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Newer Employees More Likely to Suffer Fatal Injuries
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An NAHB study found that 45% of fatal injuries in home building were from falls. | Nearly half of the workplace fatalities in residential construction that occurred in the last four years happened to workers who had been with their employer less than a year, according to “Residential Construction Industry Fatalities 2003-2006,” a recently-completed NAHB safety study.
An additional 25% of the fatalities involved workers who had been with their companies between one and five years.
“The fact that two-thirds of residential construction workplace fatalities happen to workers with less than five years with their current employer shows how critical it is for companies to spend the time to provide comprehensive safety training to their new employees,” said Buck Roberts, president of A.B. Roberts Construction Company in Anderson, S.C. and chairman of NAHB’s Construction Safety and Health Committee.
Falls, which accounted for 45% of the industry’s reported deaths, were the most common cause of home building fatalities, according to the study. Workers most often fell from roofs, ladders and scaffolding.
The fatally-injured workers were most often installing, building or assembling items such as siding, roofing, decking, walls, windows and scaffolding at the time of the fall, the study found.
In addition, more than half of the fall-related fatalities were workers who were 45 or older.
“Even if your new employees come to you having worked many years in residential construction, they may not be familiar with safety practices on your site,” said Roberts. “Thorough and job-specific safety training is essential regardless of the employee’s age or experience level.”
The study evaluated the 1,385 work-related deaths that were reported in residential construction from 2003 to 2006. Data was collected from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries as well as employment estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey and the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.
Study Available Free From NAHB
The study, available free from NAHB, is the most comprehensive analysis of home building industry fatalities to date.
To download a free copy of the full study or its executive summary from the NAHB Web site, go to: www.nahb.org/fatalitystudy.
NAHB Working With OSHA to Improve Worker Safety
NAHB is working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to provide the latest safety information, guidance and access to training resources to help members protect employees' health and safety.
“NAHB’s comprehensive set of resources — ranging from 10-minute Toolbox Safety Talks that can be held while the workers are eating lunch to daylong training seminars — are geared towards helping companies improve the safety awareness and practices of their employees,” said Robert Matuga, NAHB assistant staff vice president of labor, safety and health.
The fall protection training seminar from NAHB and the NAHB Research Center is held in locations around the country for builders, trade contractors, supervisors and workers. It focuses on identifying fall hazards in residential construction and understanding OSHA fall protection regulations and safe work practices in order to prevent fall-related injuries and deaths.
To learn more about the fall protection training program ― and to see a list of scheduled seminar locations for 2008 ― visit www.nahb.org/fallprotectiontraining.
To purchase safety publications, videos and other resources online from BuilderBooks.com, visit www.builderbooks.com/safety.
For more information on 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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