|
|
|
|
|
May 26, 2020
|
CONNECT WITH OCA
ON SOCIAL MEDIA..... |
|
|
|
Featured Content
|
Virtual 2020 State of the Association Program
Register Now for the OCA 2020 State of the Association program, scheduled for Thursday, May 28. This year's program will be virtual and there is no charge to participate.
State of the Association 2020 will include a panel of senior OCA staff and volunteer leaders, moderated by the Board Chair, Mike Ciammaichella of The Ruhlin Company. The program will include a broad overview of key association goals, along with information about action being taken on current OCA initiatives.
Expect to hear about how OCA is working on the membership's behalf in areas of:
* Legislative & Environmental Affairs
* Labor & Employment Law
* Public Agencies including ODOT
Plan to participate and support your Association and 2020 Board Chair, Mike Caimmaichella of The Ruhlin Company.
When: Thursday, May 28
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Register: Click here to register
If registering more than one person, you will be asked on the registration page to provide email addresses for each individual attending.
Cost: No Charge
Any questions about this program, please feel free to contact LuAnn Weethee at OCA 614-488-0724 or email her at [email protected]. |
|
News |
Free Safety Webinar on May 26th
The National Safety Council has notified OCA about a free safety webinar on Tuesday May 26th at 1:00 p.m., Ohio time.
Focusing on serious injuries and fatalities, the webinar will discuss why organizations are starting to recognize that the causes of potentially life-threatening events are very different from the causes of other events with lower severity potential. They will discuss a new shift emphasizing a focus on high-exposure events. The session is designed to help employers understand why people do what they do, especially during situations that may lead to serious injuries and fatalities.
OCA encourages its members to take advantage of this informative safety session. For additional information and registration instructions, click here.
New OSHA Guidance for COVID-19 Related Cases Effective May 26, 2020
Columbus – May 20, 2020 - Today, OSHA’s Columbus Area Office provided OCA with two updated COVID-19 related enforcement guides.
The first, an Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provides instructions and guidance to Area Offices and compliance safety and health officers (CSHOs) for handling COVID-19-related complaints, referrals, and severe illness reports. On May 26, 2020, the previous memorandum on this topic will be rescinded, and this new Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan will go into and remain in effect until further notice. This guidance is intended to be time-limited to the current COVID-19 public health crisis. Click here to view the Updated Interim Enforcement Response Plan.
The second memorandum, a Revised Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provides updated interim guidance to Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) for enforcing the requirements of 29 CFR Part 1904 with respect to the recording of occupational illnesses, specifically cases of COVID-19. On May 26, 2020, the previous memorandum on this topic will be rescinded, and this new memorandum will go into and remain in effect until further notice. This guidance is intended to be time-limited to the current COVID-19 public health crisis. Click here to view the Revised Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of COVID-19.
For more information about COVID -19 please visit OSHA’s COVID-19 webpage and CDC's COVID-19 webpage .
Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund Grant Applications
Ohio EPA invites grant applications to the Diesel Mitigation Trust Fund, for the repower or replacement of diesel fleet vehicles in 26 Ohio priority counties with new clean diesel or alternative fuel (CNG, LNG, propane, diesel electric hybrid) or all-electric vehicles and equipment. Eligible vehicles include school, transit and shuttle buses, medium and heavy duty trucks, switcher locomotives and cargo handling equipment at ports, airports and intermodal facilities. Applications must be submitted online through Ohio EPA’s Customer Support Center, and are due no later than 3:00 pm on Friday August 7th. A total of $12 million is available this cycle, and grant awards will range from $50,000 to $2 million. The program is supported with dollars allocated to Ohio from the Volkswagen Mitigation Trust settlement.
Two webinars offered as Microsoft Teams Live events have been scheduled to provide an overview of the program and offer an opportunity for prospective applicants to ask questions. If you would like to attend a webinar, please click the link that corresponds to the webinar you would like to attend. Please note that identical information will be presented at both webinars so you only need to attend one of the two sessions and it is not necessary to have Microsoft Teams software on your computer to participate in these webinars.
