Alston & Bird have released their April 6 COVID-19 update, including the latest news on emergency funding, administrative and regulatory actions, workplace and home issues, and many other topics, as well as to links to all their past updates.
John W. Danforth Company installed a new hot water system in a nursing home without incident and with minimal disruption, thanks in part to Ferguson’s expertise in selecting the ideal replacement system. The new system improved overall efficiency for the nursing home and will be easier to maintain than the old system.
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.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released guidance to its regional administrators outlining enforcement discretion to permit the use of filtering facepiece respirators and air-purifying elastomeric respirators that are certified under certain standards of other countries or jurisdictions. The guidelines also address enforcement discretion to permit use when the equipment was previously certified under the standards of other countries or jurisdictions, but are beyond their manufacturer’s recommended shelf life. Essentially, OSHA compliance officers are being directed to verify that employers are:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released guidelines to help combat supply shortages of disposable N95 filtering face piece respirators. The agency’s guidelines address alternatives to N95s, and extended use and reuse of the respirators. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is the research arm of OSHA, also released N95 guidelines addressing extended use and reuse of the respirators, specifically for healthcare settings. The CDC/NIOSH guidelines are much more detailed than OSHA’s guidelines. Their recommendations are intended for use by professionals who manage respiratory protection programs in healthcare institutions to protect health care workers from job-related risks of exposure to infectious respiratory illnesses. However, the guidelines provide excellent information for anyone considering extended use or reuse of N95s. For example, the guidelines make the case that extended use is preferred over reuse of the respirators because extended use limits the number of times the respirators will be touched. The guidelines address the risks of extended use and reuse, and provide independent sets of recommendations for extended use, and reuse.
Whenever it’s feasible, it’s best to hire a reputable third party to perform facility cleaning and disinfection services. However, if it will be necessary for you or someone else from your company to perform the cleaning and disinfection service, the following guidelines may help protect that person from exposure to COVID-19. The best way to help protect yourself and others is to have all surfaces that may have been contaminated cleaned and disinfected. Cleaning refers to the removal of dirt and impurities. Disinfecting refers to the use of chemicals to kill the virus.
The new Family First Coronavirus Response Act took effect April 1, 2020 and with it comes temporary requirements that will impact MCAA member companies who employ 500 or fewer employees. Katie Amin and Michael Kreps, both principals of Groom Law Group, along with John McNerney, MCAA general counsel, discuss which employers must adhere and who is eligible under the new act currently set to expire December 31, 2020.
Additional Resources:
This webinar was recorded Thursday, April 2, 2020.
Zurn Industries, LLC, a longtime MCAA member and sponsor, has pledged to donate one million dollars of its hygienic products to qualifying healthcare facilities currently addressing COVID-19. Craig Wehr, president of Zurn, said, “Donating this product to healthcare facilities will allow them to increase hygiene with touchless, sensor-operated products, support CDC recommendations for handwashing in a Wet-Scrub-Rinse-Dry (WSRD) fashion and, hopefully, decrease the risk of the spread of the COVID-19 virus. We all must do our part during this pandemic, and Zurn will continue to provide support for our employees, customers, and communities.”
With so many of us working remotely it’s important to consider the ergonomic design of our workspaces. MCAA’s long-time partner CNA is sharing with us Ergonomic Tips for Working Remotely. The CNA risk control bulletin makes recommendations on chair set-up and adjustments, monitor placement, laptop, keyboard and mouse use, and more.
MCAA developed a best practices guidance document to help protect mechanical construction and service workers from COVID-19 exposure. MCAA and the United Association partnered with several industry experts to gather all facts and proper procedures concerning this virus. Because MCAA members are using the safety talk for worker training, MCAA developed a 20-question multiple choice test and accompanying answer key to help members document that the training occurred, and that trainees understand the training content.
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:
Carrier Corporation
Carrier’s new Ecoblue technology is the industry’s first beltless direct-drive vane axial fan system for select rooftop models designed to improve performance and efficiencies while decreasing maintenance and installation costs.
nVent
The nVent CADDY Rod Lock Strut allows for the quick creation and installation of trapeze assemblies. The pre-cut strut is ready to use out of the box and allows for quick prefab and easy installation.
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!
A contracted estimator fell from an extension ladder when a cracked rung broke while he was climbing the ladder. The estimator was seriously injured, sustaining a skull fracture and multiple leg fractures. The estimator had been aware of the defect in the ladder. The defect was caused when the ladder fell at an earlier job site. However, the estimator continued to use the ladder rather than seeking a replacement. These ladder safety tips from CNA will help you keep workers safe.
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.
The UA, MCAA, ASSE and IAPMO have joined forces to bring our collective memberships information to be able to understand the risks of COVID-19 and show you the best ways to help prevent the spreading the virus among our pipefitters, plumbers, service technicians, sprinklerfitters, steamfitters and apprentices. Evaluating the exposures, understanding the risks and learning the most appropriate protective measures will help prepare you to establish an effective plan. Plumbers Local 75 member, Senior Director at IAPMO and ASSE, Scott Hamilton, describes the best-known safe work practices for helping mechanical industry workers avoid exposure to COVID-19.
Additional Resources:
This webinar was recorded Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Colin Hindman has accepted a second summer internship with MCA of Indiana member, Harrell-Fish, Inc. (HFI). Colin is a junior studying Construction Management Technology at Purdue University where he is the President of the MCAA Student Chapter.
Colin reflects on what he will be doing during his internship:
I am continuing to work with the Project Management team in their Construction Division. I shadow and assist the PMs with their projects while also getting some projects of my own to manage under supervision. I also help out in estimating on occasion. I found the opportunity to work for them [Harrell-Fish] originally by being introduced to the VP by a family friend.
As the Student Chapter president, Colin has been active with his student chapter:
Being a part of MCAA has both reinforced and built upon concepts I have learned in class, but most importantly on the job. My excellent experience working with HFI gave me a certain advantage when approaching the competition project. Conversely, the MCAA Student Chapter Competition taught me some valuable lessons that I’ve already been able to apply back in my internship.
Find other student chapter members like Colin by visiting mcaagreatfutures.org and previewing students’ resumes.
