Every industry in the United States is currently feeling the constraints of the labor shortage. Employers continue to struggle to bring in new workers and keep existing ones. Job openings far outnumber individuals looking for work — in March, there were 11.5 million jobs to fill, and not enough workers to fill them, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary. 

The week includes classroom instruction, an International Apprentice Contest, certification exams and demonstrations and a graduation ceremony in which 170 will be honored for their completion of the certificate program and an additional 45 will earn associate degrees from WCC.

Plumbing & Mechanical is proud to present to you the third installment of “Adventures in Plumbing & Heating,” featuring the expert advice of industry veteran Dave Yates.

As I write this month’s column, I’m attending Plumbing Manufacturer’s International annual Manufacturing Success conference in Louisville, Kentucky. PMI has done a great job with its programming content this year, especially with keynote presenter Andrew Winston, a corporate environmental strategist and author, who discussed how today’s companies are now expected to take a stand against the world’s social and environmental problems — and in doing so, earn a profit.

BNP Media’s Plumbing Group is finally settling back in after a whirlwind of travel this past month. We’ve been racking up those frequent flier miles attending NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), IMARK Plumbing, the AHR Expo and the WWETT show. While there was a ton to see at each event, for the purposes of this column, we’re going to focus on KBIS.

In my years in the workforce, I’ve had jobs with amazing bosses and managers. On the flip side, I’ve also had terrible managers who made me question whether or not I wanted to stay in that organization.

Generosity is the new marketing. In this era of social media, charitable companies can earn an enhanced brand reputation as being a “good” company and will make people want to do business with them.

When a plumbing contracting company wants to grow, it can expand its geographic area by opening a new location, adding a new trade, or buying out another business.

There is a growing trend in the skilled trades, with more people turning away from the traditional four-year college path.

I reached out to some of the best coaches in the industry for some perspective on communicating clearly and effectively with customers and each other and best practices for how contractors should handle communication breakdowns.

Amazon is doing well, though a volatile political climate threatens small businesses’ growth.

Working with the media can help boost your company image.

Are you being proactive about your marketing plan?

Why we do what we do” is why I do what I do. My job is to “change behavior.

No longer an optional form of advertising, digital marketing has become the norm. 

In the city of Worcester, Massachusetts, which snuggles into the center of the state, you will find Mount Saint James, and upon that steep hill, you will find The College of the Holy Cross.

My shop teacher was a wiry man who loved hand tools. We spent a week making a buzzer base. He taught us how to saw, sand and varnish. He introduced me to a Brace & Bit hand drill and went on and on about how this was better than an electric drill. “Can you feel the wood? It’s alive!” he said, and I could.

Safety professionals work diligently to engage both leaders and employees. But there is often a challenge: leaders wish their employees would just "be careful" without doing diligence to hazard identification, assessment and control. The result: workers claim leaders are only concerned with productivity and budgets.

The U.S. Department of Labor has launched a new resource to help employers better understand mental health issues, and obtain guidance on how to cultivate a work environment that supports employees with related conditions.

Nondairy milk may have begun as a lactose-free alternative for vegans or nondairy eaters, but the rise in popularity can be attributed to much more than being a must-have swap. The options are endless: almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, rice milk, and more.

Today’s workplaces look far different than they have in the past, taking on many shapes, sizes and settings. As a result, more workers from multiple employers are working side-by-side at the same locations, increasing the shared responsibility for worker safety among employers.

Obese teenagers can have certain brain differences from their thinner peers -- changes that might signal damage from inflammation, a new, preliminary study suggests.

ISHN Magazine sat down with Joe Boyle, CEO of TRUCE, to discuss strategies for eliminating workplace distractions. The following are excerpts from that conversation.

What’s that one worksite habit that really grinds your gears? Every safety pro has one pet peeve they hate to see but can’t seem to eliminate. Bad safety habits happen on every job site, but breaking those habits isn’t as easy as slapping workers on the wrist or offering them rewards.

