Your News for August 31, 2015

Arc Flash Training Webinar Saves Lives

Keeping your employees safe while on the job is a top priority, especially employees who work around or with electricity. Knowing what to do...or not...to protect themselves from an arc flash incident could prevent a serious injury or worse. The Arc Flash Safety Training Webinar provides training and information specifically designed for mechanical and service employees who are exposed to electricity from HVAC work, electrical maintenance, troubleshooting, voltage testing, fuse testing, verifying a zero energy state, infrared imaging, etc. It is also designed for those employees who manage or supervise electrical workers and safety/engineering professionals who manage the company's Electrical Safe Work Practices program. Presented by the Hilgeman Group, the session covers all applicable OSHA and NFPA requirements (including the revised NFPA 70E requirements), best practices and provides participants with real-world accident information to reinforce the training. The next webinar is on September 24, 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Contact the Hilgeman Group to Register

Learn How to Lead through Culture

Join Steve Thomas during MSCA 2015 (October 18-21, Colorado Springs, CO) for his educational workshop, Culture Is as Culture Does! The culture of any organization - from a large company to a small family - is what makes that organization effective. It impacts everything we do, everything we are, and everything we become. Yet, it is the one thing we seem to have the toughest time building and maintaining. Culture is defined by the individuals on your team - their personalities, values and even their weirdness. In his session, Thomas will discuss how to create a culture in which people can be the best version of themselves at work, which is the ultimate goal of leadership.

Learn More and Register

Mark Your Calendar - MCAA Safety Directors Conference

MCAA's annual conference that brings together our industry's safety professionals for the latest information on OSHA regulations and safe work practices will take place January 26-28, 2016, in Tempe, AZ. Keynote speaker Daniel Rodriguez - decorated combat veteran and football star - an exhibit showcasing the latest safety technologies, topical breakout sessions and workshops that cover the latest OSHA developments and other safety-related information are all good reasons to attend. Registration opens later this year; watch this publication for the announcement.

2015 Student Summit to Spotlight Construction Technology

If you missed the Construction Technology Conference in June, plan to attend the 2015 Student Chapter Summit (October 1-3, Cleveland, OH). The opening event is a technology showcase that features innovative devices that contractors are now using (or will be) to plan and manage projects more efficiently and profitably. Technology Futurist James Benham of JDKnowlege, Inc. and Jennifer Davis of Davisware, Inc. will also be on hand to share their insights on what's new and soon to come in construction technology and software, respectively. And, if you're in the market for smart, well-educated young talent, start your search at the Summit. MCAA student chapter members from the best construction management, M-E-P and engineering schools in the U.S. and Canada will be at the conference to learn more about our industry, network and show off what they know about mechanical systems and the business of mechanical contracting. There's no fee for this conference, but the registration deadline is September 4.

AIPM 12 is a Skills-Booster

Your most senior project managers may think they know all there is to know about managing successful projects. However, the Advanced Institute for Project Management (AIPM) may just be able to introduce them to new ideas, practices and skills that will help them manage even more productive and profitable projects. AIPM's Class 12 will take place January 17-22, 2016, at the University of Texas in Austin, TX. Taught by top industry experts, the curriculum covers:

Team building
Keeping customers for life
Legal issues
Staying on top of schedules and productivity impacts
Avoiding litigation
Operational management
Insurance and bonding
Goal setting
More

AIPM is for graduates of the Institute for Project Management with some project management experience or advanced project managers with considerable experience. This class is offered only once each year and it fills quickly.

Is There a Sustainable Building Project in Your Future?

If so, then you should know what factors are affecting the market for sustainable buildings. During the next Green Webinar (September 24, 1:00 p.m. Eastern time), Courtney France of France Sustainable Solutions will explain how voluntary green certifications are stacking up, or lagging behind, recent developments in green building codes and standards. You'll find out how and where sustainable building design and construction standards are gaining strength in specific markets and regional areas across the U.S. She will also tell you how green building codes and standards are pushing sustainable building into our mainstream building delivery process throughout the country. This webinar is free as a benefit of MCAA/MSCA membership.

Read the MCAA/CQC Comments on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces EO

MCAA/CQC Submitted Comments on Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces EO

President Obama's Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order 13673 requires very specific labor and employment law compliance certifications to be submitted and reviewed as a condition of direct federal contracts and subcontract awards above $500,000.The MCAA/Campaign for Quality Construction's (CQC) comments explained the need for necessary changes in the proposed agency legal compliance reviews to avert many potential problems for project delays, claims and disputes if the proposed rules were to continue allowing primes to review subs' legal compliance post-contract awards, and flow down that responsibility to lower tier subs. To ensure consistency, fairness, and avoid problems with post-award price renegotiations, MCAA called for a subcontractor naming and evaluation process whereby the contracting agency would review all primes and covered subs in the post-award pre-contract responsibility determination process. MCAA also worked with a coalition of other groups backing the need for the subcontractor naming process as an essential reform required to avoid the many problems presented by the proposed operation of the EO procedures. MCAA's comments also stressed other necessary changes to ensure a more workable procedure. Other prime contractor groups agreed with the necessity of contracting agency review of subs in the pre-award naming process to ensure better operational procedures should the EO be implemented at the subcontractor level in the future. MCAA's position is to offer constructive changes, as opposed to outright opposition, in the event the EO is implemented in the future.

MCAA/CQC Comments

The MCAA National Update is a weekly publication of the

Mechanical Contractors Association of America.

Questions? Contact Ann Mattheis, Editor, or call 301-869-5800.