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October 26, 2020
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Featured Content
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Ohio Contractor Workforce Magazine Now Available On-Line
To view a digital copy of the 2020 Ohio Contractor Workforce Magazine, please click here. |
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News |
$125 Million Grant Program Will Help Ohio Small Business
Last week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted on announced a $125 million grant program to help small businesses that have been harmed by the effects of COVID-19.
The grants will provide $10,000 to small businesses in Ohio with no more than 25 employees. The program will be administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency.
Eligible businesses that are approved to receive grants can use the money for a variety of expenses, including mortgage or rent payments; utility payments; salaries, wages, or compensation for employees and contractors; business supplies or equipment; and other costs.
To ensure the grants are spread throughout the state, $500,000 will be set aside for businesses in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. As businesses in each county are approved for funding, the $10,000 grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. When a county’s allocation is depleted, businesses in that county will be eligible to receive grants from the remaining funds in the overall grant program. If businesses in a county do not deplete the county’s allocation within 21 days after the application period opens, the remaining funds will become available to businesses statewide.
“Small businesses and their employees are an important part of the fabric of life in Ohio, and these funds will help sustain them now so they are with us for years to come,” said Lydia Mihalik, Director of the Development Services Agency.
The application opens November 2 at businesshelp.ohio.gov.
Don't Miss Out - Put Your Company in Front of the OCA Winter Conference Crowd
With the OCA Winter Conference going virtual in 2020 there are a number of new opportunities for you to share your message with an anticipated 400+ attendees to this new and engaging event. Logo banners (sold out) in the virtual lobby, booth space in the live and interactive exhibit hall, conference sponsor and co-sponsor exposure, and even more exciting video ads/promos before each breakout session. Time is running out so don't delay. Make sure your company is front and center at the OCA Winter Conference.
Conference Agenda Highlights: (Full Agenda)
» Lt. Governor Jon Husted (Invited)
» ODOT Session
» AGC CEO Steve Sandherr
» Workforce Development Panel
» Heavy Highway Equipment Technology
» Ethics - "What Would You Do"
» Plus much more...
Click here to get registered!
The Great Lakes Construction Company Wins ARTBA Safety Award!
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OCA member, The Great Lakes Construction Company, of Hinckley was recently recognized for their outstanding employee safety programs during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) National Convention.
The annual ARTBA “Contractor Safety Awards” were created to promote worker safety and health as core values of the transportation design and construction industry.
Great Lakes, along with two other national finalists were competitively selected, based upon their accident and injury rates on work sites as reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as their Experience Modification Rates (EMRs) as determined by their insurance carriers. Finalists from three different categories, based on the personnel hours worked in the previous year, were invited to make a presentation before a panel of industry judges Oct. 15-16.
Winners were selected based on demonstration of key principles of safety excellence including management commitment, employee participation, incident investigation, auditing, planning and risk assessment.
Great Lakes took top honors in the division representing 500,000 – 1 million hours worked.
Great Lake’s safety recognition at the national level is no surprise to OCA, as they are a perennial competitor in OCA’s annual Jerry Keller Memorial Safety Awards program. They currently hold the 2019 Division III Award and will be a top competitor in 2020.
Congratulations to the entire team at The Great Lakes Construction Company for their tireless efforts and dedication to the health and safety of their workers. They have truly established a company culture of safety that allows them to excel in our challenging construction industry! Well done! |
OCA Member Discount Update
Do you know that when you joined OCA, your firm gained access to discounts on an array of products that can directly impact your bottom line…like access to OCA’s Multi-Employer 401K plan, discounts on cell phones, vehicle purchases, fuel purchases in bulk or at the pump, office supplies…and more?
OCA members can now take advantage of AGC’s newest member discount program with Michelin Tires. This program covers Michelin, BFGoodrich, UNIROYAL and TWEEL tire brands as well as automatic enrollment in Michelin ONCall. Find out more:
https://www.agc.org/agc-michelin-advantage-program.
And, for more information about the full menu of discounts available to you as an OCA member:
https://www.ohiocontractors.org/MemberOCA/Discounted%20Services.aspx.
You can also contact Lynda Pomeroy at OCA for help accessing your discounts, by phone at 614-488-0724, or by email at: [email protected].
CDC Redefines "Close Contact" for Purposes of Contact Tracing
If you were beginning to get comfortable applying and working through the CDC guidelines in your workforce, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride because things are about to change – AGAIN!
This week, the CDC revised its definition of “close contact” for purposes of contact tracing. Now, “close contact” means being “within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.”
You’re probably thinking, “Yeah, we’ve heard about the 6-feet, 15-minute thing. What’s the big deal?” Well, the big deal is that the CDC is now calculating the 15 minutes cumulatively, which means that multiple brief interactions throughout the day could trigger a “close contact” finding. For example, three separate five-minute interactions with an infected person during a 24-hour period would be considered a “close contact” with the infected individual. This is a significant change since being in “close contact” with an infected individual will trigger the need to quarantine. The bottom line is that all employees will need to be much more alert and vigilant in keeping track of their whereabouts and interactions throughout the entire day, every day. Similarly, employers will need to revisit workplace practices, particularly with respect to contact tracing protocols following a positive case. Under these circumstances, employers should continue to work cooperatively with local health departments to contact trace as best as possible based on the new “close contact” criteria.
Please be reminded that this is an overview of developing legal issues and is not intended to be and should not be construed as legal advice. For more specific information, contact Nadia A. Lampton at [email protected] or (937) 641-2055.
Financial Planning Course Available to Ohio Business
Starting and running a business is a challenge, and more than half fail in the first four years. The economic volatility of recent COVID-19 disruption has amplified confusion, anxiety, and fear.
A six-session virtual course in financial management can give participants the tools and confidence needed to manage their businesses by the numbers.
The program is called Profit Mastery, and it provides independent business owners financial perspective and tools to take advantage of opportunities and deal with challenges.
Participants will attend six virtual sessions, beginning Oct. 29, and also will have access to the Profit Mastery online video curriculum. Any business that has been open at least one year and is interested in exploring new opportunities to increase profitability and manage cash flow during the coronavirus pandemic should attend.
The cost for the course normally is $895, but the Ohio Small Business Development Centers have worked with Profit Mastery so that 400 Ohio businesses will be able to participate at no cost.
For more information, contact the Ohio SBDC at [email protected]. To register, click here.
Worksite Traffic Supervisor (WTS) Prequalification Testing
On behalf of ODOT’s Division of Construction Management and Office of Roadway Engineering, the following additional sessions of Worksite Traffic Supervisor (WTS) Prequalification Testing are now open for registration:
• November 17 - Afternoon » Click here to register.
• December 1 - Morning » Click here to register.
• December 1 - Afternoon » Click here to register.
Click here to access the PDF flyer with recent updates.
Prerequisites – Do not register for WTS Prequalification testing until the prerequisites have been completed. Please see the online registration form and flyer for details.
Pre-registration is required for WTS Testing. Due to social distancing requirements per COVID-19, seating capacity is limited for each session.
Please review the important updates and new safety protocols as described per the links above.
Quick Links to On-line OCA Resources
• Current Ohio Contractor Magazine
• Safety Resources
• Labor & Employment Information
• OCA President's Commentary
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