June 2023

Earlier this year, a new OSHA regulation that allows regional administrators to issue new violation types

called "instance-by-instance citations" went into effect. The agency can now issue several citations for specific violations where it previously would only have issued one. As a result, Construction Dive reports that some initial citations may cost as much as hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars with the agency potentially issuing one citation for each worker exposed to a hazard and for each day those workers were exposed.

Even builders with the best intentions must be fully engaged in compliancy, including solid recordkeeping. A lack of thorough documentation could pose a significant fine, so contractors should fully document their job site practices.

MIM members are doing their part to ensure a safe work environment. Member Dailey Engineering recognizes the importance of safety as demonstrated in a recent school project, where the entire building was internally braced. Internal bracing uses the wall’s inherent strength and vertical reinforcement and provides safety for workers on the job site by keeping the wall up during construction and stable in a high wind event.

"Construction is hard enough," adds Ned Niemi and Nicole Miller of Davenport Masonry. "At Davenport, we strive to give our field staff the best possible conditions to work in and that includes setting safety standards that can be achieved and repeated for consistently safe jobs. We have committed to housekeeping, fall protection and safe work access.”

The MIM has an alliance with the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and is hosting training for MIOSHA this fall to educate them on the

advantages of internal wall bracing and foster the relationship between MIOSHA and the masonry industry.

Read the full Construction Dive article here.

From the Desk of Phil Ledent

Imagine a world without masonry. No more masonry schools, warehouses, homes or offices. No more stone fireplaces or garden walls. While it's difficult to imagine, we are faced with a challenge: outside our industry, the end user and the public don't understand us. There is a reason that downtowns are comprised of historic brick masonry structures while the newer surrounding residential and mixed-use buildings are lucky to have a veneer backed by wood or steel studs. Just ask your grocery clerk or librarian what masonry is. Their answer might surprise you.

The solution to this challenge is education. If we hope to keep masonry alive for years to come, we must educate architects and engineers on the value of masonry. Beyond that, we need to enlighten contractors, owners, developers and all stakeholders on the value that we can offer. But we can't stop there. We need to also educate tomorrow's designers who are pursuing degrees today in architecture and engineering with not one course focused on masonry. For example, in accredited civil engineering degree programs, students are required to take courses on reinforced concrete and structural steel. Masonry can be offered as an elective, but many schools drop it due to a lack of enrollment. The MIM works to fill this gap by providing masonry education to high schoolers and college students through lectures, field trips and hands-on bricklaying activities. Over the past three years, I have had the pleasure of teaching a masonry course for the University of Toledo. We are also on the advisory board at Lawrence Technology University (LTU) and Wayne State. Elective masonry courses are currently offered at both universities with the potential that I will teach at LTU in 2024.

A world without masonry would definitely be bleak. Thankfully, there are many committed professionals working to ensure a bright future for the industry. Their leadership is helping pave the way for future architects and engineers to gain a full understanding of the inherent durability, resiliency and beauty of masonry.

What can you do to help? Talk to anyone who will listen about the value of our industry and, together, we can change the connotation of the word "masonry" from one that invokes thoughts of pyramids and secret societies to thoughts of high-performing wall systems. We're also constantly looking for lunch and learn sponsors to educate the design community on your companies, so consider sponsoring an upcoming one. You never know, that grocery clerk may have a brother or sister who is a planning commissioner, architect or engineer!

In this issue, we are shining the light on mentors at Albaugh Masonry. As a longtime member of the MIM, company President Scott Albaugh believes that, for every young person who dedicates their time to learning the craft of masonry, Albaugh Masonry grows richer in knowledge and depth.

Through mentoring, coworkers can develop a deep relationship that promotes both personal and professional growth and learning. And it can be a two-way street with both the mentor and the mentee learning, growing and supporting one another.

One of the best strategies for fostering employee development, maintaining engagement and increasing retention is through mentoring. In addition to helping develop and grow employees, mentorship leads to a more productive, engaged and satisfied workforce. Albaugh is thankful for those on his team who have mentored. “I couldn't be prouder of the generosity they've had in sharing their mastery of an ageless trade made new again and again." 

Tip of the Month

Stack bond construction, while appealing, has additional detailing requirements. Specifically, code requirements include a minimum of at least one wire of size W1.7 spaced at a maximum of 18 inches on center for veneers. Learn more here.