Throughout November, RUGGED Mind and Body is sharing practical information about SAD, what to notice at work and at home, and steps you can take to seek support. 

For MCAA President Curtis Harbour, the summit represented an opportunity to build on the industry’s progress in physical safety.

Nominations are due by close of business on Monday, Dec. 11, 2026.

Susan Jacobs-Marshalsea’s decision to enter the plumbing trade was easy. Representing the fifth generation of Master Plumbers, she was determined to carry on the tradition of Jacobs Plumbing, “A Family of Master Plumbers Since 1895!” But coming up in the late 1970s and early ’80s meant proving she belonged.

At the time I am writing this, many of our contractors have been wrapping up their summer work, which focuses heavily on education facilities.

A new employee is trying to figure out how to log into the company training portal again, someone got a splinter from a pallet, a driver called out sick, and three trucks backed up to your dock to be unloaded at the same time, one with an appointment and two without.

Prevention is already a familiar concept in the trades. You inspect equipment, identify hazards, wear the appropriate protective equipment and address problems before they become injuries or costly failures.

For the sixth year in a row, Philadelphia-based general sheet metal contractor Ernest D. Menold Inc. is participating in Movember as a vehicle to promote a healthy workforce.

For Maria Arcieri, a challenge from a high school classmate was all it took to change her career path from cosmetology to automotive technology.

I still remember the first time I realized the tools in my truck could do more than finish a job. They could restore something. Not just a pipe. Not just a fixture. Not just a mechanical system.