Author: Jeanie Clapp

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…

New AGC President Les Snyder follows family into construction – his lifetime adventure BY ROBBIE ANDREU Being the grandson of Les Snyder, and the son of Les Snyder Jr., Les Snyder III knew from an early age the career path he would be choosing. Construction. There was never any doubt. He always knew. “I sure did,” he said. It was in his blood. In his bones. In his DNA. Definitely in his DNA. This all started with the first, or shall we say, the original Les Snyder, who after returning home from World War I, took a job as a…

BY MIKE BURKEChief Operating Officer, Alberici Constructors, Inc.Chairman of Construction Safety Week 2023 Having devoted my career to the construction industry in a variety of roles, I can say with confidence that building strong teams that work safely is our most important job. At Alberici and throughout the industry, safety is a core value that drives us to ensure that every person, in every role, gets home safely every day. I am proud of the strides we have made to create a stronger and safer environment to accomplish that goal – but there’s still more work to be done. This…

AGC of America honors two construction individuals for their stand-out commitment to safety BY NICOLE NEEDLES Through the Construction Safety Excellence Awards for more than 30 years now, AGC has honored member companies that prioritize safety. In 2022, AGC extended its program to include front-line supervisors, field workers and safety and health professionals, making the award more competitive. Sponsored by Milwaukee Tool, the two new awards — Construction Safety Professional of the Year (CSPY) and Construction Safety Champion of the Year (CSCY) — honor specific workers who have assisted member organizations in achieving a high standard of safety excellence. The…

BY KEYAN ZANDYChief Executive OfficerSkiles Group, a TEXO Member When considering safety in construction, most firms think about OSHA’s Focus Four Hazards, the four leading hazards in the construction industry — falls, caught-in or-between, struck-by and electrocution. Yet our industry has only recently begun the conversation around the fifth hazard: suicide. It is jarring for many to learn that the suicide rate in construction is about four times greater than the national aver- age and five times greater than all other construction fatalities combined. But why does construction have such a high suicide rate? Could our industry’s culture be contributing…