MCAA Gateway: March 2019

Words: Todd Fredrick

2019 Masonry Industry Legislative Conference  

The Masonry Industry Legislative Conference will be held May 14-16, 2019 in Washington, D.C.   The conference is the perfect opportunity to meet with elected officials and discuss important issues affecting your company and the masonry industry. The main focus of the program will be getting our issues and our positions in front of key congressional figures and tell them our story as to how their votes impact our industry.  Appointments will be made with attendees' members of Congress, as well as appointments with key swing vote representatives. One of the most important things you can do in today's business environment takes time to meet with and inform those responsible for regulating, taxing and setting rules for business how it will impact not only our industry but the economy as a whole.  We are also very excited to offer a nighttime monument tour of Washington D.C.  This three-hour tour includes stops at the U.S. Capitol, the White House, Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, FDR Memorial, Iwo Jima Memorial, MLK Memorial, World War II Memorial, Washington Monument, and much more!  Visit www.masoncontractors.org/legconf for a full schedule of events and to register. 

Enter the MCAA Safety Advantage Awards 

Draw attention to the need and benefits of performing safely 

By Zach Everett   Submissions are now open for the 2019 MCAA Safety Advantage Awards, sponsored by Federated Insurance. Safety is overlooked by some contractors for several reasons: cost, time, resources, compounded focus on production, simple ignorance, or possibly many other things. Our goal is for the MCAA safety awards to help draw attention to the need and benefits of performing safely.  The MCAA Safety Advantage  The safety awards are just one part of a larger plan: The MCAA Safety Advantage program. There are mammoth benefits to working safely. From moral to money and from workers comp premiums to OSHA penalties. The MCAA safety awards program is being rolled out with the MCAA Safety Advantage Newsletter, the weekly safety meetings, the written safety program, the monthly safety forum webinars, and several other Safety Advantage benefits not to mention joining a network of safety professionals working in the masonry industry. All this is free to members of the MCAA.   Safety Award Judging  The awards will be presented based on a company’s Incident Rate. This seemed to be the most equitable and best way to judge between contractors. The Incident Rate will be the only criteria at the present. There could be many other guidelines thrown into the mix; OSHA citations, comprehensiveness of safety policy, superseding of OSHA compliance by company policy, peer review of policies, job site inspections, volunteer safety work, using biodegradable earplugs, non-concrete block, utilizing anti-alien abduction hardhats or a gamut of other qualifiers and disqualifiers, but we thought that starting simple would be best for the moment. Someone will now ask for specifics, so here it is:  OSHA Recordkeeping  The Incident Rate, by which the safety awards will be judged, is calculated off of the OSHA logs. ALL OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses are logged for that year. The number of illnesses and injuries are multiplied by 200,000 then divided into the total number of hours worked by all employees for the year. This equation gives you the company’s Incident Rate. This should not be confused with the DART Incident Rate which only takes into account the incidents that result in days away from work.  Get in the Hunt  To get your company considered for the MCAA Safety Advantage Awards simply go to www.masoncontractors.org/safety/awards and fill out the sign up form and return it with your 2018 OSHA 300 form. MCAA Safety Advantage Awards submissions are due by June 30, 2019. All entries will be tabulated and the awards will be presented at the 2019 MCAA Midyear Meeting. We look forward to this event and hope that there is huge participation. Safety is extremely important! It's important to help get more work, to keep WC cost down, but most importantly, because families need their parents and spouse to come home healthy! Join with us in this small way to reach that goal. 

Upcoming MCAA Webinars for March 2019

The MCAA Webinar Series features live and on-demand webinars on topics such as job site safety new construction technology increasing profits and more.  Visit www.masoncontractors.org/live to view a full schedule of upcoming programs and to register. -------------------- Building Engagement: Keep YOUR Top Talent from Becoming THEIRS Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Estimate, Plan and Build with a Constructible BIM Solution Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST Presented by: Trimble -------------------- Self-Evaluation Workshop Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Flashing Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- How Managers and Supervisors Achieve Winning Results Thru People Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Masonry Past, Present and Future Wednesday, May 8, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Assuring the Successful Continuation of Your Family Business Wednesday, June 5, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- TMS 602, Specification for Masonry Structures Wednesday, June 12, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Concrete Masonry Field Tolerances Wednesday, June 26, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Communication Between the Structural Engineer and Masonry Contractor Wednesday, September 11, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- How to Prepare a Professional Masonry Submittal Package Wednesday, October 2, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- How to Develop and Implement an Effective Quality Control Program Wednesday, October 30, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- How to Become an Equal Partner with the General Contractor Wednesday, November 20, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST -------------------- Seismic Requirements of the Building Code Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 10:00 AM CST

New MCAA Members for March 2019

Aggregate Group, LLC Raliegh, NC 919-322-0166 Contractor Member
Alexander & Xavier Masonry Garland, TX 972-217-0296 Contractor Member Bulter & Butler Construction Lancaster, TX 972-636-8053 Contractor Member CS Construction Services Harlingen, TX 956-226-9601 Contractor Member Emerson Brothers, Inc. Yorktown, VA 757-898-5253 Contractor Member Fair Masonry LLC Forsyth, GA 478-993-1733 Contractor Member Father & Sons Masonry and Stucco, Inc. Dallas, TX 972-576-5432 Contractor Member
Indiana Limestone Company Bloomington, IN 812-287-7499 Supplier Member National Associate Member Janssen Waterproofing Inc. Van Home, IA 319-228-8354 Contractor Member Knight Masonry Hopkinsville, KY 270-881-0449 Contractor Member L. Wilson Masonry Inc. Harrington, DE 302-398-8240 Contractor Member
McConnell Masonry, LLC Oklahoma City, OK 405-620-7294 Contractor Member R. Bratti Associates, Inc. Alexandria VA 703-549-6800 Contractor Member Vivas & Co. Honolulu, HI 808-478-8549 Contractor Member
Stone Veneer Mortar: More Than Meets The Eye

One of the greatest pleasures of being in the masonry industry is that we are the privileged few who never have to give up our Legos.

OSHA Releases Proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Rule

On July 2, OSHA released its “Proposed Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Programs Rule” as a new, proposed standard to prevent heat illnesses and injury in indoor and outdoor settings.

Masonry In The Media - Bradbury Building, Palace of Fine Arts, The White House, and More

Completed in 1893 in downtown Los Angeles, the Bradbury Building showcases meticulous masonry work throughout its structure, blending various materials to create a stunning visual and tactile experience.

Marvelous Masonry - Soldier Field

Soldier Field, a Chicago landmark and one of the most iconic sports venues in the United States, demonstrates masonry's enduring strength and beauty. Opened in 1924, Soldier Field has undergone several renovations, but its original masonry work remains a