December 2011 • WASTE HANDLING EQUIPMENT NEWS EAST • Page 10
Economic forcast reveals slower than expected recovery by Jon M. Casey For those who attended the keynote opening session at the C&D Recycling Forum in Ellicott City, MD, it didn’t take long to realize that the message that Andy Bauer was offering, was one of concern and veiled optimism. Bauer, economist for The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, VA, provided more than an hour of detailed information and forecasts about the condition of the economy on a national and international level. As he
offered charts and graphs of supporting data on the findings that his branch had accumulated over recent months, it was fascinating to see how financial experts arrive at the economic forecasts that they present. For this reporter, it was worth attending this two day conference, just for the opportunity to see and hear what Bauer had to say about the nation’s economic future. Most of us who live and work in an environment of fiscal challenges. We
wonder if and when sales will begin to pick up, or if they will ever return to pre-2007 levels. In some cases, we are hoping that the continued slide that our businesses have seen for the past three or four years, will eventually end. So for many in the room that day, Bauer seemed to be re-stating what we already knew: “Times are difficult and they aren’t improving as quickly as we would like.” But for those of us who are wondering how this recession came to be and how our
businesses might respond in the emerging recovery when it begins to happen, a presentation of this kind is invaluable. Bauer was quick to emphasize that by current economic standards, the recession has bottomed out and that recovery has begun in most segments of the economy. However, for the construction industry and the industries that support construction, the recovery has yet to begin. More importantly, with the resulting lower tax rev-
dust and noise control.” “Noise considerations not only include what is going on inside the build-
ing, but outside as well,” he said. “You will have to consider the neighborhood when it comes to
entering and leaving the jobsite, both externally and internally. Avoid elevator use. Plan your de-
Economic 11
In a series of informative charts and graphs, Andy Bauer, economist for the Federal Reserve of Richmond, VA, gave visual support for his economic forecast.
C&D from 6 ment and the surrounding area of the jobsite. For example, Knightly said it is always a challenge when it comes to demolishing something as common, yet as difficult, as a hospital operating room. In most cases, while there might be several operating rooms adjacent to one another in a hospital complex, routinely, the rooms have to be removed one at a time, while the other operating rooms are still being used. The same goes for the hospital patient rooms where an older hospital wing is being removed, at a time when patients remain hospitalized in rooms that might be on the other side of a common wall. In each case, the strict requirements are built into the bidding process, creating a challenge for his company or any company receiving the contract. “Today, we are called upon to meet requirements that are far stricter than those we have seen in the past,” he said. “When you are dealing with PCB’s, lead, silica, or other hazardous materials, special care must be taken to do those jobs safely. When you are in an urban setting like we are in New England, it is important to be prepared for what you may find.” “Hospitals are 24 hour businesses, so you will need to do work with limited access, with little ability to assess the job before hand because of the HEPA regulations,” he said. “It’s not like doing a job preview on other commercial buildings.” “A lot of companies do not give consideration to infectious control,” he added. “You will be required to maintain air quality control that deals with infectious control. We do that in addition to
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bris removal paths carefully. Break areas need to be given forethought as well.” (Editor’s note: Envi-
roVantage™ will be featured in an upcoming issue of Waste Handling Equipment News.)