Annual Economic Conference-9-26-13

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Maggiano's Oak Brook
Oakbrook Center
Oak Brook, IL

7:30 am to 8:30 am - Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 am to 9:30 am - William Strauss, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
9:30 am to 10:30 am - Chris Huecksteadt, Metrostudy

$35 for members
$45 for non members

Speakers:

William Strauss
Presents the Economic Outlook for 2013 and 2014.
The "Great Recession" ended in the middle of 2009 with significant impacts on the economy, notably outsized losses in housing, manufacturing and jobs. Yet, what should be a robust recovery is not occurring, nor expected to occur. Consumers are saving at an increased pace, limiting the growth of consumer spending. Credit conditions, while significantly improved from what existed during the recession, remain relatively tight and will act as a headwind to growth. Mr. Strauss will look at the performance of the overall macro economy with specific attention paid to key economic sectors and indicators.


Chris Huecksteadt
From 2006 to 2010 the housing market, both locally and nationally, experienced the biggest downturn since the Great Depression. Today, job losses, elevated unemployment levels, rising foreclosures and sagging home values all continue to impact the housing market's ability to recover. Chris Huecksteadt of Metrostudy, will analyze past and present trends in the housing market, with an eye on the keys to recovery and how the housing market can begin to right itself, the first half of 2012 saw some positive signs. Mr. Huecksteadt will review the housing numbers and discern where the market might be heading for in 2014 and beyond.

Download the USPS/Fax Registration Form

Register Online for this event 

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Nail Gun Safety

Nail guns are used every day on many construction jobs—especially in residential construction. They boost productivity but also cause tens of thousands of painful injuries each year. Nail gun injuries are common—one study found that 2 out of 5 residential carpenter apprentices experienced a nail gun injury over a four-year period. When they do occur, these injuries are often not reported or given any medical treatment. Research has identified the risk factors that make nail gun injuries more likely to occur. The type of trigger system and the extent of training are important factors. The risk of a nail gun injury is twice as high when using a multi-shot contact trigger as when using a single-shot sequential trigger nailer.

This guidance is for residential home builders and construction contractors, subcontractors, and supervisors. NIOSH and OSHA developed this publication to give construction employers the information they need to prevent nail gun injuries. Types of triggers and key terms are described. The guidance highlights what is known about nail gun injuries, including the parts of the body most often injured and the types of severe injuries that have been reported. Common causes of nail gun injuries are discussed and six practical steps that contractors can take to prevent these injuries are described. These are:

1) Use full sequential trigger nail guns;
2) Provide training;
3) Establish nail gun work procedures;
4) Provide personal protective equipment (PPE);
5) Encourage reporting and discussion of injuries and close calls; and
6) Provide first aid and medical treatment.

View or download the 20 page guide.

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Business Asset Sale-Owner Retiring

O   Owner Retiring: Business Asset Sale  Ends 8/20/13

After 35 years in the construction business

Jim Taksas, owner of ABCO Academy Builders, is retiring.  All assets are being sold. The inventory is too long to list. Following is an overview of some of the items available:

 “Hon” Mahogany Office Furniture

 L-Shape Executive Desk/ Task Chairs

 Round Table/ Sled Chairs                                                                        

 Lateral File Cabinets

Tools & Equipment                                 

Industrial pallet rack (approx.24 bays) 5’ to 16’ 

35’ of 5’ Mason Scaffolding (14 frames) with (4) alum.planks

Power Tools; drills, (corded & uncorded)      

Routers, jig saws                              

Mitre Saws  (Makita 15” & DeWalt 12”)                                                    

Hilti hammer drills                                          

Banding Carts & Tools                                    

Rolling Job Boxes                                                                                             

Pneumatic Nailers                                           

Brad Nailers                                                    

Pneumatic Staplers                            

Corded & cordless impacts                            

Ladders (36’ wood extension)                                     

1950’s ShopSmith “All in one”                      

Paslode, Impulse; Framing / Trim guns            

      

                                               

Building Materials

Industrial pallet rack (approx.20 bays) 5’ to 16’           

Dimensional Lumber (2x10 & 2x12)

Cedar ½”x6”x4’

Vinyl “Almond” woodgrain siding J-channel

FRP “Almond” Paneling trim

3-18’ x 16” TGI’s

Treated 8 x 8 x 8’ Posts (6)

Ceramic Tile (85sq ft. of 13”x13” tile)    

Commercial toilet accessories: (6) grab bars, (2) mirrors, (2) paper towel /recepticles, roll tissue dispenser, mop rack.

