be possible to
shift the overall responsibility for
providing a safe workplace, in many
cases the risk can be shared. A
builder or remodeler can often