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SAFE Awards Recognize On-the-Job Safety Efforts
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Gerard Ender, who has appeared on HBO, NBC and in NAHB safety videos, and his safety sidekick, Daisy Rios, led a safety trivia contest during NAHB's SAFE awards program at the International Builders' Show last month. |
 Fourteen builders, contractors, industry officials and organizations received NAHB’s second annual Safety Awards For Excellence (SAFE) for developing and implementing high-quality safety programs and for their efforts to advance safety in the home building industry.
“NAHB is proud to recognize these companies for their outstanding efforts to protect our industry’s most valuable resource — its workers,” said Robert Matuga, NAHB assistant staff vice president of labor, safety and health, during an awards breakfast on Feb. 13 at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando. “They stand as an example for everyone in the construction industry to model their own safety programs and behaviors after.”
Honorees were recognized for achieving excellent safety records, for creating outstanding safety education programs and for continuing partnerships with state and local Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials.
Ceremony attendees listened to a keynote address from Sherwood Kelly, director and senior vice president of national construction practice for Willis Insurance Services of California, a subsidiary of the global insurance broker, Willis Group.
Attendees also were tested on their safety knowledge by program emcee, Gerard Ender, a television actor who has appeared HBO’s “The Wire” and NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” and who has hosted many of NAHB’s safety videos.
2008 winners included:
- Single-Family Builder Safety Program — less than 10 home starts per year:
Mark Johnson Custom Homes, of Wilmington, N.C., kept safety regulations at the forefront of their educational efforts and has maintained a workplace free from serious injuries for 24 consecutive months.
- Single-Family Builder Safety Program — 11-100 home starts per year:
Veridian Homes, of Madison, Wis., thoroughly integrated and managed an effective quality, environment, health and safety (QEHS) system in the family-owned and operated company.
- Single-Family Builder Safety Program — 101-999 home starts per year:
Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc. in Mililani implemented a top-to-bottom organizational approach to safety that enabled them to reduce their worker’s compensation costs over the past year from $1.30 per man/hour worked to $0.73.
- Single-Family Builder Safety Program — more than 1,000 home starts per year:
Shea Homes in Scottsdale, Ariz. developed and implemented a comprehensive safety management program that included pre-job planning, site-specific safety plans and job hazard analysis.
- Specialty Trade Contractor Safety Program — less than 500 employees:
D&R Framing Contractors, LLC of Englewood, Colo. created an exemplary safety program and advanced the field of safety by serving on the safety and audit committees and CD/DVD task force of the Home Builders Association of Northern Colorado, its local HBA.
- Specialty Trade Contractor Safety Program — more than 500 employees:
Collis Roofing, Inc. of Lakeland, Fla., which considers every day a safety-training day, made a significant investment in time, money and equipment to ensure the safety of its workers.
- Remodelor Safety Program of the Year:
JDR Enterprises of Savannah, Ga. contracted with Synergy on Safety to develop and implement a safety program tailored to their company, including OSHA 10-hour training for every staff member.
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Andy Anderson, NAHB Leadership in Construction Safety Award winner | Multifamily Safety Program of the Year:
The NRP Group, headquartered in Cleveland, developed a prevention perspective, rather than merely promoting compliance, in which all levels of operation — from the company owner to site superintendents — participate in their risk management program.
- Associate Safety Program of the Year:
Super Anchor Safety, headquartered in Woodinville, Wash., was honored for its innovative line of fall protection equipment. The company’s real-world fall protection solutions for the home building industry are tested by nationally-recognized labs and meet or exceed current OSHA/ANSI requirements.
- Home Builder Safety Professional of the Year:
Mary Silva, safety manager for Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, is responsible for all of the company’s safety operations, from site work to home completion. Upon joining the company, she implemented monthly safety meetings with the safety officers of all the company’s trade contractors, and keeps safety awareness at the forefront of all company projects.
- NAHB-affiliated Association Safety Program of the Year:
The Home Builders Association of Hartford County in Connecticut established a safety committee nearly four years ago with a mission to improve job safety, create awareness and reduce workplace injuries for its more than 500 members.
- Federal and State Plan OSHA Official of the Year:
Bill McDonald, OSHA area director in St. Louis, initiated a collaborative approach to help OSHA and the home building industry forge a more successful, safety-focused relationship. John Ford of the OSHA office in San Bernardino, Calif. worked to change the safety culture in California’s home building industry by helping reduce injury rates and lost workday rates and by ultimately saving lives.
- Innovative Safety Program/Idea of the Year:
Mike Pechacek and Joe Solis of Trendmaker Homes, based in Houston, partnered with framing contractor Julio Alquicera to design the MJJ scaffold bracket, a device that eliminated the need for workers to work on the top plate of walls, a dangerous undertaking.
- NAHB Leadership in Construction Safety Award:
Andy Anderson, who works in Pinopolis, S.C. for Associated Construction Services LLC, was recognized for his lifelong commitment to improving construction safety in the home building industry, including serving three terms as chairman of the NAHB Safety Committee and guiding NAHB’s numerous construction safety efforts including establishing the NAHB-OSHA alliance, expanding NAHB’s construction safety training and education offerings and developing the NAHB Safety Awards For Excellence.
For more information on the SAFE awards or NAHB safety training programs, 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.
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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