Thousands of Industrial Safety & Hygiene News subscribers jumped online to vote in ISHN’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards between March 1 and May 1, 2013. The results are in, and ISHN Publisher Randy Green has released the list of winning entries.

Hospitals, clinics and related medical centers can now choose from four new onsite consulting services introduced by  J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

Complimentary webcast on March 21 will cover the most pressing challenges in the Environment of Care and Life Safety.

Aqueous Film-Forming Foam has saved numerous lives with its effectiveness, but recent studies have revealed just how dangerous it is, chiefly due to the presence of PFAS.

Ergonomics principles can guide employers towards systems that adapt to workers’ needs and decrease the potential for discomfort and harm.

As part of the rulemaking process, the agency will seek and consider input from a ride range of stakeholders and the public at-large as it works to propose and finalize its rule.

One of the most common OSHA violations is respiratory protection. Let’s dive into why and what’s required to be compliant.

Learn about two specific air filtration and dust collection standards set by ASHRAE to guide you in establishing air quality programs.

A new study summarizing exposures to asbestos during the installation and removal of asbestos cement products demonstrates that these construction activities almost always exceed U.S. occupational limits.

More than two million workers in the construction industry have been exposed to silica in the workplace. Short of a complete double lung transplant, silicosis is both a chronic and incurable condition.

While regulations exist to minimize dangers of toxic substances in industrial plants, there are additional methods that can be incorporated to effectively reduce air pollution in these facilities.

The proposed legislation would direct the EPA to establish a list of indoor contaminants and voluntary guidelines.

OXEA, part of the Oman Oil Company, is a leading chemicals manufacturer with operations around the globe. Its specialist products go towards making high-quality coatings, lubricants, cosmetics, pharmaceutical products, printing inks and plastics.

Today, optrel, a leading manufacturer of active eye protection products, introduced its new crystal2.0 welding helmet with Crystal 2.0 Lens Technology (CLT2.0) — representing a quantum leap forward in optical clarity for welders before, during, and after welding.

A manufacturing plant has been dealing with hot machinery and punishing Texas heat. The buildings are made of tin with little insulation. That means it gets really hot. They solved this issue with evaporative coolers.

How many years will it take for AI applications to trickle down to small contractors? The odds are the OSH benefits will not be equitably distributed.

Exhibitor applications for A+A 2021, International Trade Fair with Congress for Safety, Security and Health at Work, are now available online at www.aplusa-online.com. The deadline for reserving exhibit space at A+A 2021 is December 1, 2020. The event will be held from October 26 – 29, 2021at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Through cross-industry partnership, Blackline Collective empowers leaders with a forum to share experiences, best practices and strategies that improve worker safety, efficiency and quality

A+A 2021 – the leading International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work – drew to a successful close after four days: 1,204 exhibitors from 56 nations and more than 25,000 trade visitors traveled to Düsseldorf, Germany to attend the sector’s most relevant trade fair.

This past November 2021, 193 countries attending UNESCO’s (UN’s science body) General Conference agreed to abide by common standards for open science.

Lars Wismer, director of A+A, International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work, talks to us about the world’s leading trade show for the occupational health and safety industry and what makes it stand apart from other events.

The trade show and congress cover all aspects of a holistic prevention culture – from corporate health management and personal protection to workspace design and workplace safety management. 

The schedule of free-to-attend, accessible webinars cover Casella’s core areas of expertise, including workplace monitoring for noise, environmental boundary, hand and arm vibration, and asbestos sampling.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety reminds workers that repetitive strain injuries are serious workplace hazards and encourages them to take action to prevent these injuries.

The central theme of Safe + Sound Week is to promote the implementation and enhancement of safety and health programs in workplaces. 

Metal stamping manufacturing processes can quickly and cleanly create solid metal parts for a wide range of needs and industries. Small metal parts make up some of the most important pieces when creating larger scale items.