Author: Jeanie Clapp

BY KEN GARCIA Safety is key for any business. Whether it is from the tools, heavy equipment, the weather or even mental health, companies value the safety of their employees. This is especially true in the construction industry, where many hazards exist. AGC of America recognizes those safety programs and their work through the Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA), sponsored by Willis Towers Watson. This year’s grand award winner is Hensel Phelps, a general contractor with offices nationwide. Their work is primarily commercial and can touch industries ranging from aviation, the U.S. Defense Department, hospitality, theme parks and manufacturing. With…

Nebraska recently hosted the 5th AGC Equipment Days in conjunction with the Cornhusker State Trap Shoot in Doniphan, Nebraska. This trap shooting competition hosts over 5,000 students in grades 6-12 in Nebraska and surrounding states. The trap complex turns into a town of its own during the three days of the shoot, as many families choose to bring a camper and stay on the property. Steve Peck (SIMON, a COLAS Company) proposed a construction-related promotion at the Cornhusker State Trap Shoot to AGC Nebraska Workforce Development Committee in 2018. An avid shooter, he had a relationship with the Nebraska Games…

BY JOSH SALAZAR Construction is a highly diverse industry, ranging from the development of skyscrapers in dense urban centers to the building of schools, libraries and other municipal buildings in rural areas where there is typically less infrastructure, resources and labor available.  While contractors are used to dealing with the differing demands associated with the locations in which they work, there are some challenges that surprise even the most seasoned of contractors. Such was the case in Keams Canyon, Arizona where Industrial Constructors/Managers, Inc. (ICM), an AGC of Colorado Building Chapter member, took on the task of helping build a…

BY STEPHEN PAULIN, CICCYBER RISK STRATEGIST, ORION RISK MANAGEMENT, AN ALERA GROUP COMPANYAN AGC OF TEXAS HIGHWAY, HEAVY, UTILITIES & INDUSTRIAL BRANCH MEMBER Digital transformation in the construction industry is taking hold. The use of project automation software, communications tools, Internet of Things (IoT) devices and other technologies is rising. According to Alera Group’s 2023 Property and Casualty Market Outlook (Market Outlook), the construction industry is increasingly using technology like Building Information Modeling (BIM) to enable all team members to visualize how project components, such as building materials, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems will fit together. This reduces…

AGC Georgia’s eight annual Skills Challenges reach more than 2,000 students BY MIKE DUNHAMCEO, AGC Georgia Throughout our nation, contracting firms need more talent. Just like many of our sister chapters, AGC Georgia places a large amount of resources on workforce development initiatives from both grassroots efforts to high-level advocacy for millions of state tax dollars to be allocated to funding construction curriculum. Over the past decades the industry has not done an exceptional job of encouraging young people to consider careers in construction. Added to that, a big pendulum swing occurred over the past 30 years where influencers told…

Collaboration between key groups is the driver to safer roads BY NICOLE NEEDLES Speeding oncoming traffic, aggressive drivers and frozen water bottles thrown from car windows are just a few things that work zone professionals face daily. These, among other things, are what make work zones so dangerous not only for the workers but the drivers. The steps drivers can take toward the solution are simple: slow down and pay attention. The New York State chapter of AGC of America is committed to improving work zone safety. According to a 2022 study conducted by AGC of America, 64% of highway…

Making the right decision for your employees BY NICOLE NEEDLES When you think of construction, a few things likely come to mind: heavy machinery, road work, buildings or tools. The most iconic construction symbol, however, is the hard hat. It is an inherent object associated with the construction industry, so ingrained that there has been no revisit to the hard hat design itself until the last several years. Although traditional hard hats and safety helmets are only slightly different in look, safety helmets are making an appearance on construction professionals’ heads. What’s the Difference? Hard hats and safety helmets may…

BY KEYAN ZANDYChief Executive OfficerSkiles Group, a TEXO Member While virtually everything in life seems to be moving faster and expanding in efficiency, productivity — succinctly defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics as “a measure of economic performance that compares the amount of goods and services produced (output) with the amount of inputs used to produce those goods and services”—in construction is indisputably on the decline. Why? There’s no easy answer for that — there are a hundred reasons why. Books, white papers, dissertations, think tanks and more have been devoted to understanding and remedying this problem. There could…

What You Need to Know BY KEN GARCIA The Biden Administration is in its third year, and many rules and regulations are under review that are important to AGC of America and its members. It is common for rules to change from administration to administration, and keeping up with what is happening in Washington can be difficult. Recently, AGC of America held a webinar where staff members provided updates on upcoming and pending regulatory changes that will impact chapters and their members. Labor and Employment The Davis-Bacon Act requires contractors and subcontractors working on federally funded projects to pay workers…

BY FRANK BAXTER AND TOM MADDENLoss Prevention Service Team Construction Risk Partners As a safety-minded professional, what’s your response when asked, “How are your KPIs looking?” Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are quantifiable measurements used to evaluate the success of an organization or employee in meeting objectives for performance. It offers a simple way to set goals backed by data to drive change. Setting up a KPI program for safety performance is simple because most professionals are already using KPIs in their annual safety calculations. Examples of those calculations include metrics related to Total Recordable Injury Rate (TRIR), Days Away and…