|
Builders Providing OSHA With Expertise on Safety
NAHB is bringing its expertise to the U.S. Department of Labor's 15-member Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health, which is responsible for advising the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's assistant secretary of labor on construction safety and health standards.
Mike Thibodeaux of Lennar Corp. in Houston represents NAHB on the committee. “When OSHA is looking at a new regulation or revising an existing one, they look to this committee to review it, to ask questions, to determine what works and what may need to be modified,” he said.
The committee includes representatives from labor unions, risk managers from commercial construction companies, insurance companies and state OSHA officials, as well as home builders, ensuring “an expertise that can assist OSHA and the committee in reaching a reasonable type of rule to make it safer on the job site, because that’s the bottom line,” Thibodeaux added.
For instance, on proposed reporting and oversight requirements for cranes and derricks that would be particularly onerous for smaller builders, OSHA was under the impression that home builders don’t use cranes and wouldn’t be subject to the standard. The NAHB presence on the committee helped set the agency straight, Thibodeaux said.
The committee has also discussed standards for respirators, confined spaces, fall protection and other issues. “We have an opportunity to go through proposals with an eye toward whether they affect, and how they affect, the way we do business. Most of our members are small businesses, and sometimes making changes can have a very big monetary effect,” he said.
At the same time, committee members are all highly aware of OSHA’s mission to enhance safety on the job site. An important key to safety is appropriate training, an area where NAHB is becoming increasingly active. The association’s Jobsite Safety Video, available at www.builderbooks.com, and its training programs will soon be joined by new fall protection education products.
“We want to continue to provide detailed, specialized training,” Thibodeaux said.
For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132.
 Protect Your Workers and Your Profits
The “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.
|
