A F E T Y

AGC Provides Input to Ge orgia Alliance as New Stand Down Program Begins

In addition to the Chapter’s regular Safety Stand Downs, Georgia Branch, AGC was invited by OSHA to become a par tner with them and other organizations in the “Georgia Str uck By Alliance” for a November Industr y-wide Stand Down on wor k zone safety. Cherr i Watson, Director of Safety, Education and Wor kforce Development, was instr umental in helping organize par ticipation in this event as requested by OSHA. Other Alliance members include 3M, Association County Commissioners of Georgia, Federal Highway Administration Georgia Division, Georgia Highway Contractors Association, Georgia DOT, Georgia Power, Lamar Adver tising and Georgia Tech Research Institute

The “Georgia Str uck By Alliance” ser ves as an advocacy group helping protect jobsite employees, pedestr ians and dr ivers in and around highway constr uction sites who are at an increased r isk of injur y This Alliance erected four billboards on Georgia interstates that include logos of the Chapter and other par tners The billboards state “R-U-In-Text-I-Cated? Put Down the Phone!” encouraging motor ists to focus on dr iving rather than using their cell phone.

Ever yone in the Alliance shares a commitment to foster ing a culture of injur y and illness prevention while shar ing best practices and technical knowledge in the area of wor k zone safety and “str uck by hazards ” This initial safety stand down was suppor ted by more than 85 constr uction fir ms, utility companies, schools as well as state and local gover nment agencies The stand down impacted a total of 1,724 wor ksites which covered a total of 16,194 employees Georgia Branch, AGC members were well represented.

Safety Day Conference

Over 215 individuals attended Georgia Branch, AGC’s annual Safety Day Conference held on March 26 at Souther n Polytechnic State University in Mar ietta The day was filled with safety award presentations, 16 safety classes to choose from, and speakers who addressed attendees dur ing breakfast and lunch. SPSU constr uction depar tment students who are members of the AGC Student Chapter helped Safety and Health Committee members and staff to insure the event went smoothly for all par ticipants The Ron

Amerson Super visor y Safety

Award was given to 275 super intendents who were nominated this year by their company leaders for achieving no lost time accidents on their jobsites in 2009 This is the highest par ticipation level by member fir ms in the histor y of the awards program Over 70 of the nominated super intendents attended Safety Day where they were personally recognized and congratulated for their outstanding effor ts.

Safety & Health Committee Brings Leaders Together

Ever y month, over 30 safety leaders from member fir ms and senior OSHA representatives par ticipate on the Chapter’s Safety and Health Committee

The Committee is open to all members and provides a sounding board and for um for discussions on safety issues, safety prevention strategies, and Chapter safety activities Committee members have input into the Chapter’s safety class schedule and curr iculum, help organize the annual spr ing Safety Day, and plan the Safety Stand Downs The group continues to grow in popular ity and wor ks closely with Chapter staff to br ing the best in safety practices to all members.

“As a result of our par ticipation in the Chapter’s Workers’ Compensation CompTrust program and having their safety reps watch over our safety program, I am pleased to repor t our safety modifier has gone down significantly This benefits us in so many ways, most of all a safer workplace for our employees so they can go home injur y-free ”

OSHA’s Increased Scrutiny Prompts Proactive Response

Right after the Obama administration took office, and as a result of the Chapter’s strong relationship with local OSHA representatives, we lear ned the Federal agency was in the process of hir ing more field wor kers to closely look at safety recordkeeping procedures The Chapter took the initiative to deliver free OSHA recordkeeping training to both members and non-members, filling classrooms and meeting rooms across the state Typically these classes were held following a Members First monthly meeting to make it convenient for more members to par ticipate A total of 106 people par ticipated in this special training oppor tunity making this a successful effor t

Workers’ Compensation Fund –Continued Success and Dividends for Par ticipants

To date, 153 member fir ms have chosen and are qualified to par ticipate in the Chapter’s CompTr ust AGC Mutual Captive Insurance Company (MCIC) wor kers’ compensation program It allows par ticipants to pool their insurance premiums for greater coverage and ser vices Program par ticipants continue to take

Workers’ Compensation Program Dividend Histor y “Returning Dollars to AGC Members” advantage of free safety training and complimentar y site inspections conducted by safety staff.

CompTr ust AGC MCIC remains strong and member equity has continued to increase As a result of members par ticipating and maintaining a positive safety record, annual dividends this past year totaled $1 25 million and were shared by all program par ticipants CompTr ust AGC MCIC par ticipants who attend the Chapter’s Annual Convention each June are among the first to receive their dividend checks

Professional Development Oppor tunities

As in previous years, the Chapter continues to offer members a diverse array of courses and classes to choose from including safety topics, industr y best practices, management and leadership sessions. Classes on lien law, stor m water, integrated project deliver y, lean constr uction methods, green constr uction and LEED accreditation, contractor licensing training, and a host of other topics are always on the calendar The Chapter continues to offer The Leaders Course® and other special programs of interest via speakers at the var ious Members First monthly meetings who cover topics such as insurance, legal matters, and wor kers’ compensation.

