The labor shortage problem has been an issue for some time. But in these last few years, it seems the concern of having qualified workers has compounded and is really a rallying cry for most contractors.

In this latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” W&C’s John Wyatt speaks with FL Crane & Sons’ Ty Crane on the severity of this issue and what can be done to combat it.

In this podcast, Crane outlines some initiatives that his company has implement to address the problem head-on. Listen to this important episode.

In this latest episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Trent Cotney speaks on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, and how it has affected a lot more than just Ohio. We met with Cotney, partner at Adams & Reese, to discuss the effects the train derailment has had not only on the construction industry, but also on you as a resident of the United States.

Cotney expects there to be an investigation into the incident so an event of this magnitude does not happen again. “I don’t know all the ins and outs of why it happened, but I certainly would want to look at everything from our current infrastructure to training,” Cotney said.

Cotney thinks that one of the outcomes of an investigation would be more regulations for the transportation industry. “There are more rules for railroad safety than there probably are for fall protection in construction,” he said.

Overall, the impact the accident had on the environment and how it disrupted residents’ lives is more important than the impact on any one industry.

In this episode of “If Walls Could Talk,” Jill Bloom speaks with W&C’s legal expert Trent Cotney regarding material volatility, which hasn’t disappeared from the hardships for contractors. In fact, contractors should anticipate material increases—in particular storage costs. It’s causing a glut in inventory. And storage prices have gone up.

According to Cotney, the industry has a lot of issues with shipping containers being full as contractors don’t know where to put it. It’s going to be a while for when the demand catches up with the supply.

Is it the manufacturers that are handling the biggest storage or is it also the contractors that have taken up the brunt of that?

“It’s across the board. The primary impact is in the shipping itself. Let’s say you're a contractor, the cost of that storage will go up significantly.”

Jill Bloom speaks with Legal Expert Trent Cotney on the process of OSHA issuing U or T visas in this episode of “If Walls Can Talk.”

These are visas for people that may have a certain history of objectionable activity, such as hate crimes or human trafficking. What OSHA is doing is that it has someone that is illegal that is working for a contractor and if one assists them, then one can get you one of these U or T visas. That is a big carrot out there, Cotney says.

The justification is that OSHA feels they can’t appropriately moderate this. The idea is that OSHA is adverse to safety violations.

What is the upside for the employee? “If you’re a migrant and instead of getting you deported, if you cooperate, you can stay in the country but you have to help. Despite the best efforts of the employers, at the end of the day, documentation is key,” Cotney says.

Contractors should have March 2 marked on their calendars since it’s the deadline for injury and illness reporting with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Known as Form 300A, contractors with more than 20 employees must file the summary with the government or face penalties.

“Stay current with the rules and make sure that you’re tracking the deadlines on osha.gov in terms of electronic record keeping,” urged W&C Legal Insights expert Trent Cotney in this brief “If Walls Could Talk” episode.

Cotney also breaks down the new penalty and fee schedule that OSHA recently adjusted to account for inflation, and some new guidance issued in terms of enforcement.

The ICAA’s Executive Director Michael Kwart joins Walls & Ceilings for this latest installement of “If Walls Could Talk.”

For years now, Kwart has assisted W&C in narrowing down a list of top insulation contractors for this annual feature (February issue). In this podcast, he outlines the attributes of what it means to be among the list of 25 contractors as a premier insulation contractor.

Also, Kwart gives listeners a sneak peek of this year’s annual event.

For more information, visit insulate.org.

HILTI released 30 new products at the World of Concrete trade show last month, and there are even more to come. W&C met with Matt Jackson, Senior Director of Electric Tools and Accessories at HILTI, to discuss the new products.

One product Jackson is especially proud of is the new 22-volt battery, which works with any type of job. “We were able to deliver all the performance that you need on 22 volts,” Jackson said.

HILTI took another step forward into the digital age with the battery. The battery is able to collect data regarding what tool it was used with, what it was used for and more. “Every time the battery is taken off the tool or tools, it will communicate with the charger and it will be sent to the cloud,” Jackson said.

HILTI will be releasing more products in the coming months, including a high-speed charger that can charge batteries in 30 minutes.