Archives: News Items

Hazard Communication Compliance Made Easy With Electronic Access to Safety Data Sheets

For mechanical construction and service employers the most challenging part of compliance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard is making a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS), for every chemical substance that workers could be exposed to, readily accessible to them at all times. Electronic access to current, mechanical industry-specific SDSs is made easy with SDS BinderWorks.

The hazard communication management system makes it simple to comply with other hazard communication compliance requirements as well, such as establishing a written hazard communication program and meeting chemical substance labeling requirements. To learn what SDS BinderWorks can do for you, watch the video.

https://youtu.be/TKyFmkGXv_k

If you like what you see, take advantage of the 5% discount for MCAA and MSCA members. To establish service or learn more about the hazard communication management system, contact SDS BinderWorks, Inc.

Toll Free: 877-433-7774
Email: info@sdsbinderworks.com

Kathleen McCauley Elected to the MCAA Board of Directors

Kathleen (Kathy) McCauley was unanimously elected to MCAA’s Board of Directors this week.

She is the President of McCauley Mechanical Construction, Inc., a full-service mechanical contractor with projects ranging from boiler and chiller installation to medical-gas and industrial piping, and complete Design/Build and HVAC service maintenance services. The company, with headquarters in Bridgeview, IL, serves the Chicagoland area.

Kathy serves on MCAA’s Project Managers Education Committee, which oversees the curriculum for the Institute for Project Management and Advanced Institute for Project Management. She is also a member of the Women in the Mechanical Industry Initiative Steering Committee.

She previously served on the Career Development Committee, the driving force behind MCAA’s Career Development Initiative. She spoke at MCAA’s GreatFutures Forum and its predecessor, the Student Chapter Summit. In addition, she provided the project for the 2013-2014 Student Chapter Competition.

She is a graduate of MCAA’s Advanced Leadership Institute.

At the local level, she has held a variety of positions with the MCA of Chicago, where her efforts were recognized with the organization’s Distinguished Service Award. She was the association’s President, Vice President and a member of the Board of Directors. Her committee service has included chairing the association’s Technology Committee as well as serving on committees addressing Engineering, Codes, JATC, JAB, and Green Building. She also serves as a trustee with the Pipe Fitters UA local 597 Pension/Health & Welfare.

Distracted Driving Accidents Continue to Rise – These Resources Help You Address the Issue Head-On

Traffic fatalities increased by 6% in 2016, and 27% of crashes involve drivers talking and/or texting on cell phones. With daunting numbers like these, it’s no surprise that distracted driving is a concern for mechanical construction and service companies. These MCAA resources will help you address this concern head-on.

Get up to speed quickly

MCAA’s Distracted Driving Safety Bulletin will bring you up to speed quickly.

Download

Establish rules of the road

MCAA’s Distracted Driving Reduction and Prevention Guide will help you:

Establish a written policy to reduce or prevent distracted driving in your company
Train all affected drivers/workers
Learn about technologies to reduce or prevent distracted driving

Download

Provide additional worker training

MCAA’s Workplace Distractions Safety Training Video will help your workers recognize and avoid the four most common industry-related workplace distractions:

Driving distractions
Electronic distractions
Environmental distractions
Personal distractions

Download or play the video

Accompanying materials are also available to assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts:

Want even more safety resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Introducing the Women in the Mechanical Industry Initiative Page

MCAA/MSCA’s Women in the Mechanical Industry Initiative has a new home on the MCAA website! If you’re a woman executive or employee of an MCAA/MSCA member company, this page will keep you up to date on our efforts to enable women in the mechanical industry to further enrich their careers through networking, educational, mentoring and career development opportunities beyond those already offered through membership in MCAA and MSCA.

Get a Grip on Your Business at MSCA18

EOS is a comprehensive business system with real, simple, practical tools that helps business leaders clarify, simplify and achieve their vision. During this bonus optional session, “Are You Running Your Business or is it Running You?,” attendees will learn how to see their business in a whole new light and to achieve better results through strengthening the Six Key Components™ of a great organization (Vision, People, Data, Issues, Process and Traction). The outcome creates alignment and synchronizes all the pieces of your business to produce the results you want. This special session will take place on Sunday, October 21 from 7:30 a.m. – noon prior to the start of the MSCA conference. Cost is $300 and includes all program materials and copy of the book “What the Heck is EOS,” co-authored by program presenter Tom Bouwer.

Contractor Magazine Features Organizations that Empower Women

An article in Contractor Magazine featured organizations that support women in our industry, including MCAA’s Women in the Mechanical Industry initiative!

PCA Launches New Program for Plumbing Service Contractors

The PCA, MCAA’s subsidiary association for plumbing contractors, held their first Plumbing Service Roundtable on June 21 at the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Hotel. The meeting brought together plumbing contractors that were already performing service work to allow them to share ideas and learn from their peers.

“The format really helped us to to be as productive as possible,” PCA Chairman Scott Wallenstein, Neptune Plumbing shared. “The meeting allowed us to be out of the office only one day and concentrate on solutions. Most of the attendees are service managers and although we need to devote time to education, its hard to get out of the office for extended stretches.”

