U.S. Department of the Treasury, IRS and the U.S. Department of Labor Announce Plan to Implement Coronavirus-Related Paid Leave for Workers and Tax Credits for Small and Midsize Businesses to Swiftly Recover the Cost of Providing Coronavirus-Related Leave

March 20, 2020 - WASHINGTON, DC – Today the U.S. Treasury Department, Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor announced that small and midsize employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing Coronavirus-related leave to their employees. This relief to employees and small and midsize businesses is provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, signed by President Trump on March 18, 2020.

Read the detailed announcement

APCA General Manager Tim Wagner on COVID-19

I have been struggling with writing our own COVID-19 dissertation in light of the fact that you have likely received emails on the Corona Virus from every conceivable source including schools, restaurants, accountants, lawyers, airlines, hotels, and trade associations. They all say pretty much the same thing—wash your hands, keep your distance, etc. We have nothing to add to keep you safe as we’ve all been reading and watching the same things.

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APCA Cancels Convention in the Bahamas

The APCA Board of Directors has been closely monitoring the coronavirus and has decided that the best course of action for the association and the safety of its members is to cancel the APCA Annual Convention scheduled for March 27-April 1 in the Bahamas. All room reservations at the Grand Hyatt will be cancelled.

APCA will contact all convention registrants via email to explain the next steps.

 

2019 OSHA Form 300A Deadline

OSHA is reminding employers to submit their 2019 OSHA Form 300A (Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses) by March 2, 2020.

Who is required to submit Form 300A?

• Establishments with 250 or more employees that are required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and
• Establishments with 20 to 249 employees in certain industries. For the list of designated industries, visit https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.41AppA.

How to submit Form 300A: Submit injury and illness data electronically at www.osha.gov/injuryreporting.

 

OSHA Revises National Emphasis Program to Reduce or Eliminate Worker Exposure to Silica

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established a revised National Emphasis Program (NEP) to identify and reduce or eliminate worker exposures to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) in general industry, maritime, and construction.

OSHA will conduct 90 days of compliance assistance for stakeholders prior to beginning programmed inspections for the NEP.

The NEP targets specific industries expected to have the highest numbers of workers exposed to silica and focuses on enforcement of the new silica standards, one for general industry and maritime (29 CFR § 1910.1053) and one for construction (29 CFR § 1926.1153). These standards became effective in June 2016, and construction employers were required to begin complying with their standard as of September 23, 2017. General industry and maritime employers were required to begin complying with their standard as of June 23, 2018.

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APCA Journal - 1st Quarter 2020 Edition Available

The latest edition of the Pipeline Contractors Journal is in the mail but you can avoid the wait by reading it online.

This issue looks at the upcoming APCA 2020 Convention, reviews the North American Pipeline Market Outlook and much more.

Take it with you: The APCA Journal is optimized for reading on your phone or tablet.

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