Archives: News Items

Adverse Reactions to Employer Mandated COVID-19 Vaccines Are OSHA Recordable Cases

If your company is requiring its employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 it runs the risk of acquiring recordable illness cases. Recent revisions to OSHA’s frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic indicates that OSHA considers employees’ negative reactions to the COVID-19 vaccines to be “work-related” and therefore, subject to recordkeeping and reporting mandates when an employer “requires” the vaccination. The question and answer from the updated FAQs follows.

If I require my employees to take the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of their employment, are adverse reactions to the vaccine recordable? If you require your employees to be vaccinated as a condition of employment (i.e., for work-related reasons), then any adverse reaction to the COVID-19 vaccine is work-related. The adverse reaction is recordable if it is a new case under 29 CFR 1904.6 and meets one or more of the general recording criteria in 29 CFR 1904.7.

Updated FAQs

Northern Ohio Plumbing’s Creativity Cuts Costs With Space-Saving Installation of A. O. Smith Tankless Units

Northern Ohio Plumbing Co., Inc.’s (NOP’s) creative approach to mounting A. O. Smith tankless water heaters saved the contractor installation costs and saved floor space in the mechanical room. The water heaters themselves and the layout of the mechanical room promise to make maintenance a snap.The owners of the Holiday Inn-Cleveland Clinic, which opened in May, were inspired to use tankless water heaters because of the nearby Cleveland Clinic’s interest in energy efficiency and sustainability. The 199,000-BTU A. O. Smith units deliver a uniform energy factor of 0.93 and, working together, provide more than enough hot water for the guests and staff of the hotel. Ultimately, NOP put in 29 wall-mounted A. O. Smith ATI 540H-N fully modulating condensing tankless water heaters.

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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

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Twenty Top Hazards – Part 2 Safety Resources

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Twenty Top Safety Hazards Training Video – Part 2 and its accompanying materials. These resources will teach your workers to recognize and protect themselves from twenty more of the top safety hazards in mechanical construction.

Your workers will learn how to recognize and protect themselves from hazards related to: fires from hot work, flammable liquids, flammable gases, compressed gas cylinders, pressure testing, line breaking, stored electrical energy, power lines, welding and cutting fumes, asbestos, lead based paint, silica, bloodborne pathogens, excessive noise, heat exhaustion/heat stroke, hypothermia/frostbite, inadequate lighting, unprotected stairways, falls with scaffolds, and falls from scaffolds.

If you missed our last article, you can find information about Part 1 here.

MCAA’s Twenty Top Safety Hazards – Part 2 Includes

Video | Pocket Guide | Documentation Sheet | Test | Answer Key

You Might Also Like These Related Resources

Access All of MCAA’s Safety Resources

Learn more about safety and health in our industry and access safety-related resources in these locations:

If you have questions about any of these resources or MCAA’s Safety Excellence Initiative, contact Pete Chaney.

Matrix HG, Inc. Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

Matrix HG, Inc. was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards winner for 2020 in Size Category 2, 100,001 – 250,000 Work Hours. Matrix HG, Inc.’s COVID-19 virtual safety education program set the company apart.

To help keep its workers safe where COVID-19 could be present, Matrix HG implemented a series of virtual safety education sessions. For example, a session on HVAC System Maintenance and Filter Replacement During the COVID-19 Pandemic covered pressure drop, snug filters, and filter disinfection. A second session on Ultraviolet Energy (UV-C) Ultraviolet Energy addressed the UV spectrum, modern UVGI lamps, UV-C light emitting diodes, and the types of disinfecting systems using UV-C energy.

The MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards Program began in the 1990s when MCAA partnered with CNA Insurance. It is a fiercely competitive program in which only the best of the best compete for the awards.

Participants are required to describe their safety programs in detail, including how they achieved safety excellence and why they believe they deserve the award. The Safety Awards Selection Taskforce, which is led by CNA, carefully evaluates each submission looking for safety leadership, an advanced safety culture, effective leading indicators of safety performance, and innovative safety initiatives that helped the company achieve an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence.

MCAA and CNA congratulate Matrix HG for achieving such a high degree of safety excellence in 2020.

Find the Latest from Lochinvar, LLC and Bitzer US, Inc. 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:

Lochinvar, LLC
Available on the CREST® Condensing Boiler, Realtime O2 Feedback™ monitors the air/fuel ratio for optimal combustion performance.

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Bitzer Screw CSH

Bitzer US, Inc.
BITZER is a global leader in the manufacture of Screw, Scroll and Semi-Hermetic Reciprocating Compressors for commercial A/C and refrigeration applications.

