Take Action Against Illegal Sign Contracting
Licensed sign companies in California are competing against unlicensed full-service sign companies, and unlicensed service-installation companies. The California Sign Association (CSA) works with the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) to eliminate these unlicensed companies, through CSA’s “Bandit Buster” program. If you are aware of illegal and unlicensed service or installations of signs, you can help solve the problem by notifying the CSLB and/or CSA and push back on the “underground economy.” Continue Reading
CSA Director Emeritus Gary Quiel Retires
Reflecting on a Legacy
Gary Quiel (pictured second from right, 2014 CSA Summit) along with Emeritus Skip Moore (photo, center), were the first two “second generation” offspring to receive the honor of Director Emeritus title status. The first-generation Director Emeriti preceding Gary and Skip were Ray Quiel and Bill Moore. Ray and Bill were installed as Emeriti in 1994 and Gary and Skip were installed in 2014.
During Gary’s time on the CSA Board of Directors, he served as president of the association in 1998, chair and co-chair of numerous committees, and most notably as Chairman of the Annual Fishing Trip, which set sail out of Dana Point Harbor for 17 years under Gary’s leadership. He concluded his last voyage in 2019, giving us many fond memories of this annual expedition, and hundreds of great stories about whose fish was the biggest, or which one fought the hardest and longest. The fishing trip has also served as one of the best venues for developing true camaraderie with fellow CSA members.
To say Gary will be missed on the board of directors is an understatement – he will be sorely missed. But we look forward to Gary’s continued involvement as a Director Emeritus. CSA wishes Gary and his brothers Larry and Jerry the best of luck and health in their collective retirements. It is hard to imagine the Inland Empire of California without Quiel Brothers Signs and all its employees; their involvement in CSA, ISA and WSA leaves a legacy like no other.
A WONDERFUL ARTICLE ON THE QUIEL BROTHERS SIGN COMPANY IS AVAILABLE – READ STORY.
The Great Fishing Trip August 8, 2020!
Back for the 18th voyage off the coast of Dana Point, Captain Neal Tibbs and 29 lucky fishermen, women & children will set sail early, early Saturday, August 8th! This event sells out every year, so book early! This is an all-day cruise launching at 5:00 am (please check-in by 4:30 am) out of Dana Point Harbor and returning around 5:00 pm that afternoon.
Cost: $120 per person (license, equipment, food, drink or fish cleaning are NOT included in this fee). Payment is required to hold reservations. Registration form & payment are due by Friday, July 10, 2020. After this date, no refunds will be given for cancellations. The boat could hold 60, but we limit the total number of guests to 45 give everyone plenty of room to stretch out.
For more information about the fishing, call Call Neal Tibbs at (209) 603-0629. For information about registration, call CSA at (916) 932-0021 or email cflahive@calsign.org.
License, equipment, food, drink or fish cleaning is NOT included in your registration fee.
Saturday, August 8, 2020 – Sailing on the Clemente
Check-in at 4:30 am, boat departs at 5:00 am sharp!
Dana Wharf Sportfishing in Dana Point Harbor
34675 Golden Lantern, Dana Point, CA
Return approximately 5:00 PM.
10 Action Steps to Protect Designs
10 Action Steps Sign Contractors Can Take To Protect Signs and Designs in the Cut-and-Paste World of Social Media
Have you ever driven down the street only to spot a sign you designed constructed and installed by a competitor? Or did a photo of your work get uploaded to Facebook, LinkedIn or another sign company’s website? CSA Legal Counsel recently presented two seminars on trademark and copyright protection for members in a world of social media, where a simple cut-and paste can result in infringement and loss of business. Here are helpful key Action Steps discussed at the sessions.
OSHA ENFORCEMENT ALERT!
OSHA is Planning to Increase Enforcement on Crane Operators in early 2020
Over the past few years, CSA and ISA have been advising sign companies about new requirements for crane operators. Though the deadlines for compliance have occurred in the last two years, few sign companies have encountered enforcement by OSHA inspectors.
CSA and ISA expect enforcement to ramp up significantly in early 2020. The reason for this increased enforcement is that OSHA often needs time after the effective date of a regulation to draft internal policies, compliance manuals, and to train its inspectors and enforcement personnel who are based in the regional OSHA offices. In November 2019, the head of OSHA’s Directorate of Construction spoke to a key conference of construction training personnel; he forecast that by January 2020 the agency would complete their Compliance Guide that will assist OSHA compliance officers in their application of the requirements on construction sites across the country.
Once the Compliance Guide is distributed, OSHA inspectors will move forward in asserting the federal Cranes in Construction standard and applying it uniformly across all regions.
What sign companies should know: The Cranes in Construction rule is a massive document, with numerous provisions that have been adopted in stages since 2010. For sign companies, the two most significant deadlines were November 2018 (third-party certification of crane operators) and February 2019 (employer evaluation of crane operators). A key part of both these deadlines is requirements to maintain documentation of compliance that is available on the worksite upon request by an OSHA officer. If a sign company’s personnel are not compliant in 2020, OSHA will not accept the claim that the sign company/employer did not have enough advance notice to obtain certification or complete the employer evaluation. At this point, all employers will have had at least one year after the effective date to ensure compliance.
