According to the ELECTRI International report, “Pandemics and Construction Productivity: Quantifying the Impact,” the COVID-19 pandemic is estimated to have reduced productivity in the construction sector by some 20%, based...
One of the most significant changes from the COVID-19 pandemic has been the shift to remote work. The disruption of live-work patterns has had its own impact on other behaviors, such as energy use and generation. A study by...
The coronavirus hit the world full force in March 2020 and upended business. Offices emptied out, with millions of workers opting to work remotely. In downtown Chicago, huge office towers stood vacant except for maintenance...
There were plenty of obstacles to completing the new home for the New York Islanders hockey team in Elmont, N.Y. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, harsh weather conditions, staging challenges and a looming deadline didn’t deter...
On Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022, the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s emergency temporary standard (ETS) that mandates a vaccine-or-test requirement for large companies. The...
With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing and flu season in full swing, it is important to maintain a safe, clean work environment. People may become infected by touching surfaces contaminated with illness-causing viruses and...
Scope creep has traditionally been the top driver of claims and disputes on capital projects in the Americas, but during the pandemic, the main culprit has been design problems exacerbated by “failings in the management of...
On Nov. 4 OSHA announced a new emergency temporary standard (ETS), aiming to protect more than 84 million workers from the spread of coronavirus in the workplace. “The nation's unvaccinated workers face grave danger from...
In September 2021, the White House issued a press release announcing a new, comprehensive, six-part plan to increase vaccinations nationwide. According to the press release, past efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic have...
As healthcare demands rise, several companies have teamed up to build a modular solution intended to offer fast additional surgical or patient treatment capacity. Hunt Electric Corp., Bloomington, Minn., is at the center of...
COVID-19 has had a massive influence on physical security and the services systems integrators deliver, and the pandemic continues to serve as a prime a catalyst for new applications. More than a year and a half into the...
On August 13, OSHA issued updated guidance to help employers protect their workers from the coronavirus. The updated guidance provides new and expanded information on appropriate measures that employers can take to protect...
After much prodding by the construction industry and others, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is now letting businesses that took out Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans for $150,000 or less apply directly for...
Almost half of the U.S. population is vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the centers for Disease Control and prevention, so a return to the workplace is inevitable. Many in the construction industry were required to be...
For those of us who were able to work from home because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned that remote work is a viable option for the future, and it is now an enterprise strategy being adopted by the business community...
According to a May 2021 report from the National Safety Council (NSC), the organization “cautiously supports” the CDC’s May 2021 recommendations that fully vaccinated individuals can relax safety protocols, such as mask...
In May 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released its guidance for employers, “What You Should Know about COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and other EEO Laws,” which covers COVID-19 in the...
According to the results of the latest American Staffing Association’s Workforce Monitor survey (conducted from June 10 to June 14 by The Harris Poll among 2,066 U.S. adults aged 18 and older), nearly six in ten U.S. adults...
In March 2020, life in the United States seemed to come to an abrupt halt. Efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 forced many of us to turn spare closets and kitchen corners into home offices. Images of empty rush-hour...
The National Safety Council (NSC), Itasca, Ill., has observed June as National Safety Month since 1996. This annual observance aims to promote a culture of safety both in and out of the workplace. For its 25th anniversary...
