AGC Constructor

We’re looking forward to Construction Safety Week, which has been rescheduled for September 14-18, following a delay from our traditional May dates. We hope you all have plans to join us.

Every year during Construction Safety Week, construction companies reinforce and celebrate our shared commitment to safety with safety meetings, equipment demonstrations, job tours and more. Join us next week and bring Safety Week 2020 to life at your company by planning events on your projects and in your offices.

 

Complete this form to let AGC know if you will allow media to come and cover your safety week stand down event. Certificates of participation can also be obtained during and after safety week by completing this form (opens September 14, 2020).

As I write this column, coronavirus case numbers continue to spike in many parts of the country. This means people working on your projects are more likely to show up with the virus and put others at risk, and state and local officials may once again consider imposing lockdowns that impact your projects and possibly even your operations.

The coronavirus has harmed the construction industry, prompting project delays and cancellations, layoffs and furloughs, yet it remains difficult for a majority of firms to find craft workers to hire, according to the results of a workforce survey conducted by the AGC of America and Autodesk. The survey paints a picture of an industry in need of immediate recovery measures and longer-term workforce development support, association officials added.

Generation Z will be the future of construction work as baby boomers retire and a new crowd of young people enter the industry. On this episode, an 18-year old Gen Z expert Josh Miller and two AGC student chapter leaders Anna Bennett and Tyler Korte offer authentic insights on how to leverage their unique skills to improve your business. Discover how to target your construction firm’s training and recruiting strategies to better engage with the 16 to 24-year old demographic.

 

AGC of America is proud to announce the launch of the 2021 AGC Awards competitions! The Construction Risk Partners Build America Awards (including the Marvin M. Black Partnering Excellence category) and AGC in the Community competitions recognize the nation's most impressive construction projects ranging across the building, highway and transportation, utility infrastructure, and federal and heavy divisions; those contractors excelling in their partnering and collaborative endeavors; and the charitable contractors and chapters giving back to their communities.

The importance of safety when working from heights cannot be emphasized enough. It is critical to take the proper precautions to protect employees, which includes conducting detailed jobsite checks to mitigate any hazards that are present and could lead to injury. It also involves thorough employee training that provides a clear understanding of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. 

Faith Technologies has announced the launch of a new safety video series, “Charged!” As the winners of the AGC Construction Safety Excellence Grand Award for 2020, Faith Technologies has been charged with sharing their safety knowledge with the industry. These videos will share Faith’s overall health and wellness focus, which encompasses mind, body and soul. Information will also be shared on the effect that safety has on everything they do, including its relationship to productivity, and how others can apply the same tools to affect positive change within their organizations and the industry as a whole. Check out the first series on their website here. A new blog article will accompany each new video in our series, and be published on Faith Technologies Blog.

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and to shed light on this danger, Rosendin created a video that simulates what would happen to the human body if a person were to fall from a height of 12 and 20 feet. Using ballistic dummies that are 95 percent direct recreations of the human body, the Rosendin team got real results, on camera, while in a controlled setting. A medical doctor provided an on-site analysis of the injuries sustained immediately after each fall, including the possible cause(s) of death. A mock autopsy was performed on each dummy to discover any internal damage to the body.

 

United Rentals, Inc., a member of multiple AGC chapters, has shared nine key protocols at the core of its response to COVID-19. Following the onset of the pandemic, the company acted quickly to implement new measures for the safety of its employees and customers, both inside and outside its branches. The added protocols expand on the company’s industry-leading commitment to best safety practices, training and communications.

 

Werner, a member of multiple AGC chapters, will train thousands of workers across the country in support of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) National Safety Stand-Down initiative. This year, with a different type of safety in mind, Werner will lead ladder safety and fall protection training sessions both virtually and in-person. Construction professionals will also be able to access free Fall Protection and Ladder Safety courses online, as well as download an all-new Climbing Handbook designed to help users with ladder selection and how to use ladders safely.

2020 is presenting big challenges to the construction industry and our association. Carolinas AGC and its members have been ready and are working to deliver more value throughout the year to its members. 

Its Virtual Summer Summit, for example, recently drew over 600 attendees and featured live presentations from the governors of North Carolina and South Carolina, US Sen. Lindsay Graham, the North Carolina House Speaker, the Transportation Secretaries, and Deputy Secretaries, of NCDOT and SCDOT as well as two nationally known economists from the University of SC and NC State University.

And despite the pandemic, CAGC continues to draw new members, including a record-setting month in August. There is no better time than today to tap into this powerful network and set your company up for success.

 

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 AGC of America (AGC) to kick-off the 2020 National Safety Stand-Down (September 14-18) 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 have taking an innovative approach to raising awareness about the dangers associated with falls in construction.