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OSHA Begins Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign
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Frederick Humphreys, president and CEO of the Home Builders Institute (HBI), spoke about HBI’s commitment to safety training in its workforce preparation programs at the launch of the OSHA Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign on April 21 in New York City. | The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched its 2008 Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign on April 21 to reduce work-related injuries among the more than 3 million teens expected to work this summer.
“The Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign educates teenagers on the importance of workplace safety and health habits that will help protect them and their coworkers at work,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao at the kickoff event on the “Today” show in New York City.
As part of the campaign, OSHA will host and participate in career fairs, youth programs, expos and training seminars around the country to teach safety to the summer job seekers.
Teens also can get more information on jobs in residential construction on a special OSHA Web site for teen workers. The site provides safety working tips, information on appropriate jobs, on-the-job hazards and career choices.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), teens 18 or younger were treated for 54,800 work-related injuries and illnesses in hospital emergency rooms in 2003. Since only about a third of work-related injuries are seen in emergency rooms, NIOSH projected that 160,000 teens are hurt on the job each year.
“NAHB works closely with OSHA to ensure the safety of workers of all ages on residential construction sites, but we have a particular interest in young workers as they are the future of our industry,” said Frederick Humphreys, president and CEO of the Home Builders Institute and a featured speaker at the kick-off safety event in New York.
Know the Law Before Hiring Teens
Home builders who are thinking about hiring teens for summer work need to know the laws governing the employment of minors.
For example, under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), minors are not allowed to work in excavation, manufacturing explosives and mining; cannot operate many types of power-driven equipment; and cannot participate in any other occupation that is considered hazardous.
There are exemptions for certain ages and functions, for family members and for 16- and 17-year-old apprentices and student learners, so builders need to carefully review the regulations.
To download the Department of Labor’s (DOL) reference guide, the “Construction Employers Quick Guide to Teen Workers Rules,” click here for the English and Spanish versions.
For information on the DOL Web site about hiring teens, click here.
More DOL child labor resources are available at www.youthrules.dol.gov. Potential employers also can call 866-487-9243.
NAHB-OSHA Alliance Support
More than 800,000 home builders, their employees and contractors have received safety training over the past six years from on-site sessions, print and video materials or Web-based resources through the NAHB-OSHA Alliance.
For more information, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.
 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.
Home Builders Institute Offers New Program to Teach Hispanic Adults English
 Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition is an easy-to-use, take-home learning tool created exclusively for the construction industry by the Home Builders Institute to improve communication, quality and safety on the job site.
The product, now available at www.seddesaberconstruction.com, uses proven LeapFrog technology to allow workers to listen, record and play back their pronunciation of more than 500 vocabulary words and 340 phrases. Participants who practice 30 minutes each day will complete the program in just four months. Learning at home, on their own time, also eliminates scheduling conflicts.
 Sed de Saber™-Construction Edition was developed by a team of subject matter experts assembled through HBI — including superintendents, craft skills experts, remodelers and builders — to ensure that the information is relevant to today’s home building workforce. To address worker safety issues related to the language barrier, HBI created a seventh book based entirely on the NAHB-OSHA Job Site Safety Handbook.
NAHB members can purchase the learning system, all seven books and a skills assessment to chart employee progress for $395 per kit. The non-member price is $495. Order today and empower your workers to learn English at www.seddesaberconstruction.com.
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