Organization: MCAA

MCAA’s MEP Innovation Conference Successfully Delivers the Content Members Need to Compete in a Digital Age

It takes a lot to compete in an industry that is constantly changing. Digital tools have integrated with the entire construction process. The contractors that are integrating more of their processes with these solutions are becoming the ones best positioned to compete going forward. 

MCAA’s MEP Innovation Conference delivered contractor-based case studies to over 1,300 attendees and demonstrated how members are using these tools to thrive in today’s industry. Over three days, 32 breakout sessions, 30 roundtables and more than 100 exhibitor demonstrations, contractors learned about the arsenal of new tools designed for a digital age. Sessions focused on real-world practical applications in use by contractors. 

This year, the conference was virtual. As Jeff Miller, Director of Virtual Construction at HFI put it, “I went into the roundtable sessions thinking that it was going to be another Zoom call that I had on in the background while I worked, but when we moved to smaller breakout rooms, and all of us were asked to turn on our cameras and have a face-to-face virtual conversation, it actually felt refreshing to talk and connect with some of the same people I would have been seeing in a live conference.”

Plans are already underway on the next MEP Innovation Conference, to be held in person next January in collaboration with NECA and SMACNA. Stay tuned for additional virtual mini sessions to keep you up to speed on more innovations the rest of the year. 

Connect With the Latest Training from NIBCO INC. and Aquatherm LP at MCAA.org

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:

NIBCO INC.
NIBCO is here to support the industry and we’re here to support you! When in-person training or distance is an issue, we bring the virtual classroom to you. Topics include Press System Installation, PressACR™, PressG™, BenchPress™, Valve Selection Basics, and Lead-Free Soldering.

Learn More

Aquatherm LP
As the leader in polypropylene piping systems, Aquatherm offers comprehensive heat-fusion installation training at our Utah HQ, at partner sites and jobsites across North America, and virtually upon request.

Learn More

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Learn More

MCAA’s Advocacy and Political Action Initiatives Are Worthy of Your Ongoing Consideration

To my fellow MCAA members and the leaders of MCAA’s local affiliates,

Effective public policy advocacy and non-partisan political activities go hand-in-hand with a broader suite of association member services at MCAA.

When MCAA’s Board of Directors re-instituted MCAA’s Political Action Committee over 20 years ago, they did so with a renewed commitment to building the profile of pipe trades union-signatory employers’ key role in the industry, and in policy deliberations in Washington, DC.

That foresight and initiative have paid off and will continue to do so into the future with our members’ and local affiliates’ ongoing commitment to that vision.

I and my fellow MCAA Government Affairs Committee members below are fully committed to that vision.

  • Kevin Armistead, Armistead Mechanical, Waldwick, New Jersey
  • Richard Bukovec, Diversified Piping & Mechanical, Inc., Mentor, Ohio
  • David Cannistraro, J.C. Cannistraro, Watertown, Massachusetts
  • Dennis Corrigan, Corrigan Company, St. Louis, Missouri
  • Chuck Daniel, MCA of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
  • John Ferrucci, F & F Mechanical Enterprises, North Haven, Connecticut
  • Don Giarratano, Muir-Chase Plumbing, Anaheim, California
  • Alex Hayes, Rock Mountain MCA, Denver, Colorado
  • Mike Miller, Kirlin Design Build, Rockville, Maryland
  • Marc Pittas, The Hill Group, Franklin Park, Illinois
  • Dick Reigles, Reigles Mechanical, Grand Junction, Colorado
  • Richard J. Sawhill, ARCA/MCA, Ontario, California

We ask you to join us in that commitment. Here are some key points to consider.

MCAA Is Playing A Critical Role in Multiemployer Pension Reform

Multiemployer pension reform is in the works – finally. It was a long and arduous road – and there’s more ground to cover. MCAA, together with our partners at the UA, were key and effective players in that process.

Your association has a seat at the table thanks to MCAA members’ commitment to participation in the policy development process and the political activity that goes hand-in-hand with that.

If multiemployer pension reform comes out in our favor, it will be guided in that direction by continuing MCAA participation. Your firm and our industry will be immeasurably improved as compared with what might have been with a failing multiemployer system adversely affecting all of our businesses. Together, MCAA and the UA helped avoid that catastrophe.

MCAA Member Involvement Was Responsible for Other Key Achievements

Looking back, our MCAA member involvement was directly responsible for some other key achievements and direct member benefits over recent years, including some few examples below.

