EDCO Partners With Maryland Public Schools

EDCO is partnering with Frederick County, Md., Public Schools. For several years, students from the county's Career & Technology Center have visited EDCO's manufacturing headquarters in Frederick. The CTC teaches high school students trade and job-ready skills. Welding students tour EDCO for first-hand accounts of daily responsibilities.

Beginning this fall, EDCO offers student opportunities within its video production department. EDCO constantly produces online and DVD training videos. CTC students are gaining experience working with EDCO's video professional to storyboard, film and edit these projects.

"Video training and webinars help our customers tremendously," says Jason Stanczyk, EDCO Marketing. "We've been looking for ways to expand EDCO's multimedia reach and were blown away by Frederick County Schools' video and graphic arts departments. These students are learning advanced skills, and EDCO wants to help. This partnership benefits both EDCO customers and our hometown."

28 Deaths From Aerial Platforms by Q2 2013

There were 28 fatalities worldwide involving mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), also known as aerial work platforms (AWPs), in the first half of 2013, according to findings from IPAF’s accident database.

The main causes of these fatalities were overturn (10), fall from height (9), entrapment (5), electrocution (3), and impact with MEWP (1). Thirteen of the fatalities involved booms (3b), 10 involved scissor lifts (3a), and three involved vehicle mounts (1b). In two cases, the machine type was unknown.

Of these fatalities, 13 occurred in the United States, two each in France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and one each in Armenia, Canada, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Spain and the UAE.

While releasing these findings, IPAF also updated the 2012 preliminary results following the reporting of a previously unrecorded fatal accident in Canada in October 2012. This brings the total fatalities in 2012 to 32, instead of the 31 initially reported.

Compared with the first half of 2012, which saw 17 fatalities reported, the number of fatalities reported for the first half of 2013 has increased by about 65 percent. IPAF believes that the accident reporting project is capturing more data, not necessarily that there are more accidents.

While the main causes of fatalities were fairly evenly spread in the first half of 2012, the first half of 2013 saw a rise in the number of fatalities resulting from overturn and fall from height. The fatalities in the first half of 2012 involved more booms (3b) and vehicle mounts (1b). Those in the first half of 2013 involved more booms (3b) and scissor lifts (3a).

“Findings from IPAF’s rental market reports lead us to estimate that there are more than one million MEWPs in the world,” says IPAF CEO Tim Whiteman. “Every fatality is one too many, but these figures show that powered access equipment remains a safe way to carry out temporary work at height.”

“The accuracy of the data relies upon those using MEWPs and other interested parties to report any known fatal accidents to IPAF at www.ipaf.org/accident or to an IPAF member of staff,” says IPAF technical officer Chris Wraith. “The comprehensiveness of the data cannot be guaranteed, but where appropriate, action is taken to verify the facts. The data is updated should relevant information become available.”

IPAF’s accident data is based on information collected in a number of ways: directly reported to the IPAF accident database at www.ipaf.org/accident, information obtained by IPAF staff worldwide, and information collated from press releases and news reports.

All manufacturers, rental companies, contractors and users are encouraged to report any known fatal and serious accidents involving mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs) and mast climbing work platforms (MCWPs) worldwide at the IPAF accident database. The project is open to IPAF members and non-members, and includes an option for anonymous reporting.

All data collected is confidential and none of the detail of any accident is shared with third parties or disclosed to safety authorities unless required to by legal writ. The only exception to this is that manufacturers will be given basic data if a machine manufactured by their company is involved in a fatal accident.

To register and to report an accident involving a MEWP or an MCWP, go to www.ipaf.org/accident.

MCAA: OSHA Proposed Silica Rule Is Serious Concern for Construction Industry

A coalition of construction industry groups is concerned about a proposed rule from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that’s intended to protect workers from inhaling dust containing silica, created by activities such as cutting brick or block, and sawing, grinding or drilling concrete.

