With Senate Bill 66 and House Bills 4465 and 4466 being discharged to the Senate Floor May 21, Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan (ABC) expressed optimism that the legislature and the Governor can adopt a more flexible Michigan Merit Curriculum to give students, parents, and school districts more options for success.

"Michigan's students should have the opportunity to pursue rigorous job training and vocational skills while they are in high school," said Chris Fisher, president and CEO of ABC of Michigan. "It's clear that there is a growing understanding amongst parents, lawmakers, educators, and businesses on the importance of giving options to students to complete CTE, skilled trades, and vocational training. Strengthening Michigan high school graduation requirements by allowing greater access to rigorous skilled trades and vocational training options is vital to Michigan's continuing economic comeback."

Receiving specialized training in high-demand fields while students are still in high school offers a jump start in rewarding careers. In Michigan the need for skilled construction workers is expected to increase by 20 percent over the next decade. Michigan needs a well-educated and skilled workforce, able to meet the demand for twenty-first century skilled trades jobs.

ABC of Michigan's state-wide contractor membership is encouraged that the legislature and the Governor are committed to working closely together to act on additional educational flexibility in the next six weeks.

Employers are invited to participate in the voluntary National Fall Prevention Stand-Down to raise awareness of preventing fall hazards in construction. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction workers, accounting for 269 of the 775 construction fatalities recorded in 2012. Those deaths were preventable. Fall prevention safety standards were among the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards during fiscal year 2012.

A Safety Stand-Down is a voluntary event for employers to talk directly to employees about "Fall Hazards" and to reinforce the importance of "Fall Prevention."

Construction companies conduct a Safety Stand-Down by stopping work and providing a focused toolbox talk on a safety topic such as ladder safety, fall protection equipment, or scaffolds safety. The meeting provides information to workers about hazards, protective methods, and the company's safety policies, goals and expectations. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime during the week of June 2-6, 2014. 

The goal is to have over 25,000 employers and 500,000 workers to hold a Stand-Down and if we meet this goal, we will have touched almost 1 out of 10 construction workers in the country.

Employers will be able to provide feedback and download Certificates of Participation on their experience June 2 to July 15, 2014 following their stand-down.

OSHA can be contacted at: oshastanddown@dol.gov