Link to Session 1 (Thursday June 4, 2020 from 9:30 am to 11:00 am):
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MDFjMjBiM2ItMzgzYi00YzBhLTg1NzYtNjYzMzk3YjMwMDM3%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2250f8fcc4-94d8-4f07-84eb-36ed57c7c8a2%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22993abb45-fb57-427b-84bd-69f3c59e1daa%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d
Link to Session 2 (Tuesday June 9, 2020 from 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm):
https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_MTg1NzMwNGYtOWNkMy00ZTVlLTk3MzYtNjBhOWE5MWJiZWY2%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2250f8fcc4-94d8-4f07-84eb-36ed57c7c8a2%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22993abb45-fb57-427b-84bd-69f3c59e1daa%22%2c%22IsBroadcastMeeting%22%3atrue%7d
Presentation slides and questions and answers from both sessions will be posted on the program website. Applicants may contact Ohio EPA staff members with questions throughout the grant cycle. Ohio EPA will continue to update the list of questions and answers regularly so that all applicants have access to the same information.
COVID-19 Liability Protections & Unfair Legal Presumptions of Work-Contracted Cases
OCA and other local chapters throughout the U.S. are working with our national affiliate, AGC to secure targeted and reasonable liability protections against legal claims arising from the current pandemic to protect construction firms following recognized safety and health protocols to guard against the spread of COVID-19. In addition, there is on ongoing effort to bar legal presumptions—which have begun appearing in some states in the context of workers compensation claims—that a construction employee with COVID-19 contracted the virus from exposure while at work. The House of Representative’s latest $3 trillion pandemic relief bill provides no protections in either of these arenas. AGC is working with key members of the Senate to secure these objectives in the next enacted relief bill.
Similar legislation is also being pursued in the Ohio General Assembly. There are currently bills pending in both the House and Senate that would grant civil immunity to essential businesses operating during the stay-at-home order. AGC Ohio and OCA submitted a joint statement in support of the House version of the bill and will likely do the same for the Senate version. Addressing this issue has been deemed a priority for the leaders of both chambers and will likely be approved before the legislature adjourns for summer recess.
Please contact Mark Potnick in the OCA office via email at [email protected], or by phone at 614-488-0726 if you have any questions.
|
Franklin County Engineer Establishes Equitable Business Enterprise (EBE) Program for Locally Funded Projects
Cornell R. Robertson, P.E., P.S., Franklin County Engineer, announces the establishment of the Franklin County Engineer’s Equitable Business Enterprise (EBE) Program for Locally Funded Projects. The program is intended to help remove barriers that impede the participation of disadvantaged businesses in FCEO locally funded projects, assist the development of firms that can compete successfully in the marketplace outside of the EBE program and foster nondiscrimination in the award and administration of FCEO locally funded projects.
“On behalf of the citizens of Franklin County, I have established the Franklin County Engineer’s Equitable Business Enterprise (EBE) Program for Locally Funded Projects. As The Franklin County Engineer, it is my objective that disadvantaged businesses have an equal opportunity to receive and participate in FCEO-administered contracts and procurement activities, and to promote the use of disadvantaged businesses in all types of contracts and procurement activities conducted by the Franklin County Engineer’s Office,” said Cornell Robertson.
Engineer Robertson has designated Diversity & Inclusion Coordinator, Simone Burley as the Administrator of the program. Mrs. Burley says, “Engineer Robertson’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion has resulted in the implementation of an excellent program that will promote the use of disadvantaged businesses in FCEO locally funded construction projects. It is important that the program contributes to the development of disadvantaged businesses that are ready, willing and able to compete for contracts within the construction industry.”
The Franklin County Engineer’s Resurfacing Program, which opened bids on Tuesday, May 19, 2020 is the first FCEO project to utilize the new FCEO EBE program.
For more information about Franklin County Engineer’s Office construction projects, visit our website: www.franklincountyengineer.org. |
|
"Construction has been a source of consistency throughout the pandemic. Now is a great time to recruit new workers from other industries who may have been laid off from nonessential work or are looking for a new path forward. Explore the I Build America - Ohio blog for more information about the consistency of construction and how contractors across the state are implementing safe practices.
Do you have a story to share? Reach out to [email protected]!" |
Quick Links to On-line OCA Resources
• Current Ohio Contractor Magazine
• Safety Resources
• Labor & Employment Information
• OCA President's Commentary
|
|
Upcoming Events |
Click here for current events |
|
|
|
Safety Talks |
|
This email was sent to {#party.Email} because you are subscribed to the Ohio Contractors Association weekly e-Newsletter.
This email was sent by: Ohio Contractors Association, 1313 Dublin Rd, Columbus, OH 43215
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|