PlanGrid Updates Submittals Platform with Added Features

Tracking your construction project’s submittals and their approval status can be a tedious and frustrating process, but thankfully several project management applications are helping solve that issue with technology. At the beginning of this year, PlanGrid announced the release of an automatic submittal log creator tool, which scans through your project’s specification book and creates a trackable log of each submittal.  The company has recently added several new features to make the Submittal platform, which allows users to manipulate the submittal log, even more useful.

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PlanGrid’s Field Reports are Now Available on Windows

PlanGrid users may have noticed, or been frustrated with that fact, that some features that are available on the program’s Android and iOS apps are not available on the Windows app.  Windows’ Surface tablets have become a popular option for construction teams in recent years, so those users will be happy to hear that the Field Reports function is now available on PlanGrid for Windows.

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US Department of Labor Launches New Apprenticeship Finder Tool for Career Seekers, Employers

For the past several years, workforce shortages have been a constant headline in the construction industry.  A large contingency of the skilled labor in the United States is retiring and the younger generations aren’t filling in as quickly as needed. 

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7 Short Videos To Help Train Your Construction Crews on Silica Dust Hazards

It’s been almost a full year since OSHA’s more stringent regulations regarded respirable crystalline silica dust officially became enforceable.  Even though the topic has been a staple in news outlets since before and after September 23, 2017 (the official enforcement date), there is still plenty of confusion across the industry.

To help contractors comply with the new regulations, OSHA has recently announced a few new resources to be used for training.  Among them are a customizable PowerPoint Presentation (pdf download link), an FAQ page, and several short videos. Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) reported that the FAQ page, which contains 53 frequently asked questions and their answers, was directly linked to a lawsuit filed by several construction industry groups, including ABC.

The videos are a combination of one OSHA produced overview video and several others that were produced by ERG and are specific to a task or piece of equipment. You will find each of those videos embedded below. More information can be found on OSHA’s Silica for Construction home page.

Protecting Workers from Silica Hazards in the Workplace Video

Handheld Power Saws (any blade diameter)

Masonry Table Saw

Handheld and Stand-Mounted Drills

Jackhammers

Handheld Grinders for Mortar Removal (e.g., tuckpointing)

Handheld grinders for uses other than mortar removal

Procore Launches New Labor Tracking Platform, Including Digital Time Sheets

Procore, one of the country’s most popular construction project management software, has officially launched the first product in their newest platform: Field Productivity.  The newest platform joins Procore’s 3 other existing platforms: Project Management, Quality & Safety, and Construction Financials.

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