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In this issue...
 We're Here for You!
As we look to reopening our Chapter, we are making sure to do our part to keeping everyone safe with a continued focus on best practices for safety.
Keep checking the AGC Houston website for a continuously updated list of resources and materials.
Governor Abbot expands the scope of Texas businesses recopening across the state. View the details.
Education/Training
NEW - All our courses are presented in a virtual format via Zoom!
For a full list of classes, visit the AGC Houston Calendar
MAY
JUNE
Please pass this on!
The AGC Education and Research Foundation offer Workforce Development Scholarships to individuals enrolled in accredited technical schools or craft training programs in any discipline of commercial construction.
Interested individuals have until June 1, 2020 to apply for $1,000 scholarships (renewal for up to two years) from the AGC Education and Research Foundation.
Safety
View the full list of OSHA courses here. May 26-29: OSHA 500: Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for Construction June 1-4: OSHA 501: Trainer Course in OSHA Standards General Industry June 2-4: OSHA 2264: Permit-Required Confined Space Entry June 2-4: OSHA 3115: Fall Protection June 8-11: OSHA 2045: Machinery and Machine Guarding Standards June 8-11: OSHA 510: Standards for Construction June 9-12: OSHA 521: OSHA Guide to Industrial Hygiene June 15-18: OSHA 2225: Respiratory Protection June 15-18: OSHA 511: OSHA Standards for General Industry
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has published “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19” to help companies respond in the event of coronavirus in the workplace. The guidance was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
In addition to the guidance, OSHA's COVID-19 webpage provides infection prevention information specifically for workers and employers, and is actively reviewing and responding to any complaints regarding workplace protection from novel coronavirus, as well as conducting outreach activities.
For further information about Coronavirus, please visit the HHS’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
AGC News
On Friday, May 8 at 11 a.m., AGC and Procore will release new data showing the impacts of the coronavirus on the construction industry, including employment levels, demand for construction and hours worked. This virtual media event will be hosted on Facebook Live and we encourage our chapters and members to follow us and tune in.
TUNE IN Facebook Live tomorrow at 11 a.m. CST.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) will delay the anticipated opening of the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 data collection and the 2020 EEO-3 and EEO-5 data collections because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 public health emergency, the agency announced today in a Federal Register notice.
The EEO (equal employment opportunity) surveys collect data from employers in different sectors of the workforce. The EEOC was planning to open the following EEO surveys in 2020: the 2019 EEO-1 Component 1 (Employer Information Report); the 2020 EEO-3 (Local Report); and the 2020 EEO-5 (Elementary-Secondary Staff Information Report).
A large share of construction firms promptly received loan funds under the new Paycheck Protection Program, enabling many of them to hire or retain employees despite a surge in project cancellations, according to a survey released today by AGC of America.
AGC has prepared a packet of information to help document current market conditions that helped influence many firms’ decisions to apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans. The intent of this packet is to provide a snapshot of media coverage starting on March 27 – the launch of the initial round of Paycheck Protection Program loans – covering topics like declining demand, growing layoffs and general worries about market conditions for the construction industry.
Numerous impediments to completing construction projects led to declines in most categories of private construction spending in March, according to an analysis by the AGC of America of government data released on May 5. ssociation officials said that several recent announcements by the Treasury Department are causing significant confusion about, and potentially undermining, the Paycheck Protection Program loans.
AGC of America is asking you to participate in this brief survey, even if you participated in our earlier surveys.
Take the Survey.
Events
AGC Houston PresentsTwo Timely Topics Led By Experts On Critical Issues Construction Businesses Face Today Getting Paid: Lien and Bond Claims in Texas: The Covid-19 Edition May 12, 2020 This discussion will cover practical steps you should take to try to secure payment on a project, with a focus on the basic steps of perfecting lien and bond claim. Get details Delay Claims Program: Force Majeur Or Merely A Pandemic? May 15, 2020 In this virtual class, attendees with understand force majeure and the common law and review typical contract provisions regarding delays and impacts. Get more information
RESCHEDULED! An AGC Houston Tradition For 20 Years! Monday, Oct. 5, 2020 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Swing into golf season on a Fazio-designed course and enjoy Champions Golf Club's famous mouth-watering dinner buffet!
