Report: Nationwide Construction Job Losses Worst in Three Years

It is hard not to pay attention to job numbers these days.  But just as Guam is seeing some traction on the Guam Buildup front, news out of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) late last week is paining a bleak picture of the days and months to come in relation to construction jobs.  

Citing a U.S. Bureau of Statistics report, an ABC analysis has found that America's. construction industry lost 15,000 net jobs in May. The monthly number is the worst for the industry since December 2013.  During the period, just shy of three years ago, payroll shrank by 15,000 jobs. The ABC says that the construction industry has lost jobs over the last two consecutive months-the first time this has happened in four years. 

"Today's jobs report was earth-shattering," said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu on the June 3, 2016-dated report. "This signals the worsening of the industry-wide skilled labor shortage."

Basu notes that the job losses will spark discussions across the Country of a  recession after staving off such for the past three months. 

"Without question, the U.S. economy is associated with significant weakness," said Basu. "Still, contractors should be on guard."

The construction industry unemployment rate fell to 5.2 percent in May, its lowest level since October 2006. The nonresidential construction sector lost 2,100 jobs in May after adding 4,700 jobs in April.  Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 3,000 jobs for the month, and employment in that category is up by 67,500 jobs or 2.9 percent from the same time one year ago. The heavy and civil engineering construction segment lost 8,200 jobs in May but is up by 7,000 positions or 0.8 percent on a year-over-year basis. 

To find out more about how GET, LLC, through our construction equipment and materials partners can help your next project, give us a call at 671-483-0789 or check out our website at www.get-guam.com for more information. GET, LLC is a proud member of the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and stand in support of enhancing the success of women in the construction industry.

Revised Standards for Aerial Work Platforms on the Horizon

Interesting news from the 99-year old Engineering News-Record that will soon have some impact on construction job sites in the Western Pacific. The Troy, Michigan-based publication earlier this month reported that the use of aerial work platforms is on the rise citing a recent study by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) which found that AWPs continue to grow as a percentage of rental fleets.

We have heard concerns from island specialty rental firms and construction companies that is in line with a growing nationwide effort to revise ANSI safety standards and curb the number of potential operators calling for quotes and renting out our collective gear that not highly experienced using an aerial work platform. 

“In these new standards, we’re looking at what we know today that we didn’t know when we wrote the last standard,” said IPAF North America Development Manager and ANSI committee member Tony Groat. “We’re looking at new equipment in the marketplace, as well as new technology available to us.”

The proposed draft standards from IPAF and the Scaffold & Access Industry Association are A92.20 Design, Calculations, Safety Requirements and Test Methods for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWPs); A92.22 Safe Use of MEWPs; and A92.24 Training Requirements for the Use, Operation, Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of MEWPs. These will replace the existing A92.2, A92.22 and A92.24 standards.

Aerial work platforms, referred to in the new standard as “mobile elevating work platforms,” or MEWPs, have been reclassified in the new A92.2 as either vertical- or boom-based lifts. The categories now also include truck-mounted lifts, which were not addressed in the previous edition of the standard.

One of the biggest changes in the draft standard is the requirement for load-sensing alarms and cutouts to be built into new work platforms. 

In addition to design changes, the new ANSI standards will include new guidelines for operators, passengers and supervisors. Fall-protection gear will be required on all boom-type lifts, and the new standard will discourage the use of MEWPs to transport workers from one level to another. The standards will also make it the responsibility of a supervisor to prepare a risk assessment for any use of the platform, placing the onus not just on the worker at the controls but also on site managers and contractors.

If you have any aerial lift needs and would like to discuss potential solutions, please drop GET, LLC a line via our website at www.get-guam.com or give us a call at 671-797-0789-your authorized Terex/Genie Representative for Guam and Micronesia.

Tips to Buying Metal Roofing

A recent article by Metal Construction News noted the challenges of the supply chain of America's top metal roofing manufacturers.  While the construction industry supply chain is having its problems, there is no question of the trickle down impacts to the rest of the specialty markets including metal roofing.  U.S. suppliers are concerned of the how such challenges are impacted by the infiltration of international competition and getting consumers to stay home when purchasing metal roofing. Also, new players in the market have long time metal roofing companies cautiously optimistic on what the future holds for their industry.

What will rule the day?  

One answer-the establishment of minimum requirements for metal roofing quality.  

US manufacturers remain under the constant barrage of products introduced into the American marketplace from all over the world.  Keeping bad metal out keeps the bad experiences out.  Performance is key here.  Process is just as important with an eye on pre-treatment, metal coating and substrate gauge.  Finally, experience is probably the single most important variable that a consumer must take into consideration before buying a metal roof-little experience means greater cost down the road for the unsuspecting building owner or facility manager.

Key to protecting both the consumer and this important U.S. market is education.  Writers on this topic are saying that consumers need to understand the language of metal and the metal roofing industry needs to raise awareness among consumers of the benefits of metal roofing as well as the importance of choosing the right contractor. 

Quality contractors also need to educate the marketplace as well.  Can they certify the coating, paint warranties, steel thickness and quality? Is there documentation to support the quality levels? The Metal Construction Association (MCA) has an established a certification program for metal roofing. According to Executive Director of the MCA Jeff Henry the program currently has 45 metal roofing products certified among a handful of manufacturers. If the program is expanded, industry experts believe such action will  ensure the industry doesn't suffer from adverse publicity because of poor metal roof performance.  

Bottom line-Contractors need to work with experienced, long-term providers who stand behind their work.

To find out more about how GET, LLC, through our metal building partners can help with your next steel building or aluminum roofing project, give us a call at 671-483-0789 or our website at www.get-guam.com for more information.