PERMITS

PERMITS How to Obtain City Building Permits During a Widespread Health Challenge

By Helen Callier Contributing Writer

Here’s what we have learned over the years in expediting building permits across the state of Texas and areas in the United States: Regardless if the economy is hot, warm or cold, obtaining a building permit fast is crucial for starting a project on time and in opening new businesses, roadways, etc. for use. This is also the case during natural catastrophes like floods along the Gulf Coast and even when health epidemics occur.

To assist your design or construction company in obtaining a building permit in a timely manner, below you will find 5 basic tips to minimize contributing

factors that can cause a delay.

• QA/QC all documents in your permit package prior to submitting to jurisdictio • Check jurisdiction’s web site for guidelines and checklists based on your project type • Call jurisdiction’s Plan Reviewers and Plan Analysts to discuss areas of concerns • Ask a building code and permitting expert for assistance • Address all RFI’s with enough details versus leaving blank

In addition, with the epidemic causing a lot of concerns for architects, project owners and contractors, we are monitoring state of Texas area jurisdictions impact on staffing, hours of operations, type of submissions and other changes in processes that may delay plan reviews and issuance of permits. Also, most of the jurisdictions that we work with realize the importance of their role and are responding as quickly as possible. All the jurisdictions that we have spoken with are attempting to adhere to normal plan review times, but you should plan for a delay of some magnitude.

Here’s the Latest News on Some Texas Area Here’s the Latest News on Permitting Centers Some Texas Area Permitting Centers

CITY OF PEARLAND (COP) – As of the time of writing this article, COP jurisdiction is business as usual. Check web site for the latest on operation and staff levels.

CITY OF DALLAS (COD) – Electronic submissions of permit packages is the current process. Appointments are required to meet with a Plan Reviewer and to drop off any documents.

CITY OF HOUSTON (COH) – All paper plans are to be converted to soft copy and all submissions are to be done electronically. You can check the web site for information and guidance on submitting online. Inspections at the time of this writing are being completed as usual.

CITY OF AUSTIN (COA) –Onsite meetings occur by appointments only with Plan Reviewers. Inspections are being handled virtually. More information is available on COA’s web site.

CITY OF SAN ANTONIO (COSA) –At the time of this article, it is business as usual and inspection are as usual. Please monitor the web site for any changes as things are changing rapidly or you can call PermitUsNow at 1.844.PERMIT.4.

FORT BEND COUNTY – Meetings with Plan Reviewers and dropping off any documents are by appointment only at the time of this writing. Inspections are as usual.

HARRIS COUNTY –Accepting plans electronically.

In Conclusion

The 5 basic tips shared above are meant to alert the design and construction community to keep in mind simple steps to use to minimize frustration and delays in city permitting. We suggest staying in close communications with jurisdictions, monitoring permitting centers’ web sites, answering your phone and checking your email to make sure progress is being made. Whether the construction market in your region is hot, warm or cold for whatever reason, obtaining a building permit in a timely manner is vital to help make sure structures of all kinds are built safe and ultimately, aid in improving quality of life. If you have updates on changes at jurisdictions and tips on permitting, please let me know. I’d love to hear from you at 1.844.PERMIT.4 and Linkedin. #BuildSafe

Autodesk and Associated General Contractors of America Equip Women in Construction with Properly Fitting Safety Harnesses

Grant Program Provides More Than 300 Women with Harnesses that are Better Designed to Fit & Recruit More Women into Industry

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

Tutodesk and the Associated General Contractors of America are awarding grants to 21 construction firms to provide more than 300 fall protection safety harnesses designed for women, the two groups announced today. The grants are designed to address one of the most significant safety hazards for construction craft professionals and recruit more women into high-paying construction careers. “We recognize the need for more women to join the construction industry to help fill the labor gap, and keeping them as safe as possible must be top priority,” said Allison Scott, director at Autodesk “For three hundred women in construction, AGC and Autodesk are highlighting this need, and this is a first step in drawing attention to the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other customized equipment for women.” Scott noted that women make up less than nine percent of the total construction workforce, and less than three percent of the construction craft pr ofessiona l workforce, according to federal data. Meanwhile, U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration data shows that falls in construction are one of the ”fatal four(link is external)” leading contributors to injury and death for workers in the industry. “Our members understand that the best way to recruit more women into the industry is to make sure they have the support to do their jobs safely,” said AGC of America’s chief executive officer, Stephen E. Sandherr. “These grants will help equip hundreds of women with the kind of custom equipment and properly-fitting safety gear they need most.” Sandherr noted that ill-fitting personal protective equipment can fail to prevent and even contribute to serious injury from falls. He added that the grants will not only improve safety but help construction firms address labor shortages at a time when 80 percent of firms report having a hard time finding enough qualified workers to hire. Representatives with the winning firms report the new grants will help them improve their safety programs and recruit more women into the industry. “We are constantly innovating and addressing ergonomics and safety to help our workers do their jobs better,” said Russ Nicolai, safety manager, Snyder Roofing. “This grant comes at a critical time, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have conversation and ultimately equipment to address the needs of women in the roofing industry.” “Men make up 90 percent of the construction labor force. The crushing labor shortage has highlighted that an entire gender comprising more than 50 percent of the population has zero exposure to construction,” said Anne Brown, director of business development and marketing, Christman Constructors, Inc. “We care deeply about diversity and safety in the construction field and stand with AGC and Autodesk. It’s time to focus on supporting women and opening their eyes to this great field.” “We strive to have an open conversation with our female employees around personal safety and what they require to do their jobs comfortably,” said Billy Naylor, regional safety director, McCarthy. “Properly fitting equipment for females is an issue across the construction industry, and we are excited to advance the discussion and begin implementing a solution to the problem of ill-fitting PPE for women.”

