Backend Category: Safety Excellence Initiative

MCAA Clarifies the OSHA Requirements for Mechanical Service and Construction Work on Low-Slope Roofs

With the overlapping work many MCAA and MSCA members have, clarifying the differences of low-slope roof work between Mechanical Service (1910 Standards) and Mechanical Construction (1926 Standards) is important. MCAA has created a poster to be printed and posted on jobsites to help your workers quickly understand the OSHA requirements, and ultimately create safer jobsites.

OSHA’s Position on Mechanical Service (1910 Standards):

Mechanical service work does not meet the definition of “temporary and infrequent” if the task takes longer than it would to install or set up fall protection, and the task is performed more than once a month, once a year, or when needed. MCAA is working to establish a reasonable interpretation of the standard.

OSHA’s Position on Mechanical Construction (1926 Standards):

There is no safe distance where a worker can work on a low-slope roof without fall prevention or fall protection when working six feet or more above a lower level with a few exceptions.

Heat Stress Resources from MCAA Partners in Safety, CNA & MILWAUKEE TOOL

MCAA and its partners in safety, CNA & MILWAUKEE TOOL, offer resources to help protect workers from heat stress.

CNA Resources

Many workers spend part of their working day in hot environments, both indoors and outdoors. Workers performing physical labor, including mechanical construction and service contractors, are often exposed to hazardous heat conditions that can have severe safety and health outcomes. Please review the below information on heat stress and sun exposure.

Protecting Against Heat Stress
Sun Exposures for Contractors

For questions or additional information, please contact:

MILWAUKEE TOOL Resources

MILWAUKEE TOOL has started a monthly safety emphasis program. Below you will find information for July’s Heat Illness Prevention campaign. The information comes from some of the industry’s most credible sources, including the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Heat Illness Prevention
Additional Heat Illness Prevention Resources

For additional information on the safety emphasis program, please contact:

MCAA Resources

For more information on heat stress from MCAA, review our last post or check out these training talks:

If you have questions, please contact:

  • Raffi Elchemmas, MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management

MCAA Congratulates 90 Member Companies on Safety Excellence

MCAA’s Safety Statistics & Awards program recognized 90 MCAA members’ safety performance in 2021. All applicants received a valuable benchmarking report that will allow them to compare their own 2021 incidence rates with the aggregate rates of the other participating MCAA companies overall, those in the same size category, and with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics incidence rates. Those who qualified also received a certificate of commendation. Congratulations to all!

The program provides six awards categories including awards for zero recordable cases, zero lost workday cases, recordable cases incidence rates that are 25% or more below the industry average, lost workday cases incidence rates that are 25% or more below the industry average, and two that are a mix of these items.

MCAA is pleased to give the following contractors special recognition for their safety performance.

Zero Recordable Cases

  • Thermalair
  • James T. Kay Co
  • Coleman Spohn Corp
  • Advanced Mechanical Corp
  • ACSI Mechanical
  • ACME Industrial Piping
  • Plains Plumbing Co
  • All Temp Refrigeration
  • The YMI Group
  • Power Process Piping
  • A J Allen Mechanical Contractors
  • Gartner Refrigeration
  • Air Comfort Corp
  • The Smith & Oby Co
  • Sexson Mechanical
  • Rand Construction Co
  • Muir-Chase Plumbing Co
  • Nooter Construction Co

Zero Lost Workday Cases

  • Horton Mechanical Contractors
  • Northland Mechanical Contractors
  • Gunthorpe Plumbing and Heating
  • Air Temp Heating & Air Conditioning
  • Ruyle Mechanical Services
  • Aldag/Honold Mechanical
  • Denali Construction Services
  • PLS Mechanical
  • Suttles Plumbing and Mechanical Corp
  • Poole & Kent

Congratulations to all recipients, and thank you to everyone who applied. Your support of this and MCAA’s other safety programs underscores your company’s commitment to safety.

Immediate Stop Use/Recall – Select 3M Shock Absorbing Lanyards

3M has notified the industry of a potential manufacturing issue that could result in some lanyards not performing properly in the event of a fall. This could result in severe injury or death. Select 3M™ DBI-SALA® ShockWave™2 Arc Flash Shock Absorbing Lanyards are impacted and should be removed from service. See the recall notice for details and information about replacements.

