December 12-18, 2001

A Flawed Directive?
As reported in the Nov. 28 edition of this column, on Nov. 11 the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration posted on its web site the draft form of its compliance directive for the new federal steel erection standard. It was a 2.4 megabyte Adobe Acrobat file containing close to 90 pages. The agency wanted public comments about it to be e-mailed by Dec. 10. Six days before the deadline, though, the NEA: The Association of Union Constructions weighed in with its opinion. Thunder was heard during its Fourth Quarter Labor Safety Forum, held Dec. 4 in Washington, D.C. According to the meeting's notes, the organization's board of directors came to a consensus that the directive contained serious flaws in the interpretation of some portions of the standard. Even worse, in some instances the interpretations were "completely opposite of what the Steel Erection Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committee had intended. (SENRAC assisted OSHA in developing the standard.) The board also agreed OSHA's public comment period for the directive wasn't long enough. Before the board meeting, Bruce Swanson, director of the OSHA Directorate on Construction, made a presentation to the forum. He discussed a number of items but, at the audience's request, did open the floor to questions about the directive. General members of the NEA expressed the same concerns raised later by their board members. While there was little Mr. Swanson could provide in response, he did outline OSHA's plans to hold a training course for its compliance officers on the new standard. It will be conducted Jan. 12-14, 2002, at the OSHA Training Institute.

Something To Keep In Mind
While the new federal steel erection standard will go into effect on Jan. 18, in the Great Lakes state construction safety regulations are administered by the Michigan Occupational Safety & Health Administration. At deadline I still hadn't nailed down what, if any, differences will be found in the state's interpretation of the rules or exactly when they'll be implemented. Nothing had been posted on MIOSHA's initiatives website, accessed at www.commerce.state.mi.us/bsr/initiate.htm. Hopefully I'll have the answers by next week. Meanwhile, you may want to beat me to the punch by contacting the friendly folks at MIOSHA's Lansing offices. The number of the Construction Safety Division is (517) 322-1856.

Also Remember
On Jan. 1, in response to new federal standards, MIOSHA will be implementing new reporting requirements for occupational injuries and illnesses. Reportedly several forms have been simplified but new forms have also been introduced. The changes certainly are too extensive to list here. Fortunately MIOSHA has already established a number of training sessions on them. To start, on Jan. 17, 2002, it will be conducting an interactive video teleconference at eight community colleges. The cost of the teleconferences is $50 for each participant, which covers training materials and lunch. The transmission will be originating from the Michigan Technical Education Center (MTEC) at Kalamazoo Valley Community College and will be distributed to teleconferencing centers at the MTEC at Bay College in Escanaba, as well as Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Lansing Community College, Henry Ford Community College in Dearborn, Macomb Community College in Clinton Township, Grand Rapids Community College, and Alpena Community College. For specific information on registration, please direct your web browser to www.commerce.state.mi.us/bsr/divisions/cet/telecon2.htm. Additional recordkeeping seminars (of a traditional nature, I presume,) will be held throughout much of 2002. The first will convene Jan. 30 at the Lansing Area Safety Council. It will be followed Feb. 7 in Battle Creek under the auspices of the Safety Council for West Michigan, Feb. 19 by the Grand Rapids Employers Association, and Feb. 28 by the Jackson Area Manufacturers' Association. On May 7 a seminar will be held at Monroe County Community College, followed by another on May 16 at the Best Western Hotel in Saginaw, and on July 9 by the Belleville Chamber of Commerce. The last is to be held Nov. 6 in Southfield under the sponsorship of the Southeast Michigan Safety Council. Registration information can be accessed at www.commerce.state.mi.us/bsr/divisions/cet/recordsm.htm.

By The Side Of The Road
Route selection was a six month ordeal but last week Wolverine Pipe Line Co. announced where it hopes to build the last sections of its new pipeline. Shortly it will be filing an application with the Michigan Public Service Commission for a route along the I-96 corridor in the Lansing area. In its entirety the 12 inch diameter line for gasoline will extend from Jackson to Lansing and, if the MPSC gives its go-ahead, in the Lansing area it will use the freeway's right-of-way from a location south of I-96 on Meridian Rd. to Marathon-Ashland Petroleum's Lansing Terminal. It will replace a 65 year old, eight inch line that has not been able to meet all of the Lansing area's needs. Thusfar those shortfalls have been made up through the use of tanker trucks. "After numerous meetings with officials in Lansing and the townships along the proposed routes, it is clear to us that this is the preferred route," said Steve Woodburn, Wolverine's project executive for what has become known as the Spartan Project. "It is the safest route possible because the I-96 controlled access right-of-way will prevent third party access to the line, the number one cause of pipeline accidents. No one in the future will be able to build next to it…(Also) people want to get the trucks off the road and avoid building through neighborhoods, if at all possible."

On The Way?
If my sources are correct, the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration shortly will commence a revision of the standard covering the safety of construction cranes. The current standard is three decades old. Reportedly an announcement about this move was to have been officially made last month but it sure hasn't reached my desk. However, earlier this year a group working with OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety & Health recommended the move. The group also suggested OSHA use the negotiated rulemaking process – the same used in the development of the new steel erection standard. Listed as 29 CFR 1926.550 and 1910.180, the existing standard makes references to a consensus standard dating as far back as 1968. It does not cover hydraulic cranes – a "major deficiency" according to the Power Crane & Shovel Association.

Still An Opportunity Industry
Projections currently being made by the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Employment & Training Administration indicate construction employment across the nation will expand 9% between now and 2008. About 550,000 new jobs are expected to join the industry's ranks. Certain skilled trades are expected to grow more than others. Those to experience higher than average growth include bricklayers, electricians, HVAC technicians, painters, and sheet metal workers. Trades that will have lower than average growth include carpenters, cement masons, concrete finishers, plumbers, structural metal workers, and terrazzo workers. Anthony Swoope, director of the DOL's Office of Apprenticeship, Training, Employer, and Labor Services, says the projections highlight the need for more training. The industry will need workers who are highly skilled and technologically aware to replace a workforce that's rapidly aging.

Still Undecided
Apparently no one knows if the Carpenters & Joiners of America will be rejoining the AFL-CIO. During a Dec. 3 speech at its convention in Las Vegas, Nev., AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said talks with the Carpenters have been stretched to the middle of January to "see if we can come to some agreement." He indicated some progress had been made but noted "we aren't there yet." Industry observers are saying the Carpenters will be remaining out for some time. To buttress that opinion, they say the Carpenters' objections to the AFL-CIO are pretty fundamental, touching such sensitive areas as the most effective way to organize new members, union jurisdictions, and political priorities. Be that as it may, talks are still underway and as long as people are talking, anything's possible.

Questions? Comments? Ideas?
Please submit your responses to the Great Lakes Fabricators & Erectors Association as soon as possible. You can call our new offices in downtown Detroit at 313/309-2000. Or you can drop an email to Guy Snyder at guysny@concentric.net or call him at 313/961-9217. We hope to hear from you soon!