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CCC Decides to Take No Action to Prescribe a Statewide Permit Form
At the October 20, 2021, Construction Code Commission (CCC) meeting, a motion was made to table the statewide permit forms until they reviewed the findings from the Attorney General regarding their statutory obligation that the application for a permit "shall be on a form prescribed by the commission".
Executive Director M.J. D'Smith attended the January 26, 2022 meeting, where the CCC went into a closed session to discuss MCL 125.1510(1) with the Attorney General. When they re-opened the meeting, it was determined, that despite the consistency the permit forms would give to contractors and the public, enforcement issues in handling enforcing agencies who do not comply in using the CCC prescribed permit form was one of the main factor in deciding not to take action at this time. This means that the CCC will continue to not follow the law and allow the Bureau of Construction Codes and other enforcing agencies to use whatever permit forms they like.
As you know, MIACCA has been the force behind getting enforcing agencies to follow the law as it is written and has actively advocated for CCC prescribed permit forms for years. We are disappointed that the CCC decided not to follow the plain meaning of the law and prescribe the permit form to be used by all enforcing agencies. We will be looking into other avenues to hopefully succeed in getting the Bureau of Construction Codes and all enforcing agencies to use permit forms that are prescribed by the CCC.
Auditor General's BCC 2020 Report
The Auditor General has released the Bureau of Construction Codes 2020 Report that you can review the report here.
Some of the recommendations of the report include:
Timely boiler inspections. They point out that in May 2020 they had not conducted 7,860 out of the 61,900 required inspections nor did they conduct 2,217 of the 2,308 required follow up inspections.
Improvements to the timeliness of the complaint investigation including work without a permit and unlicensed work were recommended.
That LARA improve its statutory reporting for all BCC regulated activities.
BEHLER-YOUNG EXPANDS GRAND RAPIDS DISTRIBUTION CENTER
The Young family and the Behler-Young executive team break ground on the distribution center expansion at 5000 Clyde Park Avenue.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, December 8, 2021: On November 24, 2021, Behler-Young broke ground at the Grand Rapids distribution center for a 100,000 square foot expansion which will double the current size of this facility. Due to be completed in November 2022, Behler-Young will significantly increase inventory, service six branch locations, and increase same day pick up in the west region.
David DeJonge, President & COO, stated “With this $12 million investment, Behler-Young will own over 300,000 square feet of distribution center space in Brighton and Grand Rapids, Michigan. Through these distribution centers we fully stock eighteen branches, with trucks delivering product daily.”
Included in this expansion will be a state-of-the-art photo lab for taking detailed photos of products for customers to better identify products when placing orders online. “We have made a significant investment in our ecommerce platform over the last three years, and this will allow us to further update our product information, photos, weights, and dimensions for our customers,” stated Kari Schellie, Senior Marketing Manager.
Behler-Young is headquartered in Grand Rapids and in May also invested in a new branch at this location, making it easier for customers to access. Customers, vendor partners, and team members later celebrated with a grand opening in September.
Behler-Young is the leading distributor of residential and light commercial HVAC products throughout Michigan and northwest Ohio,representing hundreds of manufacturers, and is the trusted partner to thousands of licensed contractors.
Founded in 1926 by John Behler and Wayne “Brig” Young, we continue to be a family-led business with a mission of satisfying the comfort needs of home and business owners through wholesale distribution. For more information on Behler-Young, go to b-y.com.
Behler-Young has been a MIACCA Gold Corporate Partner for many years and we congratulate them on their expansion!
The Nations First HVAC & Solar Forum
HVAC, Solar, & SMART TechnologiesThe Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), the only nationwide non-profit association for HVACR professionals, indoor environment, and building performance systems, has teamed up with Pearl Certification, a national provider of third-party certifications for high-performing homes, to present The Solar Forum - the nation's first-ever event to specifically address the challenges and opportunities that HVAC contractors face from the rapid adoption of solar, storage, and connected home devices. The event takes place, January 24-25, 2022 at the Crowne Plaza, Phoenix, AZ. At The Solar Forum, HVAC contractors will learn strategies to expand into other home services like demand response systems, EV chargers, and home electrical upgrades. Contractors will also learn how homes with solar and batteries can impact the design and sales process and drive adoption of higher-efficiency heating and cooling equipment. New refrigerants and a push to electrify heating will lead to more system changeouts. Increased adoption of variable speed compressors, whole-house ventilation systems, and other IAQ products, along with smart thermostats and other new technologies, add to the complexity of HVAC work - even as designers and technicians are in short supply. Sessions include:
Alternative Business Models for HVAC & Solar Contractors
Are Your Clients Richer When You Leave Their Home?
