January 26, 2016

February 4, 2016

AGC Houston members are invited to submit applications for the National AGC Safety Awards. AGC Houston contractor members must have participated in the program for three consecutive years in order to be eligible for an award. This means a member must have participated in the program for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015 in order to be eligible to receive an award in 2016. Contact Kim Mason for more information.

Completion of this course meets the requirements of OSHA Paragraph 1926.50, and participants will receive an American Heart Association Heartsaver First Aid and CPR/AED wallet card valid for two years upon course completion.

Immerse yourself and become a Lean Champion in just one week! Take all seven units or only the individual units you need.Save money when your register for all seven units! Click on each unit for more information.

CM-Lean candidates must successfully complete the seven Lean Construction Education Program courses, provide AGC with record of completion and have an approved application in advance of exam administration.

AGC Houston is committed to helping employers and workers address safety and health issues through the OSHA Strategic Partnership program. To date, AGC Houston members Anslow Bryant Construction, Ltd.; Brookstone, LP; W. S. Bellows Construction Corp., Linbeck Group, LLC; SpawGlass Construction; Tellepen; Allstate Commercial Flooring; Keystone Concrete; TAS Commercial Concrete Construction, LLC; and Trio Electric, Ltd. have signed a formal partnership agreement.

This course covers OSHA Electrical Standards and the hazards associated with electrical installations and equipment.

This course is the update required every four years for all OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainers for the Construction Industry. It provides timely information on OSHA Construction Industry standards, policies and regulations.

The first Safety Committee Meeting is slated for Friday, January 29, 2016 at 7 a.m. All AGC Houston members interested in attending this monthly committee meeting are invited. For more information and to R.S.V.P., please contact Kim Mason.

This course covers the requirements for the establishment, maintenance, and monitoring of a respiratory protection program.

This course covers the OSHA standards, policies, and procedures in general industry.

This course covers the OSHA standards for the construction industry found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1926 along with other relevant policies, procedures, and safety and health principles for the construction industry.

The following companies have joined AGC Houston. Please consider contacting them for your business needs.

Thursday, February 18, 2016  

As just announced by AGC via its 2016 Environmental Rules Watch List, the construction industry can expect to see a wide range of regulatory action in the coming year, spanning the air, water and waste program areas. AGC works with federal agency staff during the rulemaking process to ensure that the construction industry’s voice is heard—analyzing and expressing the industry’s views on federal proposals to enact or modify laws that regulate contractors. AGC created a handout to help you track the development of environmental rules throughout 2016 and even weigh in on issues that are important to you and your business.

Join more than 150 industry professionals and participate in the development of regulatory and legislative activity on the national and local levels, assist in the development and creation of new safety training programs and products, and hear the latest initiatives from OSHA and other industry experts.

Congratulations to AGC Houston Director of Safety Services Kim Mason on being named Co-Chair of the AGC of America Chapter Safety Leadership Subcommittee! Kim is in Phoenix, Ariz. this week for the Safety & Health Conference, along with AGC Houston Safety Committee members Tommy Lee, W.S. Bellows Construction Corp.; Susan Phillips, Tellepsen; Paul Johnson, Reliant Safety Solutions; David Hales, Peterson Beckner Industries, Inc.; and Mike Welvaert, Trio Electric Ltd. Kim and a few members of the committee are helping to judge the AGC Construction Safety and Excellence Awards entries prior to the conference. The winners will be announced at the 97th annual AGC of America Convention in San Antonio March 9-11, 2016.

AGC Houston and the Texas Building Branch have been fielding a lot of questions regarding the new gun laws, which passed in 2015: House Bill 910 and Senate Bill 11. House Bill 910 allows a license holder to "open carry" a handgun in a holster as of January 1, 2016. Read a helpful article here written by Tony Stergio, Andrews Myers, PC. See more resources at the link below.

The National Labor Relations Board  has dramatically changed the law affecting non-union merit shop contractors. It has attacked common provisions in employee handbooks, finding them to violate employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act. Employment Practices Committee member Frank L. Carrabba has drafted helpful Frequently Asked Questions and Answers documents regarding these new developments at the NLRB. To view them, login to the Members Only Section, then select Labor & HR Publications.

Construction employment is at its highest level since January 2009, as most firms predict they will add workers in 2016. Most market segments expect to expand, and construction firms added 45,000 workers in December as the industry’s unemployment rate declined to 7.5 percent from 8.3 a year ago, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted that the robust job gains come as a new industry outlook shows most firms expect to expand their headcount in 2016 amid growing private and public sector demand.