The 2011 NAHB International Builders’ Show will offer three educational sessions covering a variety of topics related to occupational safety and health in the residential construction industry.

These 90-minute sessions will provide participants with an understanding of the importance of maintaining a written and managed safety program; the four hazards in construction that are the primary cause of injury and fatalities; and an introduction to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and safety for home builders. 

The sessions include:

Thursday, Jan. 13

• “I Need a Written Safety Program — Now What?”
  10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
  West 311 G-H
  Presenters: Ron Adams and Sean Purcell, Builders Mutual Insurance Company
  
  Most employers have written safety programs in order to comply with standards promulgated by OSHA. However, far too often these plans are left to collect dust on a shelf in the hopes that OSHA never visits your job site. This course will identify why a safety program is needed; the steps to developing and implementing a safety program; the responsibilities of management, supervisors and workers; and the benefits of implementing a comprehensive safety program.

Friday, Jan. 14

• “The ‘Big Four’ Construction Safety Hazards”
  8:00 a.m.-9:30 a.m.
  West 308 C-D 
  
  OSHA's Focused Inspections Initiative has shifted the way the agency conducts inspections, which focus on the four major hazards that result in the most serious construction industries — falls from elevations, struck by, caught in/between and electrical shock. These four hazards are responsible for 90% of all construction fatalities and continue to be the primary causes of worker death on construction job sites. This session will take a proactive approach towards recognizing the “Big Four” hazards on residential construction job sites and will evaluate effective controls to minimize the risk of injuries associated with them.

Saturday, Jan. 15

• “Introduction to OSHA and Safety for Home Builders”
  10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
  West 308 C-D
  Presenter: Matthew Murphy, of SEE, Inc.
  
  OSHA has begun to reassign resources from compliance assistance programs to enforcement activities. This will result in more OSHA inspections on jobsites nationwide, as well as on residential construction jobsites. This session will evaluate health and safety regulations that are applicable to the home building industry, identify employer rights and responsibilities outlined in the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and provide an introduction to the OSHA inspection process.

For more information, e-mail Marcus Odorizzi at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8590.