Builder Magazine: Construction Safety

Hurricane Fortified

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 05:59:32 EST

Are you building your homes to be "Fortified ... for safer living"?

Pulte Offers to Repurchase Homes Damaged by Slope Failure

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 12:47:40 EST

Builder will rebuild retaining wall that collapsed in this San Antonio community.

San Antonio Takes a Harder Line With Builders After Last Month's Hillside Collapse

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:59:13 EST

A “slope failure” at a Centex subdivision exposes lax enforcement of permitting procedures.

NYC: Trench Collapse Death is a Crime

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 11:18:24 EST

Authorities in New York City have charged a building owner with manslaughter in the case of a construction worker killed in the city when a trench excavation collapsed.

Freeway Fumes

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:18:42 EST

As land costs have risen in recent years, builders have turned increasingly to urban infill sites, and parcels close to major highways are particularly attractive to commuters. But a study from the Department of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles suggests that children who grow up in neighborhoods within 500 meters (about a third of a mile) of a freeway risk impaired lung development.

House Blend: July 2007

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:18:27 EST

Economists' predictions for employment in the housing industry are grim. With first-quarter housing starts and building permits down nearly 25 percent and 27 percent respectively, forecasts for layoffs in residential construction are topping off in the half-million range. And that's not including related manufacturing jobs, which puts the number closer to a million. - Allstate stops writing new homeowners policies in California as a way to help control its disaster exposure in the state, which is prone to wildfires and earthquakes. - Sluggish home sales in many metro areas have made it more difficult for corporate employers to negotiate job relocations, according to a 2006 survey.

NAHB Briefs: May 2007

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:03:42 EST

- The NAHB and the International Code Council announce the appointment of members of the Consensus Committee on the National Green Building Standard. - The NAHB recently announces the release of its latest safety product, the Home Builders' Safety Program. - Four NAHB member developers win the 2007 Building with Trees Awards of Excellence from The National Arbor Day Foundation.

Safety First

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:33:10 EST

Without adequate safety and health policies in place, jobsite injuries are inevitable. One of the most important tools any builder can give to employees is adequate on-the-job training to prevent work-place injuries.

Safety Concerns

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:38:21 EST

Construction is an inherently dangerous industry: Workers use sharp, powerful tools and caustic chemicals, lift heavy weights, and work at sometimes dizzying heights. Jobsite safety issues are magnified for immigrant workers, who are particularly susceptible to getting hurt on the job.

Caught In The Crossfire

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:35:49 EST

BRIAN PATRICK, A BUILDER BASED IN NORTHERN California, remembers that when he was growing up in Southern California in the 1960s, his uncle was a mason and always had Mexicans working for his company. The workers would be on hand during the height of the building season and then go back to Mexico in December for the holidays. While there were abuses in the industry at large, Patrick says that the Mexicans who worked for his uncle were accepted and treated fairly.

Star Power

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 01:45:24 EST

Seattle builder takes jobsite safety to the next level.

NAHB Briefs: December 2005

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 05:04:53 EST

- The House of Representatives passes legislation to strengthen the regulation of government-sponsored enterprises. - The Home Builders Institute has been selected by Washingtonian magazine as one of the D.C. metropolitan area's “Great Places to Work.” - The NAHB launches the Seiders on Housing blog.

NAHB Briefs: September 2005

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:03:45 EST

- The NAHB and Wells Fargo & Co. embark on a three-year relationship that extends and expands an initial package begun in 2004. - The House of Representatives passes four bills aimed at easing OSHA burdens on small businesses.

Jobsite Safety

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:03:03 EST

PRINCIPAL GEOLOGIST THE SOURCE GROUP comments on front cover and some articles to the Jul.,2005 issue of health and safety.

Jobsite Safety

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 04:02:56 EST

Comments on article from the Jul., 2005 issue ("Working Without a Net,” page 108).

Oregon's Safety Trail

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 11:52:35 EST

GARY STONEWALL, SAFETY DIRECTOR for R&H Construction in Portland, Ore., says that back in the late 1980s and early 1990s, home builders really didn't have much of a choice when it came to workers' compensation insurance.

Partner Up For Safety

Thu, 8 Oct 2009 02:36:15 EST

For builder and developer Shea Homes, a proactive approach to safety has been so successful that its California operations earned an award from the state-administered Cal/OSHA program. It's a notable achievement: To qualify for the Cal/SHARP (Safety and Health Recognition Achievement Program) award, companies have to show an injury record better than 90 percent of the industry.

Cutting Injuries, Cutting Costs

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 11:52:49 EST

THE INJURIES WERE FRIGHTENING in both their severity and their frequency. Framing crews were the most common source of accidents. One framer fell from a scaffold, breaking his wrist and tearing the rotator cuff in his shoulder. Another tore ligaments in his knee when he leaned against a safety rail that gave way. Still another fell off a wall, breaking his elbow and tearing his tricep muscle. An excavation crew member broke his leg when he was caught in a trench cave-in.

Double Jeopardy

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 03:18:02 EST

A test of OSHA safety standards.

Safety Enforcers

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 11:47:02 EST

YOU CAN LEARN A LOT BY TALKING with OSHA inspectors. First, they're not jack-booted thugs who are out to get you. Second, they do have a mission, and if you get in the way of that mission, you may pay the price.