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Education/Training
June 8: Tech Talk 1.1 - Taking Technology to the Jobsite July 14: CM-BIM Credentialing Exam July 18: LEAN UNIT 1: Variation in Production Systems July 25: LEAN UNIT 2: Pull in Production  On Thursday, June 8, 2017, join fellow general contractors, specialty contractors, architects and engineers, and learn how to supercharge productivity with mobile technology.
Safety
 Now Accepting Nominations for:
RAY LAMBRIGHT AWARD SAFETY EXCELLENCE AWARDS ASSOCIATE/AFFILIATE MEMBER SAFETY AWARD Recipients will be recognized at the Midyear Safety Meeting & Networking Breakfast. June 8: Tech Talk 1.1 - Taking Technology to the Jobsite June 12-15: OSHA 500: Trainer Course for OSHA Standards in Construction June 12-15:OSHA 2045: Machinery and Machine Guarding Standards June 13-22: OSHA 3115: Fall Protection (Evening) June 19-22: OSHA 510: OSHA Standards for Construction June 20-22: OSHA 2264: Permit-Required Confined Space Entry
June 26-29: OSHA 2015: Hazardous Materials June 29: Midyear Safety Meeting Featuring Kris "Tanto" Paronto
 AGC Houston members reported that more than 17,500 construction workers were exposed to safety talks and demonstrations over the course of two weeks – an increase of more than 2,000 workers since last year's Safety Stand-Down demonstrations. Please email your forms and photos to Kim Mason today. All participating AGC Houston members will be recognized at the Midyear Safety Meeting June 29.
AGC News
Following months of hard work, the AGC-TBB team would like to thank and congratulate the authors and sponsors of three key pieces of legislation that have survived the Texas Legislature and now await the governor's approval.
AGC-TBB staff will coordinate letters from individual AGC chapters and member companies urging Gov. Greg Abbott to sign the bills. We will need to copy Lt. Gov. Patrick, Speaker Straus, and the bill authors and
AGC members attending the Texas Building Branch convention June 18-21 at the
IT'S HURRICANE SEASON
Hurricanes and the effects of severe thunder storms pose high risks to construction sites, with their incomplete structures; expensive machinery and equipment; flood-prone excavations; and building materials that can quickly become projectiles in high winds.
The AGC Houston Safety Committee has prepared the "Guidelines for Creation of Emergency Preparedness Plan," a highly useful free document. Click Here to download the document.
Crashes into work-zone sites spiked 13 percent between 2016 and 2017, according to a report by the Associated General Contractors of America. AGC found that 82 percent of contractors believe that work-zone crashes pose a greater risk than a decade ago, and 25 percent of work-zone accidents cause injury to construction workers. Construction employment increased by 11,000 jobs in May to the highest level since October 2008, and average weekly hours set a series high for May as contractors struggled to find enough workers to meet demand for projects, according to an analysis of new government data by AGC of America. Association officials urged lawmakers and other public officials to address the growing shortage of available qualified workers by funding and re-invigorating career and technical education programs.
Listen to the latest ConstructorCast for an in-depth examination of immigration and what it means for the construction industry. For this episode, we sit down with Tamar Jacoby, President and CEO of ImmigrationWorks USA, and Ken Simonson, AGC's Chief Economist, for a rundown on how demographic changes and economic factors are propelling the need for reform in the U.S. and what the Trump administration and Congress can do to help the industry.
Events
June 8: Tech Talk 1.1 Taking Technology To The Jobsite June 29: Midyear Safety Meeting And Networking Breakfast August 3: Membership Mixer September 8: AGC Solutions Thru Technology Conference
 All Safety Stand-Down participating companies will be recognized!
Member News
 McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. recently broke ground on Phase II of the campus expansion for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), one of the largest museums in the United States and the oldest art museum in Texas. Nearly 200 Houstonians attended the ground-breaking event to celebrate the start of construction for the Nancy and Rich Kinder gallery building.
