Home Builders and Trade Partners Safety Committee

The Home Builders and Trade Partners Safety Committee consists of residential builders and trade partners who have developed or wish to develop, implement and manage an effective safety and health program which uniformly applies on all job sites. Training sessions are available at a reduced rate for HBA members. All builders and trade partners are encouraged to attend.

Meetings: 2nd Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.

Chair: David Evans, American Pools & Spas - (321) 286-7933
Vice-Chair: Nino Ramirez, Collis Roofing - (321) 441-2300
Staff Liaison:  Anna Spurgeon - (407) 691-2189

The purpose of the Home Builders and Trade Partners Safety Committee is:
To increase the effectiveness of members’ existing safety programs and provide assistance to those wishing to develop a planned program.

• To maintain consistent safe behavior throughout all trade partners
• To plan special training activities that will lead to safer work sites and to lower the incidences of accidents
• To carry out projects that increase the awareness of hazards related to residential construction
• To share best management practices among home builders and trade partners; and,
• To cooperate with other committees, alliances and organizations in other areas as determined appropriate by the committee.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 14th at 2:30 pm
It has been suggested by several members that we have a “Getting to Know You” Program in May. To be successful, each of us must participate. Each member will be given three minutes to tell us about you and your company. You should plan to bring any handouts you might want to share.

Since we are introducing ourselves to each other, we have decided each of us should invite our CEOs or upper management to be present and be a part of your presentation, and also say a few words.

It seems the element of networking has been missing from our group and it is hoped that this program may help us all get to know each other better and find out some information about our companies. Plan to attend and participate!

Upcoming Safety Classes:

How to Develop and Manage a Safety Program - June 11th, 8:00am-Noon

UPON COMPLETION OF THIS COURSE EACH PARTICIPANT WILL BE ABLE TO:
• Describe the basics of a safety management system
• Describe how OSHA relates to your safety program and find applicable legislation
• Implement the eight core elements of an effective safety and health program
• Benefits of safety and loss control

Scaffolding and Fall Protection - September 10th, 8:00am-Noon

Course Description:  these interactive sessions provide participants with a basic understanding of the types and requirements of scaffolding and fall protection requirements used in light construction and homebuilding.  These courses are essential to ensure competent employees are available during scaffolding operations.

OSHA Record Keeping and Inspections - December 10th, 8:00am-Noon

Course Description: This course is designed to assist employers in identifying and fulfilling their responsibilities for posting and maintaining records of illnesses and injuries in addition to reporting specific cases to OSHA.  Moreover, to help prepare for an OSHA inspection, this course will describe the typical OSHA inspection protocol while offering tips of what an employer can do to most effectively manage the regulatory inspection process.

MEDICAL SERVICES AND FIRST AID FOR THE TYPICAL HOME BUILDING SITE

 Written by Trevor Reschny www.safetylinks.net

 It is the responsibility of each employer to provide prompt medical attention in case of serious injury. The OSHA construction regulations require that..."a person who has a valid certificate in first-aid training... be available at the worksite to render first aid. In addition, the employer must provide an adequate first-aid kit, a communication system for contacting emergency medical services, and the telephone numbers of local medical facilities.

 Compliance with these requirements is not a difficult task. All you have to do is:

1.      Ensure several people on each crew are trained in First aid and CPR

2.      Provide an ANSI approved first aid kit

3.      Ensure that each crew has at least one phone to use in case of emergencies

4.      Provide directions (i.e. Google maps) to the nearest clinic or hospital from each site

 By following these simple steps you are well on your way to emergency preparedness. 

Complying with workplace safety rules can seem to be overwhelming, and being able to prove that you’re in compliance to a government inspector only adds to the complexity. But the simple truth is that if you’re doing everything you should be doing to protect people at your workplaces, you should be in good shape when OSHA knocks at your door. In other words, do the right things and compliance will happen!

Despite what some employers may think, workplace safety laws and standards were not enacted to frustrate businesses, but to protect their employees. If your organization is serious about making sure that your employees are safe, and you follow common safety practices, you’re probably well on the way to surviving an OSHA inspection without too many bruises. With that said, there are several things you can do to help compliance ha

• Training is job one
• Analyze hazards daily
• Communicate clearly
• Document, document, document

Forklift Safety and Compliance
(courtesy of Trevor Reschny, CSP, MS, MBA – Safety Links)

Each year, forklift incidents injure thousands of people and cause millions of dollars in damaged property. Unfortunately, most of these incidents could have been prevented with operator training, procedures, and most importantly accountability. 

OSHA’s Rule 1910.178 (I) requires operators of these forklifts to pass a safety training class before they move a single load of drywall or bricks.  This rule clearly states it is the responsibility of the operator’s employer to provide the required safety training.

For more information and to read the entire article: Forklift_Safety_and_Compliance

Effective February 15, 2008 OSHA rules that employers must pay the cost of employee safety equipment.

For more information: OSHA_rules_Employers_pay_cost_of_Employee_Safety_Equipment

OSHA 300 RECORD KEEPING

NOTE:  These records must be posted at your company’s location by February 1, 2008. 

There have been some specific changes in the new rule. These changes include:

(a) changes in coverage; (b) the OSHA Forms; (c) the recording criteria in determination of work-relationship, elimination of different recording criteria for injuries and illnesses, days away and job restriction/ transfer, definition of medical treatment and first aid, recording of needle-stick and sharp injuries, and recording of tuberculosis; (d) change of ownership; (e) employee involvement: (f) privacy protections; and (g) computerized and centralized records.

This list is not intended to be all inclusive. All companies should reference rule 29 CFR Part 1904, as well as details on all record-keeping obligations