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Editor’s note: Access, Control and Technology are all important components of a secure construction site. In part three of this series last week, Jim Kollaer explained the second of three keys to security: Control. He concludes by addressing the final key to jobsite security: Technology.TechnologyTechnology is the third leg of your ACT jobsite security plan. Wireless cameras are being used more frequently to monitor jobsites on a 24-hour basis. In fact, a number of cities and your insurance underwriters require that the recordings from those cameras be stored off-site and be kept for inspection for a minimum of 60 days in case of an accident, vandalism, lawsuit or theft on the jobsite. Those camera locations should be coordinated with the local authorities and with the neighbors who also might have camera locations that can help you monitor activity on-site.
Reshaping the Construction Industry
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Warmest wishes to all of our readers!
December 25, 2013
The holiday season is upon us, and many workers are looking forward to receiving a Christmas bonus. Depending on the nature of the bonus, it may or may not have an effect on employees’ overtime rates.In most cases a Christmas bonus is essentially a gift from management. The bonus amount is not agreed upon in advance and is not based on specific criteria. This kind of bonus is not included in the calculation of the employee’s “regular rate” for overtime purposes.In other cases, however, a bonus may have been promised in a collective bargaining agreement or similar contract. Or the bonus may be calculated in a specific manner, such as a bonus of 50 cents for each hour worked during the year. Bonuses owed by agreement, as well as bonuses based on hours worked, production or efficiency, are included when calculating an employee’s “regular rate.”
December 24, 2013
Most states add jobs in November; BLS projects steep gains but no new peak by 2022Editor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.In November, seasonally adjusted nonfarm payroll employment increased from a year earlier in 49 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in Alaska, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported Friday. Seasonally adjusted construction employment climbed in 39 states (the same year-over-year total as in October), declined in 10 states and D.C., and held steady in Delaware, an AGC analysis showed. Mississippi again had the steepest year-over-year percentage increase (17%, 8,000 jobs), followed by Connecticut (11%, 5,600 jobs), Missouri (9.8%, 10,100 jobs) and Georgia (9.5%, 13,200 jobs). California added the most construction jobs for the year (31,500, 5.2%), followed by Florida (24,300, 7.0%), Texas (13,300, 2.2%), Georgia and Missouri.
December 23, 2013
Originally posted by Mike Holland on MarekBros.com.On Thursday, November 21st, of this year I, along with 50 other executives, “slept out” on the grounds of the Covenant House, a homeless shelter for kids, to help raise awareness and much needed funds. For me, it was the second time to participate in this wonderful and transformative event. I was introduced to this by a good friend Kurt Nondorf, who has served on the Covenant board for several years. Admittedly, when Kurt first asked me, I really did not know what I had agreed to. I just did it because I trust him, and if he thought it was important, then I was willing to do whatever he asked.With a little help from my assistant Whitney, and the Covenant House staff I soon had a fund raising page up on the Covenant website, and after a few e-mails and calls the money started rolling in. I was surprised at the amount of passion and interest in the plight of the homeless, but my own level of concern was yet to be determined.What an experience the Sleep Out turned out to be! The evening began with the “intake process”, where homeless youth are interviewed and introduced to the staff and facility. Each of us “sleepers” experienced the intake process, similar to what a young man or woman would when entering the Covenant House.
December 20, 2013
In what will hopefully be the first in a series of events like it across Texas, business leaders and educators from the Houston area gathered to talk about the best ways they can work together to put kids on track for the skilled trades if that’s what those students want to do. The Building Careers: Construction Workforce Luncheon was well attended on November 5. As we’ve written many times on Construction Citizen, the college-for-all mentality and policy this state has embraced over the last decade has become a hindrance to the success of many students and the people who will eventually be their employers. That’s why there was a huge push in the Texas Legislature this year to reform curriculum and graduation requirements in a way that provides flexibility for students to either go to college or head straight for a career.
December 19, 2013
Editor’s note: Access, Control and Technology are all important components of a secure construction site. In part two of this series last week, Jim Kollaer explained the first of three keys to security: Access. The series continues here as he addresses the second key to jobsite security: Control.ControlControl is the second leg of your ACT jobsite security plan, and it begins with the site design and security plan that you develop and implement. Integral to that plan is the security fencing that surrounds your entire jobsite as part of your ACT plan. It should be a minimum of 6, but more likely 8 feet tall, and be covered in a material that limits easy viewing at ground level of your jobsite. It is important, as we have stated, that the perimeter have limited and planned access points. Some cities, like Irvine, California, require that the fence be covered as long as you are storing materials and equipment on the site or until the structure is secured under lock and key.
December 18, 2013
For some, the holidays are all about food, football, family reunions and reflecting on the gifts for which we are most thankful. As I prepare to celebrate in the days to come, I recognize that I have much to be grateful for – family, friends, and a career I am passionate about. I am also grateful for the service of the brave men and women of our military, who defend the freedoms I hold dear.A little known fact is that many of America’s veterans are facing significant challenges transitioning into civilian employment once they return home. The members of our armed forces and their families make great sacrifices in the service of our nation, and when their service is concluded, we have an obligation to be their connection to rewarding civilian careers.
December 17, 2013
Materials costs fall; job openings rise but hiring dips; age cohort shifts pose challengesEditor’s note: Construction Citizen is proud to partner with AGC America to bring you AGC Chief Economist Ken Simonson's Data DIGest. Check back each week to get Ken's expert analysis of what's happening in our industry.View the November PPI table here.The producer price index (PPI) for finished goods fell 0.5%, not seasonally adjusted (-0.1%, seasonally adjusted), in November and edged up just 0.7% over 12 months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. The PPI for inputs to construction – a weighted average of the cost of all materials used in construction plus items consumed by contractors such as diesel fuel—also dropped 0.5% for the month and rose 1.1% year-over-year. The PPIs for inputs to different types of construction all declined for the month and increased only slightly year-over-year:
December 16, 2013
On a weather-perfect, sunny fall day just north of Houston last month, 280 golfers participated in a charity tournament, luncheon, and silent auction benefitting the Good Shepherd Residential Treatment Center through the recently created Building New Foundations nonprofit volunteer organization. Thousands of dollars were raised which will benefit the Center which helps boys who are considered to be too “high risk” for regular foster care. Without the efforts of the staff and volunteers at Good Shepherd, and the money raised from private donations, these boys would not have a safe place to live or much hope for their futures.The golf tournament kicked off with a Putting Contest and a Marshmallow Drive. Then groups of four took to the links to vie for other awards such as Longest Drive and Closest to the Pin – or at least to turn in a respectable score.
December 13, 2013