Together the 21 firms winning the grants employ 22,000 people. The firms are: 1. Hughes General Contractors (North Salt Lake, Utah) 2. Hurckman Mechanical Industries (Green Bay, Wis.) 3. Swalling General Contractors, LLC (Anchorage, Alaska) 4. Mid-Valley Commercial Construction (Salem, Ore.) 5. Wayne Electric, Inc. (Houston) 6. Christman Constructors, Inc. (CCI) (Lansing, Mich.) 7. Faith Technologies (Menasha, Wis.) 8. Thompson Electric Company (Sioux Falls, S.D.) 9. Newkirk Electric Associates, Inc. (Muskegon, Mich.) 10. Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. (Aiea, Hawaii) 11. Capital Electric Construction Co., Inc. (Kansas City) 12. Snyder Roofing of Oregon (Tigard, Ore.) 13. Elcon Corp. (Everett, Wash.) 14. W.S. Bellows Construction Corp. (Houston) 15. McGough Construction (Roseville, Minn.) 16. Tarlton Corp. (St. Louis) 17. McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. (Dallas) 18. Wanzek Construction, Inc. (Fargo, N.D.) 19. Med-Tex Services (Philadelphia, Penn.) 20. Rosendin Electric, Inc. (San Jose, Calif.) 21. Performance Contracting Inc. (Pasadena, Texas)

AGC is partnering with safety equipment manufacturers MSA and 3M to provide the proper-fitting safety harnesses designed with women in mind, and all winning firms are required to participate in training programs on the proper use of the harnesses.

MORE THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR

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SAFETY

OSHA advisory committee discusses major industry hazards

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

• Last week, the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH), which makes construction regulation recommendations to OSHA, held two public teleconference meetings to address how the agency could increase awareness and potentially update its standards for hazards that pose a great risk to industry workers — falls, excavation and trenches, opioids and suicide.

• For falls, committee members discussed the uptick in attendance at OSHA Training Institute (OTI) education centers around the United States but also how training could be more effective in reaching workers, such as letting employers who receive fall-related citations know that courses are available; creating more field-friendly materials — i.e. QuickCards — to make onsite training more convenient; and using technology, like online courses, to reach more workers.

• Annual stand-downs continue to be an effective tool to raise worker awareness of both falls and excavation hazards, but excavation industry representatives said they are still having trouble reaching very small contractors about safeguarding their projects.

Committee members also discussed ways to intervene with employees who are misusing or abusing opioids, as construction workers are six to seven times as likely as workers in other industries to die of overdoses. The construction industry also faces a higher-than-average suicide rate, and the committee listened to a presentation on how to make workers more comfortable talking about and coming forward with the mental health issues that are precursors to suicide.

One example given the committee on how to curtail opioid abuse was to intervene "upstream" by suggesting alternate pain therapies to health professionals when a worker is first injured in order to prevent misuse downstream. Another type of early intervention is to increase the effort to reduce jobsite injuries, thereby eliminating the need for pain relief.

Although not a formal suggestion, the committee discussed the possibility of recommending that the 30-hour OSHA training course include a module on opioids and suicide. According to Michelle Walker, chair of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention, construction workers committed suicide at a rate of 49.4 per 100,000 workers, almost three-and-one-half times the overall average suicide rate of 14.2 per 100,000. For each suicide death, Walker said, there are 25 attempts.

Employers, said Walker, need to be aware of the advantages of reaching out to workers who could be in crisis. Aside from potentially preventing a suicide, $1 of investment into mental health typically yields a $4 return.

The committee also discussed the dilemma facing OSHA and employees regarding 10-hour and 30- hour training classes, which have no expiration dates. Employers, said Wesley Wheeler, national director of safety at the National Electrical Contractors Association, are increasingly asking for updated credentials from their employees after five years or so, but, because they do not expire, there is no refresher course. This means, Wheeler said, that many employees have to re-take the entire course. There was no official recommendation about adding a renewal course for further certifications, but the committee left open the option for future discussions around the topic.

