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Thankful for Founders, Volunteers and Members
From the Executive Director
I was reminded of the foresight and hard work of SEAA's founders while listening to Eddie Williams recently. As Chairman of Buckner Companies and a past President of SEAA, Eddie Williams and the Buckner Companies embody the original spirit of this association.

During the dedication for Buckner's new Training and Testing Education Center in Graham, N.C., Eddie Williams announced that the facility, including a Training Tower that mimics real work conditions, will be made available to other erectors. "You may ask why we allow our competitors to use this facility," asked Mr. Williams. "Every Ironworker that is trained adds one more skilled worker to the pool that we all, at one time or another, draw from. This helps the entire industry," he said.

As we approach Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for the erectors and fabricators, who more than 45 years ago met to form a regional association intended to improve communication between erectors and fabricators. That group was the foundation for our association today.  More
New Grant Offsets Costs of Becoming NCCER Accredited Training Unit or Assessment Site
The SEAA Education Committee announces that it will award one $4500 SEAA Craft Training Grant to a member company at the 2016 Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

By becoming an NCCER accredited Training Unit or Assessment Site, you can provide your employees with  industry-recognized training and credentials. It's a great tool for verifying the knowledge and skill level of workers in order to improve safety and productivity. It's also a great recruitment tool for new employees.  While our goal is to grow the Ironworker Craft Training Program, Training Units and Assessment Sites are not limited to a single craft area. You'll have access to NCCER's curriculum for more than 67 crafts.

The Grant wil pay for the initial setup, training for administrators, instructors, and coordinators, plus a set of textbooks.

Benefits of becoming a SEAA/NCCER Training Unit and Assessment Site. More
Grant applications due Jan. 30, 2016. Get Application

Safety Flash: Avoiding Trapping/Crushing Injuries in AWPs
Entrapment and crushing injuries in boom lifts most often occur when the operator is reversing, slewing, or elevating the platform into an unacknowledged obstruction. Unexpected movement of the boom is also a contributing risk factor. According to International Powered Access Federation data from 2012, 19 entrapment fatalities occurred in 2012. More

Help educate others and prevent injuries
Safety Flash is produced by SEAA's Safety Committee to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues. Use the Near Miss/Incident Investigation Report form to submit a Safety Flash topic. All company or personal references will be removed. Each one will be published with recommended Best Practices. Download the form

Do your employees suffer back strain from lifting bolt kegs, which can weigh as much as 175 pounds? Share your best practices for preventing injury. Email executivedirector@seaa.net with your tips.
Golf Tournament
Education Fundraiser Supports Ironworker Craft Training



SEAA's 16th annual education golf fundraiser tournament, held in Raleigh, N.C., Oct. 9, 2015, was a tremendous success--raising money to fund a new $4500 SEAA Craft Training Grant. Grant applications are due Jan. 30, 2016. More

 

"We had 94 registered golfers and much-appreciated event sponsorship from members and industry partners," said Dave Schulz, Committee Chairman. "The proceeds will help SEAA member companies to become NCCER-certified training and assessment centers, contributing to our goal of providing trained and educated Ironworkers for years to come." 

 

Special thanks to Carrie Sopuch-Gulajan, Stephanie Trainor, Geoff Kress, Cindy Schulz, and Tom Underhill for their hard work and support in arranging this event.

 

"If no one else wants to take credit for the weather, then I will," joked Carrie Sopuch-Gulajan. "It was an absolutely beautiful day for a golf tournament!"

Exhibitor registration for the Trade Show is now open. 2016 sponsorship menu is now available. Get the exhibitor kit and book online. More
Industry Reports
New Crane Operator Certification Regs for Review in 2016
Tom Underhill, Executive Director, represented SEAA at the 20th Anniversary celebration of the founding the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators. Speaking at the event, Jim Maddux, director of OSHA's construction directorate told crane industry leaders that OSHA plans to issue in 2016 a revision to the crane operator certification requirements, first introduced in 2010. The current rule is scheduled to go into effect in November 2017 unless a re-write is approved before then.

The revision was undertaken to address concerns about how a crane operator is "qualified" and whether certification is equivalent to qualification. Once it passes through in-house review, the agency will release the revised language for public comment.

Jim Maddux has worked closely with SEAA on this and other issues over the years. Due to retire the end of 2015, SEAA will look to forge new relationships with his replacement.  
ASTM Bolt Standards Combined into Single Document
Chad Larson (left), Producer Vice Chair of ASTM F16 Fastener Committee and Chair of F16.02 Subcommittee on Bolts, Nuts, and Washer. Tom Schlafly (right, AISC's Director of Research.
By Chad Larson, President, LeJeune Bolt Company and Tom Schlafly, AISC Director of Research

SEAA members use structural bolts every day. A new ASTM standard combines existing standards into a single new standard called ASTM F3125. What does this mean for steel fabricators and erectors?  The following article is republished with permission as it was first published in the November 2015 issue of Modern Steel Construction.