Available resources: ISA has developed many resources (www.signs.org/crane) that explain the rule and answer common questions. ISA has developed a free Mobile Crane Operator Evaluation Form, that can help an employer assess their employees. ISA also has hosted numerous webinars on the topic; these webinars are archived and are free to access for ISA/affiliate members:
Employer Evaluation of Crane Operators
CSA staff is available to answer questions you may have on Qualifying and/or Certifying your crane operators. For information, contact Cheryl at 916-932-0021 or email (cflahive@calsign.org).
REMINDER! OSHA NEW DEADLINES
Reminder To Post OSHA 300A Summary Log From February 1st Through April 30th!
It is time for the annual posting of the 300A, which is the summary of your company’s recordable injuries and illnesses from 2019. The 300A must be signed by a corporate officer, and posted where employees have ready access to it, usually the employee poster area. For those employees who receive pay between February 1st and April 30th, and who don’t at least weekly report to the posting area, a copy of the form must be presented or mailed to that employee.
Click here to access the Cal/OSHA website for a copy of the 300A form.
You can also download the 300, 301, and 300A form as an excel spreadsheet by clicking here.
Most employers are also required to file the 300A with Federal OSHA. Employers with less than 20 employees, or whose NAICS codes are not on the list, don’t have to file. Most construction classes are on the list. You must register and post at the Federal website portal, by March 2, 2020.
Information from the California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors
Gathering for Food, 5G, and Fair Use Statute
Thursday, January 16th started with the CSA Board of Directors meeting, a four-hour event with lunch that keeps the committees moving forward and prepares for the 2020 WSSC Show and CSA Annual Convention in August.
Following the board meeting and a brief recess, an education seminar about trademarks, copyrights and more began at 3:30PM. Originally presented in northern California on October 10th, Jeff Aran, CSA’s legal counsel, brought his legal expertise to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Cucamonga. Aran outlined case studies in social media and plagiarism, then helped to define protections applicable to the sign industry related to products, technologies, and creative work. He covered:
- What is Protected
- How it is Protected
- Current Litigation
- Action Steps Sign Companies Can Take
Ethical and legal topics were discussed and a number of questions answered, such as, What would you do if another company’s sign drawings came across your desk attached with a request for your bid? What proactive steps should be taken to guard your creative work?
After the seminar came networking with fellow CSA members with cold drinks in hand and a fabulous Italian dinner. Fascinating 5G Technology insights were shared by Darrell Palmer during his evening presentation. Darrell’s impressive background includes over thirty-five years of experience in telecommunication, with several roles and projects, from design and management to field technician and construction manager. Thank you Darrell!
CSA Board Meeting Cancelled
CANCELLED: Board Meeting followed by Capitol Program and Dinner Presentation
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, CSA’s Board of Directors will not host its 3rd Board Meeting of FY 2019-2020 at the Holiday Inn Sacramento Downtown, 300 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
NorCal Seminar and Dinner Meeting 3/19/20- Cancelled
The event previously scheduled for Thursday, March 19th at Reiff’s Gas Station Museum has been cancelled due to Coronavirus concerns.
First up: Seminar from 3:30 – 5:30pm
Human Assets: Maximize Talent in the Workplace
Presented by John Hackley
Seminar: 3:30pm -5:30pm
Meet our speaker, John Hackley of Oculus Consulting. Hackley’s credentials include a C-45 sign contractor license, accreditation as a small business consultant with the AASBC, contributor for Sign Builder Illustrated and speaker for ISA. Currently with Oculus Business Coaching, John leads business development and strategic alliances as its Chief Efficiency officer. Oculus provides consultation and executive coaching programs designed to help sign manufacturers make significant improvements by implementing systemic solutions.
Following the seminar, join us for No Host Cocktails 5:30 – 6:30pm
Then, stay for a Barbeque dinner and networking!
SoCal Seminar and Dinner Meeting 3/12/20
Date & Location: Thursday, March 12th at Green Dragon Tavern & Museum – 6115 Paseo del Norte, Carlsbad, CA 92011
First up: Seminar from 3:30 – 5:30pm
Human Assets: Maximize Talent in the Workplace
Presented by John Hackley
Seminar: 3:30pm -5:30pm
Meet our speaker, John Hackley of Oculus Consulting. Hackley’s credentials include a C-45 sign contractor license, accreditation as a small business consultant with the AASBC, contributor for Sign Builder Illustrated and speaker for ISA. Currently with Oculus Business Coaching, John leads business development and strategic alliances as its Chief Efficiency officer. Oculus provides consultation and executive coaching programs designed to help sign manufacturers make significant improvements by implementing systemic solutions.
Following the seminar, join us for No Host Cocktails 5:30 – 6:30pm
Then, stay for Dinner, Networking and presentation from CalOSHA!
Join the Revolution at the Green Dragon!
We talk about Constitutional Rights, day in and day out, when it comes to our personal and (sign) business lives – Freedom of Speech.
No better place to Network with the Sign Industry movers and shakers than the Green Dragon Tavern & Museum as America is brought to life!
A replica of North End Boston’s historic Green Dragon Tavern, attendees will learn about the Colonial and Revolutionary War eras. Sip on some-thing cold to drink, then it’s time to experience some fabulous food!