Report of the MCAA Safety Committee

Words: Zach Everett

Growing a National Safety Committee

We started the MCAA Safety Committee four years ago. There has been slow, but marked growth and participation. This year we have made an exerted effort to build committee members and more than anything simply promote the need for safety in the industry. Allow me to take this opportunity to call on all of you to encourage safety professionals that you are acquainted with in the masonry industry to join in helping the MCAA Safety Committee. The commitment is minimal involving the participation in about three conference calls per year and sharing info via email. Attendance in the Convention meeting the Midyear Meeting would be great, but not required of course due to expense. Please contact me at zeverett@brazosmasonry.com.

Safety Forum Webinars

We have started this year to present safety forums in the form of a webinar. A short webinar is presented and then the participants are welcomed into a open forum on any safety related topic or issue that is on their mind. We have had presentations on the Globally Harmonized System of Chemicals (Haz Com of the future) and OSAH Top 10 Citations. We plan to continue these Safety Forums and hopefully make it a monthly routine.

MCAA Safety Awards Program

The new MCAA Safety Awards program that MCAA members will be eligible for is planned to commence this year and be presented at the Midyear Meeting. The Awards will be for 2011 safety performance based on the contractor’s Incident Rate.

The Safety Advantage

The new MCAA Safety Advantage program is in its infant stages. The goal of this program is to show the masonry industry (and beyond) that there is definable value to true safety. It is designed to give members and advantage in the market by having a better safety record, lower WC cost, happier, healthier, more motivated employees and the list could go on. Parts of the program so far are the weekly safety meetings, written safety program and most recently, the Safety Advantage Newsletter. This newsletter comes out in email form Bi-monthly and highlights the advantages to comprehensive safety. Each issue has an article from a safety person, a CEO or business perspective and a teaser to the week’s safety meeting. Two issues have already gone out and we look forward to many more as well as the expansion of the Safety Advantage mission at large!

Other Safety Related Topics

Subcommittee E34.30 is called the Occupational Health and Safety in Construction. This subcommittee is in the process of developing the first ever Silica Standard in Construction. MCAA’s technical consultant, Rashod R. Johnson, P.E. is the Chairman of this subcommittee and continues to work diligently to protect the long term interests of mason contractors throughout the country. Contact Rashod R. Johnson at Rashod@theroderickgroup.com for additional information.

The Council for Masonry Wall Bracing has plans to update the 2001 Standard Practice for Bracing Masonry Walls Under Construction. Contact Rashod R. Johnson at Rashod@theroderickgroup.com for additional information.
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