Effective Jan. 2, the U.S. Department of Labor increased civil monetary penalties for violations of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and regulations. According to the OSHA website, the maximum penalty for other-than-serious, serious and failure to abate violations is now $12,934, and the maximum penalty for willful or repeat violations is $129,336.

George R. Nash Jr., director of preconstruction for Branch & Associates in Herndon, Va., began his one-year term as chair of ABC on Jan. 1, 2018. He leads the 21,000-plus member association’s executive committee and board of directors, guides its national initiatives and serves as its spokesperson.

The nonresidential construction sector added 11,800 net new jobs in December, representing nearly 10 percent of the nation’s jobs created during the month, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The nation’s overall construction sector added 30,000 net new jobs in December, a 0.4 percent month-over-month increase.

F.L. Crane & Sons Inc. of Fulton, Miss., a member of ABC’s Mississippi Chapter, has been awarded Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) status by ABC. The AQC program recognizes and honors construction firms that document their commitment to excellence in five key areas of corporate responsibility: quality, safety, employee benefits, training and community relations.

Nonresidential construction spending expanded 0.6 percent in November, totaling $719.2 billion on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) analysis of data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the month-over-month expansion, nonresidential spending fell 1.3 percent from November 2016. 

The not seasonally adjusted (NSA) national construction unemployment rate was 5 percent in November, down 0.7 percent from a year ago and the lowest November rate on record, according to an analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released today by Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC). The construction industry employed 191,000 more workers than in November 2016.