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National Safety Month Puts Focus on Fall Prevention
Sponsoring June as "National Safety Month," the National Safety Council has created a set of materials and activities to help organizations make a difference in safety both on and off the job. Emergencies, distracted driving, poisoning and falls are specifically being addressed as sources of unintentional injuries and deaths in the U.S.
Residential construction frequently involves operating vehicles and working at heights, activities that are among the top causes of fatal injuries in the home building industry.
In an NAHB study, “Residential Construction Industry Fatalities, 2003-2006,” falls were the leading cause of fatal injuries in the home building industry, accounting for 45% of the deaths. Fourteen percent of home building deaths occurred in transportation accidents.
NAHB works with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) to provide the residential construction industry with information, guidance and access to training resources geared to protecting employee health and safety.
Through BuilderBooks, NAHB offers a comprehensive set of resources that can help companies improve the safety awareness and practices of their employees. Too see all of NAHB’s safety resources available through BuilderBooks, go to: www.builderbooks.com/safety.
The NAHB Research Center, in conjunction with NAHB, offers a fall protection training seminar in locations around the country for builders, trade contractors, supervisors and workers. The seminar 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, go to: www.nahb.org/fallprotectiontraining.
For more information on NAHB safety training programs, e-mail Lindsay Cather or call her at 800-368-5242 x8163.
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