A new volume of toolbox safety talks is now available. MCAA Toolbox Safety Talks for Mechanical Construction Workers (Volume VI) features 52 new talks representing one talk for each week in a calendar year. Volume VI also features a new format, which now highlights the potential hazards and primary exposures at the beginning of each talk, and includes a relevant picture to make each talk more engaging. Topic categories include:

• Silica
• Confined Spaces in Construction
• Lesser Known Potential Health and Physical Hazards
• Potentially Hazardous Substances/Energy Sources
• Potentially Hazardous Equipment
• Protective Equipment/Emergency Planning
• Miscellaneous
• Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Recordkeeping

The new resource is free to members as a benefit of membership and is accessible here.

Each year the National Safety Council encourages America to celebrate National Safety Month (June). MCAA is helping you celebrate this year with three new safety resources. The resources, which include MCAA Toolbox Safety Talks for Mechanical Construction Workers  (Volume VI), MSCA Safety Manual for Mechanical Service Technicians (Third Edition), and MCAA Safety Manual for Mechanical Construction Workers (Eighth Edition), will be made available to members for free this month as a benefit of membership. MCAA will announce the release of each new safety resource, all of which will be accessible here.

MCAA’s highly-rated Field Leaders Conference gives your project supervisors the chance to learn some new skills that could make the difference on your jobs.

The success of your projects depends on the ability of your field leaders to bring them in on time and on budget. Effective field leaders need the skills and knowledge to understand the tasks that must be accomplished, how to motivate staff and labor to work productively, solve project challenges quickly and effectively, relate positively with customers, suppliers and colleagues and to use strategies that will increase productivity and profits.

The conference will be held October 11, 2017 – October 13, 2017 in Philadelphia, PA. Participants will acquire skills needed to be business and results-oriented managers focused on growing your company’s profits and brand.

Your employees will learn how to communicate and plan more effectively and be proactive jobsite leaders. Only a few spots remain so learn more, download a registration form or register your field leaders online!

MCAA’s 2017 GreatFutures Forum (September 28-30, Indianapolis, IN) will bring together students from across the U.S. and Canada with MCAA members who want to hire them. Their mutual interest in our industry and its potential to grow and thrive will electrify this exciting conference.

The centerpiece of the Forum and the kick-off event is Future Fest, an exhibit of MCAA members—mechanical, service and plumbing contractors and manufacturers and suppliers—who want to hire the best students majoring in mechanical engineering, architectural engineering, construction management and other disciplines related to our industry for either internships or full-time positions.  MCAA members who hire students during the Forum will also have the opportunity to apply for a from the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) for each student hired and they will receive a $500 gift card.

That’s not all!  The program features must-see speakers that include MCAA President Greg Fuller, industry consultant Kevin Dougherty on the importance of communication in the field and world-renowned futurist Thomas Frey on future career changes coming for today’s new professionals. The annual mini competition (including Forum Frenzy), a presentation by the Student Chapter of the Year (University of Missouri-Columbia) and the announcement of the 2017-2018 Student Chapter Competition will keep you guessing and engaged.

As a special treat, we’re taking over the NCAA Hall of Champions Friday evening for dinner, a tour and an evening of fun, relaxation and interactive games.

This is a conference for everyone, especially for MCAA members who want to hire bright, well-qualified students from the best universities and colleges with engineering and construction programs and their students who want to work for industry champions. All the Forum details are included in the colorful brochure (follow the link below). Registration is opening shortly; watch for the announcement and then sign uip.

Please contact Harlee Gallo with questions.

Download the Brochure

Helping MCAA members manage projects and their costs more effectively is the aim of two new Management Methods Bulletins just published by MCAA’s Management Methods Committee — PDF Editing Utilization for the Mechanical Contractor and Managing Retainage — A Critical Component of Effective Cash Flow.  

The Advanced Leadership Institute’s (ALI) Team 5 created the .pdf editing bulletin as their project for Course 16. Although several software products are available to edit project documents in .pdf format (a list of products is provided), this bulletin focuses on Bluebeam, which is widely used in the construction industry. Effective use of the software as a project collaboration tool can save considerable costs in shipping, printing and labor hours spent on the planning process. The bulletin’s content covers: Document Editing and Mark-ups, File Editing and Search Functions, Projects and Sessions. Each section explains its basic functions and benefits to project management and collaboration.

Another critical component of project management is retainage fees. Traditionally, retainage has been a means of ensuring a job is completed through the punch list before the full fee is paid. More recently, however, retainage is being held through the warranty period, which creates cash flow issues for the contractor. This bulletin offers some advice and strategies to help contractors manage retainage effectively and avoid cash flow disruptions.

Download your free Management Methods bulletins — PDF Editing Utilization for the Mechanical Contractor and Managing Retainage — A Critical Component of Effective Cash Flow — a benefit of MCAA membership.