Installing Marley® Cooling Towers from SPX Cooling Technologies, Inc., Wayne Crouse, Inc. shaved several days off of the schedule for a challenging project at a large university medical center in Pennsylvania. Extensive advance planning and coordination with the hospital, contractors, and trades was key.

MCAA’s Safety & Health Initiative explains how the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) are responding to the new vaccination mandates projected to affect two-thirds of American workers.

President Biden’s speech detailing a national strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic introduced two executive orders and certain administrative actions that will increase mandates for vaccination in both government and private workplaces. Alston & Bird summarizes these measures and provides links to additional resources.

The Biden Administration’s Executive Order Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors, Executive Order 14402 issued September 9, 2021, applies to direct Federal prime contracts above $250,000 and all lower tier subcontracts for work performed at the project site and facilities where work is performed pertaining to covered prime contracts and subcontracts. It does not apply to Federally assisted contracts or suppliers on covered prime contracts. The EO pertains to both prime and subcontractors, irrespective of total employment, while the other Biden Administration EO on vaccination applies to all employers (Federal contractors or subcontractors or otherwise) who employ 100 or more workers. MCAA will keep you apprised on regulatory developments along this ambitious and unique regulatory schedule.

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Mechanical Construction Workers Toolbox Talks. Each of the six volumes in the series includes 52 talks, everything you need for a year of weekly worker safety training without the stress of having to prepare the training from scratch.

Two weeks ago, we announced the launch of the NEW MCAA/CNA Microlearning Safety Video Series. Together with our partners in safety, CNA, we developed a series of easy-to-watch safety videos that are under 3-minutes! We have already seen Safe Lifting Techniques & Proper Material Staging, and next week, we will highlight Distracted Driving. Please enjoy our third microlearning on Personal Health to Help Prevent Musculoskeletal Injuries.

The Manufacturer/Supplier Training area of MCAA’s website connects our contractor members with training opportunities available from the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Member involvement from those serving on MCAA’s national committees helps all of us run more successful businesses and strengthens our industry. MCAA members who are willing to serve on a national committee in 2022 are encouraged to learn more and complete the application. Completed applications are due to MCAA by November 5, 2021.

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

MCAA President Armand Kilijian and UA General President Mark McManus issued a message highlighting the importance of the COVID vaccine to protect not only ourselves and our families, but our jobsites, our fellow members and contractors, and our end users.

CRW Mechanical won the bid for a parking garage’s gas piping project by switching to a Milwaukee® M18™ Force Logic™ Long Throw Press Tool rather than using a traditional all-weld approach. The Press Tool saved CRW Mechanical 15 percent on the project’s labor costs, and the crew saved 125 hours—all with just one Long Throw Press Tool onsite.

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Scaffold Safety Training Video and its materials. This video will teach your workers to protect themselves from the hazards inherent in working at heights on both mobile and stationary frame scaffolding.