OSHA Announces National Stand-Down for Fall Prevention in Construction

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a national safety stand-down from June 2-6 to raise awareness among employers and workers about the hazards of falls, which account for the highest number of deaths in the construction industry.   “Falls account for more than a third of all deaths in this industry,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. “We"re working with employers, workers, industry groups, state OSH plans, and civic and faith-based organizations to host safety stand-downs that focus on recognizing hazards and preventing falls. We are … Read more

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Faith Technologies Expands Preconstruction Department with Strategic Hire

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MENASHA, Wis. — Faith Technologies recently welcomed Richard Cotten to its preconstruction team as a mission critical preconstruction manager. In his new role, Cotten is responsible for working closely with project managers and owners during the design phase of design-build, design-assist and integrated projects. Cotten coordinates other preconstruction resources as required for the delivery of a successful project. He is also responsible for designing and creating value-added technical pricing and design solutions from the initial concept through completion. Cotten has more than 30 years of wide-range industry experience related to updating and creating mission critical facilities, operating and managing information … Read more

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Construction Employment Expands in 195 Metro Areas, Declines in 90

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Construction employment expanded in 195 metro areas, declined in 90 and was stagnant in 54 between January 2013 and January 2014, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. Association officials noted, however, that despite the gains construction employment remained below peak levels in all but 21 metro areas. “It is a sign of the continued strengthening of the construction industry that nearly 60 percent of metros added construction jobs from a year earlier despite the severe winter conditions in much of the country this January,” said Ken Simonson, the association’s … Read more

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White House Rural Council Workshop Announcements Support Environment, Job Growth

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Cees de Jager, executive director of the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, applauded the Obama Administration’s focus on the environmental and jobs benefits of using wood in taller buildings at the recent White House Rural Council Workshop “Building with Wood: Jobs and the Environment.” Announcements by USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and the White House Rural Council to provide $1,000,000 in funding for WoodWorks (www.woodworks.org) and $1,000,000 in funding for a tall wood building competition will accelerate technology transfer and implementation of expanded uses of wood products for building construction in the U.S.   De Jager said, “Secretary Vilsack's … Read more

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Architecture Billings Index Shows Slight Improvement

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WASHINGTON, D.C.   — After starting out the year on a positive note, there was another minor increase in the Architecture Billings Index last month.   As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine- to 12-month lead time between architecture billings and construction spending.   The American Institute of Architects reported the February ABI score was 50.7, up slightly from a mark of 50.4 in January.   This score reflects an increase in design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings).   The new projects inquiry index was 56.8, down from … Read more

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