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In this issue...
Education Courses Designed for the Construction Professional Shine a Light on Fall Protection in June! Keep Safety Viral! The Heat is On! Keeping Workers Safe It's Hurricane Season. Check Out AGC's Guidelines for Creating an Emergency Preparedness Plan New AGC Hardhat Stickers "Keeping Safety Viral"
Education/Training
Professional Development Classes Taylored To Build Your Career! AGC offers legal, financial, regulatory and national management programs designed for these times. Special Discounts For MEMBERS! Presented by industry professionals in a virtual format via Zoom, take the class in wherever you are! All our courses are presented in a virtual format via Zoom
For a full list of classes, visit the AGC Houston Calendar
JUNE - NEXT WEEK!
Taught by Lana Coble, Ed.D, Tellepsen and Kendall Pouland, Tellepsen
Taught by Kristin (Kat) Trick, ECAD Instructor, Services, Technical Support, Bluebeam Certified Instructor
JULY
Taught by Zeke Smith, Satterfield and Pontikes Construction, Inc.; John Brock, Tellepsen; Mason Hester, Munsch Hardt Kopft & Harr, PC; and Ed Durham, Anslow Bryant Construction, Ltd.
These classes are taught online using Zoom Meetings and are a joint venture between AGC Houston, AGC of Metro DC and AGC Florida East Coast Chapters.
13-23: BIM Units 1-4 Virtual Option
14-August 13: LEAN Units 1-7 Virtual Option
AUGUST
"I learned legal aspects and risk management issues of running a project. This course has definitely helped me in my overall understanding of leading a team and made a huge impact on my career development."
Past Construction Supervision Fundamentals student
Safety
Check out OSHA's Fall Prevention Resource Page - Dedicated to raise awareness among workers and employers about common fall hazards in construction, and how falls from ladders, scaffolds and roofs can be prevented. View the full list of OSHA courses here. JUNE 22-25: OSHA 500: Trainer Course In OSHA Standards For Construction 23-25: OSHA 3085: Principles Of Scaffolding 29-July 2: OSHA 3095: Electrical Standards 29-July 2: OSHA 501: Trainer Course In OSHA Standards For General Industry JULY 1-2: SH 202: Trainer Course for Medic First Aid and CPR 6-9: OSHA 510: Standards for Construction 6-9: OSHA 511: OSHA Standards for General Industry 13-15: OSHA 502: Update for Construction Industry Outreach Trainers 14-16: OSHA 2255: Principles of Ergonomics 15-17: OSHA 503: Update for General Industry Outreach Trainers 20-23: OSHA 500: Trainer Course in OSHA Standards for Construction How contractors can protect jobsites from vandalism
Damage to construction sites during protests highlights a need to create a safety plan that assigns specific duties to each project participant, experts say. Access points should be reduced to a minimum, with some type of barrier running between them, and equipment and materials should be secured or at least kept out of view.
The Labor Department has lauded the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit's rejection of an AFL-CIO request to force OSHA to issue a temporary mandate that employers protect workers from the coronavirus. The department says the pandemic does not necessitate an emergency rule, citing existing requirements.
The AFL-CIO sued OSHA last month over its refusal to issue a rule making employers take specific steps to protect workers during the COVID-19 pandemic or face fines.
AGC News
AGC of America launched a nationwide program on May 13, 2020, designed to help expand the diversity of the industry by making job sites more inclusive. Called Culture of CARE (commit, attract, retain and empower), it is designed to help firms create more welcoming workplace environments for staff, particularly those from diverse demographic backgrounds.
In addition to the new program, the association has already released its Business Case for Diversity & Inclusion in the Construction Industry, which provides the economic, safety and productivity rationale for expanding construction diversity.
Visit BuildCulture.org
AGC has partnered with a leading regional economist, Brian Lewandowski of the University of Colorado Boulder, to create the Construction Impact Model. The model is a tool that can be used by members, chapters, policymakers and researchers to understand the economic impact of infrastructure investment by state.
AGC recently provided key members of Congress with its recommendations and white paper, detailing construction employer COVID-19 liability protections and unreasonable workers compensation burdens. Without such legislative action, it will be more difficult for the construction industry to help stem the tide of job losses and build the path to economic recovery.
Events
June: Safety Stand-Down On Fall Protection July 30: Mid-Year Safety Meeting - Details Coming Soon! Sept. 3: Member Mixer - Save the Date! Sept. 19: APEX Gala - Save the Date! Oct. 5: AGC Champions Golf Tournament
Shine a Light on Fall Protection in June! Keep Safety Viral! We are midway through our joint effort with the American Subcontractors Association - Houston Chapter to promote Fall Protection during June. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees. We encourage all of our General Contractors and Specialty contractors to take part in this important initiative! Click here for participation forms and resources. Don't forget to send your participation forms and photos to Kim Mason.
Limited Teams Available! Great Sponsorship Opportunities! Monday, Oct. 5, 2020 11:30 a.m. - 6 p.m. Message from the President/CEO
I am truly excited about the educational course offerings we now can bring you virtually.
Because we are limited to engage in face-to-face contact, remote and virtual communication remain essential. To that end, the professional development and educational courses that were offered in a traditional classroom setting have found their place in a virtual setting.
