NBN Online for the week of December 3, 2007

(Plain Text Version) for full graphical version, click here.

In This Issue:

Front Page
Turning Housing Around Top Priority For Treasury Secretary
Home Price Changes Vary Among Top 20 Markets
Coast to Coast
U.S. Lumber 2008 Outlook Dim as Housing Woes Persist
Economics & Finance
New Single-Family Home Sales Edge Up in October
Single-Family Loan Limit to Remain at $417,000 in 2008
Economy’s Fate in Fed’s Hands, PCA Economist Warns
November Sees No Rebound in Builder Confidence
Indianapolis Shines As Most Affordable Housing Market
October Starts Up But Single-Family Stays on Downward Slope
New Guide Shows Best Practices in Tax Increment Financing
Sales Offices Can Be Financed With SBA-Guaranteed Loans
Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
Tips
Builders’ Tip: Vacuum Dust From Anchor-Bolt Retrofits
Research
Finalists Selected for EnergyValue Housing Awards
Builders Invited to Focus Groups on Products and Materials
Codes and Standards
Mandatory Fire Sprinkler Proposal Rejected in New York
50Plus Housing
AARP and NAHB Name Livable Communities Award Winners
Enter the 2008 50+ Housing Design, Marketing Competition
Remodelers
Maximize Referrals With Well-Planned Customer Network
Building Systems
Three Builders Say Prefab Costs Less, Delivers More
Awards Recognize Systems-Built Marketing and Design
Sales
Five Critical Stages to Effective Customer Relations
Free NAHB 'Ramp Up Sales' Audio Conference on Dec. 12
Tickets Available for The Nationals 2008 Gala at IBS
Education
Education Calendar
Green Building
Pulte Honored for Green Homes in Las Vegas
Online Green Certification Tool Ready for a Test Drive
Enter Green Building Awards, Applications Due Jan. 31
IBS
Plan for Success With IBS Pre-Show Education
Register Online for 2008 International Builders' Show
Safety
HBAs: Host a Fall Protection Training Seminar in 2008
Legal
New I-9 Employee Verification Form Now Required
Building Products
Top 10 List Gives Cement Products Green Design Edge
TV
NAHB-Produced Programs on DIY, Fine Living and HGTV
Endowment
Submissions for Lee S. Evans Scholarships Due Dec. 7
Penn State Engineering Student Named Most Recent Glunt Scholar
Builder Achievement Award Deadline Is Dec. 3
Association News
Boston-Area Affordable Home Builder, Austin O'Toole, Dies
Drive Away With a New $500 GM Offer This Holiday Season
UPS Offers Up to 30% Discount to NAHB Members on Shipping
End Public Speaking Anxiety With ‘Spokesperson Training' at IBS
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

HBAs: Host a Fall Protection Training Seminar in 2008

NAHB and the NAHB Research Center will be conducting 40 four-hour fall protection seminars for builders, contractors, supervisors and workers next year. Funded through a grant from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 35 sessions will be conducted in English and five will be in Spanish. The Spanish-language seminars are available upon request. 

Local home builders associations are invited to host the seminars for their members.

During the seminars, participants will learn how to:

  • Recognize the most common fall hazards on residential jobsites.

  • Use safe work practices to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths.

  • Comply with OSHA fall protection regulations that apply to the home building industry.

  • Develop a written fall protection plan.

  • Protect stairways, leading edges, window/wall openings and floor holes.

  • Safely construct rafters and install roof trusses and sheeting.

  • Use an OSHA-approved Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS).


Each participant will also receive a copy of the “NAHB-OSHA Fall Protection Handbook, English-Spanish” and the “NAHB Fall Protection Video, English-Spanish.”

Both safety resources are also available for purchase from BuilderBooks.com at www.builderbooks.com/safety.

To Host a Seminar

For more information about hosting a seminar, visit www.nahb.org/fallprotectiontraining. To submit a request to host a seminar, click here.

For more information, e-mail Lindsay Cather at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8163.



Boost Job Site Safety With Fall Protection Training Products

In an effort to increase job site safety and reduce the chance of job related accidents, NAHB has produced the “Fall Protection Video, English-Spanish and “NAHB-OSHA Fall Protection Handbook, English-Spanish.”

Both are available through BuilderBooks.com.

The 30-minute “Fall Protection Video, English-Spanish” can be used by builders to train workers to use safe work practices that eliminate fall hazards and comply with OSHA fall-protection standards in either English or Spanish.

The “NAHB-OSHA Fall Protection Handbook, English-Spanish” provides guidelines for creating a written fall-protection plan and identifying safe work practices that can prevent costly accidents and injuries. Written with clear text, photographs and illustrations, the book serves as a user-friendly resource for promoting safety on any job site.

To purchase the handbook and video online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.



Create a Safer Job Site

Four common hazards cause 90% of the injuries and fatalities on residential construction job sites.

The “Recognizing the Big-Four Safety Hazards for the Home Building Industry course from The NAHB University of Housing shows how to comply with OSHA regulations and to recognize and minimize those hazards most likely to cause accidents.

The course teaches builders to protect their workers from harm and themselves from liability. This course is also available in Spanish.

To find out where upcoming courses are being held, click here, or call 800-368-5242 x8154 for more information.


 

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