AGC to Partner with EPA, NCMS to Update Environmental Compliance Website for Contractors

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Construction contractors will have an easier time learning how to comply with federal and state environmental guidelines thanks to a new partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the private sector. The partnership between the Associated General Contractors of America, EPA and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences will allow for a significant upgrade to the Construction Industry Compliance Assistance website, or CICA Center, association officials noted. “Getting a construction project underway is challenging enough without having to figure out which environmental rules apply and how to comply with them,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, the CEO of AGC of … Read more

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Construction Employment at Highest Level Since 2009, Reports AGC

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Construction employers added 39,000 jobs in January and 308,000 over the past year, reaching the highest employment total since February 2009, as the sector’s unemployment rate fell to 9.8 percent, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials said the job gains come as most construction firms report plans to expand headcount this year, but worry about growing shortages of qualified workers. “Contractors have stayed busy this winter and expect to keep hiring through 2015—if they can find the workers they need,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s chief economist. “The list of projects is growing … Read more

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USGBC Releases the Top 10 States for LEED Green Building Per Capita in Nation

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Green Building Council released its annual list of the Top 10 States for LEED, the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system, ranking states in terms of square feet of LEED space per state resident. The per-capita list highlights states throughout the country that are making significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and transformation. “Every story about a green building is a story about people,”  said Rick Fedrizzi, CEO and founding chair, USGBC. “USGBC’s annual recognition of the Top 10 States for LEED goes beyond gross square feet or number … Read more

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OSHA, NIOSH Issue Hazard Alert on Protecting Workers from Silica Exposure

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health jointly issued a hazard alert about protecting workers from significant crystalline silica exposure during manufacturing, finishing and installing natural and manufactured stone countertops. The hazard alert follows reports of 46 workers in Spain and 25 workers in Israel who developed silicosis — an incurable, progressively disabling and sometimes fatal lung disease — as a result of exposure to crystalline silica in their work manufacturing stone countertops. Ten of the workers in Israel required lung transplants as a result … Read more

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NCCER's Supervisor Assessment Now Endorsed by Carolinas AGC

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ALACHUA, Fla. — The construction industry continues to see an escalating demand for skilled field supervisors. Traditionally, the industry has identified craft professionals to move into supervisory positions, however, proper skill assessment and training has not always occurred as a part of this process. Field supervisors drive the construction team toward effectiveness and efficiency, while stabilizing it with consistency and good judgment. To fill this role, field supervisors need more than experience in the field and, while many organizations offer supervisory training, the contents of their programs are not always consistent. NCCER's Supervisor Assessment is an industry-recognized tool that can … Read more

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