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

Raken Outlines Three Ways to Maximize Efficiency During COVID-19

COVID-19 has changed the way we work—in construction and beyond. From implementing new safety protocols to navigating delays, contractors have more processes to learn and more variables to consider. Here are three ways you can use digital technology to maximize your efficiency during the pandemic.

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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

Post COVID-19 Vaccine Jobsite Safety Guidelines

According to the CDC, COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. Some individuals may experience side effects, but they are typically short lived. For the most part, the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the short lived side effects. With more Americans receiving the vaccines every day it is important to start planning for the post vaccine era. These guidelines are intended to help you do just that, but it is likely that they will change several times over the coming months, so please continuously watch for updates from MCAA.   

What We Do NOT Know About the Vaccines

There is still much that we do not know about the vaccines, so even fully vaccinated individuals need to follow COVID-19 safety protocol while working just about anywhere. Here is why:

  • We do not know whether the vaccines keep vaccinated individuals from spreading the virus;
  • We do not know how long the vaccine protects vaccinated individuals against the virus; and
  • We do not know how effective the vaccines are against variants of the virus.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals

An individual is “fully vaccinated” when he or she has had both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, AND two full weeks have passed since the last injection.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals at Work

Fully vaccinated employees on jobsites, in fabrication shops, in office buildings and in other public areas performing regular duties that do not require specialized or additional personal protective equipment should:

  • Wear a two-ply face covering that completely covers the nose and mouth;
  • Practice proper hand hygiene by frequently washing hands and/or using hand sanitizers; and
  • Maintain a social distance of at least 6 feet from all other individuals.

When social distancing requirements must be suspended, such as when two workers are needed for the safe manual handling of materials, the affected workers should continue to wear their face coverings, don face shields, wear work gloves, and limit the amount of time they will be working together closer than 6 feet to less than 15 minutes.

Employers

Affected employers should:

  • Require all employees to comply with the protocol;
  • Enforce employee compliance with the protocol; and
  • Ensure that routine environmental cleaning is performed on affected surfaces at least once daily and more frequently when needed.

More frequent cleaning or disinfection should be performed if/when:

  • There is a high transmission of COVID-19 in or around a workplace;
  • The workplace is in an area where people are not wearing masks;
  • The frequency and/or quality of hand hygiene is inadequate for any reason; and/or
  • Individuals with increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 are working in the area.

Fully Vaccinated Individuals Not Working

Once fully vaccinated, individuals outside the workplace can start to do some of the things that have not been acceptable since the pandemic began, such as:

  • Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with fully vaccinated people of any age;  
  • Visit inside a home or private setting without a mask with one household of unvaccinated people who are not at risk for severe illness;
  • Travel domestically without a pre-or post-travel test;
  • Travel domestically without quarantining after travel;
  • Travel internationally without a pre-travel test depending on the destination; and
  • Travel internationally without quarantining after travel.

GUIDELINES PDF

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Twenty Top Hazards – Part 1 Safety Resources

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s Twenty Top Safety Hazards Training Video – Part 1 and its accompanying materials. These resources will teach your workers to recognize and protect themselves from twenty of the top safety hazards in mechanical construction.

Hazards covered include those related to materials handling, exposed body parts, struck-bys, eye hazards, sharp objects, slips and trips, exposed floor holes, ladders, aerial lifts, perimeter protection, falls, tool guards, damaged rigging, electrical hazards, power cords, welding leads, welding arcs, excavations, hazardous materials and confined spaces.

MCAA’s Twenty Top Safety Hazards – Part 1 Includes

Video | Pocket Guide | Documentation Sheet | Test | Answer Key

You Might Also Like These Related Resources

Access All of MCAA’s Safety Resources

Learn more about safety and health in our industry and access safety-related resources in these locations:

If you have questions about any of these resources or MCAA’s Safety Excellence Initiative, contact Pete Chaney.

Mall City Mechanical Earns Top MCAA/CNA Safety Award

Mall City Mechanical was recently recognized as the MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Award winner for 2020 in Size Category 3, 250,001 – 450,000 Work Hours. Mall City Mechanical developed and implemented a successful Safety Competent Person Training Program, which set the company apart.

The training program qualified a person on every company jobsite to maintain appropriate safety awareness and hazard prevention practices. Among other subjects, the Safety Competent Person is trained on silica awareness, ladder safety, fire safety, lockout/tagout, fall protection, and aerial lift safety. In addition to ensuring jobsite safety, the program has allowed the company’s Safety Manager to spend more time on other pressing mechanical industry safety and health issues.

The MCAA/CNA Safety Excellence Awards Program began in the 1990s when MCAA partnered with CNA Insurance. It is a fiercely competitive program in which only the best of the best compete for the awards.

