WASHINGTON, D.C. – Associated Builders and Contractors officials announced the winners of the 29th annual National Craft Championships during the Careers in Construction awards ceremony following ABC’s Workforce Week. “The dedication to top-notch construction, quality craftsmanship and world-class safety exhibited by this year’s champions is truly impressive,” said 2016 ABC National Chair David Chapin, president of Willmar Electric Service, Lincoln, Nebraska. “With the workforce shortage facing the construction industry, each of this year’s competitors will play an important role in the future of merit shop construction. Our member companies are fortunate to employ such skilled craftsmen and women.” The National … Read more
NCCER Announces 2016 Board of Trustees
ALACHUA, Fla. — NCCER has elected Ed Cassady, senior vice president and chief financial officer of Robins & Morton in Birmingham, Alabama, as its 2016 board of trustees’ chairman. Cassady will succeed Jerry Rispone, president and CEO for ISC Constructors, LLC of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who remains a member of the executive committee. Chip Reid, CEO of Current Builders, will serve as the 2016 vice chairman. Other members of the executive committee for the 2016 board of trustees include C. Rockwell Turner, president of LPR Construction, as secretary and Vincent Giardina, trustee for the Oscar J. Tolmas Charitable Trust, as … Read more
Gilbane Receives National Excellence in Construction Award from ABC
ORLANDO, Fla. – Gilbane Building Company’s Walt Disney World Resort Textile Services Laundry Facility project was recently honored with a National Excellence in Construction Pyramid Award by the Associated Builders and Contractors in the Industrial Category. Representatives from Gilbane were on hand to receive the award during the ABC’s 26th annual Excellence in Construction Awards celebration. The 130,000-square-foot state-of-the-art, fully automated laundry facility is located on a more than 50-acre greenfield site within the Walt Disney World Resort and features one-of-a-kind, cutting-edge equipment. The Excellence in Construction Awards program is the industry’s leading competition, developed to honor innovative and high-quality … Read more
Final Rule Announced to Improve U.S. Workers’ Protection from ‘Respirable’ Silica Dust
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced a final rule to improve protection for workers exposed to respirable silica dust. The rule will curb lung cancer, silicosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and kidney disease in America’s workers by limiting their exposure to respirable crystalline silica. “More than 80 years ago, Labor Secretary Frances Perkins identified silica dust as a deadly hazard and called on employers to fully protect workers,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez. “This rule will save lives. It will enable workers to earn a living without sacrificing … Read more
Promoting Well-Being, Suicide Prevention in Construction
By Amanda Moorhead The construction industry retains a stigma of being a “tough guy” culture, where members of the industry rarely talk about their emotional well-being. Those in the industry have shaped a philosophy where they are expected to work through anything, including severe weather, chronic pain and emotional distress. Due to a culture that does not foster open discussion on one’s well-being, this is one reason the construction industry consistently ranks as one of the high-risk industries for suicide in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control ranks suicide as the second leading cause of death among males … Read more