  • Keeping ill-conceived accounting disclosure rules relative to pension liability off our books – and staying vigilant about a recurrence of those problems.
  • Eliminating flow-down withholding taxes on Federal projects and adding some small subcontracting bidding protections for Federal primes and subcontractors.
  • Attaining market tax incentives for green building retrofits.
  • Maintaining prevailing wage standards – key elements of industry reforms.
  • Representing you vigorously in the health policy debate.
  • Actively fighting to maintain high-quality industry apprenticeship training programs.
  • Ensuring prevailing wage and labor law reforms in the coming years strengthen MCAA members’ market share.
  • Advocating for a number of legislative and regulatory reforms to staunch the rampant abuse of worker misclassification in the construction industry.
  • Supporting government initiatives to improve government responsible contractor selection policies for prime contractors and subcontractors.
  • Gaining elimination of reverse auction procurement procedures in Federal construction contract selections.
  • Advocating for collective bargaining and ERISA preemption of state, local and Federal paid leave mandates.

MCAA Continues to Advocate for Our Industry’s Best Interests

Looking ahead, there are larger general trends and market factors that will influence the direction of public policy, including workforce demographic challenges, rapid technological developments, and environmental challenges to our society as a whole and our industry in particular.  All of these trends will have some bearing on public policy choices in Washington, DC. Our MCAA member advocacy program and political action infrastructure must be maintained so that we – MCAA members – maintain our strong position to advocate for our industry’s best interests.

MCAA PAC Needs Your Commitment and Involvement to Keep the Momentum Going

Please consider your role in helping your fellow members shape our future with effective advocacy in Washington, DC. If you want to be part of your industry’s continued competitiveness:

  1. Join our efforts by going to the MCAA PAC website and completing  the prior authorization form to allow MCAA PAC to send you solicitation material.
  2. Reach out to your local affiliate Boards and ask them to do the same on your behalf.
  3. Get your local association directly involved with lawmakers and political decision makers in their home districts, where your voice is heard directly and most effectively.

Call me to discuss how you can get involved.

Best Regards,

Jim Gaffney, Goshen Mechanical, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Chairman MCAA Government Affairs and Political Action Committees

MSCA21: Bringing TOGETHER the Best October 14 – October 17, 2021

Join us as we come TOGETHER, in person, to experience the best the industry has to offer. Together, we will review how the past year has impacted your business and your customers. More importantly, we will look forward to a bright and successful future, all from the comfort of the award-winning J.W. Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Here are just some of the highlights you will experience while you spend time TOGETHER:

  • Amazing keynote speakers to inspire and motivate 
  • Timely education sessions focusing on today’s hottest topics
  • Over 30 roundtable discussion forums offering unique insights on industry-specific concerns
  • A special Women in the Mechanical Industry (WiMI) program focused on resilience and mindset
  • An impactful one-day bonus program certain to challenge your thinking
  • An exhibitors display showcasing the latest and greatest
  • Time to enjoy the beautiful Scottsdale resort in a safe environment
  • AND so much more!

Registration opens mid-June.

Find the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® and Autodesk, Inc. in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

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
Dielectric fittings protect the plumbing system with a steel-to-plastic design that interrupts electrical current where dissimilar metals are connected, preventing pipe corrosion and eventual leakage. These fittings are part of our new Smith Fluid Controls™ line and are available in three models for flexible installations.

Learn More
Revit Extension for Autodesk Fabrication 2019

Autodesk, Inc.
Revit supports sheet metal fabrication workflows through utilization of sheet metal libraries defined in Autodesk’s Fabrication products (CADmep, CAMduct, and ESTmep). Using the Fabrication libraries enables detailed definition of materials, connectors, seams, fittings, and other data. After authoring the model in Revit, the Revit Extension for Fabrication may be utilized to share Revit authored model data with CAMduct.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

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!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Adverse Reactions to Employer Mandated COVID-19 Vaccines Are OSHA Recordable Cases

If your company is requiring its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 it runs the risk of acquiring recordable illness cases. Recent revisions to OSHA’s frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic indicates that OSHA considers employees’ negative reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines to be “work-related” and therefore, subject to recordkeeping and reporting mandates when an employer “requires” the vaccination. The question and answer from the updated FAQs follows.

If I require my employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of their employment, are adverse reactions to the vaccine recordable? If you require your employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment (i.e., for work-related reasons), then any adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is work-related. The adverse reaction is recordable if it is a new case under 29 CFR 1904.6 and meets one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7.