Participants are required to describe their safety programs in detail, including how they achieved safety excellence and why they believe they deserve the award. The Safety Awards Selection Taskforce, which is led by CNA, carefully evaluates each submission looking for safety leadership, an advanced safety culture, effective leading indicators of safety performance, and innovative safety initiatives that helped the company achieve an exceptionally high degree of safety excellence. MCAA and CNA congratulate Mall City Mechanical for achieving such a high degree of safety excellence in 2020.

You are Invited to Participate in NECA’s Safety Professionals Conference

Registration is NOW OPEN for NECA’s virtual, industry-wide safety professionals conference, to be held May 25-26, 2021.

For the first time in NECA history, the 2021 NSPC will be open to NECA members and non-members, allowing industry professionals a chance to gain the full value of NECA’s renowned safety education and networking. Attendees will experience two days of keynotes from leadership and safety experts, breakout sessions, a virtual exhibit hall, lunch entertainment and networking opportunities.

BROCHURE

REGISTER NOW

MSCA Sales Institute – Final Classes for 2021

Limited number of registrations still available.

Last March the world as we had known it changed forever. The pandemic impacted every facet of our lives from how we work, live, play, learn and gather. We had to create new ways of doing business and be creative in how we tackled each day. The role of the salesperson went from meeting clients, selling PM contracts and often prospecting door-to-door to life in a virtual world as a valued advisor and expert. Sales personnel were expected to help customers navigate through new safety concerns, new regulations, tenant anxieties and changing priorities as they dealt with both a health and economic crisis.

Even as the pandemic begins to ebb, the role of the salesperson will never be the same. Many new lessons have been learned. New proven best practices have been implemented. New sales opportunities are flourishing. The MSCA Sales Institute recognizes the impact the pandemic has had on the sales function and has updated all sales classes accordingly in order to better prepare sales teams for future success. NOW is the time to provide this relevant and important training to your sales employees to ensure their skills and abilities are focused, fine-tuned and far-sighted.

The following sales classes currently open for registration:

MSCA Sales Masters Program
Week 1: October 3–7, 2021, Chicago, IL
Week 2: November 7–12, 2021, Houston, TX

This two-week course is designed by MSCA in-the-field experts in partnership with sales specialists from the University of Houston, and is perfect for service sales employees who often find it difficult to get useful training for their level of expertise specific to the mechanical service industry. 

MORE INFORMATION

MSCA Sales Basecamp
October 11–12, 2021, Salt Lake City, UT

This two day, entry-level program for service sales personnel will prepare recent hires with all the relevant skills necessary to confidently sell HVACR/plumbing services while creating added value for the customer

MORE INFORMATION

Three NEW NCPWB Webinar Resources on Piping Codes, ASME Code Welding Requirements & Internal Oxidation with Walter Sperko

Piping Codes and Welding for Mechanical Contracting Managers

There are key aspects about pipe welding that Project Managers and supervisors must understand in order to be sure that welds their company makes are suitable for service and meet contract and Code requirements. Despite the idea that codes are difficult to meet, when properly understood and followed, they can protect a contractor from unreasonable demands by owners and their engineers. Knowing what codes cover allows managers to identify unusual and costly requirements in customer specifications. Understanding what goes on in assembling and welding pipe joints illustrates the importance of performing inspections at critical steps. Codes impose radiography or ultrasonic examinations and customers frequently add additional requirements and knowing how to manage those requirements on a project can make or break a job.

VIEW RESOURCE

Internal Oxidation for Piping Welds

When welding stainless steel and nickel alloy piping using an open root or consumable insert, the root side of the joint (i.e., the inside surface of the pipe at a weld) must be protected from the oxygen in the atmosphere, otherwise the liquid weld metal will oxidize badly creating a surface that is not only discolored but is also quite rough. This roughness and discoloration will reduce the corrosion resistance of the metal at the weld.  In this webinar you will learn what is acceptable level of discoloration of the root side of the stainless-steel pipe weld and provides general guidance on the level of root surface discoloration that can be tolerated for some service conditions

VIEW RESOURCE

The Easy Way to Meet ASME Code Welding Requirements

A contractor has liability when contracts specify meeting ASME B31 Codes. When it comes to welding procedures and welder qualification, meeting those requirements can be challenging. Those responsibilities can be met easily as members of the NCPWB by following a few simple rules that will be explained during this presentation.

VIEW RESOURCE

About the Presenter

Walter J. Sperko is president of Sperko Engineering Services, Inc. in Greensboro, N.C.  The firm provides engineering consulting services to customers in the metal fabrication industries in welding, metallurgy, manufacturing processes, piping and pressure vessel design, inspection and quality assurance. The firm also prepares and conducts training programs in ASME Section IX, piping, welding and metallurgy, as well as custom-tailored programs related to metal fabrication. Prior to his consulting business, Sperko was with RECO North Carolina, Inc. (Colfax, N.C.), ITT Grinnell Industrial Piping, Inc. (Kernersville, N.C.) and Ebasco Services, Inc. (New York, N.Y.).

