June 3, 2016

News

OCA’S Residency Bill Signed this Week byGovernor Kasich
On May 31st, OCA’s anti-residency bill was signed into law by Governor John Kasich, ending more than 18 months of extensive efforts by the Ohio Contractors Association to pass a law prohibiting the state and cities from requiring contractors and design consultants to hire local workers as part of public works contracts. House Bill 180 will take effect in 90 days

Several cities around the state, most noticeably Akron, Cleveland and Cincinnati, have been requiring contractors to comply with ever-expanding local hiring requirements.

This policy has given a competitive bidding advantage to out-of-state contractors and their employees, and made it harder for OCA members to compete on Ohio’s public works contracts. The local hiring requirements also made it more problematic for OCA members to operate with our highly effective work force.

At various times over the last year and a half, OCA’s anti-residency language had been added to both the ODOT budget bill and the General Revenue Fund budget bill before being removed. OCA then had the bill introduced in the Ohio House of Representatives by State Representative Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) and in the Ohio Senate by State Senator Joe Uecker (R-Loveland). Both legislators were extremely committed to passage of the legislation, as was State Representative Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City), who was one of our earliest supporters.

To push for passage of the bill, OCA organized a broad-based coalition that included other trade associations and labor. Key leaders of the coalition included the Operating Engineers Local 18 and the AGC of Ohio.

A great deal of opposition arose from the mayors of Cleveland and Akron, as well as members of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, some labor groups and nearly every House and Senate Democrat. The Governor had been under heavy pressure to kill the bill by using his veto pen.

The Governor’s signature ensures that Ohio’s contractors will have a level playing field when competing for Ohio’s public works dollars. Thanks to the Ohio General Assembly for passing House Bill 180 and many thanks to Governor Kasich for signing the bill.

Upcoming Events

Better Understand New Silica Rule with Free Webinar June 16
In March, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released the long-anticipated Occupational Crystalline Silica Rule.

OCA is offering a free webinar on June 16 from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. to provide your safety staff with information about this rule. Please share this program information with any others on your team that would benefit.

Among other provisions, the final rule:
• Reduces the permissible exposure limit (PEL) for respirable crystalline silica to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air, averaged over an 8-hour shift.

• Requires employers to: use engineering controls (such as water or ventilation) to Limit worker exposure to the PEL; provide respirators when engineering controls cannot adequately limit exposure; limit worker access to high exposure areas; develop a written exposure control plan, offer medical exams to highly exposed workers, and training workers on silica risks and how to limit exposures.

The rule is effective June 23, 2016; construction will only have until June 23, 2017 to comply with most provisions.

In order to meet this deadline, some initial steps must begin this year.

During this webinar, we will discuss:
• What's in the new standard
• How it impacts your business
• What you need to do
• Deadlines for compliance

The program will be presented by Dianne Grote Adams, MS, CIH, CSP, CPEA. Diane is president/owner of Safex, Inc., a business health and safety consulting firm located in Columbus.

Clickhere to register. All registrants will receive a link to log-in to the program by June 9. For more information, contact, OCA Director of Chapter Development Melanie Kitchen, [email protected] or 614-488-0724.

Click here to view OCA's upcoming events.

Safety Talks

Click hereto view the OCA JobsiteSafety Talk.