Resources

On February 6, 2025, Daniel Bunn, President & CEO of the Tax Foundation, provided an in-depth analysis of expected federal policy changes during the second Trump administration during an MCAA webinar. A recording of the session, which was moderated by Jim Gaffney and Chuck Daniel, is now available. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from a leading expert in the field.

The E6010 electrode is a wire encased in cellulose held together with salts and minerals. These electrodes penetrate better than low-hydrogen electrodes like E7018 when making root passes, making it easier to make a good root pass. However, E6010 introduces hydrogen into the weld creating a risk of cracking, and this article shows when its use should be limited.

The 2024 Beacon Economics Market Report delivers up-to-the-minute insights and data-driven analysis tailored for mechanical service contractors. Uncover updated key trends for 2024, including market shifts and economic forecasts that directly impact your business. This study is an invaluable resource for looking at market trends that will help guide strategic decisions and keep you competitive. Don’t miss out on this powerful tool—download the new report today!

Understanding the implications of the Inflation Reduction Act and its impact on pricing jobs for installing heat pumps or heat pump water heaters can be daunting. However, a new resource from ENERGY STAR aims to simplify this process, specifically tailored for selling and installing Air Source Heat Pumps, Heat Pump Water Heaters, and Electric Panel Upgrades. It's crucial for both contractors and property owners to grasp these credits, as they can cover up to 30% of project costs.

Two prevalent misconceptions revolve around the effectiveness of heat pumps in colder climates and their serviceability. To address these misgivings and better equip professionals for customer discussions, MSCA contractors and ENERGY STAR have developed a concise reference guide. This resource not only tackles these challenges head-on but also aids in preparing individuals for productive conversations with clients who hold these perceptions.

Two prevalent misconceptions revolve around the effectiveness of heat pumps in colder climates and their serviceability. To address these misgivings and better equip professionals for customer discussions, MSCA contractors and ENERGY STAR have developed a concise reference guide. This resource not only tackles these challenges head-on but also aids in preparing individuals for productive conversations with clients who hold these perceptions.

Piping codes are standard industry practice, and failure to agree on the one that applies to your work can result in ugly disputes with customers. Customer specifications can have inspection requirements that can result in repairs to welds that you did not plan for. Welders can make welds that put your business at risk. This article highlights what you can do to avoid these risks.

While there is a lot of buzz about modern waveform controlled power sources and how they make it easier for a welder to make the root pass, the basics of MIG welding have not changed. This article describes the technical aspects of GMAW, explains how the metal gets from the wire to the workpiece (transfer modes), and highlights what contractors need to pay attention to when bringing the process into their shop or field fabrication site.

A new report by Independent Project Analysis (IPA), an independent international construction project engineering and research firm, shows that union mechanical contractors were 15% more productive than non-union contractors, with a more than 40% reduction in risks of cost and schedule overruns. MCAA members can download the full report, including methodology.

The 2023 Beacon Economics study, commissioned for MSCA, delves into the critical economic dynamics shaping the mechanical service industry today. This analysis scrutinizes the impact of the real estate market, inflation, and labor shortages, among others, shedding light on how these factors will influence the economy and help MSCA members navigate and thrive in an evolving economic landscape.

This 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.

This video provides essential information on the potential hazards associated with refrigerants, the ASHRAE refrigerant safety group classification system, proper use of refrigerant safety data sheets to identify the hazards and appropriate protective measures, and how to prepare for unexpected refrigerant releases.

The best way to understand your company’s technology challenges is to understand your processes. This workflow tool helps you understand and document your company's entire project management flow, including the application of fabrication, BIM and Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) processes. It identifies in detail the potential implementation of VDC throughout each phase of the project lifecycle and details the team members involved and their specific responsibilities for each phase of the construction process. (Note: MCAA members will need to set up a free Lucidchart account and create a copy of the template to customize the flowchart for their company's processes.)

Quick rescue is paramount to keeping workers safe while they are suspended in fall arrest harnesses after falling from an elevation. Having a safety program and plan in place to address the needs of these workers is critical to minimizing suspension trauma and meeting OSHA requirements. MCAA’s model program and accompanying model plan can be tailored to address various project fall arrest system applications and ensure the safety of your company’s most important asset, its workers.

The use of BIM and related technologies and processes that leverage data from models is delivering meaningful impact to mechanical and HVAC contractors on a wide variety of measures, including cost and schedule improvements, enhanced productivity, better collaboration between stakeholders and better worker safety. This research report quantifies other benefits to users and the challenges related to leveraging BIM to increase industry understanding of which factors will most effectively drive growth and expand future use.

Improved productivity and quality are among the benefits driving interest in, and use of, prefabrication and modular construction today. This research report quantifies other benefits to users and the challenges related to each to increase industry understanding of which factors will most effectively drive growth and expand future use.

This report, which was released jointly by MCAA, the United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA), and Horizon Actuarial Services analyzes how the impact of the lingering pension reform impasse in Congress adversely affects active participants in MCAA/UA pension plans and highlights inequities in benefit levels.

 

The video teaches viewers how to work safely in excavations. Topics covered include: soil types and how they are impacted by weather, safe access and egress, the importance of atmospheric monitoring and what to do in case of an excavation cave-in.

This pocket guide highlights key training points from MCAA’s Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Safety Training Video.

This documentation sheet can be used to document who has received the training contained in MCAA’s Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Safety Training Video.

NFPA 70E – 2021 states that each employer shall implement and document an overall electrical safety program that directs activity appropriate to the risk associated with electrical hazards. This model program will help you develop an electrical safety program that is specific to your company’s needs.

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.

This quick reference tool provides critical information on 61 safety and health topics that are specific to work performed by mechanical fabrication shop workers. The topics include everything from bloodborne pathogens through welding-cutting-heating, and zinc exposures. The manual also includes updated information on how to properly administer CPR.

This quick reference tool provides critical information on 84 safety and health topics that are specific to work performed by mechanical service technicians, including information on the newest and most frequently used refrigerants, substantive changes to NFPA 70E, and new information on how to properly administer CPR.

This full-featured digital version of our Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our printed directory with digital-only benefits.

This planning tool helps you determine the costs associated with unplanned events, circumstances and factors that may impact the outcome, productivity and schedule of construction projects. New for 2024: a chapter exploring the factors that contribute to BIM cost and time overruns.

Verify that workers are retaining key training points from MCAA's Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Safety Training Video with this test, designed to be used in conjunction with the Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Safety Training Test Answer Key.

Check your workers’ responses to the Excavation Safety for Mechanical Construction Training Test to ensure they’re retaining key training points.

Host Bob Lindbloom and co-host Brodie Arndt discuss various collective bargaining approaches with C. Richard Barnes, an internationally recognized mediator, facilitator, skills trainer and speaker specializing in dispute resolution, workforce training, and leadership coaching. This podcast complements the Management Methods Bulletin on the same topic. Play the podcast directly from the WebBook, or listen and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Google Play.

This guide will assist you in determining whether an injury or illness must be recorded and reported. It will also help you comply with applicable requirements in OSHA’s recordkeeping rule.

MCAA's Guide to In-Person Safety Training explores effective techniques to help you achieve your safety training goals.

MCAA has joined forces with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA) to create an even more robust guide to equipment recovery costs for mechanical, electrical, line and other construction contractors. The guide offers insights on contractor-owned equipment to ensure industry professionals have the most updated costs to inform internal estimating, project proposals for new and potential customers, and cost accounting efforts.