“The MCAA is very concerned about the safety and well being of our workforce. So much so, that we led an effort to develop a standard on workplace silica six years ago which implements some of what this standard calls for. There are, however, serious concerns with the reduction of the PEL. From 1968 to 2007, the incidence of silicosis has been reduced by 93 percent. We have serious doubts that a further reduction of the PEL will impact those numbers," says Jeff Buczkiewicz, president, MCAA.    

John Smith Jr., MCAA Chairman, adds, “Our jobsites are very different than a factory setting. Conditions on our sites can change instantly. If the wind changes speed or direction, it can impact monitoring of silica exposure."

Announced Aug. 23 in a press conference that outlined few details, the proposed rule seems to call for one-size-fits-all measures that contradict existing safety and quality assurance practices for different types of contractors. Independent studies have estimated costs for construction industry compliance will well exceed $1 billion per year.

MCAA is part of a Construction Industry Safety Coalition that is seeking a feasible and cost-effective crystalline silica regulation to improve safety and health protection measures for workers. The coalition represents thousands of employers working to protect hundreds of thousands of workers in home building, road repair, heavy industrial production, specialty trades and materials supply.

It was formed to encourage OSHA to develop better choices for compliance with the construction-specific silica rule: alternatives that also address costs, consistency with existing federal regulations and do not overly burden small businesses.

Construction Industry Safety Coalition members include:

·         AssociatedBuilder and Contractors (ABC)

·         AssociatedGeneral Contractors (AGC)

·         Associationof the Wall and Ceiling Industry (AWCI)

·         AmericanRoad and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA)

·         AmericanSubcontractors Association (ASA)

·         International Council of Employers of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers        

          (ICE)

·         MasonContractors Association of America (MCAA)

·         MechanicalContractors Association of America (MCA)

·         NationalElectrical Contractors Association (NECA)

·         National RoofingContractors Association (NRCA)

      

The Mason Contractors Association of America in D.C.

By John Smith Jr.

As chairman of the MCAA, I am often asked what we are doing for you as masoncontractors. The regime in Washington, D.C., right now is keeping us very busy. Your association has taken a stance on some key industry issues. Not in any particular order, but the first is immigration. There is so much controversy over immigration. We all know we need capable and well-trained masons and laborers to perform for our companies.

The question is how to make these individuals support the system and not be a drag on our economy. They are hard workers and want to belong. The means and methods are what our legislators are trying to decide. As this decision effects our daily business decisions, we will continue to monitor these efforts and keep you up to date.

    

Just as important is health care. We all know how expensive this is for our businesses. Obamacare is the elephant in the room. We will continue to monitor and get further explanations of how this is going to affect our business. We definitely need to get this cost under control, but maintaining and forcing costs that our industry cannot absorb is the wrong way to go about it. 

Having to deal with issues of limiting employment to 50 people is a huge problem for business people who have close to 50, and have to bid on work in order to get it. What number of employees do we use for our bids? If we use 50, we have added costs that are estimated to be in hundreds of thousands of dollars. If we don’t include it, we could have a huge financial obligation, if we are awarded bids that bring our employment levels to more than 50. We are in a catch-22 situation.    

Hopefully, all of you are aware of the efforts the NCMA has taken to start a check-off program for standard concrete block units. This is vital to our industry. We will not be able to compete against other products that already have their check-off funds. This money will strengthen marketing and furnish new product development across the country. Our industry is currently so fragmented, this program will help bridge our efforts to market, research and educate as a cohesive voice. 

Lastly is our involvement in D.C. with OSHA. OSHA released a proposed rule on silica last week. The new rule is decreasing the PEL to .50 and the remediation level to .25. In addition, OSHA has a general industry rule and a construction industry rule.

The MCAA is a part of a recently reformed construction industry coalition that will be responding to the released rule and will be submitting written response and representatives at meetings regarding the rule. The coalition recently hired the law firm of Jackson Lewis out of Washington, D.C., to spearhead not only our rule response, but also to facilitate an industry economic impact study.

