Seattle Washington Building Expert Directory

Health Care Construction Requires Compassion, Attention to Detail and Flexibility

July 01, 2019 — Coker Barton - Construction Executive
When it comes to renovating and expanding hospitals, there is one principle that everyone can agree on: patients, family and hospital staff must be placed at the forefront of every stage of the job, ultimately dictating the project’s timeline. For a health care project to be a success, a general contractor needs to have industry-specific experience, must emphasize communication and scheduling and—most importantly—have a passion for the industry. Capably and safely work in a health care environment Health care requires a level of detail and understanding of the industry that is not found in other construction sectors. Builders must focus on infection control and interim life safety measures to protect patients, visitors and staff. There is accountability involved that goes beyond completing a project right on schedule. For example, the expansion of The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Fla., included a new 175,000-square-foot tower in addition to building out space above the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Anytime the contractor is building next to or over patients, especially those who are most vulnerable, it is on alert. It sets up containment areas, which help maintain the negative pressure in the construction area by pulling air in versus blowing dirty air out, as well as keep dust and other contaminants inside the construction area. There is no room for mistakes, which is why these techniques require more training and experience to properly execute. Reprinted courtesy of Coker Barton, Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Read the court decision
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Thank You for 17 Years of Legal Elite in Construction Law

December 16, 2023 — Christopher G. Hill - Construction Law Musings
Thank you once again to those in the Virginia legal community who elected me to the Virginia Business Legal Elite in the Construction Law category for the 17th consecutive year. The 17 consecutive years of election to the Legal Elite in the Construction Category span my entire close to 14 years as a solo construction attorney. The fact that you all have continued to elect “100%” of the lawyers at The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill, PC for the last 13 years is most gratifying and only confirms that my decision to “go solo” over 13 years ago was a good one. To be included in this list of top construction attorneys is both humbling and gratifying. For the complete list of the Virginia construction lawyers who were elected along with me, see the 2023 Virginia Business Legal Elite in Construction Law. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of The Law Office of Christopher G. Hill
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

OSHA Joins the EEOC in Analyzing Unsafe Construction Environments

June 26, 2023 — Cameron S. Hill Sr. - Construction Executive
Consistent with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP) published in January 2023, which noted an increased focus on the construction industry as it relates to harassment and discrimination issues within the workplace and around hiring and the advancement of minorities, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is following suit. At the end of March 2023, OSHA leaders announced another arrow in their quiver: OSHA has new authority through its Wage and Hour Division to issue certifications supporting applications for "U" nonimmigrant status and "T" nonimmigrant status visas. Reasoning that workers' immigration status, social inequalities or differences in culture can cause them to fear retaliation for identifying unsafe work environments and criminal activity, such as trafficking, murder, blackmail, extortion and other serious crimes, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, Doug Parker stated, "The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's top priority is to ensure workers are safe and can exercise their rights, regardless of their demographic or immigration status. A key part of that mission is expanding our work to combat workplace inequities that can create hazards and affect vulnerable workers who are likely to be exploited or victims of crimes. Our vision extends beyond setting standards, inspecting workplaces and providing training. Becoming a visa-certifying agency gives us one more tool in our wide-ranging efforts to better protect workers and their rights on the job." Reprinted courtesy of Cameron S. Hill Sr., Construction Executive, a publication of Associated Builders and Contractors. All rights reserved. Mr. Hill may be contacted at chill@bakerdonelson.com Read the court decision
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New Jersey Courts Sign "Death Knell" for 1979 Weedo Decision

October 21, 2015 — Jesse Howard Witt – Acerbic Witt
A new blog post from Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton discusses two recent decisions limiting the holding of Weedo v. Stone-E-Brick, Inc., 405 A.2d 788 (N.J. 1979), a New Jersey case that has generated decades of commentary and debate, in my own writing as well as that of many others (at least 1880 citations, according to the blog). Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Jesse Howard Witt, Acerbic Witt
Mr. Witt welcomes comments at www.wittlawfirm.net

DOJ to Prosecute Philadelphia Roofing Company for Worker’s Death

June 17, 2015 — Beverley BevenFlorez-CDJ STAFF
While Construction Dive reported that it’s rare for the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prosecute employers for on-the-job deaths, the DOJ “plans to prosecute the owner of a Philadelphia roofing company for alleged crimes that the government claims led to the death of a construction worker.” According to Construction Dive, James J. McCullaugh, owner of James J. McCullagh Roofing Inc. has been accused of lying to US. Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigators “in an attempt to cover up his company’s failure to provide required fall protection for a man – Mark T. Smith – who died after falling 45 feet from a church roof in 2013. Two other workers said no fall protection was provided.” Read the court decision
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Sales of New U.S. Homes Slump to Lowest Level Since November

October 28, 2015 — Victoria Stilwell – Bloomberg
Purchases of new U.S. homes slumped in September to a 10-month low, disrupting a trend of steady improvement this year in the industry. Sales dropped 11.5 percent to a 468,000 annualized pace and the prior two months were revised lower, Commerce Department figures showed Monday. The September rate, which included a record percentage decline in the Northeast, was weaker than all economists’ forecasts in a Bloomberg survey. Limited inventory of affordable homes and viable lots on which to build them may be holding back progress in housing, which has helped buffer the U.S. from slower growth abroad. Builders may need confirmation that fundamentals supporting the housing recovery -- job growth and cheap borrowing costs -- remain in place before investing in additional land and labor. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Victoria Stilwell, Bloomberg

California Statutes Authorizing Public-Private Partnership Contracting

February 01, 2022 — Robert A. James & Shade Oladetimi - Gravel2Gavel Construction & Real Estate Law Blog
Public-private partnerships are often cited as a key pathway to restoring and enhancing the nation’s infrastructure. They can be challenging arrangements to structure. (As a result of the pandemic, they have even suffered the indignity of having their “PPP” acronym coopted by the Paycheck Protection Program. With apologies to Small Business Administration practitioners, we use “PPP” in this article to refer to the infrastructure tool.) One gating condition to setting up a PPP is identifying the authority for a public entity to use a contracting method that does not run afoul of the general requirements that (i) works of improvement be let to the lowest responsive bid by a responsible bidder and (ii) design services be awarded through a qualifications-based selection process. Integrated forms of project delivery that vest in a single concessionaire multiple design, construction, financing, operation, maintenance and entrepreneurial roles must find an exception to any applicable background rules. Reprinted courtesy of Robert A. James, Pillsbury and Shade Oladetimi, Pillsbury Mr. James may be contacted at rob.james@pillsburylaw.com Ms. Oladetimi may be contacted at shade.oladetimi@pillsburylaw.com Read the court decision
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The Anatomy of a Construction Dispute Stage 2- Increase the Heat

January 21, 2015 — Christopher G. Hill – Construction Law Musings
Last week we discussed the groundwork and circumstances of a construction claim. This week’s post will discuss the next steps, hopefully short of full blown arbitration or litigation that you, as a construction company, can pursue presuming your claim has been properly preserved. If your contract requires certain steps such as informal resolution attempts or other items, these are the first things that must be done while still preserving your rights to pursue all remedies available. Instituting such contractually required resolution steps can and should be the first “notch” on the dial of increased pressure on the Owner, General Contractor or possibly Subcontractor against whom you have a claim. Read the court decision
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Reprinted courtesy of Christopher G. Hill, Law Office of Christopher G. Hill, PC
Mr. Hill may be contacted at chrisghill@constructionlawva.com

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