ARA Releases Guide for Staying Safe and Compliant During COVID-19
The American Rental Association has released the “ARA Healthy Work Practices Guide” for construction equipment rental companies. Based on expertise from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, rental operators and equipment manufacturers, the guide is part of a new “Clean. Safe. Essential.” program designed to minimize expose to the novel coronavirus.
To achieve this effort, general information is provided on: microbes and viruses; PPE considerations; cleaning supplies and social distancing equipment; how to prepare a facility, vehicles and employees for work; and more. For more information, visit ararental.org.
ABC Workforce Development Survey Reports $1.5 Billion Investment
According to the results of Associated Builders and Contractors 2020 Workforce Development Survey, ABC contractor members invested $1.5 billion on workforce development initiatives in 2019, providing craft, leadership and safety education to 1.1 million course attendees to advance their careers in commercial and industrial construction. Safety education accounted for nearly half of the total workforce investment, averaging $1,147 per employee annually.
At 85%, the vast majority of ABC member contractors use on-the-job education as part of their workforce development program for craft professionals. Approximately two-thirds of contractors reported partnerships with high school and college career and technical education internship programs.
In addition, nearly 90% of ABC’s 69 chapters reported recruiting veterans and women into the industry was a top priority. In 2019, women made up an average of 16% of management or supervisory positions for ABC members and 13% of craft professionals.
“As we rise to meet the needs of the 21st century workforce, our members are reaching out to populations typically underrepresented in our industry, investing in alternative education models, such as online platforms, and continuously working on new solutions to engage a safe, productive workforce,” says Greg Sizemore, ABC’s vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development.
House Advances INVEST Act
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has officially proposed the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act. This is timely, as the current surface transportation authorization, the FAST Act, is due to expire on Sept. 30, and the INVEST Act would provide a five-year, $494 billion injection to the nation’s infrastructure.
Per a statement by K.N. Gunalan, Ph.D., P.E., president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, “Americans were already losing at least $3,400 a year in disposable income due to outdated infrastructure prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.” Passage of the act will add millions of jobs and assist with the struggling economy, but approval from both sides of the aisle is still needed to move forward.
Executive Order Prioritizes Public Works
On June 4, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to waive environmental regulations (and other actions necessary) in order to streamline and expediate infrastructure projects. The order allows for complete circumventing of the National Environmental Policy Act, the Endangered Species Act and the Clean Water Act, with the stated goal of revving public works projects (to include surface transportation, infrastructure, energy, environmental and natural resources projects on federal lands), creating jobs and jolting the post-pandemic economic recession into its prior state.
Per the order, “Without intervention, the United States faces the likelihood of a potentially protracted economic recovery with persistent high unemployment.”