SkillsUSA Competition and Career Expo Largest in Histor y

On March 11 and 12, Georgia Branch, AGC played an active role in helping to convene this annual career expo and skills competition at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Par k This event, sponsored by the Constr uction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) of which the Chapter is one of two major par tners and underwr iters, continues to grow in popular ity with students, con-

“I am a long-time, fir m believer in the AGC organization because of their strong education programs offered at both the national and state level They give our people an oppor tunity to get better at what we do and at the same time meet other people in the industr y Building these relationships and having the suppor t of each other is impor tant ” str uction wor kers and constr uction fir ms alike who give the event high mar ks. Par ticipation grew by 7% from 2009 to 2010 This year’s program attracted 6,498 attendees, including representatives from over 300 industr y-related businesses and organizations, high school and technical college students, their teachers, counselors and even parents. Cherr i Watson is the Chapter’s staff liaison to CEFGA Several Chapter members ser ve on CEFGA’s Board as well. Planning for this event, the largest of its kind in the nation, is conducted over a six-month per iod

Workforce Alliances Focus on Future Workers and Industr y Needs

CEFGA and Georgia Branch, AGC staff continue to meet and wor k with Chapter members, local high school and technical school representatives, and constr uction science faculty in several regions around the state focusing on ways to encourage more young people to make constr uction their career choice. A successful Southwest Georgia Career Expo in Albany was organized by the Chapter’s Wor kforce Alliance in this region for the second year in a row and took place in October. Both the South Georgia Wor kforce Alliance in Valdosta and the Central Georgia Wor kforce Alliance in Macon are also going strong in their third year of operation with many Chapter members suppor ting the need to keep a dialogue open among all par ties.

A new West Central Georgia Wor kforce Alliance in Columbus, previously operated by the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce, will now have meetings r un by AGC and CEFGA to tie in with other Chapter wor kforce alliance activities. This resulted from Georgia Branch, AGC’s recent involvement with the Chattahoochee Valley Par tnership/Sustainable Constr uction Wor kforce Alliance that had been set up or iginally to oversee the $3 million For t Benning BRAC Wor kforce Development Grant awarded to the Chattahoochee Valley Joint Development Author ity With the grant ending in June 2010, constr uction at For t Benning will not.

The Chapter and CEFGA believe there is a real need to establish an alliance of constr uction, architecture and engineering professionals within the Valley Region (including both Georgia and Alabama) to help focus on the constr uction and wor kforce development needs in the future, par ticular ly as it relates to sustainable constr uction. The pur pose of the new alliance is threefold:

(1) to act as a clear inghouse for wor kforce skill training requirements,

(2) to provide a for um for industr y networ king, and

(3) to provide a mechanism for industr y outreach and awareness.

Young Leadership Program

Popular at State and National Level

Georgia Branch, AGC’s Young Leadership Program (YLP) continues as one of the Chapter’s flagship programs helping prepare young constr uction professionals for future leadership roles at their respective companies, within the constr uction industr y, and at AGC

The Program’s success has made it a model for other AGC Chapters

A total of 81 member fir ms (33 GC and 48 Associate) currently sponsor 141 talented young men and women who engage in a combination of professional development, community ser vice, char itable, networ king, and relationship building activities throughout the year. YLP continues to strengthen its or iginal Atlanta-based program and its outreach effor ts in Macon, Savannah and Columbus Several roundtable programs are offered each year in each of these geographic areas

YLP Golf Tournament Surpasses

Previous Year Results

YLP’s annual char itable golf tour nament continues to exceed expectations for raising significant dollars used to suppor t wor thy char itable causes and under takings The May 2010 Golf Tour nament saw its largest par ticipation numbers ever with 277 golfers signed up and the biggest dollars raised since the program’s inception in 1996. Monies raised are placed in YLP’s Char itable Wor ks Fund

YLP Community Ser vice

One of YLP’s major initiatives for the past three years is about to conclude members are in the final stage of completing the funding, per mitting, building and erection of a marble sign at the entrance of the Georgia National Cemeter y in Canton, GA. This will replace an old wooden sign at the memor ial ground’s street entrance. YLP members also par ticipated again this year in

“Georgia Branch, AGC provides plenty of oppor tunities for members to par ticipate For me, most of my time is spent with the Chapter’s Young Leadership Program (YLP) and the Safety Committee Serving on YLP’s Council in a leadership role has been a ver y rewarding experience and I enjoy my association with other young industr y professionals I especially value the par ticipation by GC’s and OSHA reps on the Safety Committee which allows me to better understand the GC’s expectations of us and other subcontractors.”

AIA’s CANstr uction competition with teams building str uctures made of canned goods which are donated to local food banks. The YLP team placed as a finalist Members also par ticipated in a “Day at the Capitol” program dur ing the 2010 Legislative Session They heard keynote remar ks from then newly appointed Secretar y of State Br ian Kemp and Chapter Director of Gover nmental Affairs Mar k Woodall. After the luncheon, attendees were invited to a tour of the Georgia State Capitol.

YLP Receives AGC of America Honor

One of YLP’s major achievements this past year, which included over 2,400 man-hours, is the constr uction and renovation of “Jon’s House” in Villa Rica This is the home of wounded Navy Seal, Jonathan Moore, who could not safely access all levels of his home due to his disabilities. The gracious suppor t of so many companies donating their time and products resulted in enough money remaining in YLP’s “Jon’s House” budget for the group to pay the family’s mor tgage for all of 2010. This donation enabled Jon and his wife to retur n to school full-time to receive the education and training they wanted to better their lives In addition to YLP being singled out by AGC of Amer ica in winning the 2010 AGC in the Community Award, the accom- plishments of our industr y’s young people were featured in pr int and television media YLP representatives, along with Machell Har per, Director of Member Ser vices, accepted this award at AGC of Amer ica’s Convention in Or lando.

New YLP Facebook Page

This past year mar ked the star t of YLP’s Facebook page which has a fan following including many YLP members. They use the site to communicate with each other and keep up with AGC and YLP reminders. It is a convenience YLP members wanted to do and made a commitment to help develop and maintain