Please join AGC of America, and its partners on the Construction Industry Safety Coalition, in planning to participate in the COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction, April 19-23. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness of the safety, effectiveness, and benefits of COVID-19 vaccination among construction workers.

 

AGC encourages members to take time to share important information with their staff, trade contractors, subcontractors, and partners about the benefits of vaccination and encourage them to register to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

 

Click HERE to access resources to help you get started on planning your activities. In addition, please let us know if you are planning to participate by completing a brief survey HERE. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact AGC of America's Senior Director of Safety & Health Services, Kevin Cannon, at kevin.cannon@agc.org or 703-837-5410.

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is an annual spring campaign held at the start of construction season encouraging safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones.

 

NWZAW will be held April 26-30 this year and be hosted by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT). Learn all about this year's events and what the theme "Drive Safe. Work Safe. Save Lives." means.

Please join with AGC of America in planning to participate in this year’s Construction Safety Week, May 3-7. The theme is Holistic Safety: Be Present. Be Focused. Be Safe. Our commitment to staying safe and focused on the job is a point of pride and strength that runs across our entire industry. In order to ensure holistic safety, we must strive to create both a physically and mentally safe environment and make every aspect of our wellbeing part of our safety culture and programs. We must prioritize both physical and psychological safety in the workplace, and how together, they play an important role in our relationships with our team members and with our ability to bring our safest, most productive, best selves to work every day.

 

We encourage member firms to get involved in and celebrate our shared commitment to safety. Click HERE to access and download all of the tools and resources to get started on planning your activities, including tips, best practices and all of the Safety Week branded materials you’ll need to support your events and communication. In addition, let us know if you are planning to participate by completing a brief survey HERE. You can also access AGC’s events and resources for safety week HERE. For more information or to find out how you can get involved in the 2021 Construction Safety Week, please contact AGC of America's Senior Director of Safety & Health Services, Kevin Cannon, at kevin.cannon@agc.org or 703-837-5410.

The eighth annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction is scheduled for May 3-7, 2021. OSHA encourages construction employers and other stakeholders to join the event to promote awareness and training to address one of the industry’s most serious dangers.

 

OSHA’s Fall Prevention Stand-Down webpage offers a wide range of compliance resources in many languages, including Spanish, Polish, Russian and Portuguese. OSHA encourages everyone to use #StandDown4Safety to promote the event on social media, and to share feedback after their events and obtain a personalized certificate of participation.

We are proud to report that we have had a strong year in 2020 as the contents of our Annual Report - The Power of Engagement - make clear. In our catalogue of some of the association’s most significant accomplishments, you will see how we work to support the entire construction industry as The Construction Association. As you will see, we continued to successfully advocate on behalf of the industry and keep construction essential; provide high-quality virtual programs and connect members with the officials and resources they need to be successful. As important, our two philanthropic organizations continue to make significant investments in the future of our industry and improving local communities, thanks to generous contributions from our members.

Every week brings new reports of materials costs hitting record highs, while lead times lengthen or become ever more uncertain. AGC of America recently released a Construction Inflation Alert. This document is intended to help chapters and members explain to owners, government officials, and others, what is happening and what all parties can do to minimize the damage.

On March 26, members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives introduced heat legislation to ensure the safety and health of workers who are exposed to dangerous heat conditions in the workplace. The bill, the Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act of 2021, specifically cites construction workers and farmworkers as suffering the highest incidence of heat illness. The legislation would require the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to establish an enforceable standard to protect workers in high-heat environments with measures such as paid breaks in cool spaces, access to water, limitations on time exposed to heat, and emergency response for workers with heat-related illness.

AGC will continue to monitor the progress of the legislation and engage as appropriate with members of Congress. For more information contact Kevin Cannon at (703) 837-5410 or kevin.cannon@agc.org.

On March 31, President Biden unveiled some details of his $2 trillion “physical” infrastructure plan, found here. The plan would provide significant construction investment in a wide variety of infrastructure and buildings. In addition to providing a breakdown of construction investment by specific public and private construction markets, AGC of America has assembled a comprehensive analysis of what these topline figures could really mean, the significantly concerning construction labor policies that may attach to projects utilizing the funds, and more. AGC will provide further updates on this plan and its chances of becoming law in the weeks ahead.