Updated FAQs

Northern Ohio Plumbing’s Creativity Cuts Costs With Space-Saving Installation of A. O. Smith Tankless Units

Northern Ohio Plumbing Co., Inc.’s (NOP’s) creative approach to mounting A. O. Smith tankless water heaters saved the contractor installation costs and saved floor space in the mechanical room. The water heaters themselves and the layout of the mechanical room promise to make maintenance a snap.The owners of the Holiday Inn-Cleveland Clinic, which opened in May, were inspired to use tankless water heaters because of the nearby Cleveland Clinic’s interest in energy efficiency and sustainability. The 199,000-BTU A. O. Smith units deliver a uniform energy factor of 0.93 and, working together, provide more than enough hot water for the guests and staff of the hotel. Ultimately, NOP put in 29 wall-mounted A. O. Smith ATI 540H-N fully modulating condensing tankless water heaters.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Raken Outlines Three Ways to Maximize Efficiency During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed the way we work—in construction and beyond. From implementing new safety protocols to navigating delays, contractors have more processes to learn and more variables to consider. Here are three ways you can use digital technology to maximize your efficiency during the pandemic.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Post COVID-19 Vaccine Jobsite Safety Guidelines

According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Some individuals may experience side effects, but they are typically short lived. For the most part, the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the short lived side effects. With more Americans receiving the vaccines every day it is important to start planning for the post vaccine era. These guidelines are intended to help you do just that, but it is likely that they will change several times over the coming months, so please continuously watch for updates from MCAA.   

What We Do NOT Know About the Vaccines

There is still much that we do not know about the vaccines, so even fully vaccinated individuals need to follow COVID-19 safety protocol while working just about anywhere. Here is why:

  • We do not know whether the vaccines keep vaccinated individuals from spreading the virus;
  • We do not know how long the vaccine protects vaccinated individuals against the virus; and
  • We do not know how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals

An individual is “fully vaccinated” when he or she has had both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, AND two full weeks have passed since the last injection.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals at Work

Fully vaccinated employees on jobsites, in fabrication shops, in office buildings and in other public areas performing regular duties that do not require specialized or additional personal protective equipment should:

  • Wear a two-ply face covering that completely covers the nose and mouth;
  • Practice proper hand hygiene by frequently washing hands and/or using hand sanitizers; and
  • Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from all other individuals.

When social distancing requirements must be suspended, such as when two workers are needed for the safe manual handling of materials, the affected workers should continue to wear their face coverings, don face shields, wear work gloves, and limit the amount of time they will be working together closer than 6 feet to less than 15 minutes.

Employers

Affected employers should:

  • Require all employees to comply with the protocol;
  • Enforce employee compliance with the protocol; and
  • Ensure that routine environmental cleaning is performed on affected surfaces at least once daily and more frequently when needed.

More frequent cleaning or disinfection should be performed if/when:

  • There is a high transmission of COVID-19 in or around a workplace;
  • The workplace is in an area where people are not wearing masks;
  • The frequency and/or quality of hand hygiene is inadequate for any reason; and/or
  • Individuals with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are working in the area.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals Not Working

Once fully vaccinated, individuals outside the workplace can start to do some of the things that have not been acceptable since the pandemic began, such as:

  • Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with fully vaccinated people of any age;  
  • Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with one household of unvaccinated people who are not at risk for severe illness;
  • Travel domestically without a pre-or post-travel test;
  • Travel domestically without quarantining after travel;
  • Travel internationally without a pre-travel test depending on the destination; and
  • Travel internationally without quarantining after travel.

GUIDELINES PDF

Over 900 Attendees for MEP Innovation Conference Already Registered. Register Today & Join Them!

With more than double the number of attendees from the 2020 Tech Conference, the MEP Innovation Conference is providing more educational content over a wider spectrum of roles for contractors.

Event Dates: April 26 – 28, 2021

MCAA’s 2021 MEP Innovation Conference is proving to be a popular platform for contractors to learn about how new tools, processes, technology and equipment are impacting our operations. Participation is at an all-time high this year for many reasons. The virtual platform allows for more sessions to be held, all of the sessions address real-world issues because they are contractor-led, and corporate registration allows for up to 10 people from the same company to attend for $400.