I encourage each member company to consider enrolling your seasoned and up-and-coming leaders in AGC Houston's professional development programs.
Take a look at the educational programs; each one is designed to support the construction industry professional and provide helpful information and insight from business experts. Taught by seasoned construction industry professionals, the programs remain interactive and dynamic.
Are you ready to continue your path to success? Let AGC show you how to build up your portfolio.
Member News
Diana L. Aguirre, CPA, has joined Slack & Co. Contracting, Inc. as controller, providing oversight and management of the finance, accounting, and business operations for the firm. This includes managing cash, payables, receivables, payroll, HR administration, project cost tracking and contract administration. Aguirre’s 16 years of financial experience includes serving as Controller for Main Lane Industries, a subsidiary of mc2 Civil, Inc., and as a financial analyst for Enterprise Products Partners and Enbridge Energy. Diana holds an MBA in Finance and BA in Accounting from the University of Houston.
News you can Use
Texas has seen an uptick in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, and on Tuesday broke the single-day case record with 2,622 new cases of COVID-19. TheTexas governor blames people under 30 for the state's recent spike in coronavirus cases.
Governor Greg Abbott said the uptick in cases could be a result of people ignoring social distancing rules and going to "bar-type settings." The state is currently in Phase Three of reopening, which means establishments can increase their capacity to 75 percent. Cities in Harris County, Texas, must adhere to the county's flood plain standards to access $2.5 billion in flood-bond money. The policy change is meant to protect the county’s largest-ever investment in flood control infrastructure and create uniformity in building rules, following the principle that cities should not permit development than can worsen flooding for their neighbors.
On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in three cases, holding that Title VII’s protections extend to gay and transgender employees. Justice Gorsuch, a surprise author of the majority decision, joined by Chief Justice Roberts and the Court’s four more liberal members, reasoned: “An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in member of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.”
As Mayor Tuner recently stated, City can lose $250 million for every 1% of the city’s population that is not counted.
Please keep encouraging your employees, family members and friends to participate in the census.
All responses are confidential, and by law, cannot be shared with federal law enforcement agencies like the FBI, ICE or even the local police. Respond today at 2020census.gov so you can be counted, regardless of your place of origin or immigration status. Census forms are available in multiple languages.
With many touch points and high traffic, entryways and bathrooms present particular challenges in buildings, all over the country, architects are drawing up a list of safety retrofits that could be implemented without changing original building plans. The pandemic is forcing owners, designers and builders to revising designs with a focus that ranges from enhancing the HVAC’s filtration system to swapping leather and wool upholstery for synthetic materials used in healthcare.
The state is trying to save historic properties from getting bulldozed ahead of construction on the massive I-10 widening project through Baton Rouge.
Drivers can expect extra lanes on I-10 in both directions from the west side to the 10/12 split to improve traffic flow, but the timeline on that project is unclear.
The billion-dollar widening project is in the works and on track as a contractor will be selected in the next few weeks.
Membership Benefits
Data DIGest is your source for the latest economic news relevant to the construction industry with commentary and analysis from AGC's Chief Economist, Ken Simonson. It brings you actionable information to stay ahead of the curve on issues such as materials, prices, construction employment, and state-by-state construction trends.
Data DIGest is free to AGC Members - To activate your AGC Member subscription, simply create an AGC of America member profile. Members will be automatically added to Data DIGest.
Subscribe here.
CrisisDriver enables contractors to build project-specific response and crisis communications plans to quickly and successfully manage negative events. With this tool, you’ll be equipped to properly manage a crisis from beginning to the end while communicating clearly throughout the process. Available to AGC Houston Members at an exclusive discount. Click here to learn more or schedule a short demo today. Resources
Employers should have an emergency plan in place that specifies what to do if a worker has signs of heat-related illness, and ensures that medical services are available if needed.
OSHA's Occupational Exposure to Heat page explains what employers can do to keep workers safe and what workers need to know - including factors for heat illness, adapting to working in indoor and outdoor heat, protecting workers, recognizing symptoms, and first aid training.
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.
Hurricanes and the effects of severe thunder storms pose high risks to construction sites, with their incomplete structure, expensive machinery and equipment, flood-prone excavations, and building materials that can quickly become projectiles in high winds. Click here to download the document and to view more safety-related resources from AGC Houston.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo unveiled the new Coronavirus threat system, which is designed to help residents better understand the status of coronavirus in the area.
"This system is designed to break through the noise and help residents understand what the threat is and what action they should take," the county judge said. Level two signifies a significant and uncontrolled level of Covid-19 in Harris County, meaning that there is ongoing transmission of the virus and that testing and contact tracing capacity is likely sufficient to meet demand. Visit ReadyHarris.org for the most upt-to-date information
Here's Looking at You
Special thanks to John Morvant, Tellepsen, for showcasing his newest hardhat sticker: “Keeping Safety Viral”! Pictured at right is his hardhat. We're so excited about the response we have had from general contractors and specialty contractors regarding our new "Keeping Safety Viral" hardhat stickers! Two weeks ago, we mailed these stickers to underscore the need for the industry to remain vigilant as the state reopens for business while the pandemic is still very much part of our lives. If you would like to share these hardhat stickers with employees and construction workers, please contact Tasha Hernandez. New Members
Please consider doing business with these new AGC Houston member companies!
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