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Safety Resources Provided for Katrina Recovery Workers
 In its response to Hurricane Katrina, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has deployed safety and health professionals to Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to provide technical assistance to recovery workers in their ongoing cleanup efforts along the Gulf Coast.
OSHA is distributing safety and health fact sheets and materials at supply and construction stores in the affected areas, and has released public service announcements in English and Spanish to inform workers about hazards in the restoration and cleanup effort.
Safety and health information on such disaster-related hazards as flooding, falls, electrical dangers, molds and exposure to lead and asbestos is available on the “Hurricane Recovery Assistance” link on the Department of Labor's Web site and OSHA’s hurricane recovery page.
The Web sites are also providing information on working with chainsaws, heat and sun protection, the physical and mental stresses involved in working under arduous conditions and more. Links to other government resources are also provided.
“The Department of Labor has already dispatched teams of OSHA professionals to the devastated regions to help ensure that the restoration of power and telecommunications facilities and infrastructures are done in a safe way,” said Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. “And they will continue to be in the region for as long as it takes to ensure the health and safety of workers involved in the rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts.”
OSHA teams on the ground are focusing on safety and health issues for workers involved in debris removal and a variety of construction projects, according to Jonathan Snare, deputy assistant secretary of labor for OSHA.
“We are augmenting our regional headquarters in Dallas and Atlanta with more safety and health experts who will provide technical assistance to assure the safety of the thousands of workers who will be on site throughout the Gulf Coast over the coming months,” he said.
At its fall board meeting in Reno, Nev. earlier this month, the NAHB Board of Directors urged OSHA “to protect relief and construction workers by emphasizing technical assistance and working with NAHB on all health and safety-related issues encountered during the cleanup and reconstruction of the affected areas.”
For more information on OSHA and NAHB efforts to protect workers during Hurricane Katrina recovery operations, e-mail Rob Matuga at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8507.
 First-Ever Job Site Safety Video for Home Builders Available at BuilderBooks
The first ever English-Spanish “Jobsite Safety Video,” available through BuilderBooks.com, provides an overview of the key safety issues residential builders and workers need to focus on to reduce accidents and injuries. Based on the “NAHB-OSHA Jobsite Safety Handbook” this DVD is intended to be used as part of an essential residential construction safety-training program and includes two 20-minute videos. To view or purchase this DVD online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
 ‘NAHB-OSHA Jobsite Safety Handbook’ Available at BuilderBooks.com
“The Jobsite Safety Handbook: English-Spanish Edition,” available through BuilderBooks.com, presents the basic guidelines for establishing a safety and health program and identifies safe work practices that counteract the most common hazards found on residential job sites. To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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