Members' Edge - February 20, 2020

AGC News

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=603188&issueID=69064 to view the full article online.

AGC Texas Building Branch Encouraging Members to Vote in Primaries

USE YOUR VOTE: Make a difference in the 2020 Texas Primary Elections

Texas will hold its 2020 primary elections March 3 — it’s one of 14 states to participate in Super Tuesday — and hundreds of candidates across the state have filed to run for public office

* Primary Election Day: March 3, 2020 * * Early Voting: February 18 - 28, 2020 *

What's at stake? Candidates for U.S. president, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, Texas Senate, Texas House, the state Board of Education, the Railroad Commission, judicial seats, and local elections. Click here to see a list of all primary election candidates.

Click here for a guide to candidates based on your address.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=603189&issueID=69064 to view the full article online.

Contractors Foresee Gains in All Market Segments in 2020

AGC of America's Chief Economist Ken Simonson released the following eport on the construction industry's year-end outlook and projections for 2020.

Construction spending decreased 0.2% from November to December as declines in public and private nonresidential projects outweighed a large rise in single-family homebuilding, according to a new analysis of federal data released by AGC of America. Ken Simonson noted that its recent survey found widespread optimism about prospects for projects available to bid on in 2020 but they urged officials in Washington to follow through on announced plans for infrastructure spending increases.

Visit https://www.agc.org/news/2020/02/03/construction-spending-dips-december-nonresidential-losses-offset-housing-pickup-0?utm_source=informz&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=informz_email&_zs=Vsnnc1&_zl=XK9W6 to view the full article online.

Member News

Randee Herrin to Lead TDIndustries, Inc.'s VDC, TD Manufacturing Groups

TDIndustries, Inc. recently announced that Randee Herrin has been appointed to lead the company's Virtual Design and Construction and TDManufacturing groups.

Herrin, who serves on the AGC Houston Women in Construction Committee and sits on the AGC Houston Executive Roundable 2, was most recently the Senior Vice President of the firm's Houston New Construction team.

Herrin joined the company 24 years ago as an Assistant Project Manager and has played an integral role in bringing women into the trades through TDIndustries's partnership with The United Way of Houston's THRIVE program.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=603194&issueID=69064 to view the full article online.

Vaughn Construction Celebrates Grand Opening of TAMU Student Services Building

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=603195&issueID=69064 to view the full article online.

News you can Use

Coronavirus Protection for You and Your Employees

We are still learning about the new coronavirus, but so far, the dedicated pages on the CDC website describe it as a very serious public health threat, based on current information, the immediate health risk from 2019-nCoV to the general American public is considered low at this time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has not declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Nevertheless, employers and individuals should monitor the CDC site, 2019 novel coronavirus, Wu hand China, and other public health sources.

On Feb. 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the current outbreak of coronavirus disease, COVID-19.

The virus symptoms manifest as a mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough and difficulty breathing. The CDC believes at this time that symptoms of 2019 - in COV may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure.

Research has not yet confirmed person to person spread, but it appears to have SARS and MERS generally spread between people who had “close contact,” which could loosely be described as coughed or sneezed upon.

Visit OSHA's dedicated website page to this disease.

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=603198&issueID=69064 to view the full article online.

OSHA Adjusts Penalty Amounts for 2020

The Inflation Adjustment Act requires the Department of Labor to annually adjust its civil monetary penalties to adjust for inflation no later than Jan. 15 of each year. This final rule increases civil penalties the Department of Labor assesses, including those issued by OSHA based on workplace inspections and potential violations of safety and health standards.

Employers who have open and ongoing OSHA inspections can expect that any citations issued by OSHA after today will reflect the increased penalties.

The new 2020 maximum OSHA penalties are as follows:

Other-than-Serious: $13,494 (increased from $13,260)
Serious: $13,494 (increased from $13,260)
Repeat : $134,937 (increased from $132,589)
Willful: $134,937 (increased from $132,589)

Visit https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/15/2020-00486/department-of-labor-federal-civil-penalties-inflation-adjustment-act-annual-adjustments-for-2020 to view the full article online.

Women in Construction - She's the Boss!

Women comprise 9.9% of the construction industry workforce, with an even smaller number of women on the front lines — an estimated 1%. With women making up 47% of all employed individuals, this means that the construction industry is only benefitting from about 1.5% of the total female workforce.

Construction companies are strengthening their efforts to attract women to the industry as one strategy to address today’s workforce needs. Although the industry has been a traditionally male career, women are increasingly recognizing opportunities in construction.

Visit https://www.constructormagazine.com/woman-boss/ to view the full article online.

AGC Houston Supports 2020 Census

Visit https://www.naylornetwork.com/hca-nwl/articles/index-v2.asp?aid=603197&issueID=69064 to view the full article online.

Join the First Lean Brew of the Year!

Join the LCI Houston Lean Interest Group Presents:
Thursday, Feb. 27
4 - 6 p.m.
True Anomaly Brewery
2012 Dallas Street, Houston, Texas, 77003
Flat Rate Registration Fee: $15.00

Visit https://web.cvent.com/event/9ffcf604-549c-4344-a2d4-4ac0237ee05b/summary?i=NyE7DpstAUW9-oBxRLGYww to view the full article online.