Organization: PCA

Plumbing Podcast #6 Focuses on BIM

PCA Chairman and MCAA Board of Directors member Armand Kilijian joined the Plumbing Podcast to discuss the importance of Building Information Modeling (BIM) to plumbing contractors.

The podcast covers plumbing contractors’ increasing use of BIM on job sites, strategies for starting and optimizing a BIM department within a company and how to leverage the data from the BIM model through fabrication, project coordination and total stations.

Listen to the Podcast.

OSHA Raises Civil Penalties for Violations

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has raised civil penalties for violations of its rules. OSHA raised the penalties to account for the rate of inflation, which has increased since penalties were last raised in 1990.

The new Interim Final Rule, which was published in the Federal Register on July 1, will take effect on August 1, 2016 for violations that occurred after November 2, 2015.

The differences in the penalties are shown below:

Type of Violation         Previous Penalty Amount            New Penalty Amount


Willful or Repeat                     $5,000 to $70,000                           $8,908 to $124,709

Serious                                                           $7,000                                     $12,471

Other-Than-Serious                          Up to $7,000                               Up to $12,471

Failure to Correct                              Up to $7,000                               Up to $12,471

Violation of Posting                          Up to $7,000                                Up to $12,471

 

Field Leaders Conference

This conference will provide foremen and other supervisory-level field personnel from geographically diverse locations an opportunity to exchange ideas. During the event, they will gain an understanding of what their employers expect and what they should be doing as leaders. They will also have an opportunity to network with their peers regarding the opportunities and challenges they encounter.

Field Leaders Conference

This conference will provide foremen and other supervisory-level field personnel from geographically diverse locations an opportunity to exchange ideas. During the event, they will gain an understanding of what their employers expect and what they should be doing as leaders. They will also have an opportunity to network with their peers regarding the opportunities and challenges they encounter.

BuiltWorlds Recaps Highlights of MCAA Construction Technology Conference

Disruptive technology, robotics, drones, 3D printing, cloud computing and storage, BIM and much more were the hot topics at the MCAA Construction Technology Conference in June in Indianapolis. BuiltWorlds, MCAA’s technology partner that presented the exhibit of new construction devices and products at the conference, captured all the speakers and their presentations in a detailed article that not only described the technologies but also how contractors are using them in operations, such as fabrication shops, and projects to improve productivity, efficiency and profits. Read the article.

Did you Miss our Webinar on the BIM Software Analysis Report?

JBKnowledge’s latest research report in the MCAA Construction Technology Research Series – BIM Software Analysis – was featured in a webinar on June 23.

Josh Bone, the report’s principal author, led the webinar and offered insights into the study findings, explained the differences in the software tested and answered questions about BIM and virtual design and construction processes and systems.

If you missed this chance to learn more about the software available for these technologies and how they can help improve your business operations and projects, and you’re an MCAA or MSCA member, you can listen to the archived webinar as a benefit of membership.

You can listen to the webinar here and download the BIM Software Analysis Report here in our Resource Center. Questions about the study? Contact Sean McGuire.

Pay Forward Your Business-Building Innovation

If a unique management idea helped your company overcome an office or project challenge and improved its bottom line, consider nominating that innovation for the E. Robert Kent Award for Management Innovation. Winning the award brings well-deserved industry accolades and publicity to the nominating company in MCAA and industry publications.

As important, however, the innovation becomes part of our industry’s culture, providing companies that may have been struggling with the same issues and challenges with a way to overcome them.

Last year’s winner was honored for PIPES (Process Information Portal Enabling Success) – developed by The BP Group (Glendale, N.Y.) and ATX Advisory Services. PIPES is an innovative tool that allows a company to easily view the entire workflow of its business while drilling into specific processes to see each step in the flow, the resources involved, the systems used, business policies, systems, procedures and links to forms, reports and other business intelligence used during the course of business.

It is essentially an online “how to” for the business with links into all its operations’ details for employees to use. Built on the foundation of MCAA’s “Planning for Profitability – Step by Step,[link to resource center doc]” PIPES is a template that MCAA members may use to map their business operations. It uses Microsoft® software products, including VISIO, is available in two forms to accommodate all versions of the software and comes with a Users’ Guide to assist with its installation. PIPES is available to MCAA members at no charge as a benefit of membership, so request your copy here..

Nominations for the next E. Robert Kent Award to be presented at MCAA 2017 in San Diego are due to MCAA by October 3. Commercial products are not eligible for this award. Click on the link below for more information and the nomination form.

Information and Nomination Form

It’s Not too Late to Find an Intern, and Get a Grant

MCAA_GREAT_FUTURESIf you are considering hiring an intern for this summer and you haven’t yet lined up candidates, go to MCAA’s website, MCAAGreatFutures.org.

Over 200 resumes of well-qualified students from across the U.S. and Canada are posted and they’re eager to work for a mechanical, mechanical service or plumbing contractor to learn the business.

And, once you’ve hired someone, you can apply for a Student Internship Grant from the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF). The grants are $1,200 each and you may apply for up two grants (if you hire two interns).

View Resumes

Apply for a Grant

MCAA 2017 Annual Convention

MCAA’s premier event provides you with an opportunity to learn, get involved and renew relationships with fellow MCAA members while enjoying exceptional educational workshops, riveting special sessions, outstanding exhibits, heartwarming major events, and social functions that never fail to amaze and delight. An extensive menu of educational sessions will help you see new possibilities and opportunities in your professional and personal life, and will enrich the quality of both.

