By Subcontractors USA News Provider The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently published an interim final rule establishing procedures and time frames for handling employee retaliation complaints under the Taxpayer First Act. The Taxpayer First Act, enacted July 1, 2019, protects employees who report underpayment of taxes or other potential federal…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently announced the availability of $3.2 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for Susan Harwood Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, Including COVID-19 grants. The grants will fund training and education to help…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider For two years, millions of the nation’s healthcare workers have been battling the coronavirus. Many have endangered themselves as they care for those who contract COVID-19 while working in high-risk settings that expose themselves and their families. As the nation moves to the next phase of the pandemic, the U.S….
By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer More cities and counties in the U.S. are exploring Public-private partnerships (P3s) as an economically creative way to build infrastructure and buildings which allow them to meet the demands of their growing communities. Several years ago, public entities were hesitant to leverage P3s, especially when hearing about projects that did…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) Board Chair Michele Wong Krause has been selected by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) as a 2022 Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Award winner. The Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Award is one of the highest honors bestowed by COMTO and…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Another historic leadership transition has come to the METRO Board. Recently, METRO’s Board of Directors unanimously approved Mayor Sylvester Turner’s board chair nomination and welcomed Sanjay Ramabhadran (pronounced Rahm-bud-run) to lead the agency’s nine-member Board. Ramabhadran has been on the board since May 2015. Still, his appointment is notable as…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Port Houston Executive Director Roger Guenther has been named to the International Maritime Hall of Fame, as announced Monday by the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey (MAPONY/NJ). Guenther will be among six global shipping leaders who “all have shown unwavering leadership and dedication to…
By Sarah Wilson, Texas A&M College of Architecture Contributing Writer Immigrants who hail from South Asia, the Middle East and South America have created new communities in Houston while transforming abandoned structures in the city into vibrant hubs for commerce and community gatherings. The city’s rapid growth has been fueled in part by these and…
By Destiny Vaquera, Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design Contributing Writer Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design professors Patrick Peters and Jason Logan, along with nine graduate architecture students, joined forces with the University of Houston Jack J. Valenti School of Communication to design the AutoBox Mobile Digital Display, a portable…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Prices of construction materials jumped nearly 20 percent in 2021 despite moderating in December, according to an analysis by the Associated General Contractors of America of government data released today. Association officials said contractors rate materials costs as a top concern for 2022, according to a survey predicting the industry’s…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Construction employment in December remained below levels reached just before the start of the pandemic in more than half the states as firms struggled to find enough workers to hire, according to a new analysis of federal employment data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. But the…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The American Petroleum Institute (API) recently submitted comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA)’s proposed methane regulations, emphasizing support for the direct regulation of methane for new and existing sources and highlighting the industry’s progress in reducing methane emissions intensity from operations. “Reducing methane emissions is a priority for our…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider American Petroleum Institute (API) President and CEO Mike Sommers recently delivered remarks alongside other energy leaders during the 18th Annual State of the Energy Industry Forum, hosted by the U.S. Energy Association. Sommers urged policymakers to advance U.S. energy leadership and address today’s economic and climate challenges by supporting safe…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Gulf Coast Growth Ventures facility will meet growing demand for performance products Site enters operations ahead of schedule The new facility will produce materials used in packaging, agricultural film, construction materials, clothing, and automotive coolants. The operation includes a 1.8 million metric ton per year ethane steam cracker, two polyethylene…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Ongoing RRC site visits to natural gas facilities show that significant progress has been made by Texas facilities to supply the fuel in emergency weather conditions. As the recent freezing weather at the end of December demonstrated, much needed quantities of natural gas did flow to electric generating power plants…
By Helen Callier, Contributing Writer Construction can be challenging for contractors when faced with time and budget constraints. And when you factor in the permitting maze, it takes knowledge of the fundamentals, careful planning, and work to minimize delays and frustration in pulling a building permit. When talking with a business veteran the other day,…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider Increasingly, U.S. industries are using robotic technologies to perform dangerous or repetitive tasks, and these systems are becoming more collaborative and mobile in nature. While these advances add new capabilities to work and the workplace, they also introduce new workplace hazards for those who work with, and alongside them. In…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is withdrawing the vaccination and testing emergency temporary standard issued on Nov. 5, 2021, to protect unvaccinated employees of large employers with 100 or more employees from workplace exposure to coronavirus. The withdrawal is effective January 26, 2022. Background and…
By Subcontractors USA News Provider The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration (FTA) recently announced the award of approximately $11 million to 20 projects in 12 states to support comprehensive planning efforts to improve access to public transportation. Funding through FTA’s Pilot Program for Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Planning grants will help organizations plan for…