MCAA & CNA Offer Resources to Educate Workers on the Importance of Trench Safety

More workers are killed or injured in and around excavations than in any other phase of construction work. MCAA and safety partner CNA offer resources that reinforce the importance of trench protective systems to keep your team safe during Trench Safety Stand-Down Week June 20 – 24, 2022 and every day.

Resources from CNA

Resources from MCAA

Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Training Materials:

MCAA also offers a Model Excavation Safety Program that guides you through establishing a program that minimizes risk to your employees and ensures your compliance with OSHA requirements. It makes development and implementation of such a program as easy and cost-effective as possible.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

Prepare Now for the New ANSI Fall Protection Standard for Retractables

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) fall protection standard Z359.14-2021, Safety Requirements for Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall Arrest and Rescue Systems, will go into effect on February 1, 2023. When it does, MCAA member companies will face several changes and additional testing requirements in an area that is among the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) most frequently cited violations. Prepare your company now by familiarizing yourself with the changes and purchasing equipment that meets the new standard.

ANSI Standard Highlights

  • The standard was approved in Summer 2021
  • It will go into effect in February 2023
  • Class A and Class B go away
  • They are replaced by Class 1 and Class 2
  • Class 1 retractables must be used at the D ring or above.
  • Class 2 retractables must be tested and must pass the Extreme Leading Edge Test
  • Class 2 testing is done on a sharpened structural steel edge
  • Class 2 must take a 5’ free fall
  • Both Class 1 and Class 2 have a 42” average arrest distance and a 1350 pound average arrest force.

For detailed information, please review the attached slide deck.

ANSI Standard Slide Deck

Have Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management, Raffi Elchemmas.

MCAA/TAUC/NECA/SMACNA Collaborate to Improve Third-Party Pre-Qualification

MCAA partnered with The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC), the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) to investigate how third-party pre-qualification requirements affect members’ businesses. An article in The Constructor User reports the findings.

OSHA Safety Stand-Down Week Certificates Available

Thank you to all who participated in the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction! MCAA members from all over the country took part in daily Safety Stand-Down events hosted by our national partners – MILWAUKEE TOOL, TYFOOM, Little Giant Ladders, CLICKSAFETY, and CNA. MCAA would like to thank our national partners who provided exclusive education and training for our members throughout the week.

If you would like a Certificate of Recognition from OSHA, please click the button below to create your own.

Create Your Certificate

To view MCAA’s 700+ safety resources visit, mcaa.org/safety.

MCAA & Industry Leaders Offer Educational Sessions During National Safety Stand-Down Week

This year’s National Safety Stand-Down will take place May 2-6, 2022.  The goal of the Stand-Down is to raise awareness to fall hazards and reinforce safe work practices that help prevent fatalities and injuries related to falls. MCAA has partnered with industry leaders to bring you daily trainings and education events, across the county.​

For more information and to register for the sessions click the button below.

Learn More About Safety Week ’22 Offerings

#StandDown4Safety ​

OSHA National Emphasis Program Aims to Protect Workers from Heat Hazards

Labor Secretary Marty Walsh joined Vice President Kamala Harris April 12, 2022 to announce a first-ever Occupational Safety and and Health Administration (OSHA) National Emphasis Program (NEP) to protect workers from indoor and outdoor heat hazards. The NEP lists construction among the industries expected to have high exposures to heat-related hazards resulting in illnesses. MCAA is representing our members’ interests with OSHA because we know there is nothing more important than the health and safety of our workers, and you’re invited to join us.

Representing Member Interests

MCAA will be participating in OSHA’s stakeholder meeting on May 3, 2022. You are invited to participate in the virtual meeting by registering here. 

MCAA has already submitted feedback to OSHA on the proposed rule and commented through the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Work Group.

