A new study released today finds that composite retirement plans would have fared better during the coronavirus pandemic and related market declines than traditional defined-benefit multi-employer plans, allowing participants to receive higher benefits and attracting more employer participants. The study makes it clear that employees and employers stand to benefit once Congress authorizes the use of composite plans.

June is National Safety Month observed annually by the National Safety Council. NSC is the nation’s leading nonprofit safety advocate, National Safety Month focuses on saving lives and preventing injuries, from the workplace to anyplace.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has launched a webpage with coronavirus-related guidance for construction employers and workers. The guidance includes recommended actions to reduce the risk of exposure to the coronavirus.

NECA’s Recognition of Safety Achievement program is an elite safety recognition focused on recognizing thriving companies that excel in multiple areas of their safety and health programs. Member companies that consistently have OSHA recordable injury and fatality rates at levels lower than the industry standard, and implement internal company safety practices above and beyond basic compliance will receive the recognition.

Included is a list of general COVID-19 resources grouped by an agency and additional industry-specific COVID-19 resources grouped by industry. It is intended as a resource and is not comprehensive.

In response to Greater Boston’s critical healthcare needs during the coronavirus pandemic, McDonald Electrical Corp. (MEC), based in Hingham, MA, working in tandem with general contractor, Suffolk Construction, provided fast turnaround electrical installations required in the set-up of temporary medical isolation tent facilities for Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) in Boston and Cambridge.

While in the past contractors were personally responsible for certifying the strength of their cybersecurity protocols that would hold sensitive information associated with DOD projects, the new regulations instituted by the CMMC will require third-party certification (authorized by the CMMC Accreditation Body) of a contractor’s compliance.

The Families First Coronavirus Response Act provides tax credits to reimburse employers for the costs of providing paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave to employees unable to work because of the coronavirus (COVID-19). These credits are refundable. That means if the amount of the credit exceeds the amount of tax owed, the remainder is refunded to the business or organization.

As part of 3M Fall Protections continued commitment to producing high-quality safety and personal protective equipment, they conduct periodic testing of products. Recent testing of specific DBI-SALA® Delta™ & Exofit XP™ Arc Flash harnesses have returned negative test results on some units.

OSHA certifies COVID-19 is a recordable illness in all industries if the standard criteria are present1, but the agency now formally acknowledges “in many instances it remains difficult to determine whether a COVID-19 illness is work-related, especially when an employee has experienced potential exposure both in and out of the workplace.”

NECA recognizes and supports TCC’s recent grassroots campaign. The campaign conveys that reopening, renewing and revitalizing the economy starts with passage of a robust, multi-year transportation bill that creates jobs and keeps goods and services moving to their destinations - now and for decades to come.

ELECTRI International released Pandemics and Construction Productivity: Quantifying the Impact, a critical report on the impact of COVID-19 on cost and schedule in the construction industry. The report evaluates activity from January 6, 2020, to May 8, 2020, tracking pandemic mitigation activity, benchmarking productivity and assessing the impact on businesses and projects.

Today, the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the S Corporation Association (S-CORP) and four other small business advocates issued a statement in response to the lack of clear and consistent guidance from the Department of the Treasury’s and Small Business Administration’s (SBA) on the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).

OSHA's “Ten Steps All Workplaces Can Take to Reduce Risk of Exposure to Coronavirus” poster is now available in 13 languages.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) has given its full endorsement to the 2020 edition of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America’s (MCAA) publication Change Orders, Productivity, Overtime—A Primer for the Construction Industry.

The Treasury Department issued additional guidance (#43 on FAQ) on the Paycheck Protection Program. The Treasury department postponed the Safe Harbor repayment deadline to May 14, 2020, as requested by NECA.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released a new video and poster for employers and workers on how to properly wear and remove a respirator. The video and poster – in English and Spanish – demonstrate and describe seven steps every worker should follow when putting on and taking off a respirator.

NECA is excited to announce live, instructor-led online training on Revit and Navisworks software solutions! Throughout the month of May, NECA will be offering online classes on the most popular BIM solutions developed especially for electrical contractors, for our members at a substantial discount. Normally hundreds of dollars each, our partner Sanveo, is offering these half and full day courses for just $39.00 each!

With approvals from 33 states, these on-demand code classes are available for 50% off for a limited time. Register by May 3rd to take advantage of this special offer.

With approvals from 33 states, these on-demand code classes are available for 50% off for a limited time. Register by April 26th to take advantage of this special offer.