Please join the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) for a special webinar for COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction. Scott Earnest, PhD, PE, CSP, Director, NIOSH Office of Construction Safety and Health will provide an introduction and Dr. Margaret Kitt, MPH, MD, Deputy Director at NIOSH, will share information on what we know about the current COVID-19 vaccines, when and & how construction workers can get vaccinated, and address your questions.

The Fastenal Customer Expo is a learning experience – an opportunity for you, our valued customer, to discover all the ways we can bring value to your supply chain, from global sourcing to point-of-use controls as well as industry – leading solutions for your jobsite. The goal is to leave with a growth plan that focuses on YOUR needs and address the challenges YOU face in your supply chain. Our suppliers play a more strategic role than ever; we are partners in a world-class supply chain for the customer. As such, the supplier booths will spotlight the programs they offer to bring value beyond the product: vend-ready packaging, sustainability solutions, consultative services, and much more. Our participating suppliers and Fastenal experts are laser-focused on these priorities, and each has committed to create a booth experience that reflects who we are as a world-class supply chain partner. Start making your plan today, and stay tuned for additional resources. Thank you for trusting us to take your relationship with Fastenal to the next level!

 

The event runs from April 12 -16 and since it’s virtual, you can join online as your schedule allows. We know you are busy and we want to respect your time, so we created a personal journey where you can come and go as you please, quick and to the point supply chain videos from our partnered suppliers, Fastenal solutions, and industry experts. Plus, you don’t have to worry about engaging in any unwanted dialogue unless you specifically submit a question to be answered.

 

The 2021 Fastenal Customer Expo is filling up fast and we want to make sure you get a seat! Email Chris Dumeny – cdumeny@fastenal.com to get invited to attend TODAY!!

 

This presentation will cover how to work safely at heights, meet OSHA regulations and prevent the leading cause of death in the construction industry. We will also review the application of various fall arrest systems and how to apply them to ensure our workers can return home safely.

 

Evan Fee, CSP, QSSP
Regional Training and Compliance Instructor
OSHA Outreach Instructor
American Heart Association Faculty
Cintas Corporation | First Aid and Safety Division

May 5, 2021 | 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern | FREE | Register Now

Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 320 of the 1,008 construction fatalities recorded in 2018 (BLS data). The National Safety Stand-Down raises fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries. Join representatives from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) to kick-off the 2021 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. During the session, you will hear remarks from the leaders of OSHA and AGC highlighting the importance of preventing falls in construction as well as contractor members who were recipients of the 2020 AGC/Autodesk Safety Harness Grant to address the need for better-fitting personal protective equipment (PPE) for women who work at heights.

 

Scott C. Ketcham, CSP, Director, Directorate of Construction, OSHA, U.S. DOL
Steve Sandherr, CEO, The Associated General Contractors of America
Allison Scott, MBA, Director, Construction Thought Leadership & Customer Marketing, Autodesk
Kevin Cannon, CSP, Senior Director, Safety & Health Services, The Associated General Contractors of America

The Builders Training Center
105 West 12th Avenue
North Kansas City, MO 64116
Registration Fee: $1,195.00

This unique three–day course provides construction safety and health professionals with the next–level knowledge required to successfully manage a company–wide safety program. Moving beyond the basics of Focus Four training, AGC's Advanced Safety Management Training Program will give participants a more holistic view of safety's role in project and company success, as well as advanced tactics and best practices for managing all aspects of a corporate safety program. Participants will also focus on the importance of "selling" safety throughout the organization and methods to generate buy–in from different audiences.

McCarthy Holdings, Inc., a premier national builder and a member of multiple AGC chapters, recently announced a new integrated approach to breaking the stigma surrounding mental health to better meet the needs of employees, the craft workforce and their families.

This guide takes the guesswork out of finding the regulations that keep your workforce safe and compliant. Easily navigate the government’s complex standards and save yourself time while you solve issues before they become problems. The guide provides fall-protection OSHA regulations from:

• Part 1910: General Industry

• Part 1915: Shipyard Employment

• Part 1917: Marine Terminals

• Part 1918: Longshoring

• Part 1926: Construction

• OSHA Letters of Interpretation

Carley Hill has a long-standing history with the construction industry. Having grown up as a third-generation member of a family-owned heavy highway road and bridge company in West Seneca, New York, she spent every summer with her dad at work from as early as she can remember.
BY LISA KOPOCHINSKI