Tips for Preventing Heat Illnesses

As temperatures begin to rise and it starts to get hot in parts of the United States, now is a good time to remind your employees about how to prevent heat illnesses. In particular, they should be on the lookout for:

  • Heat Stroke: As the body loses its ability to sweat, it can’t control its temperature (HEAT STROKE IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY)
  • Heat Exhaustion: The body sweats away too much water and salt
  • Heat Syncope: The body’s blood pressure becomes too low, resulting in dizziness or fainting and
  • Heat Cramps: The body experiences painful muscle spasms
NEP DETAILS
ADDITIONAL TOOLS FROM OSHA

Have Questions?

If you have any questions, please contact MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management, Raffi Elchemmas.

CNA Insurance Offers Solutions for Top Jobsite Claims

As construction-related claims become more frequent and expensive than ever before, new trends have emerged in the types and causes of losses. CNA offers tailored coverages to help construction companies mitigate these risks, along with resources to help keep projects and workers safe.

CNA SOLUTIONS INFOGRAPHIC

For more information on CNA’s resources and solutions, please contact Shawn Egan, CNA Risk Control Specialist at Shawn.Egan@cna.com.

LEARN MORE

THE CROSBY GROUP Issues Remove from Service Notice for Select Screw Pin Anchor Shackles

THE CROSBY GROUP has issued a remove from service and arrange for return and replacement notice for a selection of screw pin anchor shackles. These shackles may have a condition that can reduce the ultimate load capacity from the published catalog values. The shackle bow may have a previously undetected indication, and continued use may result in loss of load, property damage, severe injury, or death.

This notice only applies to the following screw pin anchor shackles with Production Identification Codes (PIC) TXJ located on the shackle bow:

  • 1018534 1” 8.50t G-209 Shackle
  • 1018543 1” 8.50t S-209 Shackle
RECALL NOTICE

MCAA PARTNERS WITH CPWR TO IMPROVE SAFETY & HEALTH

Struck-by incidents are a leading cause of injury and death in the construction industry.

MCAA has partnered with CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH) National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Work Group on Preventing Struck-By Injuries to research factors that contribute to struck-by incidents and ways to prevent them.

Participation in this voluntary and anonymous survey will aide the development of new resources and strategies designed to help reduce struck-by hazards and protect workers.

Please considering participating in this meaningful research initiative to protect construction workers and prevent struck-by injuries and fatalities.

If you have any questions, please contact MCAA’s Executive Director of Safety, Health, and Risk Management, Raffi Elchemmas, at raffi@mcaa.org. 

Don Campbell Named 2021 MCAA/MILWAUKEE TOOL Safety Professional of the Year

MCAA and MILWAUKEE TOOL congratulate Don Campbell, our 2021 Safety Professional of the Year award winner. Don is a longtime safety leader and vice president at P1 Group in Kansas City, MO, and a member of MCAA’s Safety & Health Committee. The award was announced at MCAA’s Safety Directors’ Conference in Florida. The award is presented annually to a mechanical industry safety and health professional who has led his or her company to achieving an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence.

Don developed P1 Group’s robust safety program from the ground up. The program’s success has significantly reduced the company’s Experience Modification Rating (EMR) and incident rates.

Don joined our team approximately 20-years ago and it is he who created the ‘culture of safety’ that all of our associates live and appreciate today.  Since joining the organization, Don has assembled a team of six other Safety Professionals that help instill our company’s credo, ‘Safety First, Quality Always’.  

– Kollin Knox, P1 Group President

Don has been invited to the MCAA22 convention in San Diego, CA, in March to receive the award on stage during the Awards of Excellence Breakfast.

MCAA and MILWAUKEE TOOL congratulate Don and thank him for his ongoing commitment to safety.

OSHA Officially Withdraws COVID-19 ETS on 1/26/22

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has withdrawn the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard on vaccine mandates as an enforceable emergency temporary standard. OSHA remains committed to pursuing a proposed rule through the formal process. Both MCAA and the UA continue to strongly encourage the vaccination of workers against COVID-19.

MCAA’s In-Person Safety Directors’ Conference a Win for Safety & Health

Last week the MCAA presented one of the most exciting Safety Directors’ Conferences ever. The first in-person conference in two years brought together safety professionals from around the country for world-class education on best practices and safety and health issues specific to the mechanical industry. Participants also heard keynotes on safety leadership from Capt. Richard Phillips, Olympian Vince Poscente, and longtime safety advocate Regina McMichael during the January 18 – 20, 2022, event in sunny Florida.

