Masonry Magazine October 1993 Page. 39
blower" protection,
Establishing the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) as a separate agency with the Public Health Service, increased criminal penalties for employers, establishing a Federal Workers' Compensation Commission with the eventual aim of federalizing the workers' compensation system and eliminating it as an exclusive remedy in the case of job-related injuries. Reforms such as these could become difficult since federal and state funds are not available for this additional
ay To The Top
# A Solid Work Platform
Non-Stop towers are built from heavy gauge tubular steel and trussed every 4-6 in height. This gives our 16" wide towers incredible strength and sway-resistance. Because of this advantage, you can safely land materials on the laborers' platform, exactly where other systems tell you to never land a load. In actual on-the-job tests of free standing Non-Stop towers, landing a full cube of 12" blocks (2350 pounds) on the laborers platform at 20 feet high produced a backward flex of less than one inch! This kind of strength and stability means your men will feel safe and secure on a solid working platform. And, you can safely stock ahead to free your forklift for other duties.
# X-Braces Stay In Place
The s-braces are always in place for maximum safety and stability. They simply pass through the work platform both going up and coming down. Non-Stop introduced this unique design to eliminate the dangerous, time-consuming chore of removing and replacing -braces as the platform is raised. When the wall is topped out, Non-Stop can be lowered and ready to go to work again in one-third the time of scaffolding without this feature. This advantage reduces your laborers duties to only two: fooding materials to the manons, and raising the scaffold as needed.
CALL OR WRITE FOR A FREE VIDEO & BROCHURE:
on-St
SCAFFOLDING
1314 HOADLEY ST.
SHREVEPORT, LA 71104
OSHA activity; and business is unable
to handle the growing financial burden.
HEALTH CARE REFORM
Health Care Reform bills are being formed by a panel which is chaired by Hillary Clinton. The panel has been charged with investigating the problems of the nation's health care system. It will develop a set of legislative recommendations to solve the problems of poor health care delivery, spiralling health care and health insurance costs, and providing for near-universal health care coverage.
The plan initially supported by
President Clinton is built around his vision of "managed competition." This has been explained as "a health policy that combines free-market forces with government regulation. Large groups of consumers and businesses would buy health care from organized networks of doctors and hospitals. These networks would compete for consumer business by offering low prices and high quality." National health care reform will have a major cost impact on the construction industry, especially small businesses who may not be able to bear federally mandated insurance.
PROMPT PAYMENT FOR
FEDERALLY-ASSISTED CONSTRUCTION
The Prompt Payment Act Amendments of 1988 granted the rights of prompt payment for subcontractors at all tiers on Federal construction work. Under these Amendments, the Federal government must pay prime contractors within fourteen days of receipt of invoice for a progress report. If payment is not made within that time period, interest must be paid on the outstanding amount. Prime contractors, in turn, are required to pay subcontractors within seven days after receiving payment or they must pay interest on the outstanding amount to the subcontractor.
The additional language to these Amendments will expand the cover to all federally-assisted construction (construction which, all or in part, is funded using federal money from grants, loans or other indirect assistance). The new language is being aimed particularly at agencies such as the department of Housing and Urban Development and the Environmental Protection Agency. Results of surveys of contractors performing HUD work shows that fifteen percent of all progress payments were paid more than sixty days after they were due. Final payments were far worse, with 71 percent paid later than ninety days after their due date.
These are the issues that contractor businesses should stay aware of. Subsequent updates will continue to monitor any changes.
SHARING
THE
SALVATION IS CARING
ARMY
MASONRY-SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER, 1993 39