AARST_Radon_Reporter_Q32025_Single

24 | SEPTEMBER 2025 PROFICIENCY Throughout 2024, NRPP management, in conjunction with a subcommittee of Certification Council members, updated its compliance policies and procedure. The goal was to (1) clearly define and classify compliance issues and resulting sanctions to support fair, unbiased decisions and (2) provide a process, including forms and timelines, by which consumers may alert NRPP when a certified individual is suspected of violating the NRPP Code of Ethics or whose work is not aligned with the ANSI/AARST Standards. The work was completed in November 2024 and the policy and forms were made available to the public via the NRPP website. Since that time, NRPP has received numerous complaints – some valid, some not. This article provides an overview of the compliance policy and presents a summary of complaints received and subsequent sanctions. Complaints Against Certificants Valid complaints against certified individuals are submitted to NRPP’s Compliance Office on a completed complaint form and accompanied by evidence to support the complainant’s claim. To process complaints, evidence sought often includes, but is not limited to, photos and copies of communications such as texts, emails, contracts, and test results. Complaints can be submitted by an aggrieved party (e.g. person who owns the property), a contractor (certified or not), a State Radon Office, or a certifying, code, health, environmental or licensing agency (public or private). Complaints against certified individuals are categorized as a violation of the ANSI/AARST Standards, a violation of the NRPP Code of Ethics/Certification Terms Agreement , or both. Complaints regarding mitigation system installations must be submitted within two years of the date of installation or service. Complaints involving a Code of Ethics violation do not have the same restriction. Upon receipt of a valid complaint, NRPP recruits a Disciplinary Panel consisting of three members of the Certification Council, NRPP’s governing body. Disciplinary Panel members are required to disclose any conflicts of interest with the complainant, the subject of the complaint, or his or her company prior to receiving the complaint information. The Panel reviews the complaint form and supporting evidence and determines if the certified professional’s work is not in compliance with the ANSI/AARST Standards or if their behavior is not in agreement with the NRPP Code of Ethic/Certification Terms Agreement. If a violation is found, NRPP notifies the certificant of the complaint, provides the Disciplinary Panel’s determination (type of violation and reason), and allows him or her two weeks to respond to the allegations. If the certificant fails to respond to the notice, the Disciplinary Panel proceeds with the investigation, taking only the complainant’s information into account, and assigns sanctions. NRPP notifies the certificant and the complainant of the outcome of the investigation. Violations are categorized into four classes: A, B, C, and D with D being the most severe. Sanctions are commensurate with the violation’s severity (class). For Class A, B and C violations, the first line of sanction is for the certificant to return to the property and fix any identified issue, usually within 30 days. This is shortened in the case of a Class C violation since such violations have placed the health and safety of the resident in danger. Additional coursework may also be assigned. Class D violations include, for example, any Code of Ethics violation, criminal activity related to the complainant’s radon business or services, falsifying certification documents and ignoring sanctions resulting from a Class A, B or C violation. Class D violations typically result in suspension or revocation of the credential. When a certification is suspended or revoked, NRPP notifies the certificant’s state radon office, which has, in the past, resulted in loss of state license until resolved. The complaints process is expected, but not guaranteed, to take no longer than 30 business days (6 weeks) to complete, from receipt of the complaint to determination and notification of the outcome. After a complaint has been closed, the certificant can appeal the disciplinary decision. A complete list of the violation classes and associated sanctions can be found on the NRPP website. Complaints Against Certification Activities To better align with the requirements of NRPP’s accreditation standard (ISO/IEC 17024), NRPP formalized a process by which individuals can complain against the certification program. This category of complaints is for instances in which individuals believe NRPP is not in compliance with its own policies or with the requirements of its accreditation standards (ISO/IEC 17024), that policies have been unfairly applied, or that certification decisions are unjust or inaccurate. These can include complaints against NRPP’s policies, certification requirements, certification decisions, and anyone involved in any part of the certification process such as course trainers, examinees, exam proctors, and NRPP employees and volunteers. Disputes and grievances are considered informal complaints and are not governed by the compliance policy. NRPP staff are encouraged to resolve disputes and NRPP’s Compliance Policy, Procedures, and Trends