The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a request for information seeking a common definition for Zero Energy Buildings (ZEBs). The goal is to create a broadly accepted definition of ZEB boundaries and metrics to create a standard that regulators and the private entities can agree upon. 

The votes are in and the four finalists for the 2015 Craft Instructor of the Year Award have been announced. The finalists will join ABC at the Workforce Conference March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where they will be interviewed and narrowed down to one winner. The winning instructor will be announced during the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony and will walk away with a $10,000 cash prize.

The National Craft Championships (NCC) is seeking judges for the 2015 competition which will be held March 3-6 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. If you or someone you know has demonstrated experience in one of the crafts represented in the competition, lend your time and talents to help name the winning craft apprentices and trainees at the 2015 NCC.

ABC and 40 of its chapters joined the More Time for Full-Time Initiative in urging the Senate to co-sponsor the Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2015 which would restore the traditional definition of full-time employment to 40 hours per week in the Affordable Care Act (ACA)which currently defines full-time as at least 30 hours per week. 

The U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 13 voted 250-175 in favor of the ABC-supported Regulatory Accountability Act (H.R. 185). Prior to the vote, ABC sent a letter urging Congress to support the legislation stating that it will ensure greater accountability from federal agencies and result in increased transparency in the federal rulemaking process. 

OSHA issued a Letter of Interpretation Jan. 15 clarifying the new reporting standard for severe injuries on the jobsite which went into effect Jan. 1. The interpretation letter provides a definition of an amputation and also how to distinguish between an amputation and an avulsion. In addition, the letter goes on to discuss whether the loss of an eye includes the loss of sight. 

Contractors looking to enhance their employees’ project management skills can enroll them to take part in the ABC Project Management Institute held at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. The course includes two non-concurrent five-day sessions providing the students with tools to improve profitability and productivity and increase quality and customer satisfaction. 

The leader of Philadelphia’s Ironworkers Local 401, Joseph Dougherty, was convicted Jan. 20 on charges of racketeering conspiracy and counts of vandalism and extortion. The court found him guilty of and responsible for the use of arson, intimidation and violence in order to secure jobs for members of the union. The conviction came more than two years after the Quaker Meetinghouse jobsite of longtime ABC member E. Allen Reeves, Inc., of Abington, Pa., was the target of vandalism during the 2012 Christmas holiday causing an estimated $500,000 in damages.

As a leader in the construction industry, you have to always stay on top of the newest industry trends, the best practices among project management and business development and how to address issues such as workforce development and safety within your company. Join us in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., March 3-6, during the Workforce Conference as we bring together construction professionals and top executives throughout the country to share and collaborate on ways to become the best in the industry.

ABC is reminding its contractor member firms that 2014 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Form 300A work-related injury and illness log summaries must be posted in a visible spot on all construction sites Feb. 1 through April 30.