PHVAC business owners know running a service company is not easy. It takes hard work, training, dedication, more training, good communication and customer service, even more training, leadership … you get the picture. Running an essential business during a global pandemic is a whole other ball game. 

In September, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) issued citations to 19 businesses totaling more than $57,000 in fines for failing to uphold COVID-19 safety and health workplace guidelines, including not maintaining social distancing, not requiring face masks, failing to train employees on COVID-19 guidelines and failing to conduct daily health screenings. 

One company in Port Huron, Michigan, may have found a solution to help contractors with that last one. Michigan is one of many states mandating that companies perform daily health screenings for its employees. However, trying to conduct these screenings manually not only takes up valuable time for employees, it creates a privacy nightmare with possible HIPAA violations. So Online-Access decided to create a program to automate the process. 

CertiClear coordinates, organizes and securely stores employee daily health screening records — it’s also free of privacy risks and designed to be HIPAA and ADA compliant. Turn to Page 62 to learn more about CertiClear and what some fellow contractors think of it.

Considerations like this are why it’s so important to get out and vote during the upcoming election. Yes, it’s a presidential election this year, with lots riding on the outcome, but your local elections matter just as much, if not more. 

Whoever is elected in November will see us through the COVID-19 pandemic and, hopefully, get the economy back on track. These people will also have a much more direct impact on a contractor’s day-to-day operations. 

As small business owners, contractors need to know all of the issues and vote in a way that will help themselves and their businesses. Make sure to do your research — read the candidates’ literature, ask questions or even go meet them yourself. Then get out and cast your vote.