Builders should consider the following pointers in their efforts to train and educate their workers:
- Take a look around the job site to determine hazards employees might be exposed to from falls, working on or near scaffolding, trench collapses, electrocution and other sources of possible injuries or potential dangers.
- Evaluate the areas that pose the greatest exposure to injury and train workers in those areas first.
- Training videos, tool box talks, manuals and sample information can all contribute to the training program.
- Many power, pneumatic and power-actuated tool manufacturers can provide free videos illustrating how to use their products safely.
- When you make a large purchase of safety equipment such as fall-protection harnesses or respirators, a representative of the manufacturer will often be willing to come to the builder's location and train employees on how to use it properly.
- Smaller companies can get together with other builders or their local home builders associations to host classes in which equipment manufacturers provide training and also have the opportunity to sell more products.
- A good way to start the work week is with a 10- to 15-minute safety talk that focuses on the work that will be done and the possible hazards workers and anyone on the job site may encounter.
- Free safety training seminars and materials are available from NAHB.
NAHB's “Construction Safety Program Manual: A Guide for Home Builders and Contractors” is a practical guide for developing a comprehensive safety program for your building company. Available from BuilderBooks.com, the publication includes a model safety program on disk that can be easily customized and adapted to meet the safety needs of your business.
For more information, e-mail Robert Matuga at NAHB or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.
Free safety training seminars and materials are available. NAHB and the NAHB Research Center, Inc. have developed a six-hour safety training seminar entitled, “Recognizing the 'Big-Four' Safety Hazards for the Home Building Industry.” For information about when and where this course is being offered, click here.
BuilderBooks.com offers a variety of publications online about safety and OSHA in English and Spanish editions. To view or purchase these publications online, click here.
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