IN THE NEWS.

News + Blog + Social

Check out what's happening at Marek and in the construction industry.

by Jorge Vazquez on Sep 29, 2021

Personal Safety Measures The Marek Family of Companies is responsible for training you in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the safety hazards applicable to your workplace. However, you are also an important player in jobsite safety and security. The simplest of tasks, such as… read more

by Marek Brothers on Sep 22, 2021

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK PART I ATTENDANCE Regular and on-time attendance is essential to 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… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Sep 17, 2021

POWDER-ACTUATED TOOL SAFETY Mandatory Topic: Read, be prepared and demonstrate to all employees Attention All Foremen: You will demonstrate a powder-actuated tool to all your employees today. Safe production practices need to be covered in this meeting. You may choose to demonstrate multiple tools with live firing.  … read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Sep 9, 2021

FLOOR OPENINGS Safely covering a floor opening with a piece of plywood requires more than just laying down the material over the hole, or even nailing it down. Total on the job safety requires a total job of eliminating hazards. A half or incomplete job of covering risks associated with floor openings can result in accidents. A… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Sep 1, 2021

UTILITY KNIFE SAFETY There’s one hand tool that demands your respect over many others in the workplace, a tool that can cut you to the bone in an instant: the utility knife. Many workers use utility knives to cut drywall, ceiling tile, strapping, puncture shrink-wrap, and open packaging. But, one wrong move and these blades can do… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Aug 25, 2021

HAZARD ANALYSIS WORKING AROUND SPRINKLERS OR ELECTRICAL AREAS   Notice to Supervisors: Read and prepare for safety meeting. Make sure all employees understand the importance of following our Hazard Analysis and the procedures for working around sprinkler and electrical areas.… read more

by Stan Marek on Aug 24, 2021

Originally published on rationalmiddle.com As I drove to work recently, the top story on the news was the housing shortage. Nationwide, demand exceeds supply by 3.8 million homes, and nowhere is that shortage more acute than in Houston. Houses go on the market and draw multiple offers almost immediately, which can be discouraging for… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Aug 19, 2021

SAFE BEFORE THE STORM RAIN CAN RUIN A JOB Rain may be good for the farmer, but it can turn the jobsite into a giant mud pie. The rain can ruin materials and supplies and generally makes things downright messy. Steel gets slippery, equipment gets stuck, and workers get wet. By covering equipment, materials, tools, supplies and people, rain doesn’t… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Aug 12, 2021

WAR ON FALLS LADDER SAFETY At the Marek Family of Companies we take pride in everything we do. Our type of work is often performed at heights, and working at heights can be hazardous. Falls rank as the chief cause of death on the construction jobsite. That’s why the Marek Family of Companies is always looking for ways to… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Aug 4, 2021

HAND TOOLS SAFETY Of all the equipment placed at our disposal, common hand tools, which we take for granted, are the most useful and the most often abused. A recent review of construction injuries reveals quite a number of minor accidents involving the use of hand tools. To counteract this trend, it would be wise to review the… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Jul 28, 2021

Mandatory Topic: Heat Stress  Hot weather causes more fatalities than any other weather-related source. Heat waves are rarely given adequate attention, but in fact, they claim more lives each year than floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes combined. Heat waves are a silent killer. Heatstroke also… read more

by Marek Brothers on Jul 26, 2021

ATLANTA, JULY 26, 2021 – MAREK announced today the merger/acquisition of McElroy Specialty Interiors, Inc. (MSI), a leading specialty contractor based in Marietta, GA, creating a new corporate subsidiary effective July 26, 2021 - MSI/MAREK. Founded in 1994, MSI provides subcontracting, design-build, construction management and consulting to… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Jul 22, 2021

Mandatory Topic: Harassment/Discrimination  At MAREK, we rely on our employees to work as teams to build our jobs, and without teamwork we would not be able to accomplish any of our goals. The teams that we have are generally comprised of a very diverse group, be it different trades, races,… read more

by Stan Marek on Jul 16, 2021

I am choosing to publicly respond to your press release from July 6, 2021 because there are 204,000 Dreamers brought as children without proper documentation by their parents living in Texas. Their lives hang in the balance.

by Marek Brothers on Jul 16, 2021

Authored by Pat Kiley and originally published by Construction Citizen. The Houston Construction Industry is made up of many different people. Those who prosper are authentic, real people who make commitments, work hard to honor them, appreciate others and stay humble when they succeed. Brianna Wright, the beloved Executive Director of the Houston… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Jul 14, 2021

WAR ON FALLS SUSPENSION RECAP ZERO TOLERANCE This zero tolerance means that certain unsafe employee actions will automatically result in suspension from work. So that employees understand what these actions that will result in suspension are, we will recap the WAR ON FALLS safety violations that will result in a minimum two-… read more

by Saied Alavi on Jul 14, 2021

Marek Brothers Systems Inc., a trusted staple of Houston’s construction community, has been entrusted with the noble task of constructing such an innovative means of combating COVID-19 and augmenting existing capacity.

by Jorge Vazquez on Jul 7, 2021

SEVERE WEATHER WHY TALK ABOUT THE WEATHER? Actually, we have no control over rain, snow, sleet, wind, lightning or sunshine. But we can control what happens on our job as a result of the elements. Some of the biggest problems on construction jobs are caused by wind and lightning. Wind probably causes the most accidents;… read more

by Jorge Vazquez on Jun 30, 2021

HOUSEKEEPING AND TRASH REMOVAL There are several dangers on job sites simply because of the nature of construction work. When the natural hazards found on construction jobs sites are compounded with clutter and debris, the hazard level increases and the potential for an accident or an injury substantially increases. A construction… read more

by Marek Brothers on Jun 25, 2021

In January, the Department of Labor (DOL) published a final rule that detailed how a business was to determine a worker’s employment status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This rule was set to go into effect on May 7, 2021, but at the last moment, the Biden Administration pulled back, ensuring no change to how businesses and the DOL… read more