ABC TESTIFIES BEFORE OSHA ON IMPROVEMENTS TO CRANE SAFETY RULE: ABC March 18 testified before the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) during an informal hearing expressing overall support for a proposed rule on crane safety, but advising OSHA to clarify the rule to make it easier for employers and employees to use.
The proposed rule would update the existing 40-year-old safety standards for cranes and derricks in construction and would take into account technological changes and updates to voluntary consensus standards that the industry has developed since the regulations were last revised. In its testimony, ABC expressed general support for the rule, but highlighted several areas that were cause for concern. “We believe it is important to emphasize that all of our comments and recommendations have been expressed with three goals in mind: to improve the proposed rule; to add greater clarity in order to ensure that OSHA’s safety objectives are more likely to be achieved; and to eliminate, or at the least significantly lessen, burdens that the proposed rule would otherwise needlessly impose,” ABC stated in its testimony. “ABC strongly believes that the notice-and-comment stage of any rulemaking is intended to give every stakeholder the opportunity to be heard…there remain a host of “t’s” to be crossed and “i’s” to be dotted before this rule is, or should be, finalized.”
ABC advised OSHA to revisit the comments filed Jan. 22 for more detailed suggestions. In the comments, ABC disagreed with OSHA’s proposals on employer liability for non-compliance with the recommendations of equipment manufacturers, and the regulation of “controlling entities” on construction sites. In addition, ABC suggested OSHA revise the operator certification requirements to be less narrow. ABC provided recommendations on how the existing regulatory text could be revised to better achieve OSHA’s objective of safe crane and derrick operations.
In its testimony ABC also urged OSHA to make it clear that the minimum safety requirements established in the final rule will be considerably more than the bare minimum and that any decisions made to exceed these requirements would be an extra precaution. To read ABC’s comments or the full text of the proposed rule, visit
ABC MEMBER JOINS GOP LEADERS TO SPEAK OUT ON TAXES: Maria Coakley David, chief financial officer of C.J. Coakley Co. Inc, a member of ABC’s Virginia chapter, March 18 joined House and Senate Republican leaders at a news conference on Capitol Hill to voice opposition to President Obama’s proposed FY 2010 budget that would raise taxes for small businesses. The group, including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), and other members of Congress, highlighted how the administration’s budget will harm Main Street, which is responsible for creating approximately two-thirds of the new jobs in the U.S. each year.
David pointed out that increasing taxes on a business ultimately affects employees by forcing the employer to hirer fewer workers and adjust the levels of raises and benefits. “Raising the individual rate 35 percent would mean small business pays more than big business. That’s not fair and that’s not right,” said David. “Our employees are what make our company great and we want to keep them employed.” Both the House and Senate Democrat leaders hope to bring the FY 2010 budget resolution to the floor the week of March 30.
WATER BILL PASSES WITH DAVIS-BACON REQUIREMENTS INTACT:The House of Representatives March 12 struck down an amendment introduced by Rep. Connie Mack (R-Fla.) that would have stripped Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements from the Water Quality Investment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1262), which passed by a 317-101 vote on the same day. The bill reauthorizes the Clean Water State Revolving Fund that provides low-interest loans and grants to local communities for the construction of wastewater treatment facilities. Before the vote, ABC sent a letter to members of the House expressing support for the elimination of Davis-Bacon from the bill. In the letter, ABC noted “inclusion of the Davis-Bacon Act prevailing wage requirements would adversely affect small business access to construction performed under the program and inflate the costs of projects funded under this piece of legislation at the expense of the taxpayers.
“Davis-Bacon has been shown to increase public construction costs by anywhere from 5 to 38 percent above what the project would have cost in the private sector,” ABC continued. “According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Davis-Bacon Act already costs taxpayers more than $9.5 billion over the 2002 to 2011 period relative to the 2001 appropriations and $10.5 billion relative to the 2001 appropriations adjusted for inflation. A more recent estimate, from the Beacon Hill Institute at Suffolk University in January, suggests Davis-Bacon costs taxpayers $8.6 billion per year.” The bill is now being considered in the Senate and ABC is continuing to fight the expansion of the Davis-Bacon Act.
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TIME IS RUNNING OUT – SIGN UP TODAY FOR FOLLOWING CLASSES!
SIGN UP NOW – 30 HOUR OSHA CLASS
Federal Law requires each company have a designated trained safety coordinator. This will give your foremen, supervisors, safety directors or safety coordinators the expertise to comply with all OSHA and State requirements
April 2, 9, 16, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
SEE MORE INFORMATION BELOW!
MOBILE CRANE SAFETY TRAINING
March 23-27, 2009
A workshop for all managers, supervisors, operators and riggers.
Presented by: Crane Institute of America
More information below.
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Training Classes
Management & Safety Class Schedule
First Aid/CPR Classes
$50.00 each attendee – Member Price/$60.00 each attendee – Non-Member
Recertification only - $40.00 each attendee – Member Price/$50.00 each attendee – Non-Member Price
¨ March 24, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – LINCOLN
¨ March 26, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ April 1, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. - OMAHA
OSHA 10 Hour Class
OSHA requires a competent person on all job sites. This course ensures that your people have the necessary training to comply with OSHA standards CFR 1926.32(f) for a competent person. Training includes OSHA Construction Standards CFR 29 1926, Scaffolds, Ladders and Stairways, Housekeeping, Personal Tools, Electrical Hazards, Fall Protection, Materials Handling, Hazardous Communications and much more!
**CFR 192 OSHA Regulations Book for the Construction Industry with new steel erection standards will be available for $25.00** each for class participants.
$135.00 each attendee – Member Price/$240.00 each attendee – Non-Member Price
¨ March 25, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ March 26, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ April 1, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
30 Hour OSHA Class
Federal Law requires each company have a designated trained safety coordinator. This will give your foremen, supervisors, safety directors or safety coordinators the expertise to comply with all OSHA and State requirements. This is an in-depth look at CFR 1926 and 1920 and NE 757 as they affect construction. Price includes study materials
$395.00 each attendee – Member Price / $595.00 each attendee –Non-Member price.
¨ April 2, 9, 16, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. – LINCOLN
Mobile Crane Safety Training
A workshop for all managers, supervisors, operators and riggers – presented by the Crane Institute of America. Participants will learn what the new crane standards will consist of. This five day class will involve classroom time and actual hands-on operation. At the completion of the five day class applicants will have the opportunity to be certified for all three cranes.
$895.00 for first person from ABC Member Company, $825.00 for each additional person from ABC Member Company
$1300.00 for each person from Non-Member Company
March 23-27, 2009 – 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. - LINCOLN
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Omaha Classes are held at the Education Center, 2602 Harney Street, Omaha
Lincoln Classes are held at the Training Center, 830 Westgate Blvd., Lincoln
PLEASE DUPLICATE THIS FORM FOR MULTIPLE CLASSES
Company: Address: Phone: Fax:
Names (please print): Class/Date: Cost:
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Class/Date: Cost:
Return Registration Form and Check Payable to Associated Builders & Contractors
830 Westgate Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68528 FAX 402-477-4522
Email-debh@abcnebraska.org