Industry News

 

Contractors Invent Copper Theft Deterrent

As the per pound price for copper remains high so does the risk of theft. In a short time thieves can accumulate $500 worth of copper from a commercial / rooftop unit. This led a Kansas based HVACR contractor to develop the Air Conditioner Alarms Strobe, Horn and Relay Kit (ACAL-SHARK). If a unit is tampered with, power is disconnected or pressure falls too low, the siren will sound. "As HVACR contractors, we're all stewards of promoting a higher quality of life. This is another step. Alarms make occupants feel safer, more comfortable, and ultimately, happier". The ACAL-SHARK also has a refrigerant monitor.

 

Committee Approves Report to Improve Apprenticeship

The Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships approved a report to the Secretary of Labor that recommends ways to improve the participation in and quality of registered apprenticeship programs. The report contains goals and recommendations for updating and improving education and building partnerships with government agencies. Some milestones are the addition of 10,000 registered apprentices by 2020, graduating 100,000 apprentices with credentials each year through 2020 and ensuring at least 50% of all states use registered apprentice programs.              

 

Taco Receives Award

Taco Inc., New England MCA associate member, received the Vendor of the Year award from HVACR wholesaler Sid Harvey's. Sid Harvey's CEO John Rynecki said "We give these awards on rare occasions, based purely on merit. We routinely deal with more than 300 manufacturers, and it's quite special when one company exceeds our expectations base on many variables. This recognition resembles a lifetime achievement award more than it does a typical Vendor of the Year award."                    

                                                                                     

Local 4's Beaudry Honored

UA Local 4 Business Manager Ray Beaudry is a winner of ENR's Top Young Professionals in New England competition. The competition celebrates the excellence of young design and construction professionals in the New England region. An independent jury judged candidates on the basis of their career experience, industry leadership, community service and other factors. Winners will appear in an April 1st special New England edition of ENR.

 

Court Rules on NLRB Decisions

The US Court of Appeals for the Washington DC Circuit ruled unanimously that President Obama did not have the power to make recess appointments to the NLRB in January 2012. The ruling could invalidate rulings, determinations and rulemaking by the NLRB during 2012 because the US Supreme Court ruled that a three member board must be sitting for such actions to be valid.

 

OSHA Summary Posted By February 1st.

February 1st is the deadline for employers to tabulate their annual OSHA Log Summaries (OSHA Form 300A) and post them in a common area where notices for employees are usually posted. Summaries must remain posted until April 30, 2013. OSHA also plans to issue new proposals on Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (I2P2), confined space in construction and crystalline silica exposure limits in 2013.

 

Court Rules Against PLA Protest

The NY State Supreme Court ruled that an open shop contractor has no standing to challenge a state agency's inclusion of a project labor agreement (PLA) mandate on a road construction project because the company did not submit a bid on the project. The company sought a declaration from the court stating that the NY Dept of Transportation and its commissioner acted illegally when they added a PLA requirement to a bid request. The judge found that the contractor and the ABC Empire State Chapter suffered no direct harm or injury as a result of the PLA requirement.

 

DOE Extends Certification Deadline

The Dept of Energy (DOE) published its final rule regarding certification of commercial and industrial HVAC, refrigeration, ice making and water heating equipment. Specifically, DOE extended the compliance date for the certification provisions for commercial refrigeration equipment, commercial HVAC equipment and commercial water heating equipment to December 31st.     

 

Industry Gains in Defense Bill

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2013 was recently signed by President Obama. The bill included significant federal construction procurement policy reforms promoted by MCAA. Due to MCAA efforts to initiate bid listing for federal procurement they were able to insert language that safeguards against subcontractor selection abuse in the small business sections of the NDAA. The law now requires prime contractors to notify the subcontractors they identify in their subcontracting plans in advance of listing them. There is also a mechanism for subcontractors to report fraudulent or bad faith activity.

 

ASHRAE Addendum Impacts Chillers  

A proposed addendum to ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, changes requirements for air- and water-cooled chillers as defined in section 6.4.2.1 and the efficiency requirements listed in table 6.8.1C. This change is a continuation of the efficiency improvements from 2010. If approved, these changes would go into effect January 2015.

 

ANSI Approves Green Building Standard Update

The International Code Council (ICC) announced the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the 2012 ICC 700 National Green Building Standard. This is the first time the standard has undergone review and update. The new version of the standard includes several significant changes to include: energy code update, restructured scoring for remodeling and incentives for development and lot design.