 The sold-out Dave Schulz Memorial Golf Tournament supporting SEAA’s safety and education projects raised about $7,000. “For our first venture west, turnout for the tournament and participation in the Meet & Greet held the previous night was outstanding,” said Pete Gum, Executive Director. More than 80 people registered for the Meet & Greet and 60 golfers competed in the tournament. “We appreciate the support of sponsors, who made this a successful meeting,” said Gum. The tournament was held at the Omni Interlocken Golf Club in Broomfield, Colo., on September 16, where a scramble was played on three adjacent courses. Golfers repeatedly claimed that the greens, fairways, and mountain scenery made this one of the most beautiful courses they had ever played. The tournament returns to its original location in North Carolina in 2023. “We were thrilled that Denver local Kayleen McCabe, representing the McCabe Foundation, joined us,” said Carrie Gulajan, Events Chairperson. McCabe, who is a construction industry celebrity and former SEAA convention keynote speaker, is an advocate for careers in the construction trades. Peer Group Discusses Recruiting, Retention The meeting also included its first-ever Peer Group, a small discussion group of local companies which met the previous day, prior to the Meet & Greet. The theme of the discussion was recruiting and retention. “Two years ago, SEAA’s Board of Directors made a strategic decision to re-form committees, opening them up to members at large in order to provide more opportunities for member engagement. As those positions have been filled, we are now implementing phase two—local peer groups,” said Jack Nix, Membership Chairperson. Facilitated by Tucker Smith of BBSI and Victor Garcia of Denver’s Flawless Steel Welding, the group of about 10 shared struggles and best practices. “Peer groups are a safe place to speak openly. That dialog is critical to giving SEAA members in a local area connections and resources for improving their businesses and the industry,” said Nix. Following the Peer Group, area erectors, fabricators, engineering firms, and suppliers learned about new benefits of SEAA membership and heard about product and services solutions from sponsors Kenwood, Nelson Stud Welding, and Well Works.  Tournament Winners The following golfers took home prizes provided by these sponsors. First Place Team, Total Gross Score of 60: Zack Ganzell, JD Daniels, Austin Mouw, and Brian Hildebrand of Bigge Crane and Rigging Co. Hildebrand was also one of two people that got the ball Closest to the Pin. Second Place Team: Jerad Degenhart, Knight Hinman, Scott Hughes, and Randy Phillips of BBSI. Third Place Team: Don Laro and Jimmy Zolty of GWY and Erich Posdzich and Brice Davison of BDB Fabrication. Zolty also made the Longest Drive. Fourth Place Team: Drew Heron of Empire Steel, Pat Dunn of L&D Steel USA Inc., Glen Pisani of MAS Building & Bridge, and Nate Bloch of SDS2. Pisani was the other golfer that got the ball Closest to the Pin. Four individuals qualified for the putting contest: Brandon Rowbottom of Columbia Safety, Jack Nix of Shelby Erectors, Scott Seppers of Trivent Safety Consultants, and Zack Ganzell of Bigge Crane and Rigging. The Boom Lift Ball Drop, sponsored by United Rentals, brought in $1700. Half of the raffle pot is contributed to Safety & Education projects and half goes to the winner Thomas Newman of Trivent Safety Consultants. Mark Your Calendars
SEAA’s first quarter board meeting will be held in Tampa, Fla., January 19, followed by a Career Fair on January 20 in Lakeland. The Career Fair will be hosted by GMF Steel Group. SEAA is currently seeking area members and vendors that would like to have a hands-on station at the Career Fair. High School students will attend the morning session and adults, veterans, and post-secondary technical school students will attend the afternoon session. Contact Bryttany Marona at bryttany@seaa.net if you are interested in participating. The 2023 Convention & Trade Show will be held March 28-31, 2023 in St. Augustine, Fla. Registration opens October 10. SEAA Announces 2022 Lifetime Achievement and Person of the Year Awards at 50th Anniversary Gala9/1/2022
 SEAA President David Deem presents Dave Schulz's widow Cindy Schulz with William Davis Service Award. July 22, 2022 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) have posthumously awarded David Alan Schulz of Schulz Iron Works with its highest lifetime achievement, the William Davis Service Award during its 50th Anniversary Gala in April. Stephanie Trainor, Vice President and Marketing Manager, Construction Insurance Agency, was recognized as the association’s 2022 Person of the Year.
August 10, 2022 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces that it has received U.S. Department of Labor approval of its revised National Guidelines for Apprenticeship Standards. The revision was written to include the occupation Reinforcing Ironworker Concrete in addition to the existing occupation of Structural Steel Ironworker.
