Check Your Jobsite Safety Plan During OSHA’s Safe and Sound Week

OSHA’s Safe + Sound Week, Aug. 15-21, is a nationwide campaign held each year to encourage every workplace to have a written safety and health program.

Successful safety and health programs can proactively identify and manage workplace hazards before they cause injury or illness, protecting workers and improving a company’s stability and bottom line.

A focus on safety is critical for home builders right now as OSHA is ramping up its jobsite enforcement efforts on numerous fronts. A renewed emphasis on trenching was announced in July and federal regulators are considering a heat standard that could impact construction. And just two weeks ago, OSHA announced a significant fine for a home builder after a worker died following a 25-foot fall earlier this year.

Safe + Sound Week is the perfect time for home builders to review their written jobsite safety and health programs. A written safety program is a requirement for construction jobsites under OSHA regulations. All employees must be aware of the program and many elements are required to be posted on the site.

NAHB has developed free safety program resources for home builders and contractors.

The Safety Program Toolkit is designed for small to medium-sized home builders and general contractors to use as a model for their own safety programs. The NAHB model safety program contains the materials needed to effortlessly set up a successful, company-wide safety program, including company and employee documentation and notices that can be posted on the job site. It can be customized to reflect the particular circumstances of each jobsite.

Use NAHB resources to create your own safety program for jobsites. If you already have one, consider holding a stand down to review relevant parts of the plan with workers and subcontractors on your sites.

The safety and health of NAHB members, and all who work in residential construction, is a top priority of the Federation. A culture of safety begins with a thorough plan that is readily accessible to managers, workers and subcontractors.