The committee also discussed the need for more targeted competent person training that takes into consideration the different needs from project to project.

ACCSH meetings are open to the public and are noticed in the Federal Register. The 15-member committee, which meets two to six times annually, is made up of appointees representing employers, employees, state health and safety agencies, the public and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, which is usually someone from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health.

Source: Construction Dive

Shutting Down Construction Projects Is An Unnecessary Step, Will Harm Economy & Undermine Recovery Efforts, Construction Officials Say

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

Construction Firms Are Already Taking Steps to Protect Employees, Most of Whom Already Wear Protective Equipment, While Halting Work Will Undermine Efforts to Add Hospital Capacity

The chief executive officer of the Associated General Contractors of America, Stephen E. Sandherr, issued the following statement in reaction to steps being taken to put in place arbitrary halts to construction activity in certain parts of the country:

“Halting construction activity will do more harm than good for construction workers, community residents and the economy. Construction firms are already acting to ensure the safety and health of their employees in the face of the coronavirus outbreak. These new measures, which include increased hygiene and halting group gatherings of staff, are in addition to the fact construction workers already wear protective equipment, including gloves that will help protect them and their co-workers.

“Given the precautions already in place, halting construction will do little to protect the health and safety of construction workers. But it will go a long way in undermining economic vitality by depriving millions of workers of the wages they will need over the coming days. At the same time, these measures have the potential to bankrupt many construction firms who have contractual obligations to stay on schedule or risk incurring significant financial penalties.

“In addition, halting construction projects will undermine ongoing, and future, recovery efforts in regions hit by natural disasters, and will also undermine any future efforts to expand hospital capacity.

“We understand the need for social distancing to help slow the spread of coronavirus. But needlessly shutting down projects where workers are already protected will not help. Instead it will threaten the livelihood of millions of craft professionals, force many small and family-owned businesses to shut down, and undermine the nation’s ability to respond to natural disasters, including the coronavirus.

“In the unfortunate event construction is halted, we urge construction owners to consider continuing their scheduled payments to contractors as a down payment for work to be completed on the project. These payments will help mitigate some of the potential economic impacts of construction shutdowns.”

TRANSPORTATION

METRO's Smart Project Management Means Major Financial Boost from Feds

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

The federal government is rewarding METRO and the Houston region with up to $18.5 million in grant money for construction of a new transit center. The money was originally part of the financing for the METRORail Northline extension. When that project was completed early and significantly under budget, METRO sought to utilize those savings for additional transit improvements.. Today the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Transit Administration awarded use of a portion of those savings to help build a new Northline Transit Center at the end of the Red Line. The transit center will have seven bus bays and a 660-space parking garage. The total cost for the project is estimated at $37 million. As part of the METRONext Moving Forward Plan approved by nearly 70 percent of voters last fall, METRO is building or improving 21 transit centers and Park & Rides. "We are very pleased with the federal government's decision. As METRO continues to look for opportunities to improve mobility throughout our region, federal participation will be critical," said METRO President & CEO Tom Lambert.

METRO has often been recognized for being financially prudent by ratings agencies and the Authority is committed to being good stewards of tax dollars.

METRO is one of three transit agencies announced in a news release today that will be allowed to use cost savings for additional projects. "FTA considers and approves additional project activities using the federal share of a project’s cost savings," said FTA Acting Administrator K. Jane Williams. "We encourage project sponsors who deliver complete projects under budget to discuss these options with us to maximize the benefits that cost savings can bring to their communities."

Source: METRO

TRANSPORTATION DFW Airport Earns Title of “Best Large Airport” in North America for Customer Satisfaction Two Years in a Row

By Subcontractors USA News Provider

For the second year in a row, Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport has earned the title of "Best Large Airport," among North American airports serving more than 40 million passengers each year, according to Airports Council International (ACI). "This is the third time in four years that DFW has earned the distinction of Best Large Airport for customer satisfaction, recognizing our focus on customers and the efforts of our employees and partners," said Sean Donohue, CEO of DFW Airport. "With the recognition again from ACI, the industry and our customers are recognizing our investments in people, innovation, technology, and infrastructure to transform travel."

The ACI ASQ program is the airport industry's only global benchmarking program that measures key performance indicators of the passenger airport experience. "DFW Airport’s focus on the customer continues to drive our business strategies, programs and enhancements," said Ken Buchanan, executive vice president for Customer Experience and Revenue Management. "We are extremely excited and honored to receive this award for the second year in a row on behalf of our employees and partners."

The ASQ program delivers an in-depth assessment of the quality of the customer service experience, including cleanliness, check-in, security, wayfinding, food and beverage offerings, and more.

Source: DFW

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