We all know construction can be complicated. Schedule complexity, environmental compliance, design challenges and new techologies are just a few of the hurdles that exist beyond the physical acts of designing and building structures. There is also an enormous burden on producers, designers andusers of construction materials to understand and comply with numerous standards. The standards, codes, and specifications required to bring a simple project off the ground can number in the hundreds. As an industry we need to identify when standards or processes have become unnecessarily complex and seek out ways to improve them.

The ASTM F16 fastener committee has identified an opportunity to improve and simplify standards for structural bolts and has also begun the process of reviewing other F16 standards for ways to improve, simplify, combine or eliminate them if not in use. More

SEAA to Exhibit at Steel Conference

SEAA will exhibit at NASCC: The Steel Conference in Orlando, Fla., April 13-15 in Booth #428. The show is being held in conjunction with the World Steel Bridge Symposium. Together both conferences will deliver more than 3,500 attendees involved in design and construction of steel-framed buildings and bridges.

Several SEAA members will make presentations on topics such as distance learning, crane operator certification, site-specific erection plans, and more.  In all, more than 100 sessions for structural engineers, steel fabricators, detailers and erectors provide premier educational opportunities. More
NC Construction Career Day a Success
Last month, SEAA was a Gold Level Sponsor of the North Carolina Construction Career Day held in partnership with NCCER Build Your Future. 

It's not too early to start planning a career day in your area for next year's annual Careers in Construction Month. Find resources and event planning materials at BYF.org. More
Member News
New Member Spotlight
IronHorse Erectors LLC, with offices in New Orleans and Slidell, La., is a full-service steel erection company that also provides roof insallations and repair, siding and metal work, ornamental iron work, and much more. Owner Roger Micciche Jr., attributes his company's success to the people who work for him. "I am but one man with big ideas. Alone by capabilities are a shortcoming. But the men and women who believe in me and this company offer our customers the highest quality of work."  More

Steel Clad Inc., Ironworking Division, with offices in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee, is a designer, fabricator and installer of architectural wall cladding systems and is a certified dealer of ACM architectural metal wall panel and roofing systems. In also operates a structural steel division. It serves commercial, industrial, medical, and institution construction clients in the Southeast. More

Steel Dynamics Expands Deck Products
Through an acquisition announced Sept. 14, 2015 by parent company Steel Dynamics, New Millennium now provides an even greater offering of deck products and capabilities, with enhanced geographic reach. The purchase of the Consolidated Systems, Inc. ("CSi") decking business adds three decking facilities to New Millennium's operations, producing both standard and premium specialty deck profiles. More

Canam-Heavy Wins ENR Global Best Projects Award
Canam-Heavy, a division of Canam Steel Corp., won an Award of Merit in the Airports/Ports category for the 2015 Global Best Projects Competition, presented by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine. 

The project was the south terminal redevelopment at Denver International Airport. This job was also named a 2015 Project of the Year by SEAA. More

Quik Drive® BSD200 Structural Steel Decking System Wins Innovation Award
The Simpson Strong-Tie® Quik Drive® BSD200 Structural Steel-Decking system has won a Pro Tool Innovation Award in the Drill/Driver Attachments: Collated Driving category. The awards are judged by professional craft workers for Pro Tools Reviews online magazine.

Quik Drive BSD200 is an auto-feed screw driving system specifically designed to fasten metal decking to steel framing using Simpson Strong-Tie® Strong-Drive® XL Large-Head Metal screws. Patented auto-feed mechanism provides hands-free screw advancement and standup driving saves time and reduces worker fatigue.

Judges for the Pro Tool Innovation Awards noted, "We love the fact that screw installation reduces the number of inspections we have to arrange. The extension for the Quik Drive BSD200 offering stand up use is a time and back saver. We also like not having to sub-contract a welder or worry about OSHA concerns surrounding powder actuated fastening." More
In the News
Construction Superintendent: FMI 2015 Survey Indicates Skilled Labor Shortage Intensifies Despite Economic Recovery  More
Modern Metals:  Integrated Fabrication System Speeds Connectivity of Functions, Propelling Pproductivity  More
Bureau of Labor Statistics: BLS Publishes 2014 Workplace Injuries & Illnesses Data More
Safety + Health: Contractor Group Issues 13 Step Plan for Construction Safety More
     

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