September 15, 2015

6 - 7:15 p.m. at AGC Houston

Are you participating in the AGC Southwest Chapters 401(k) plan? If so, join us as we cover the basic benefits and features of the AGC 401(k) retirement plan. You will gain a better understanding of how your plan works and have the opportunity to create a retirement action plan.

The financial advisors from R.W. Baird & Co. will provide one-on-one consultations for each plan participant!

October 7-9, 2015

St. Louis, MO

Hyatt Regency at The Arch

Thursday, October 15, 2015

TopGolf Houston West

TEAM REGISTRATION - $800 - Includes four players for an hour and a half of TopGolf

SPECTATOR FEE - $100 - Includes food and beverages + entry to the tournament reception

To expand the tools needed to build lean, AGC has developed the Lean Construction Education Program (units 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7). Construction professionals at all experience levels learn the building blocks necessary to transform their projects and companies into a lean operating system.

September 17: Unit 7 - Problem-Solving Principles and Tools. This seven-hour, instructor-led course describes the Lean Problem Solving Process and illustrates how to use tools to solve problems in a lean manner.

October 2: Certificate of Management - Lean Construction Education Credentialing Exam
The AGC Certificate of Management-Lean Construction (CM-Lean) is an assessment-based certificate credential that denotes knowledge and understanding of concepts related to lean adoption, practice and process transformation outlined in AGCs Lean Construction Education Program. Successful candidates will carry the CM-Lean designation. Click here for details.

BIM Unit 1 is designed specifically for construction professionals eager to learn the essential concepts of BIM. The full-day (8-hour) course explains the benefits of improved visualization on a construction project through the use of 3D, 4D and 5D models, establishes a knowledge base of BIM terminology and outlines case studies showing successful BIM implementation.

Note: Early bird pricing ends Thursday, September 10, 2015.

Module 1: Estimating and Job Costing - Aug. 4-5

Module 2: Contract  Administration - Sept. 22-23

Module 3: Project Administration - Oct. 13-14

Module 4: Risk Management - Nov. 17-18

Module 5: Leadership - Dec. 8-9

This class develops professional estimating skills, including: an understanding of the different types of estimates; the importance of documentation and formatting; and the link between design, estimating and project costs.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced the launch of its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA's campaign aims to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather and provide resources and guidance to address these hazards. Workers at particular risk are those in outdoor industries, such as agriculture, construction, landscaping and transportation.

Workers exposed to extreme heat or who work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress. Read more and access helpful information from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

Meet the requirements of OSHA Paragraph 1926.50, which calls for a person on the jobsite to have a valid certificate in first aid training in the absence of infirmary, clinic or physician that is reasonably accessible in terms of time and distance to the worksite.

Note: Early bird pricing ends Thursday, September 10, 2015.

This construction 10-hour safety course covers the safety requirements as contained in 29 CFR 1926.This course is designed to provide entry-level construction workers general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site.

In September 2014, a coalition of Texas construction associations launched the statewide workforce development website, Texas Construction Careers. Today, the website lists all of the places where craft training is provided in the state and provides helpful information to students, teachers, and military veterans. Moreover, it maintains an excellent job bank and the number of résumés posted on the website grew 147 percent in the first year.

To celebrate its first year, AGC employers can save $50 on a 30-day online job posting with Texas Construction Careers with this special promo code: 20MEMBER. It also applies as a 20% discount on other job posting packages. 

There are no costs and no minimum shipping, copy or print requirements to take advantage of this great member benefit.

To sign up for your complimentary subscription, just log on to your member account, go to your personal preferences page and check the box next to Constructor. Also, make sure your mailing address is up to date so that you're sure to receive it!

The AGC Bookstore has a variety of safety products ranging from basic safety brochures all the way to OSHA regulation books for onsite construction safety. AGC also has several DVDs designed to help keep constructions workers knowledgeable about their surroundings and how to prevent accidents from happening on the jobsite.

Help your construction workers develop a well-rounded knowledge of what it takes to be safe at work with these safety products.

On Friday September 4, AGC of America unveiled a news release suggesting that while construction unemployment has fallen to its lowest level since 2001, a serious shortage of workers is impacting the growth of the construction industry.

"The number of unemployed workers with construction experience dropped to the lowest total for August since 2001, as hiring slowed despite robust demand for construction, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials cautioned that the hiring slowdown likely has more to do with the lack of available workers in many parts of the country than it does low demand. 

"The recent slowdown in construction hiring appears to reflect difficulty in finding qualified employees rather than lack of projects needing workers," said Ken Simonson, the association's chief economist. "The pool of qualified construction workers will need to expand if firms are going to be able to keep pace with rising construction demand."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that clarifies an employer’s continuing obligation to make and maintain an accurate record of each recordable injury and illness throughout the five-year period during which the employer is required to keep the records.

"Accurate records are not simply paperwork, but have an important, in fact life-saving purpose," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "They will enable employers, employees, researchers and the government to identify and eliminate the most serious workplace hazards—ones that have already caused injuries and illnesses to occur."

Cherry Companies is pleased to announce the addition of C. J. Waller, Jr. Coming from L&W Excavators, where he served as company president and CEO, Waller’s relationship with Cherry has developed from a mutual alignment of interest and consulting, to a full-time position, where he will be working on bolstering Cherry’s existing services.

As a Houston native and graduate of the University of Houston in Industrial Technology, CJ takes pride in the privilege of being a part of the Cherry Companies. Whether it is fulfilling his Chaplaincy duties for the Brazoria County Sheriff Office, working on his family’s ranch or developing upstream assets at Cherry, Waller believes that consistency with flexibility is the key to success and a quality work ethic.

Based in Houston, Cherry Companies is a recycling and demolition company. Family owned and operated since 1952, Cherry specializes in the removal of all types of structures.

Construction costs are on the rise, according to Steve Mechler, Division President, Balfour Beatty Construction in a Houston Business Journal article published September 2, 2015. He cites an increased demand for skilled labor as the primary reason for the increase. "Without the necessary skilled labor, a two-year project can get extended to a four-year project," he said. "That has a huge effect on the cost of that project. Overall, construction costs are going up, and that's because of the demand for skilled labor."

Contact Catherine Bezman with your information and photos.

Every business, large or small, has employment practices liability exposures. Here are 10 common employer mistakes that, when addressed, can help reduce your risk. Read Tony Stergio, Andrews Myers, PC and Employee Practices Committee member's article here.

The Sam Houston State University, Department of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering Technology, Engineering Technology Program will have a career fair Thursday September 24, 2015. This career fair is intended to introduce the students to potential occupational offerings and to introduce prospective employers to students of this program.

The Engineering Technology Program offers degrees in the fields of construction management, design & development, electronics, and safety management.