The lead person with Jackson Lewis is Bradford Hammock, a longtime veteran of the Department of Labor rule-writing process and response. His last major effort while with the Department of Labor was handling the industry response to the Ergonomics rule. Expect to see news releases in near future from the coalition. Jackson Lewis will be coordinating the communications and that effort.

Members of the Silica Construction Coalition include ABC, AGC, ARTBA, Mechanical Contractors Association, NAHB, NECA, NRCA, ICE, ASA, and your MCAA. Please feel free to review the information OSHA has provided about their rule at www.osha.gov/silica. If you have any questions, concerns or comments, feel free to contact Jeff Buczkiewicz, President/CEO of the MCAA at jeffb@masoncontractors.org.

Please do not forget to join us in Orlando in October. Our Midyear Meeting is set for Oct. 2-4. We have three days of industry meetings along with many surprises at the Disney Parks. Why not take off three days and join us in Orlando with your family? I cannot wait to have you meet my grandchildren, Kayle, Isabel and Hudson. See you there.

John Smith Jr. is chairman of the Mason Contractors Association of America.

National Contest Supports Masonry Skills Training, Development

Companies and organizations of the masonry industry joined together in June to support the 49th Annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference and the National Masonry Contest.

For up to six hours, 46 young masons from 33 states competed at H. Roe Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo. Each contestant, using three types of block and three types of brick, tried to construct the winning project by placing the masonry materials and mortar exactly in accordance with the plans.

The 2013 winner of the post-secondary/college competition was Brent Austin, 20, from Central Cabarrus High School in Concord, N.C. Austin’s instructor is Todd Hartsell. The 2013 winner of the secondary/high school competition was Andrew Mullis, 18, from South Rowan High School in China Grove, N.C. Mullis’ instructor is Rodney Harrison.

Each first-place winner received a $1,500 scholarship check from Spec Mix. All six medal winners won tools, engraved trowels, boots, computers and digital cameras – all donated by supportive contest sponsors.

Masonry competitors were part of more than 6,000 students who competed in 104 different career trade, technical and leadership fields. All of them state contest winners, the contestants effectively demonstrated their expertise in the occupational skills required for such trades as electronics, computer-aided drafting, culinary arts, carpentry, plumbing and masonry.

During the final evening, the awards ceremony was held at Kemper Arena in front of a crowd of more than 15,000.

Student interest in masonry vocational training continues to be strong. This year, 31 high school and 15 post-secondary/college contestants competed in two divisions. To qualify, the students had been winners, or designated second-place finishers, of their own state contests. They competed against the clock and against themselves to demonstrate their expertise in masonry.

The contest consisted of a written test and the construction of a brick-and-block composite project. The project for the contest was designed by Bryan Light of Brick Industry Association, SE Region, to test the skills needed for successful entry into the masonry profession. Bryan Light has served as chairman of the technical committee since September 2003.

Trade professionals from Bricklayers Local #15 and selected vocational instructors judged the projects by taking extensive measurements, measuring plumb at six locations, and judging finishing techniques and overall appearance.

New members of the National Masonry Technical Committee and welcomed sponsors of the contest were National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) and Oldcastle Architectural. The sustaining members and sponsors of the contest included Argos USA, Bon Tool Co., BrickIndustry Association, BIA SouthEast Region, EZ Grout Corp., Marshalltown Trowel Co., MCAA, Multiquip, NCMA, and Spec Mix.

This year’s contestants were supported by donations and services from Spec Mix, Multiquip, Oldcastle Architectural, Glen-Gery Brick, MidwestBlock & Brick, and the NCMA. The tour was followed by a luncheon in honor of the contestants and their instructors. Steve Green, VP of the NCCER, spoke to the contestants during the luncheon.

To learn more, contact Bryan Light at 770-760-0728 or visit www.SkillsUSA.org.