18”x17” white vanity w/ cultured marble top

PVC J-Channel

PVC Pipe (50pcs.+/- various sizes ½”-4”)

Doors (Interior & Exterior)

Treated Lumber

All types of hardware including Tec Screws, Fasteners, Anchor Bolts, nails, etc.

OFFICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES

Computer keyboards, speakers,corded and cordless mouse controllers and monitors available

Calculators, Fellows “power shredder”

Copier, fax, scanners
Various office supplies
Phone system (Nortel Norstar M7310) with 9 phones.
Original/Limited edition artwork

IBM Selectric II Typewriters

                                                                         

Any interested party may contact: 

Jim                                                       

Cell Phone:  708-372-4600  (9:00am-5:00pm)

By Appointment Only

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On the Job Tool Box Safety Talks - Fire Protection

Each year, many fires occur on construction job sites as a result of temporary heat, misuse of flammable liquids, etc. Establishing a fire protection plan for your job site will help eliminate the related hazards and the large losses related to fires. This toolbox talk will provide a brief summary of the OSHA regulations for fire protection and provide some fire protection safety tips.

Fire Extinguishers:

Fire extinguishers must be readily available on every job site. OSHA specifically requires at least one fire extinguisher for every 3,000 square feet of building space.

The travel distance to a fire extinguisher shall not exceed 100 feet.

The fire extinguishers must be serviced annually to ensure they will work when needed.

A fire extinguisher must be immediately available during any hot work such as welding, cutting, sweating pipes, etc. If hot work regularly occurs on a job site, a hot work permit system should be developed.

Material Storage:

Debris or combustible material may not be stored within 10 feet of a building.

Storage piles of combustible material should be stable and should not exceed 20 feet in height.

The entire storage location on a job site must be kept free from unnecessary debris or weed/ grass growth.

Inside storage of materials must allow for at least 36 inches of clearance from sprinkler heads.

Smoking controls must be maintained near areas which constitute a fire hazard.

Straw used to insulate concrete should be cleaned up as soon as possible in order to reduce the amount of combustible material in and around a job site.

Flammable Liquids:

No more than 25 gallons of flammable or combustible liquids may be stored inside of a building unless it is stored in approved flammable liquids cabinet.

Gasoline must be stored in approved “safety cans”.

An approved fire extinguisher must be located in close proximity to the storage location of any flammable liquids.


Temporary Heat:

Always maintain at least 6 feet of clearance from the temporary heaters. If temporary heaters are used in tarped areas, 10 foot clearances must be maintained.

Always install a shut off valve at the point of fuel connection for temporary heaters.

Establish a plan to check on the placement of heaters throughout the day.

Never store propane inside of a building.

The gas line hoses feeding the temporary heaters must be protected from damage.

Some heaters require the use of non-combustible material (drywall sheet) under the heater when it is placed on a wood deck. Check with the requirements for your heater.

Maintaining access to a fire extinguisher near temporary heat is recommended.

Read the safety material provided from the propane supplier regarding specific safety procedures for storage tanks.

LEARN MORE

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Tool Box Safety Talks-Hard Hats-safety rules to follow for hard hat usage

Every year, thousands of construction workers suffer head injuries ranging from minor cuts to concussions to even death. Most of these types of injures would have been prevented had employees worn the proper head protection consisting of a hard hat. The following are safety rules to follow for hard hat usage:

Hard hats are required to be worn whenever there is an overhead exposure

Head injuries on a construction site may result from several areas
     Tools or material being dropped from above
     Low overhead clearance
     Electrical current

Hard Hats should not be altered or have any holes drilled or cut into them for ventilation.

Hard hats should be fitted tightly on your head.

Wearing a baseball cap underneath a hard hat will cause the hard hat not to fit snug on your head, thus reducing its effectiveness.

The suspension system of the hard hat absorbs the impact of a falling object.

Inspect your hard hat for any damage.

Never use a hard hat that has visible damage to the outer shell or to the suspension.

Download this information and more at: http://www.rcecusa.org/Safety

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