The latest innovations from over 20 exhibitors were on display, including those from MCAA Manufacturer/Supplier Council members MILWAUKEE TOOL, Tyfoom, Emerson, DEWALT Industrial Tool Company, and Victaulic, which unveiled its new QuickVicTM System, a solution with exciting safety implications. Other exhibitors, like Little Giant Ladder, also showed off their latest solutions.

MCAA thanks CNA and MILWAUKEE TOOL for sponsoring the event, and all the safety professionals who attended.

Resource Highlight: MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Refraining from Distracted Driving

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 the MCAA/CNA MICROLEARNING SAFETY VIDEO SERIES: Refraining from Distracted Driving. This video will teach your workers how refraining from distracted driving can help prevent motor vehicle collisions.

Your workers will learn:

  • How talking on the phone – even using a hands-free device – takes the mind off the road and leads to inattention blindness, a phenomenon that has proven to be deadly
  • Why it is smart to pull off the road to a safe location before making calls, sending texts, programming a GPS, or similar tasks
  • The importance of taking 60 seconds to clear the dashboard and organize the vehicle before heading out

Together with our partners in safety, CNA, MCAA developed the video, which is part of the MCAA/CNA Microlearning Safety Video Series, a series of easy-to-watch safety videos that are under 3-minutes long.

Download or Play the Video

All the videos in this series are available in our Resource Center any time.

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

Supreme Court Reinstates OSHA ETS Stay on 1/13/22

Today the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) issued a decision regarding the highly controversial OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for COVID-19 vaccination.

SCOTUS granted the application for the stay blocking enforcement and progress of the ETS.

Regarding this nationwide stay of OSHA’s ETS for COVID-19 vaccination, SCOTUS holds that challengers to the rule are “likely to succeed on the merits” of their claims because the rule is broad enough to qualify as a “public health” mandate rather than an occupational standard.

They went on to say, “OSHA has never before imposed such a mandate. Nor has Congress.”

The full decision can be read here.

Watch for Updates As They Occur

MCAA will be closely monitoring SCOTUS and OSHA developments related to this issue and will communicate updates as they occur. In the meantime, questions may be addressed to MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.

1/10/22 Update: OSHA’s ETS on COVID-19

Today is the first day the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) can begin enforcement of the planning and record keeping mandates in its Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on vaccine mandates.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) heard oral arguments of the appeal on January 7, 2022, but has not reached a determination. Multiple Justices expressed doubt over OSHA’s claim on a “clear” basis for the vaccine ETS. While the Supreme Court could issue a decision at any time, we do anticipate it happening before February 10, 2022, the compliance deadline for testing.

In the meantime, MCAA has provided you with all the tools to help your company comply today.

Compliance Tools

  • MCAA’s Updated Bulletin on OSHA’s COVID-19 ETS – The only changes to the bulletin are the new enforcement dates. This bulletin is a simple reference document for you.
  • The original MCAA Model COVID-19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy – This policy is for companies that require vaccines, but do not allow weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative.
  • The MCAA Model COVID-19 Vaccination, Testing and Face Covering Policy – This policy is for companies that require vaccines, or weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative to vaccines. It can also be easily tailored for use as your Mandatory Vaccination Policy for the companies that require vaccines, but do not allow weekly testing and face covering use as an alternative.
SAFETY BULLETIN
MODEL VACCINATION POLICY
MODEL VACCINATION, TESTING AND FACE COVERING POLICY

A Simple Record Keeping Tool

Additionally, to support the planning and record keeping deadline, TYFOOM, a member of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC), created an automated, simple, and easy process to reach all employees on a regular basis with an ETS survey.

LEARN MORE

OSHA Compliance Deadlines

January 10, 2022: all requirements except testing

February 9, 2022: Vaccines or Testing

Watch for Updates As They Occur

MCAA will be closely monitoring SCOTUS and OSHA developments related to this issue and will communicate updates as they occur. In the meantime, questions may be addressed to MCAA’s Raffi Elchemmas.