Safety Directors’ Conference

This annual conference provides world-class, industry-specific occupational safety and health education for contractor and local affiliate safety professionals. Presentations and discussions focus on time-sensitive mechanical industry safety and health issues.

Safety Directors Conference

MSCA Sales Leadership Symposium

The MSCA Sales Institute is the first and only focused training program specific to service sales in the HVACR and plumbing industry. The Sales Leadership Symposium is a “must” attend for anyone who manages or supervises sales personnel and is responsible for recruiting, hiring, training, on-boarding and coaching.  Presented by in-the-field industry experts, this program will teach sales leaders how to drive revenue growth and enhance profitability through a structured sales approach as well as enhance sales team productivity and ensure employee retention.  This course is a pre-requisite for any company considering sending a sales employee to the MSCA Sales Masters program.

For additional information and to download a brochure, click here.  Registration is now open for the December class.

Collective Bargaining Seminar

Learn negotiating techniques and constructive approaches to labor negotiations that will improve workforce performance along with contractor and industry competitiveness.

The seminar will help members and local association executives improve their understanding of the bargaining process to assist in preparing properly for negotiations, and to make bargaining a constructive event for management and labor. Topics covered will include: collective bargaining innovative terms; labor law; work conditions and productivity improvements; labor contract cost/benefit analysis; and planning successful approaches in the bargaining relationship.

Collective Bargaining Seminar

MSCA 2021 Annual Educational Conference

Take advantage of the visionary point of view and cutting-edge educational offerings that characterize this, the only industry conference specifically for mechanical service contracting companies. The conference features current issues and trends in service and service sales management, personnel, finance, marketing, training and recruiting. Conference sponsors and exhibitors display new and state-of-the-art products of special interest to mechanical service: automated systems, products promoting sustainability, supporting software, aids to unique service solutions and more. Educational sessions and unique peer-group communication opportunities invigorate attendees, preparing them for the year ahead.

MSCA Dispatchers Professional Development Training

Service dispatchers play a critical role in the successful operation of any HVACR service and plumbing service business. Make sure these crucial team members join MSCA for the Dispatchers Professional Development Training Program on September 12-13 in Seattle, Washington.

This updated program will help new and experienced dispatchers understand their vital role in their companies and advance their careers by enhancing their ability to contribute to your company’s success.

This class is SOLD OUT!  Look for 2017 dates to be released soon.

MCAA Releases Safety Bulletin on OSHA’s Final Rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

MCAA has just made available its Safety Bulletin with information about the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) revised recordkeeping rule to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses.

The revised rule requires affected employers to electronically submit, annually, specified occupational injury and illness information directly to the agency. The bulletin provides information on key compliance dates and a summary of recently amended provisions in the rule (29 CFR 1904).

MCAA Safety Bulletin on Final Recordkeeping Rule

PCA Plumbing Podcast Tackles Service Truck Inventory

If keeping your plumbing service trucks stocked with the right equipment for the right jobs has proven to be more challenging than it should, then check out this week’s Plumbing Pod podcast.

Ed Gormley of Gormley Plumbing & Heating (McMinnville, OR) shares tips for inventory management, standardized tools, and software that can be used to help service calls run more smoothly. Visit PCA’s homepage to download this and other podcasts.

Plumbing Podcast

Podcast Reprises Water Crisis Webinar

If you missed Courtney France’s webinar on April 14 about how our industry is responding to the water crisis, check out the Plumbing Contractors of America’s (PCA) latest podcast, Water Crisis: Pushing the Limits of Building Water Conservation.

France of France Sustainable Solutions and Sean McGuire of MCAA discuss the PCA webinar she led that highlights innovative case studies and how the plumbing contractors who were involved with those projects made an impact on this problem. The link below will take you to the podcast.

PCA Podcast

Industry Improvement Funds Conference

Learn the proper use of industry improvement funds, including ideas for beneficial programs which they can subsidize.

Each year, the theme of the conference changes; past speakers have included economic futurists, experts on inter-generational relations, public relations specialists, attorneys, and authorities on labor-related trends in the industry.

Other issues often addressed at this conference include the duties and responsibilities of industry improvement fund trustees, communicating with fund contributors, financial administration and objectives of a fund, industry education/promotion, and a fund’s long-and short-range objectives. Roundtable and panel discussions will allow you to share information on existing programs that are supported by industry improvement funds.

ALI Course 16, Week 2

This year’s Advanced Leadership Institute Class 16 is fully enrolled. To learn more about why you should consider applying for Class 17, visit our Advanced Leadership Institute page. From there you can view a video on the program, read testimonials, and view our list of the more than 350 graduates who have completed the program.

Applications for Class 17, to be held in the fall of 2017, will be available in mid-November of 2016, shortly after the conclusion of this year’s course, by contacting Dennis Langley.

ALI Course 16, Week 1

This year’s Advanced Leadership Institute Class 16 is fully enrolled. To learn more about why you should consider applying for Class 17, visit our Advanced Leadership Institute page. From there you can view a video on the program, read testimonials, and view our list of the more than 350 graduates who have completed the program.

Applications for Class 17, to be held in the fall of 2017, will be available in mid-November of 2016, shortly after the conclusion of this year’s course, by contacting Dennis Langley.