OSHA issued a final rule on September 26 extending the compliance deadline for employers to ensure that crane operators are certified by an OSHA-recognized accredited certification body. The deadline has been extended by three years to November 10, 2017. This extension will continue the current employer duties to ensure crane operators are competent to operate a crane safely.

Wurster Construction Co., Inc., Indianapolis, Ind., a member of the Indiana/Kentucky Chapter; Cycle Construction Company, LLC, Kenner, La., a member of the New Orleans/Bayou Chapter; Circle Electric, Inc., Menommonee Falls, Wis., a member of the Wisconsin Chapter; Pinkerton & Laws, Marietta, Ga., a member of the Georgia Chapter; and Milender White Construction Co., Arvada, Colo., a member of the Rocky Mountain Chapter have been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC.

On September 25 the U.S. Department of Labor’s Veterans' Employment and Training Service issued a final rule that changed the reporting requirements for federal contractors and subcontractors who hire and employ veterans under provisions of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974.

BIM is the future of the construction industry. In fact, BIM adoption in North America reached 71% in 2012 up from only 17% in 2007, according a McGraw Hill Construction SmartMarket Report. The reason might lie in the fact that 67% of users in this report that demonstrated a very high level of BIM engagement saw a positive return on investment (ROI) (specifically a 52% increase in their profits) compared to only 20% of low-level users.

According to a Bureau of Labor Statistics/Department of Labor Sept. 11 report, construction fatalities decreased slightly in 2013, and fatalities in the industry have dropped 36 percent since 2006. There were 796 workplace deaths in the private construction industry in 2013 and 806 in 2012. That translates into a 2013 fatality rate of 9.4 per 100,000 workers, down from 9.5 in 2012.

With the ABC Career Fair we’re helping you find the best recruits to join your team. Whether you’re looking to fill an internship or full-time position, we can introduce you to some of the top construction management students from across the country. If you want to pre-screen and interview students who could potentially be the next-best hire, join us Nov. 11 in Miami, Fla.

The annual National Craft Championships (NCC) brings together the best craft trainees from across the country to show off their skills and compete in one of thirteen crafts. At the end of the week, 13 of the competitors will be walking away with a gold medal around their necks and a cash prize in their pocket—showing that your training program produces truly the best and most-skilled craft professionals. 

Did you know that less than 38% of the voting-age population actually voted in the last mid-term election of 2010? The new online election resource ABCvotes.com equips ABC members and their employees with the tools to make the right decisions in the upcoming elections on Nov. 4. 

Under a final rule issued By the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Sept. 11, contractors will face new deadlines and requirements for reporting severe injuries on the jobsite. The rule will go into effect Jan. 1, 2015 for all employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, even those who are exempt from maintaining injury and illness records.

The Obama administration has recently issued several heavy-handed executive actions that affect the federal contracting community, particularly the construction industry. These actions cover everything from potential blacklisting to super-minimum wage to overtime.