Moving the conference to a virtual platform has provided some anxiety for attendees and organizers alike, but the benefits of providing an accessible conference in terms of affordability and availability are hard to disagree with. Contractors from all over the country can attend without worrying about costs and time associated with travel and how much they are being pulled away from project obligations or personal commitments.

The content has also expanded into more areas of a contractor’s operations. Technology has impacted estimating, project management, fabrication, service and safety. The MEP Innovation Conference has 32 breakout sessions and 30 roundtable discussions that allow the conversations to target specific areas of your business. Even more importantly, sessions are all being led by contractors. In order to provide real life solutions, not unrealistic projects in development, contractors that perform very similar roles are leading the discussions and sharing their processes.

Registration for the conference will be available through meeting dates, April 26 – 28. To learn more and register, visit the MCAA 2021 MEP Innovation Conference website.

REGISTER NOW

Connect With the Latest Training from Watts Water Technologies and A.O. Smith at MCAA.org

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:

Watts Water Technologies
Watts eLearning system provides access to a wide selection of products and solutions from our family of brands. Courses can be accessed anytime, anywhere; perfect for your busy schedule!

Learn More

A.O. Smith
We offer top notch training, available 24/7. You can learn about our Residential, Commercial, and even Tankless. Training includes items like How it Works, Installation, Application, & Service tips.

Learn More

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Learn More

Find the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® and Delta Faucet Company in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

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
An air gap is a vertical break between the supply pipe and the receiving source to provide backflow protection into the potable water system. This is required by code to prevent contamination of the potable water system. Optional finishes are chrome-plated brass (-CP) and nickel-plated brass (-NP).

Learn More

Delta Faucet Company
The Delta® MultiChoice® Universal Valve gives you the ability to change shower styles as easily as customers change their minds. Upgrade the style and functionality of your clients’ showers without altering the plumbing behind the wall, offering flexibility that you and your customers will appreciate. With MultiChoice Universal Valves, giving them what they want has never been so simple.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

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!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

J.M. Brennan Saves Time, Materials With Zurn EZ Lavatory Carrier Upgrades

To upgrade four restrooms for PHC—Waterford Clinic, J.M. Brennan, Inc. installed Zurn’s new universal lavatory carriers, saving time and material “without sacrificing support,” said Justin Sherman, J.M. Brennan project manager. The Zurn Z1231EZ Universal Lavatory Carrier is designed to simplify installation. It includes arms that can be adjusted in the field, an independent bracket system that positions horizontally or vertically, and two foot-anchors per upright, instead of four—ultimately saving material, time, and tool wear. Zurn is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

MCAA Highlights EVAPCO, Inc. in Sponsor Spotlight 18

EVAPCO, Inc. is an industry-leading manufacturing company with global resources and solutions for international heat transfer applications. Since 1976, they’ve been dedicated to designing and manufacturing the highest quality products. Through research, innovation, and partnership with leading organizations like MCAA, they’ll continue to be the team you can count on—for life!

The Sponsor Spotlight Series is a new way for MCAA contractor members to learn more about the Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC) Governing Board members, their products, their relationship with MCAA, and what being a member means to them. 

MEP Innovations Conference Goes Beyond BIM – Sessions Geared Towards Fabrication, Project Management and Process

Event Dates: April 26 – 28, 2021

MCAA’s 2021 MEP Innovations Conference provides more than just education towards BIM and VDC, it approaches every aspect of your operations that interacts with digital information. With the construction process adopting digital workflows, it is important to understand the impact on your business, including productivity gains and time saved due to new tools.

“There has been a fundamental shift in how construction works today in the movement from paper to data,” Bob Snyder, CEO of Binsky & Snyder says. “You might be able to compete with lower margins and higher risk today by sticking with paper-based processes, but when our company leaned into it and embraced a digital transformation, we started finding that we could do more, communicate better, be safer and work on a wider variety of projects.”

To address this change, the MEP Innovations Conference has sessions on processes beyond BIM and VDC. Breakouts have been developed on topics including fabrication, estimating, project management, safety, operations and service. These sessions focus on solutions for those just getting started, as well as those at the cutting edge.

For example, education geared towards project managers ranges from beginner sessions like Model Viewing 101 for PMs and VDC 101 for PMs, to more advanced topics like Aligning VDC Team with Project Schedules, an Inside Look at a Contractors’ Tech Stack and Managing Change Orders. For people with fabrication focused interests, there are beginner sessions like Fabrication 101 and much more advanced sessions like Increasing Your Spooling Productivity 5x and Going Beyond Paperless which will showcase a contractors’ digital implementation in their fabrication facilities.