Are You Taking Advantage of Legislative Dollars that are Available to You for Renewable Energy?
And more!
LEARN MORE & REGISTER HERE
The Future of Refrigerants
On October 28th, Andrew Greaves of NAVAC joined Service Nation 101 to share an overview of tools and refrigerants and the future for the HVAC technician. This webinar tackles: • Refrigerant classifications; the designators and what they mean • EPA changes and guidelines for the HVAC industry over the next few years • HFC's and the scheduled phaseouts over the next few years • How these changes will impact the HVAC technician, including service and installation practices and the tools that support them Andrew Greaves is the Director of Education & Customer Experience at Navac. He oversees NAVAC's tools and services education curriculum, which is conducted both online and in-person. As a former Marine, Mr. Greaves is a KY Master Licensed HVAC Mechanic with extensive experience in the HVAC service industry. Learn what the future holds for refrigerants and the technicians who work on them with Service Nation 101 and NAVAC!
January 13, 2022 at 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in Lansing, MI
Join Attorney Matthew T. Smith, at Clark Hill Law Firm, who will provide you with this educations seminar on Lien Law.
Members $50
Non Members $100
REGISTER NOW!
On October 11th, MIACCA helped host an event at Ferris State University along with our Vice President Michael Cain of Michigan Engineered Comfort Corporation, who organized the hands on activities, and provided the crane, 2 lifts, disk golf and prizes.
The students enjoyed dinner from Buffalo Wild Wings and a raffle drawing with prizes for all.
Keep an eye out for our future events at other colleges and how you can get involved!
MIACCA President Phil Forner with Professor Joseph Pacella
FSU ACCA President Corey Crotser
A Very happy raffle winner!
MIACCA Vice President, Michael Cain addresses the students on the importance of their chosen career path in HVACR by sharing the wide range of positions that their degree provides.
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR MAIN EVENT SPONSOR MICHIGAN ENGINEERED COMFORT CORPORATION!!
Another BIG THANK YOU to Seaman's for contributing towards Food & Beverages!
The OSHA standard for fire extinguishers dictates that employers should
"provide portable fire extinguishers and mount, locate, and identify them so that they are readily accessible to employees without subjecting the employees to possible injury."
OSHA also states that only approved fire extinguishers can be used. They must remain in their designated place unless being used. The employer must ensure they are fully charged, well maintained, and working properly.
Each business should consider the types of fire likely to take place in their workplace and select the extinguishers accordingly. The standard also sets out where to place extinguishers to comply with the maximum distance an employee should travel to deal with a fire using that equipment.
In addition, there are rules relating to how often an employer should test a fire extinguisher, both visually and in more detail, as well as the training that they should offer employees regarding their use and the hazards and risks involved.
According to the Extinguisher Placement and Safety page of OSHA's Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool, there must be at least four inches clearance between the floor and the bottom of a portable extinguisher. The administration tells employers that they must mount them on the wall or place them in wall cabinets to help prevent anyone from moving or damaging them.
There are also rules about the maximum mounting height, based on the gross weight.
These heights reflect the requirement that employees should be able to access a fire extinguisher without risking an injury. It is more manageable for an employee to handle a larger extinguisher if you mount it lower.
READ MORE
MIACCA Attends Service World Expo
MIACCA's Executive Director, M.J. D'Smith was in attendance at this event in Louisville, KY in September. She had the ability to brainstorm with other state associations, sit in on keynote speaker sessions and network with vendors at the Trade Show. You can read her report here.
MIACCA extends its gratitude to Service Nation for allowing her to attend the conference and covering her travel expenses. This was another great event put on by an exceptional organization!
With the success of our newly signed Public Act 68, MIACCA is ready to accomplish another legislative goal for our industry and HVACR contractors.
NOW, we are seeking input from our members on our next topic of focus. We are asking you to provide feedback on which one of these important issues you think we should tackle:
1. Plumbing license exemption for mechanical contractors replacing a residential water heater
2. Electrical license exemption for mechanical contractors installing low voltage HVACR control wiring
3. Allowing for and requiring only a single permit when replacing an existing appliance that involves multiple disciplines (mechanical, electrical, plumbing)
4. Process for initiating a mandatory performance evaluation of an enforcing agency upon receiving multiple written complaints
5. An administrative appeals process to the Board of Boiler Rules for appealing a State Boiler Inspector's notice of violation of a boiler installation.
6. An administrative appeals process for appealing the Bureau of Construction Codes determination that there is insufficient evidence to proceed with a formal complaint of a Skilled Trades Regulation Act violation.
7. Other suggestions you may have.