News you can Use
2020 response rate totaled 43.7% as of yesterday. Please do not forget to fill out the Census either by phone, online, or by mail. Check it out now. Let's continue to do our part to make sure #HoustonCounts. In this episode of the Greater Houston Partnership's Bayou Business Download, we get an update on the impact of COVID-19 on our region and examine the worsening fallout from the oil market. Partnership Senior Vice President of Research Patrick Jankowski gives us his latest analysis on jobs, industry sectors and what's in store for Houston.
AECOM's $8.6 billion in project awards in the second quarter have pushed a backlog to an unprecedented $42 billion, the contractor says. AECOM also says that eight in 10 construction-management projects are proceeding, despite the coronavirus pandemic, and that owners at most halted projects are continuing to cover general conditions costs.
Revenue in the second quarter was $3.2 billion, up 5% from the same time period last year, the company announced yesterday in its second quarter earnings call.
Construction shutdowns across the US due to the coronavirus pandemic could affect more than $4.3 billion in loans, according to data from Built. "What we have is the convergence of a hard market and confusion of how much new work we will have when we turn the spigot back on," said Joe Charczenko of insurance and surety brokerage Construction Risk Partners.
Investment in construction technology has been soaring in recent years, but the coronavirus pandemic is acting as a litmus test for continued interest. Despite slow construction growth, demand for tech is picking up as managers seek ways to keep tabs on projects remotely.
Mayor Sylvester Turner expects a city budget deficit of about $200 million, the worst in the history of this city of more than 2.3 million, the country's fourth largest.
At the same time, the price of oil plunged below zero in April as demand plummeted due to the worldwide lockdown to stop the virus' spread.
Membership Benefits
AGC’s Capstone Supporters are a premier group of organizations who have demonstrated their commitment to the betterment of the construction industry through their support of AGC’s legislative, educational and charitable initiatives.These companies recognize the important role AGC and its members play in encouraging investment in infrastructure, supporting smart tax policies, and advocating for common-sense labor and contracting reforms. Check Out More Resources
AGC Houston recently compiled a recommended practices document for jobsites in English and in Spanish. As we continue to monitor the situation, it will update it as needed. Be sure to check the AGC Houston COVID-19 Resources page frequently.
What best practices are working for you? Let us know! Please send your commentsand photos to catherine.b@agchouston.org.
OSHA 3394 - English: 10 Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus
OSHA 3395 - Spanish: 10 Medidas que Todos los Lugares de Trabajo Pueden Tomar para Prevenir la Exposición al Coronavirus
AGC of America's National COVID-19 Safety Stand Down Resources (includes tool box talks, job site posters, and more.)
COVID-19 Recommended Practices for Construction Jobsite
The Department of Labor video quick tips on social distancing, disinfecting workplaces and industry risk factors to keep workers safe from COVID-19.
AGC of America released a new website, workingsafe.agc.org, which highlights many of the steps firms are taking to protect workers and includes photos of different examples of these practices. In order to keep sites running smoothly, contractors must ensure that employees’ anxieties about jobsite cleanliness and social distancing are addressed. Constant worry about exposure to COVID-19, family pressures and the 24-hour news cycle are distractions that can lead to injury.
AGC released the latest in its series of Coronavirus safety tips today, focusing on the products that should be used for disinfection. You can find those, and prior weeks’ safety tips HERE. Please make sure you are sharing these safety tips with your teams and encouraging them to hold frequent safety briefings and stand downs with your teams to ensure full compliance with all coronavirus safety procedures. Despite all the talk of re-starting the economy, there is still no margin for error when it comes to protecting workers and the public.
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