The roundtable was able to pack in sessions on recruiting, training, software, technology, niche markets, inventory, sales and collective bargaining into a one-day session. Each topic was combined with presentations, table discussions and group discussions so that contractors were able to learn from each other and gain valuable insight from each other’s experiences.

Contractors were able to share and demonstrate solutions they were using for sales software, bid proposals, and dispatch software. Attendees were also able to see a demonstration of next generation service technology, thanks to Matthew King of XOi Technologies. In the demonstration, attendees were able to see how service software is adapting to integrate with all of the features of mobile phones and even augmented reality.

Due to the success of the meeting, the PCA is planning on having up to two more plumbing service roundtables next year. To learn more, contact Sean McGuire with MCAA.

Find the Latest from MIFAB, Inc., Rhumbix, Inc. and More in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

MIFAB, Inc.
Serving all of the USA, Canada, Australia and the Middle East, MIFAB can provide you with the quality, engineered plumbing and drainage solutions you need. Innovative product designs save the installer time and material cost and provide the owner with higher quality cast stainless steel drains and cleanouts for the same cost as the industry standard nickel bronze.

Learn More

Rhumbix, Inc.
Rhumbix is the only app dedicated to Foremen. Limit inaccuracies, receive time cards daily, expedite payroll, and automatically track production.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website to learn how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with cost-saving and productivity-enhancing applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Rethink Leadership, People and Teams at MSCA18

Steve Thomas, one of MSCA’s most highly rated speakers, will explore that one common thing effective leaders and cultures have that enables them to accomplish great things, in and through people. You will be challenged to rethink the steps it takes to create a culture in which people can come to work and be the best version of themselves and experience full engagement. Warning: it’s not normal!

During The Scooch Project, Steve will navigate the riddle of disengagement and empty! Why is it that two leaders can do the exact same thing and get two completely different results? Why can two companies be the same in so many areas and yet one is fun to work for and the other drives people insane? According to researchers, 70% of our workforce is disengaged. Why? In this session, Steve will explore that one common thing effective leaders and cultures have that enables them to accomplish great things, in and through people. You will be challenged to rethink the steps it takes to create a culture in which people can come to work and be the best version of themselves and experience full engagement. Warning: it’s not normal!

If you have not previously participated in a program taught by Steve Thomas, you have certainly been missing out! Join us for MSCA18 to hear him speak.

Keep Your Service Techs Safe in the Field – This Video Can Help!

MCAA’s Mechanical Service Safety Training Video teaches your service techs how to protect themselves from the most common safety hazards in the field.

Your workers will learn:

How to conduct a quick walk-around vehicle inspection
Why it’s important to preplan their days to ensure that they have the right tools, materials and safety equipment on hand
How to protect themselves and others while driving
Why they should check in with their supervisor or someone at the office when working alone
How to safely set up and use ladders
When fall prevention/protection are needed and how to properly protect themselves
How to protect themselves from electrical hazards while working on equipment pushing 480 volts or less
What additional protection is needed when working on equipment pushing more than 480 volts

Download or play the video

There’s More…

Accompanying materials are also available to assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts:

Highlight key training points

Download the Pocket Guide

Document worker training

Download the Documentation Sheet

Confirm that workers understand the training concepts

Download the Test

Download the Test Answer Key

Want More Safety Resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Download Your New Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide Today!

The full-featured digital version of our Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide enhances the look and feel of our directory with digital-only benefits to help you:

Network on the go with linked email addresses.
Connect with the companies, products and services that interest you using linked web addresses.
Get where you’re going…fast…with bookmarks and a linked table of contents.
Find advertisers instantly with a linked advertiser index.

MCAA’s Membership Directory & Buyer’s Guide is free as a member benefit. Printed directories are in the mail and will arrive to members within the next two weeks.

Download Your Copy

Have updates? Please share! Update your profile on our website, or contact Jan Grillo for assistance.

Discover the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co., ManufactOn and More in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® a Member of Morris Group International
Inspectors in California have become more stringent in enforcing a code that has been on the books for a while. As with many construction trends, what happens in CA soon spreads across the country.

Learn More

ManufactOn
ManufactOn is a SaaS (mobile/web) platform that helps construction firms plan, track and manage both prefabrication and regular material handling. The ManufactOn platform helps optimize the end-to-end prefabrication process.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Goshen Mechanical Accelerates Cash Flow, Eliminates Errors with MobiliForms

Goshen Mechanical is billing on the same day as service, has eliminated lost work orders, and has increased customer satisfaction by adopting MobiliForms from iBusiness Technologies. Cash flow has accelerated from even larger customers, such as hospitals, that now pay in as little as four days when Goshen times the invoice submissions to synch with their accounts payable cycle. “We should have adopted MobiliForms a year ago,” said Chris Gaffney, co-owner of Goshen.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Visit the Smart Solutions Case Studies area of our website! You’ll see how other mechanical contractors found their win-win with productivity-enhancing and cost-saving applications from members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

OSHA Now Enforcing Requirements for Laboratory Evaluation of Silica Exposure Samples

OSHA’s requirements for laboratory evaluation of silica exposure samples became enforceable on June 23, 2018. All other requirements for construction employers in the agency’s Respirable Crystalline Silica Standard became enforceable on September 23, 2017. If you’re using Table 1 to comply with the standard, the laboratory evaluation requirements don’t apply. However, if you’re using alternative exposure control methods to comply, you’ll need to ensure that your company is in compliance with the Methods of Sample Analysis described in Appendix A of the standard . If you have any questions about the standard, please contact Pete Chaney at pchaney@mcaa.org, or 301-990-2214.

