MCAA’s Association Executives Council (AEC) welcomed new leaders at the conclusion of the virtual AEC Business Meeting on July 28, 2021. Chair Rick Lundvall (MCA of Rockford, Inc. and Eastern Iowa/Western Illinois MCA), Vice Chair Chip Martin (CPMCA) and Program Chair Valerie Pope (MCA of Central Ohio, Inc. and MCA of Cincinnati, Inc.) will lead the group’s efforts in the coming year. Congratulations to all!
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 new safety training video, Master the Mechanics: Hand & Power Tool Safety for the Mechanical Trades. The video provides trainees with information on the most common hand and power tool injuries in the mechanical construction and service trades. It highlights the tools most likely to be involved in an injury incident, and teaches proper use of the tools to help prevent injuries.
The video comes with a pocket guide that highlights key training points, a training documentation sheet, a 20-question multiple choice test, and a test answer key.
For coverage of other safety topics critical to our industry, including training videos and materials, visit the Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page.
Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.
MCAA is pleased to welcome Melanie Thompson-Ott to the MCAA staff. Melanie will be the new voice answering the phones at MCAA starting August 2, 2021. She will take over the role from Priya, who is returning to her previous support role for NCPWB, JRGF and NEI. Melanie has been working in the legal field for over 15 years, mainly as a litigation paralegal with a background in real estate and antitrust law. Originally from Miami, FL, she completed her paralegal studies at the University of Maryland. On weekends she enjoys creating customized chocolate treats, shopping, travel and reality television. Join us in welcoming Melanie and her family to the MCAA staff family.
MCAA extends a warm welcome to Raffi Elchemmas, who will be joining the staff starting August 2, 2021. He will be MCAA’s new Executive Director of Safety, Health and Risk Management, learning the ropes before Pete’s upcoming retirement. Raffi comes to us from Milwaukee Tool, where he was the National Manager, Health & Safety. He is a board-certified ergonomist with an MBA in Sales Leadership & Health Sector Management from DePaul University. He has been a member of MCAA’s Safety and Health Committee since 2019. MCAA is pleased to welcome Raffi to the staff, and his wife Martha, daughter, and son to the MCAA staff family.
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 2021 3D Scanning Technology Research Report. The report assesses various laser, non-laser scanning and photogrammetric hardware and software tools used by mechanical contractors. MCAA members stand to benefit from these and other rapidly evolving technologies that can expedite work, increase precision and prevent mistakes.
In addition to scanning, the MCAA’s Construction Technology Research Series explores tracking, layout, design and fabrication technologies using BIM and other tools.
MCAA’s Innovative Technologies Initiative offers a wealth of resources and information for those interested in exploring new technologies. Visit the initiative’s web page to explore them all.
Contact MCAA’s Sean McGuire.
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.
Participating companies highlight and link to new webinars and training opportunities across their product lines, services, solutions or web pages. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
DEWALT Industrial Tool Company
The DEWALT PERFORM & PROTECT™ line of tools and accessories is YOUR FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE™ on the job. They are designed to provide a high level of one or more of the following: dust containment, control, or low vibration, without sacrificing performance. These quick and easy product guides from DEWALT® will help get you started using your tools.
Viega
Check out this educational video on how to use a MegaPress press tool & jaws.
Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.
STIHL is recalling to repair certain TS 410 and TS 420 cut-off machines manufactured between January 2021 and April 2021. In some of these machines the flywheel can break apart while the engine is running, posing a projectile hazard to the users or bystanders. If you have any of these machines, immediately discontinue use and take them to an authorized STIHL dealer for free repair.
MCAA’s new safety training video, Master the Mechanics: Hand & Power Tool Safety for the Mechanical Trades, provides trainees with information on the most common hand and power tool injuries in the mechanical construction and service trades. It highlights the tools most likely to be involved in an injury incident, and teaches proper use of the tools to help prevent injuries.
The video comes with a pocket guide that highlights key training points, a training documentation sheet, a 20-question multiple choice test, and a test answer key.
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 Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Overview. The United States Department of Defense has created the new CMMC standard that will soon be required for corporations and entities that want to bid as a contractor, or act as a subcontractor, for DoD projects. This whitepaper is designed to give electrical and mechanical contractor corporate leadership and their IT Directors an overview of the CMMC standard.
A Technical Bulletin just issued by the National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau (NCPWB) addresses significant changes made in ASME Section IX, 2021 edition, that are of interest to mechanical contractors and piping fabricators. Opinions expressed in this article are Mr. Sperko’s, not the official opinion of ASME BPV Standards Committee IX. These changes become mandatory for new qualifications January 1, 2022. Find out more by clicking on the link below.
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 revised Management Methods Bulletin on The Next Generation of Data Security. This bulletin is intended to provide guidance and insight of current tools and techniques to protect your data and operations.
The revised bulletin includes:
For a full list of available Management Methods Bulletins, visit the Management Methods Bulletins page.
Contact MCAA’s Frank Wall.
OSHA recently released a compliance directive titled Inspection Procedures for the COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standard. The directive is a guide for compliance officers implementing inspections and issuing citations involving:
If OSHA’s new Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 applies to your company, it may be helpful to understand what the agency’s compliance officers are looking for when they are inspecting affected workplaces, and how they are directed to issue citations for violations of the standard.
MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:
Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Smith’s electronic trap primers come in a steel mounting enclosure for both flush or recessed mounting and can prime 4 to 36 traps. A factory pre-set, adjustable timer ensures water is injected into the trap every 24 hours. Visit us online to learn more about the electronic trap primers and our entire line of Smith Fluid Controls™.
