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Check out what's happening at Marek and in the construction industry.
IN THE NEWS.
by Marek Brothers on
A few weeks ago, I had an opportunity to visit the jobsite of the new Memorial Hermann patient care tower in the Texas Medical Center, where I spoke with two MAREK craft professionals who are both working on the project, and who both happen to be women. This is the second of those two interviews, in which I interviewed foreman Gloria Palau about… read moreby Marek Brothers on
The following article was authored by Scott Braddock and originally published on Construction Citizen.Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner on Thursday told a group of business leaders and others gathered at Rice University that he’s proud to lead a city that’s fighting the Texas Legislature’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Sprains and strains continue to be one of the highest types of injuries within our company. By following a few simple rules, many of these injuries can be avoided or their severity greatly reduced. Medical evidence has shown that performing warm-up exercises before work and after breaks reduces strain and sprain type injuries.These rules are:… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Let's take a quick test. How many basic senses do we have at birth? Name them. Is it one.... two.... four? I'm sure we all agree the answer is FIVE. These five senses are SIGHT, HEARING, TASTE, TOUCH and SMELL.If you were faced with sacrificing four of these five basic senses, which ones would you keep? Most people would keep their sense of SIGHT… read moreby Marek Brothers on
AUSTIN — Today marks the launch of Texans for Economic Growth, a coalition of Texas business leaders and associations dedicated to recognizing and supporting the positive impact immigrants have on the Texas economy as business owners, taxpayers, and consumers. With its launch, the Coalition partnered with the Texas Business… read moreby Marek Brothers on
United Tool and Fastener is proud to be a part of the upcoming 1st annual Construction Career Collaborative (C3) career fair on Thursday, April 4, 2019 as a sponsor and safety representative. The event, which will be held from 7am to 3pm at the Fort Bend ISD Wheeler Fieldhouse in Sugar Land, is part of a greater C3 initiative to educate students… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
This zero tolerance means that certain unsafe employee actions will automatically result in suspension from work. So that employees understand what these actions are that will result in suspension, we will recap the WAR ON FALLS safety violations that will result in a minimum two-day suspension.LADDERSStanding on the top or first step of a… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Sharp edges and puncture hazardsWhen you are handling metal, remember the sharp rolled edges. Every employee gets relaxed around metal: when you see your co-workers do this, remind them about the sharp edges. Many hand lacerations are caused by carelessness - losing your grip and not wearing gloves (PPE) while handling metal framing, trash… read moreby Marek Brothers on
The following article was authored by Elizabeth McPherson and originally published on Construction Citizen.Last month I visited an active construction site in the Texas Medical Center where I was able to interview two MAREK craft professionals who are both working on a hospital construction project, and who both happen to be women. This is… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Caught in or between and struck by hazards are two of OSHA’s Focus Four. These types of incidents continue to cause many fatalities and serious injuries annually.A struck by injury is caused by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and an object or piece of equipment. A caught in or between injury maybe similar to struck by… read moreby Marek Brothers on
The United States’ program for high-skilled immigrant workers, H-1B visas, is a portion of the immigration picture that even President Donald Trump has said is necessary and should potentially be expanded. "We absolutely have to be able to keep the brain power in this country,” said then-candidate Trump in 2016 as he was in the hunt for the GOP… read moreby Marek Brothers on
AGC Houston recently had the privilege of hosting the meetings for two outstanding organizations whose sole missions are to grow and sustain a skilled workforce.The Construction Career Collaborative (C3) launched 2019 with a strategic planning session that focused on finding the “tipping point” for commercial construction and its “all in… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
DISCIPLINARY POLICYAll companies, no matter what their business, have certain rules of behavior, which must be observe to ensure a productive, safe operation. The Marek Companies are no exception. For the welfare of all of us who work together on a day-to-day basis, certain actions are serious enough to warrant disciplinary procedures. Therefore,… read moreby Marek Brothers on
Members of the Greater Houston chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) met Friday to learn from a panel of construction leaders how the industry has evolved over the years and discuss free enterprise challenges that lie ahead for the merit-shop construction industry regarding labor unions, regulations, PLAs, workforce shortages,… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
We have talked about eye protection many times in the past. There is no question how fragile our eyes are and how important it is to protect them. We all know when to wear eye protection on the job, but today we want to talk about other eye injuries that occur and how to prevent them. The majority of eye injuries do not occur because we failed to… read moreby Marek Brothers on
The following article was authored by Scott Braddock and originally published on Construction Citizen.As the new year gets underway, the filmmakers at The Rational Middle are digging into more aspects of immigration policy that have proven politically difficult if not impossible thus far. Case in point: DACA, or the Deferred… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
ACCIDENTSIn the event an employee is involved in an accident or sustains an injury while on the job, they must report it to their supervisor immediately regardless of its severity. First aid supplies are normally maintained at jobsites to take care of certain minor injuries. When medical attention is warranted, the supervisor will assist the… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
ATTENDANCERegular and on-time attendance is essential to the efficient operations of the Company, and is an essential function of every employee’s job. Excessive absenteeism and tardiness are not only inconvenient, they are also costly problems. While it is recognized that occasional illness or personal reasons cause unavoidable absence or… read moreby Marek Brothers on
The following article was authored by Mark L. Johnson and originally published in AWCI's Construction Dimensions.The construction industry faces labor shortages in most parts of the country. As a result, many wall and ceiling companies are turning away work, not seeing enough qualified job applicants available for hire in order to take on… read moreby Jorge Vazquez on
Note to Supervisors: Read and prepare. Your objective is to demonstrate and prepare a scissor lift for the meeting to identify the hazards of an aerial lift. You have to make sure your employees are trained and aware of any hazards before they can use an aerial lift. The use of platforms is strictly prohibited and it would be considered a fall… read more