Learn How to Grow Your Business Using a Building’s Data at MSCA18

At this year’s MSCA18 education conference in Huntington Beach, CA, experts Sunny Sandhu and Keith La Rose from CopperTree Analytics will explore how equipping your mechanical service offering with advanced building analytics software technology can add additional revenue streams to your business. These additional revenue streams include pull through service work uncovered by advanced analytics, as well as getting more out of your service technicians by using advanced analytics to perform data and performance driven maintenance versus the traditional time based maintenance. This technology can also allow you to stand apart from your competition and provide an innovative solution by offering automated fault detection and diagnostics and energy baselining and benchmarking. Real-world case study examples will be showcased, highlighting project results and return on investment.

Register early for MSCA18 to ensure your participation at this year’s conference scheduled for October 21 – 24 at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa.

Martin Associates Partners with Victaulic, Stays on Budget, Ahead of Schedule

Using Victaulic grooved mechanical solutions and Construction Piping Services (CPS) for a cramped mechanical room in a new luxury apartment building, Martin Associates streamlined its drawing and installation processes, reduced waste, and cut overall project costs by three to four percent. Martin successfully installed, tested, and completed the HVAC system at 525 West 52nd Street in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in a week and a half, staying on budget and ahead of schedule.

LEARN MORE

Looking for More Smart Solutions?

Plus, you’ll find tips and ideas on other ways you and your company can save money and enhance your productivity.

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Explore the Latest from DEWALT Industrial Tool Company, Viega and More in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

DEWALT Industrial Tool Company
DEWALT® announces the 9” 60V MAX* Cut-Off Saw (DCS690). As part of the growing FLEXVOLT® System, the 9” 60V MAX* Cut-Off Saw offers the freedom of power without gas while in use.

Learn More

Viega
Time-consuming piping system repairs can lead to longer downtimes and lost revenue. A Viega MegaPress® Stainless fitting can be installed in 7 seconds or less, to get production back online quickly.

Learn More

Need Something Else?

Find many more smart solutions in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show!

Visit the Virtual Trade Show

Speaking of Smart Solutions

This section of our website also includes tips and ideas to help your company save money and enhance your productivity. Don’t miss it!

VISIT SMART SOLUTIONS

Targeted Programming for Women Professionals Continues at MSCA18

If you’re a woman executive or employee of an MCAA/MSCA member company and you’re headed to MSCA18, join us for a luncheon and discussion on Monday, October 22. This is a unique opportunity to develop some important connections!

The event continues MCAA/MSCA’s Women in the Mechanical Industry initiative, a forum to enable women in the mechanical industry to further enrich their careers through networking, educational, mentoring and career development opportunities beyond those already offered through membership in MCAA and MSCA.

Safe Work Practices are Key During Pressure Testing Operations – This Guide Has Them!

MCAA’s Guide to Pressure Testing Safety highlights the safe work practices that can help prevent worker injury during hydrostatic and pneumatic testing of steel and copper piping systems.

Your workers will learn about:

Hazards associated with pressure testing
Common injuries resulting from pressure testing
Seven causes of piping system failures during pressure test operations that can result in injury, and how to avoid them
Safe work practices for hydrostatic testing
Safe work practices for pneumatic testing

The guide also contains tools to help you with pre-test safety planning, including sample checklists for both hydrostatic and pneumatic testing. A sample pneumatic test permit is also included.

Download the guide

There’s More…

A safety training video on the topic of safe pressure testing is also available. Accompanying materials will assist you in highlighting key training points, documenting worker training and confirming that workers understand the training concepts.

Provide worker training

Download or play the video

Highlight key training points

Download the Pocket Guide

Document worker training

Download the Documentation Sheet

Confirm that workers understand the training concepts

Download the Test

Download the Test Answer Key

Want More Safety Resources?

MCAA has you covered, with a full range of resources to help you protect your workers from injury and comply with applicable safety regulations. Here’s where to find them:

On our Direct Links to MCAA & MSCA Safety Resources page, where they’re listed by category with links.

Go there now

In the Resource Center, where you can use the blue Refine Your Search bar to pinpoint exactly what you’re looking for.

Visit the Resource Center

Have questions or need personal assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Find the Latest from Sloan Valve Company, Omegaflex, Inc. and More in MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show

MCAA’s Virtual Trade Show connects our contractor members with the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new products, product lines, services, solutions or web pages of particular interest. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

Sloan Valve Company
Three New SloanStone® Models. Thoughtfully designed sinks that exceed the demands of high-traffic commercial restrooms.