e-Newsletter January 2023

1/23/2023

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Connector Newsletter | January 2023

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Now Accepting Hard Hat Sticker Designs for 2023

Safety Stand Down

The 2023 National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction will take place May 1-5, 2023, and SEAA encourages all professionals working in the steel construction industry to submit designs for this year's Hard Hat Sticker Contest. The winner will be announced in a press release distributed to industry media and will receive 250 hard hat stickers featuring their design and a $100 gift card.

Hard hat sticker designs must be original artwork and should reflect one of three themes.

Preventing Falls in Construction
Building America Safely
Proud to be an Ironworker

One submission per category is permitted. The winning design concept will be recreated by a professional graphic artist.

Deadline to submit hard hat sticker designs is February 28.

View Contest Rules

SEAA Adds Resources for Members Valued at More than

$30,000 Annually

SEAA has partnered with several new service providers to give members access to business resources that deliver tangible benefits worth 18 times more than an average membership fee.

Solutions to help solve workforce challenges include a job board, applicant tracking system, and learning management. Discounts on workers’ comp insurance and industry certifications help to stretch your investment. Plus, SEAA offers personalized administration assistance for members seeking to become an NCCER Training Unit or Assessment Site. Click on the brochure to learn more.

Convention & Trade Show Early Bird Registration Ends January 31

SEAA's 2023 Convention & Trade Show is right around the corner and deadlines are quickly approaching. Early Bird Registration rates for members and non-members end on January 31, and the room block for the hotel closes on March 6.

SEAA will have a New Member and First Timers Meeting on the evening of March 29. This is an invitation-only networking event exclusively for new member companies and first-time attendees. Come meet the board members and find out how to get tapped into our Steel Strong Community. Read More.

IN THIS ISSUE

Summer Connector Now Available

COVER STORY: Training & Safety Go Together

Best practices of World Class Companies

MANAGEMENT: Cyber Security for Construction

Understanding the risk and protecting your company

IN THE FIELD: Are your Ironworkers Qualified for Rigging?

The Importance of Formal Training

SPECIAL FOCUS: Thousands Raised for Safety & Education

Members Remember Dave Schulz at Colorado Golf Tournament

UPCOMING EVENTS

January Meet & Greet

January 19, 2023

Tampa, Florida

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023

Las Vegas, N.V.

March 14-18

2023 Convention & Trade Show

March 28-31, 2023

St. Augustine, FL

INDUSTRY REPORTS

New ANSI Z359.14 Effective Date is August 1

In 2021, ANSI approved a revision of Z359.14, Safety Requirements for Self-Retracting Devices (SRDs) for Personal Fall Arrest and Rescue Systems. The updated ANSI Z359.14 standard establishes requirements for the performance, design, marking, qualification, instruction, training, test methods, inspection use, maintenance, and removal from service of self-retracting devices. In December of 2022, the ANSI Z359 Committee approved a second 6-month extension to the effective date of the ANSI Z359.14 standard. The standard will now go into effect on August 1, 2023.

This update to Z359.14 includes revisions and new requirements, including:

A change to the device types defined in the standard
Changes to previously established classifications of device types
A 20% increase in minimum static strength requirements
More rigorous energy-management requirements
Changes to labeling requirements
Inclusion of Guidance for the End-User (Appendix B)

The changes in this update are significant and take into account many of the notable developments in Self-Retracting Device technologies and consumer expectations. It also simplifies how SRDs are described and classified to help users better understand their capabilities and limitations.

Registration for NASCC: The Steel Conference Opens January 23

With just a few months until the first session, NASCC: The Steel Conference is revving its engines--and registration opens January 23! The Steel Conference takes place in Charlotte, N.C., April 12 to 14.

It’s the premier event for everyone involved in the design and construction of steel buildings and bridges. We offer nearly 200 technical sessions on things like coordination issues with roof and floor penetrations, common rigging mistakes, crane lift innovations, how to talk with GCs about the value of the AISC Code of Standard Practice, and lessons learned on the SEAA Project of the Year--plus a giant exhibit hall showcasing more than 250 of the products and services that can help you design and build better with steel.

This year’s event also offers a dozen sessions on safety issues and more than 20 sessions on quality and certification. Visit aisc.org/nascc to learn more.

MEMBER UPDATES

Nucor Invests in Clean Steelmaking

Nucor Corporation, Charlotte N.C., has invested in Electra, a Colorado-based start-up developing a process to produce carbon-free iron that can be used to make steel. The company uses renewable energy to refine low-grade iron ores into high-purity iron through electrochemical and hydrometallurgical processes. This material will be used in the steelmaking process to offset other high-quality metallics that come with higher greenhouse gas emissions. Read More.

Gardner-Watson Certified to Repair FallTech Products

Gardner-Watson, Oldsmar Fla, is a certified Authorized Repair Center and local distributor for FallTech. Gardner-Watson repairs and refurbishes about 1,500 Self Retracting Lifelines per year and distributes a variety of harnesses, SRL’s, and danger tape. Call 813-891-9849 to learn more.

Mazzella Rebrands Safety Factor Podcast

Mazzella, Cleveland, Ohio, has rebranded its podcast, Safety Factor. The monthly podcast focuses on procedures and technologies that could help minimize downtime due to worker injuries. Bent Hengst, host, talks with in-house experts and industry partners about product and safety innovations, best practices, industry standards, and more. Find the first three episodes here.

NCCER Launches Podcast

In October, the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) launched a podcast called “The Builder’s Table.” Airing weekly on Mondays, it features construction professionals discussing critical topics such as solutions to workforce issues. It is hosted by Jennifer Wilkerson, NCCER’s Vice President of Innovation and Advancement, and is available on several services including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and more.