Let’s get 2019 started with the first building demolition by implosion of the year.
Read moreCan You Be Held Criminally Liable for a Workplace Injury?
Be careful - owners and contractors are now being held criminally liable for their carelessness and disregard of safety protocols.
Read moreThe Top States to Work in Construction: #8 North Dakota
Wellll, North Dakota will be certainly be enjoying these bragging rights. Not only do they land in the top 10 of the countdown, the Dakota to the south of them landed at #45. As the 19th largest state by land area, North Dakota is also ranked 47th in both population and density. It has a slightly lower than average cost of living, at 1.1% below the national average and 0.7% lower than South Dakota, according to MERIC.
Read moreNew Exoskeleton Vests Makes Repetitive Tasks and Overhead Work a Breeze
Ekso Bionics has been making exoskeletons since 2005. Originally designed with the military in mind, but then later shifted to physical therapy. In more recent years, they have begun targeting more physical professions, especially those with repetitive tasks or a lot of lifting. One of their most recent products is called the EksoVest.
Read moreOSHA Announces Penalty Adjustment for 2019 Citations
Since the 2016 Federal budget was passed, OSHA has increased their maximum citation penalty amount to adjust for inflation on a yearly basis. The 2019 increase has recently been announced.
Read moreCheck out this Incredible Footage of The Men Who Build New York’s Skyline in the 1920s
The Smithsonian channel is airing a series of shows titled America in Color, in which they enhance lost or forgotten video footage of the 1900s, beginning with the 1920s. Part of the first episode in the series shows the men that worked on skyscrapers in New York City and it’s been edited to show color, as opposed to black and white, for the first time.
Read moreABC Offers Resources for Contractors Affected by the Federal Government Shutdown
As the Federal Government rages on in a record setting timeline, many contractors working on Federal contracts will be affected. The Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC), has compiled a group of resources to help assist those contractors until the government is fully up and running.
It’s important to note, first, that several agencies that serve the construction industry are not affected, including the Department of Labor, Defense, Education, Energy, and Veterans Affairs.
For those agencies that are performing construction work that are affected, however, ABC suggests that contractors visit that agency’s website first and/or consult the agency’s Contingency Plan and FAQs During a Lapse in Appropriations.
The E-Verify system, which is confirms employment eligibility of their employees, is also currently unavailable until funding is released to the Department of Homeland Security. That system is used for contractors performing work under a federal or certain public works contracts. To find out more about the E-Verify shutdown, please visit their website.
Full story: Resources for Contractors Affected by the Federal Government Shutdown | ABC
Featured
The Top States to Work in Construction: #9 Kansas
Kansas, the state that we can thank for a large portion of our wheat, corn, sorghum, and soybeans, lands just inside the top 10 at #9. With a relatively low population density, ranked 40th in the country, Kansas is also one of the most affordable states to live in. Their cost of living is the 4th lowest int he country, according to MERIC, at 10.3% below the national average.
Read morePlanGrid Launches Program for Schools and Unions, Provides Free Resources and Product Licenses
As mobile apps and project management software are becoming more prominent on construction sites around the world, it’s important that those getting ready to enter the industry, whether it be through college or trade schools, get the training they need to hit the ground running with these programs. PlanGrid,a construction project management and mobile productivity software, has recently announced the release of PlanGrid Schools & Unions, which gives access to hands-on training curriculum and software licenses to industry educators.
Read moreOSHA Issues $155K in Fines to Contractor Entangled in Criminal Charges Following Mini Crane Incident
OSHA
Last November, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. announced felonious assault charges against a contractor’s superintendent and a manufacturer’s branch manager after two men suffered horrific injuries on a New York jobsite. Last week, OSHA formally announced citations against the St. Louis, Missouri based contractor.
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