Harris Products Group
For applications that require large volumes of heat, the INFERNO® propane torch delivers! Solid brass valve for precise flame adjustment. Built-in excessive gas flow safety valve. Works with 20, 50 or 100 lb. propane cylinders.
Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!
Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.
This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!
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 Tools to Reduce the Cost and Risk Associated with Welding and Brazing. This resource highlights the many ways that the National Certified Pipe Welding Bureau (NCPWB) keeps contractors informed about welding and brazing technology, and simplifies welding and brazing qualification practices.
You will learn how the NCPWB can help your company:
Contact MCAA’s Nick Nikpourfard.
Pandemic legislation has created significant opportunities for small and medium sized businesses. Rules ever changing, the programs have been shaped time and time again. Spend one hour with Withum experts as they detail some of the programs which have been most beneficial to businesses. The free webinar takes place June 28, 2021 from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm EDT.
During this session, we will cover the most up-to-date details on the following:
We want to ensure that any questions around either of these relief efforts are clarified. Our experts can assist with further calculations and opportunities following the webinar.
Baker Group Chairman and CEO B.J. Baker, III signed an Employer Statement of Support for the National Guard and Reserve (ESSNGR). The June 14, 2021 signing was part of an event highlighting Baker Group’s continued commitment to supporting employees who are members of the National Guard and Reserve. The company is an MCAA member.
B.J. Baker was joined by members of the Iowa office of the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), a Department of Defense operational committee. In signing the pledge, Baker Group unites with employers from across the country to affirm:
“Our National Guard and Reserve forces are vital to our national security, whether on the battlefield half a world away, or in responding to a national disaster right here in the United States,” Baker says. “As an employer of several Guard and Reserve members, we are proud to provide them stability and flexibility to help balance their work and their commitment to serve. Baker Group is more than willing to make the sacrifices necessary to ensure these valuable employees are able to carry out their missions and responsibilities quickly and effectively when duty calls.”
ESGR was established in 1972 to promote cooperation and understanding between Reserve Component Service members and their civilian employers and to assist in the resolution of conflicts arising from an employee’s military commitment. ESGR is supported by a network of more than 3,300 volunteers in 54 committees. In its more than 45 years of service, ESGR has been responsible for trying to foster a culture in which all employers support and value the employment and military service of members of the National Guard and Reserve in the United States.
“Baker Group has a long history of supporting members of our military, whether they are active duty, reserve or veterans,” Baker says. “We are humbled by their sacrifice and proudly recruit them as they transition out of active duty or seek a supportive employer as they continue Guard and Reserve service.”
MCAA applauds Baker Group’s commitment to supporting employees who are members of the National Guard and Reserve.
As of Thursday, June 17, 2021, the United States has a new federal holiday commemorating June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans were granted their freedom in Galveston, Texas marking the official end of slavery in the United States. This is approximately two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation feed slaves in the Southern states. In December 1865, the 13th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified and slavery was abolished.
The Juneteenth legislation passed through Congress with overwhelming support. The senate approved the bill unanimously and the House passed it in a 415-14 vote. Under the legislation, the federal holiday will be officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day.
Juneteenth is the 12th legal public holiday and the first new federal holiday created in nearly 40 years since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law in 1983 by Ronald Reagan.
Vice President Kamala Harris was present as President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth legislation. The law goes into effect immediately, making this Friday (June 18, 2021) the first federal Juneteenth holiday in American history. Since June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, the federal Office of Personnel Management announced that most federal employees would observe it on Friday, June 18, 2021.
MCAA commends President Biden and all the legislators for recognizing Juneteenth as a crucial part of the American story and their efforts to unify all Americans.
OSHA recently released an Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) on COVID-19 covering settings where employees provide healthcare services or healthcare support services. Contractors providing healthcare support services, such as equipment and facility maintenance, may have to comply with several provisions in the ETS, such as establishing a COVID-19 plan, implementing precautions, requiring use of personal protective equipment, practicing physical distancing, using physical barriers, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, implementing health screening and medical management, supporting COVID-19 vaccinations, and providing appropriate training.
However, the standard does not apply to “well-defined hospital ambulatory care settings” where all employees are fully vaccinated, all non-employees are screened prior to entry, and people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 are not permitted to enter those settings. Ambulatory care means healthcare services performed on an outpatient basis, such as physician’s offices, hospital outpatient departments, ambulatory surgical centers, and specialty clinics. Affected employers must comply with most provisions of the standard within 14 days, and with the remaining provisions within 30 days. OSHA will use enforcement discretion to avoid citing employers who are making a good faith effort to comply with the ETS.
Contractors whose employees are not providing healthcare support services are exempt from the ETS. However, OSHA has updated their guidelines for employers based on the most current guidance from the CDC. Employers are urged to comply with the updated guidelines, which direct employers to:
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 newly revised Safety Manual for Mechanical Construction Workers. This quick reference tool provides critical information on everything from aerial lift safety to preventing overexposure to zinc to keep mechanical construction workers safe. It includes new information on administering CPR, beryllium, recent changes to NFPA 70E, and more.
For additional, in-depth coverage of many of the topics in the manual, including training videos and materials, visit the Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page.
Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?
Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.
MCAA, the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), and other organizations are partnering with Dodge Data & Analytics on a study of jobsite safety. The study will track trends in U.S. construction industry safety practices, and MCAA members are encouraged to participate. The survey will close on June 23, 2021.
The survey should take approximately 12 minutes to complete. MCAA members who submit completed surveys will have the option to receive a summary report of the survey findings emailed to them.
Your survey responses are strictly confidential and will not be associated with your name or the name of your company in any way. Your responses will be combined with others and only presented as averages or percentages, or by visual means that cannot be linked back to individual answers. Your responses will be stored in a password protected database that can only be accessed by analysts at Dodge Data & Analytics.