"We are excited to begin work on Phase II of the expansion for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, while continuing to progress toward other construction milestones on site including the topping out of the Glassell School of Art," said Jim Stevenson, President of the Houston division. "The McCarthy construction team is proud to continue working with quality partners on this project, including Legends Project Development and architects Steven Holl and Kendall Heaton, to make the museum’s vision a reality."
 Congratulations to the Rogers-O'Brien Construction team, along with Philo Wiilke Partnership, TELIOS Corporation, and Industex, who partnered in the AIA Houston Sandcastle Competition to create "The Sand Element," a spin off of the movie "The Fifth Element." The team won "Best Costume" at the annual event, which was held June 3 on Galveston's East Beach. " We enjoyed getting to work with such a great team and came home with The Best Team Costume Award!" stated LaKeta Morris, Rogers-O'Brien Construction. Congratulations!
Many other AGC Houston members took part in this annual tradition. To view photos of the event, click here.
Gilbane Building Company, along with Lamar High School officials, students, and alumni, joined the local community to kick off the official construction start of the new Lamar High School of the Houston Independent School District.
Eighty Lamar High School graduates armed with shovels lined the school’s front lawn on Thursday, March 30, 2017, eager to break ground on a new campus as they celebrated the 80th anniversary of their beloved Alma mater. Former Texas governor Mark White, Jr. was on hand to give the keynote speech at the ceremony.
Lamar is being rebuilt as part of the Houston Independent School District’s 2012 Bond Program. The new campus will support the school’s International Baccalaureate and Business Administration programs and accommodate 2,800 students.
News you can Use
Undocumented workers and the businesses that knowingly or unknowingly employ them are coming under the microscope. President Trump has implemented two immigration bans, is challenging so-called "Sanctuary Cities" that do not help Federal immigration enforcement, has instructed government agencies to become more aggressive in enforcement of immigration laws, and is already reviewing proposals to strengthen the border wall.
How can Texas contractors offset the impact of the current labor shortage crisis, complete jobs and not run afoul of any contractual default provisions? Read more in this article penned by Michael Kelsheimer and J.P. B. Vogel of Gray Reed & McGraw, LLP as they tackle I-9 Compliance Policy issues, along with audit guidance and other key labor topics.
Contractors must be well-acquainted with Federal Aviation Administration rules on drone use before attempting to include them in construction activities, writes Emily Peiffer. Contractors should decide who will fly the drones, develop company guidelines for their use and set up an insurance plan before moving forward, she says.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched its Safe and Sound Campaign recently, calling on employers to review their safety and health programs to protect workers, and reduce workplace injuries and deaths.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's new rule on silica exposure will go into effect Sept. 23, instead of June 23, to give the agency time to develop "guidance materials and training for compliance officers."
On June 23, 2017, experts in wood science and building enclosures, will be leading seminars focused on the effects of moisture on wood as a building material, as well as design considerations and best practices associated with detailing for durable wood structures. The first half of the workshop will focus on how wood is affected by moisture, how moisture travels through wood, and wood’s relationship with humidity and liquid water. The second half will highlight wood-frame assemblies for walls, low-slope roofs and balconies.
San Jacinto College, North Campus, will be hosting a Career Fair in July and is inviting interested AGC Houston members to be part of the event, which will take place at its new Center for Industrial Technology building.
Interested companies should contact:
Olga Garza, San Jacinto College, Sr. Administrative Assistant | Business &Technology Division
Direct: (281) 998-6150 x7221 or by email: Olga.Garza@sjcd.edu
President Donald Trump's "Buy American" executive order is likely to increase material costs and bring the risk of material shortages on federal projects, according to attorney Amandeep Kahlon. Such shortages could lead to an increased risk of fraud and may force contractors to alter their bidding practices, he contends.
Membership Benefits
Have you explored the Construction Industry Compliance Assistance (CICA) Center yet? The AGC-supported CICA Center is a unique, free resource on environmental compliance and sustainability that is open to the entire U.S. construction industry.
Find out why 14,000 visitors access the CICA Center each month with these top five reasons to explore www.cicacenter.org. New Members
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