“This apprenticeship standard provides members with a model for creating and registering formal training programs that meet both State and Federal government requirements for local apprenticeships,” said Pete Gum, Executive Director. “SEAA members work on both structural and reinforcing steel projects, however, the tasks and training needed to be a reinforcing ironworker are different from those for a structural ironworker. This apprenticeship standard more accurately reflects the knowledge and skills required for both types of ironworkers,” said Jack Nix, Chairman of the Membership Committee. “It is equally important that we provide members with the training tools to support all ironworking occupations,” said Gum. As an NCCER Accredited Training Sponsor, SEAA already provides a robust structural steel ironworker training curriculum available for members to use. Participation provides members with administrative and implementation support in becoming an NCCER Training Unit and/or Authorized Assessment Site. “To support the reinforcing ironworker apprenticeship standard, Tim Eldridge, President of Education Services Unlimited and SEAA’s Craft Training and Assessment Administrator, and member company Shelby Erectors, worked closely with NCCER to develop a complementary reinforcing ironwork curriculum,” said Gum. The custom curriculum can be purchased through the association. In addition, SEAA members who participate in the association’s craft training program have access to the structural and reinforcing ironworker training materials, as well as many other NCCER craft titles. For more information, contact Tim Eldridge at 980-722-9373 or t_eldridge@bellsouth.net. About Steel Erectors Association of America Founded in 1972, SEAA is the only national trade association representing the interests of steel erectors, fabricators, contractors, and related service providers. The association promotes safety, education and training programs for steel erector trades, including its Ironworker Craft Training curriculum. The association works in partnership with other steel construction, design, and steel product organizations to protect the interests of those who construct steel structures. Learn more at www.seaa.net.  Falls in construction are the leading cause of deaths in the United States. OSHA states that employers are responsible for putting preventative measures in place to protect employees from falls at height, which includes having a fall protection plan. But what exactly does a fall protection plan entail? Let’s explore! The main purpose of the plan is to determine the fall hazards at the worksite and establish the methods and equipment each company will use to protect its workforce. Most jobsites and many state or local regulations even require contractors to have a plan on record. Not only is it important to have a plan, but employers also need to ensure its workforce understands the plan. Workers should also be trained on implementing the plan and what to do in case of a fall. Accidents happen, but with a good fall protection plan in place it can help reduce the chance of serious or fatal injuries.
Jobsite Info
It’s important to include jobsite information in your plan. This will consist of general information about the project; company name, the pre-identified competent person, jobsite address, and scope of work. Also make sure to include phone numbers for first responders in the event of an emergency. Make sure to identify the fall hazards on site. Do this prior to starting work and remember that no two jobs are the same. Evaluate all of the potential hazards on the project and ensure that you understand how the work is to be completed. Make note of where will employees be working, and the known fall hazards. Including, leading edge work, floor holes, connecting operations, ladders, and use of mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), such as boom lifts or scissor lifts. Types of Equipment and Inspections There are many options for a fall protection system. Determine the equipment and methods prior to beginning work. When deciding the method of protection, you should use the hierarchy of controls. These controls (from most preferred to least) are as follows - Elimination, Passive Fall Protection, Fall Restraint, Fall Arrest, Administrative Controls.
Next, outline proper equipment assembly and installation requirements. Include inspection criteria as well as proper storage of equipment. Employees need to fully understand how the equipment works, the frequency of inspections that will be required, and what to do with equipment if they identify any damaged or defective equipment. Additionally, improper storage of equipment can cause premature damage or deterioration. Be sure to refer to manufacturer manuals and inspection criteria. Falling Objects The plan should also include best practices for protecting workers from falling objects. This can include controlled or limited access zones. If this route is taken, ensure the proper tape, signage and spotters are in position. Rescues In the event of a fall, time is critical and having a rescue plan is essential to minimize any potential injury. Ensure the workforce is aware of the plan and has been properly trained on the equipment and its location. In your fall protection plan, identifying a method of communication (via phone, radio, etc.) is key in the event of an emergency. Then, outline the rescue plan by type. Did the employee fall off of a ladder, MEWP, ascent or descent device, or scaffold? Make sure there is a rescue plan for each one. Founding father, inventor, and publisher Benjamin Franklin is credited with the saying: “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!” In safety, if you do not have a plan then you can almost guarantee you will fail. Every project is different and presents a unique set of challenges when setting up your Fall Protection Plan but following these steps should help make planning easier. Resources: OSHA Fall Protection Plan OSHA Fall Protection Page USACE Fall Protection Guide 3M Fall Protection Rescue Plan This Safety Flash was contributed by Dax Biederman, Senior Safety Consultant, Trivent Safety Consulting, in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety Committee. It is designed to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues and to provide suggestions for reducing risk. Best practices are gathered from a variety of sources. They may be more or less stringent than individual corporate policies and are not intended to be an official recommendation from SEAA. Always get approval and direction from your company officers on any new practice or procedure as these best practices may not work for all situations. Everyone benefits when a worker avoids injury. Submit your ideas for Safety Flash to admin@seaa.net |
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