All of these new tools and strategies are built on processes. In one of the most important sessions of the conference, North Mechanical’s Rod Foley and MEP Innovation Lab’s Jonathan Marsh talk about how to document processes. Tuesday’s opening general session called Understanding the Process Before Buying the Solution talks about not only the importance of establishing and documenting your process, but how it is important to keep it flexible as new tools are brought in. 

These highlights are just a few of the 100+ sessions at the MEP Innovation Conference. Visit the MEP Innovations Conference website if you would like to learn more and see how many of them can be of value to you and your team. While individual registrations are available for $200, corporate registrations for $400 allow you to register up to 10 people from your company.

REGISTER NOW

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Musculoskeletal Wellness Safety Resources

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 musculoskeletal wellness safety resources, which can help keep workers safe from one of the mechanical construction and service industry’s most frequently occurring injuries.

Musculoskeletal injuries in the mechanical construction and service industry happen mostly due to poor ergonomics during the manual handling of materials and while performing overhead work. This video addresses the most common causes of non-trauma related musculoskeletal pains and injuries in our industry. It includes safe work and personal health practices to help prevent them.

MCAA’s Musculoskeletal Wellness Safety Resources Include

You Might Also Like This Related Webinar Recording

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

icon Mechanical Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

icon Mechanical was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards winner for 2020 in Size Category 4, 450,001 – 1 Million Work Hours. icon Mechanical’s successful COVID-19 safety initiative set the company apart.

icon Mechanical went well above and beyond CDC recommendations to contractors to keep their workers safe. The company installed Global Plasma Solutions (GPS) systems in all company buildings. These systems use needlepoint bipolar ionization technology to help purify and sanitize the air.

The company rewarded employees for identifying potential gaps in the company’s COVID-19 precautions and for helping to identify solutions to remedy these gaps. Each worker was provided with foam-lined safety glasses that do not fog up when worn with face coverings for protection from the virus.

The MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards Program began in the 1990s when MCAA partnered with CNA Insurance. It is a fiercely competitive program in which only the best of the best compete for the awards.

Participants are required to describe their safety programs in detail, including how they achieved safety excellence and why they believe they deserve the award. The Safety Awards Selection Taskforce, which is led by CNA, carefully evaluates each submission looking for safety leadership, an advanced safety culture, effective leading indicators of safety performance, and innovative safety initiatives that helped the company achieve an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence. MCAA and CNA congratulate icon Mechanical for earning such a high degree of safety excellence in 2020.

CDC Alters Guidelines on Facility Cleaning & Disinfection for COVID-19

The CDC has revised its guidelines regarding cleaning and disinfecting surfaces to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The virus that causes COVID-19 can land on surfaces, and it’s possible for people to become infected if they touch those surfaces and then touch their nose, mouth, or eyes. However, it has been determined that the risk of infection from touching a surface is low. The CDC now believes that the most reliable way to prevent infection is to regularly wash hands and use hand sanitizers. When there have been no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 in a given space, cleaning only once a day is usually enough to sufficiently remove the virus from surfaces in the space.

LEARN MORE

Join MCAA and Participate in COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction, April 19-23, 2021

MCAA and much of the construction industry will be participating in COVID-19 Vaccine Awareness Week in Construction during the week of April 19-23, 2021. MCAA encourages you to join us and participate! The purpose of the safety week is to support the CDC’s campaign to raise awareness about the safety, effectiveness, and benefits of receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC is providing an Essential Workers COVID-19 Vaccine Toolkit to help affected employers educate their workers about COVID-19 vaccines. The toolkit includes:

  • A customizable letter you can send to your employees with information about vaccine awareness educational offerings;
  • Content for company newsletters and social media sources;
  • A PowerPoint presentation on COVID-19 vaccines; and
  • Key messages for all affected workers.

MCAA encourages you take advantage of these materials. Setting aside a few minutes during the safety week to bring your workers up to speed on the vaccines could be very beneficial to your company. A few options to consider for delivering the information to your workers include:

  • A COVID-19 vaccine awareness safety meeting;
  • A short duration vaccine awareness safety talk each day throughout the week;
  • A COVID-19 vaccine awareness safety Lunch & Learn; and/or
  • Worker access to the Wednesday, April 21, 2021 vaccine awareness webinar, which will be presented by the CDC and NIOSH from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET by way of NIOSH Zoom. REGISTER

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