Flashings

Rebuilding Together® and WD-40® seek Tradesperson of the Year

WD-40 and Rebuilding Together have partnered for the 2nd Annual Rebuilding Together Tradesperson of the Year.

The Tradesperson of the Year is someone who gives back to the community, adds value to his or her skilled trade industry, and reflects the values and essence of Rebuilding Together and WD-40 Brand.

Roofing professionals or other skilled trade professionals who meet these qualifications are eligible for nomination. Six finalists will be chosen from nominations in specific skilled trade categories, including carpenter, contractor, electrician, HVAC/plumber, painter and roofing contractor. From those six, one winner will be chosen.

The grand-prize winner will receive a trip to Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans in 2013, $500 spending cash, $10,000 worth of tools and products from Sears, and a selection of WD-40 Brand products. The five runners-up will receive $1,000 worth of tools and products from Sears and a selection of WD-40 Brand products. And those who nominated the six finalists will receive $500 worth of tools and products from Sears and a selection of WD-40 Brand products.

Nominations can be submitted online at www.rttradespersonoftheyear.com. The last day to submit nominations is Jan. 20, 2012, and the winner will be announced April 28, 2012.

Additionally, on Oct. 15, more than 100 Rebuilding Together and CNA volunteers helped renovate the Carrie Steele-Pitts home in Atlanta to celebrate the home's 123rd anniversary. The Carrie Steele-Pitts home is one of the U.S.' oldest child-caring homes dedicated to the comprehensive care, education and shelter of Atlanta's children and young adults.

Additional volunteers came from construction trade organizations, including NRCA, the Land Improvement Contractors of America and the Georgia chapter of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America.

ICC and ASHRAE release publication

The International Code Council (ICC) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Inc. have made available 2012 International Energy Conservation Code and ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which contains the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010, "Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings." The publication will help ensure newly built and renovated buildings comply with the latest codes and standards.

According to the Department of Energy, the 2012 IECC will result in buildings that are at least 15 percent more energy-efficient than those built according to the 2009 edition. The code contains improved requirements for windows, doors, skylights and HVAC systems. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES 90.1-2010 also has been expanded to include more detailed requirements and changes to help improve envelopes, mechanical and lighting systems, and service water heating.

2012 International Energy Conservation Code and ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010: Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings can be purchased at www.iccsafe.org/2012energy.

OSHA publications address employer and worker rights

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published revised information that explains workers' and employers' rights, as well as how to protect workers from hazards in the construction, general and maritime industries.

OSHA's Small Entity Compliance Guide for the Respiratory Protection Standard provides small businesses with a comprehensive step-by-step guide complete with checklists and commonly asked questions that will help employees and workers better understand OSHA's respiratory protection standard.

OSHA's Workers' Rights booklet describes rights to which workers are legally entitled under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The booklet covers such topics as rights provided under OSHA standards, filing a complaint with OSHA, whistleblower protections, and educational and training resources available.

OSHA also provides employers with information about their rights and responsibilities following a federal OSHA inspection. The booklet Employer Rights and Responsibilities explains what happens after an inspection and defines the types of violations for which an employer may be cited as a result of an inspection.

To order free copies of these materials, go to OSHA's Publications Web page, www.osha.gov/publications, or call OSHA at (800) 321-6742.

Is asphalt a carcinogen?

On Oct. 20, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), one of the leading agencies that addresses human cancer determinations, issued its findings on asphalt.

IARC found "occupational exposures to oxidized bitumens and their emissions during roofing are ‘probably carcinogenic to humans.'"

IARC classifies the substances it rates into one of five groups: Group 1—the agent is carcinogenic to humans; Group 2A—the agent is probably carcinogenic to humans; Group 2B—the agent is possibly carcinogenic to humans; Group 3—the agent is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans; and Group 4—the agent is probably not carcinogenic to humans. Once IARC makes a determination, it publishes formal findings in a monograph.

NRCA is disappointed by the finding and believes it is at odds with available scientific evidence. NRCA, the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association and the Asphalt Institute have sponsored or supported many research studies during the past 20 years in an effort to fill the gaps in the scientific evidence on the possible carcinogenicity of asphalt fumes. NRCA intends to continue its vigorous efforts to ensure the potential health hazards and risks of asphalt fume exposures to workers exposed in roofing manufacturing or application operations are well-characterized and effective programs are available to protect workers' health.

It will be up to regulatory agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), to make determinations about regulations—if any—to promulgate. And if OSHA, for example, pursues regulatory action, that process will take years to complete. However, it is advisable to update your OSHA Hazard Communication compliance program as needed to include the new information and look to material safety data sheets from manufacturers for handling advice.

The most prudent workplace action remains no different from what NRCA has been promoting for many years: protect workers from heated asphalt fumes by requiring them to wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) and use other appropriate methods to reduce exposures. In addition, workers should wear appropriate PPE when tearing off asphalt roof systems.

For more information, contact Tom Shanahan, NRCA's associate executive director of risk management, at tshanahan@nrca.net.

NRCA member meets with John Boehner

Bob Morgan, chief executive officer of Upstate Roofing and Painting, Rochester, N.Y., briefly met with Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) during NRCA's Fall Committee Meetings and Legislative Conference held Oct. 3-6 in Washington, D.C.

After a brief meeting with Rep. Tom Reed (R-N.Y.) during which Morgan discussed NRCA's legislative priorities and thanked Reed for sponsoring commercial roof system depreciation reform legislation, Reed and Morgan walked through the Capitol and stopped to take a photo on the speaker's balcony. Boehner also was on the balcony and waved for Reed and Morgan to come to his table. The three spent about 10 minutes discussing politics and the roofing industry.

Also during NRCA's Fall Committee Meetings and Legislative Conference, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chief Economist Marty Regalia spoke to NRCA committee members at the committee member lunch. Regalia said the economy won't fully recover until the housing market recovers and that recovery won't occur until the existing inventory of unsold homes is depleted.