NBN Online for the week of May 16, 2005

Builders Seek Timely OSHA Citations and Other Reforms

For the sake of enhancing worker safety and improving housing affordability, the nation’s home builders last week called on Congress to reform the regulatory procedures of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

“Builders know that creating a safe work environment makes good business sense,” NAHB First Vice President David Pressly told members of the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

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New Southern Nevada Homes Embrace Water Conservation

In an area that wrestles with water-supply concerns as it continues to expand out into the desert at a rapid pace, the Southern Nevada Home Builders Association reported last week that KB Home Nevada has built the first Water Smart Home in metropolitan Las Vegas and expects to build 2,500 water-conserving homes this year.

With an eye on reducing new home owners’ consumption of the precious commodity without compromising their quality of life, the home builders association worked with the Southern Nevada Water Authority for almost two years to develop the Water Smart Home program, which is the first of its kind in the nation. Announced in January, the initiative provides “water-smart” certification for new single-family homes and neighborhoods that meet water-efficiency standards. The homes can conserve as much as 75,000 gallons of water annually.