Connect With the Latest Training from Watts Water Technologies and A.O. Smith at MCAA.org

The Manufacturer/Supplier Training area of MCAA’s website connects our contractor members with training opportunities available from the members of MCAA’s Manufacturer/Supplier Council.

Participating companies highlight and link to new webinars and training opportunities across their product lines, services, solutions or web pages. Here are just a few of the recent additions:

Watts Water Technologies
Watts eLearning system provides access to a wide selection of products and solutions from our family of brands. Courses can be accessed anytime, anywhere; perfect for your busy schedule!

Learn More

A.O. Smith
We offer top notch training, available 24/7. You can learn about our Residential, Commercial, and even Tankless. Training includes items like How it Works, Installation, Application, & Service tips.

Learn More

Interested in More Training from Our Supplier Partners?

Be sure to visit the Manufacturer/Supplier Training area for all the latest offerings.

Learn More

Find the Latest from Jay R. Smith Mfg. Co.® and Delta Faucet Company 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
An air gap is a vertical break between the supply pipe and the receiving source to provide backflow protection into the potable water system. This is required by code to prevent contamination of the potable water system. Optional finishes are chrome-plated brass (-CP) and nickel-plated brass (-NP).

Learn More

Delta Faucet Company
The Delta® MultiChoice® Universal Valve gives you the ability to change shower styles as easily as customers change their minds. Upgrade the style and functionality of your clients’ showers without altering the plumbing behind the wall, offering flexibility that you and your customers will appreciate. With MultiChoice Universal Valves, giving them what they want has never been so simple.

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

J.M. Brennan Saves Time, Materials With Zurn EZ Lavatory Carrier Upgrades

To upgrade four restrooms for PHC—Waterford Clinic, J.M. Brennan, Inc. installed Zurn’s new universal lavatory carriers, saving time and material “without sacrificing support,” said Justin Sherman, J.M. Brennan project manager. The Zurn Z1231EZ Universal Lavatory Carrier is designed to simplify installation. It includes arms that can be adjusted in the field, an independent bracket system that positions horizontally or vertically, and two foot-anchors per upright, instead of four—ultimately saving material, time, and tool wear. Zurn is a sponsor of MCAA’s 2021 Virtual Education Conference.

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

MCAA Highlights EVAPCO, Inc. in Sponsor Spotlight 18

EVAPCO, Inc. is an industry-leading manufacturing company with global resources and solutions for international heat transfer applications. Since 1976, they’ve been dedicated to designing and manufacturing the highest quality products. Through research, innovation, and partnership with leading organizations like MCAA, they’ll continue to be the team you can count on—for life!

The Sponsor Spotlight Series is a new way for MCAA contractor members to learn more about the Manufacturer/Supplier Council (M/SC) Governing Board members, their products, their relationship with MCAA, and what being a member means to them. 

Resource Highlight: MCAA’s Musculoskeletal Wellness Safety Resources

Each week, MCAA will highlight one or more of the educational resources that are free to MCAA members as a benefit of membership. This week, we focus on MCAA’s musculoskeletal wellness safety resources, which can help keep workers safe from one of the mechanical construction and service industry’s most frequently occurring injuries.

Musculoskeletal injuries in the mechanical construction and service industry happen mostly due to poor ergonomics during the manual handling of materials and while performing overhead work. This video addresses the most common causes of non-trauma related musculoskeletal pains and injuries in our industry. It includes safe work and personal health practices to help prevent them.

MCAA’s Musculoskeletal Wellness Safety Resources Include

You Might Also Like This Related Webinar Recording

Have Questions or Need Personal Assistance?

Contact MCAA’s Pete Chaney.

Announcing MSCA21 in Scottsdale, AZ

This year’s MSCA education conference has new dates and a new location! We are excited to announce that MSCA21 will be held at the JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Resort and Spa on October 14 – 17.  This  award-winning Arizona resort provides us the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Sonoran outdoor space at the base of Camelback Mountain.  The conference will begin late Thursday afternoon, October 14th (with a special bonus program Thursday morning) and conclude with our final party on Sunday night, October 17th. As always, the program will be packed with remarkable educational offerings, current industry trends, and the chance to finally reconnect with industry peers!

Once again we have a chance to mingle, to meet, to collaborate on a brighter future. And we will get to do it together, at last. We hope you will join us – in person – in Scottsdale, AZ.

Registration will open in mid-June and hotel room reservations will be limited.