Focus on Jobsite Hazards During Fire Prevention Week
Oct. 8-14 is National Fire Prevention Week, an annual public outreach and awareness campaign by the National Fire Protection Association.
NAHB has resources to help builders keep residential construction sites as fire-resistant as possible, beginning with basic housekeeping, storage, and preparedness practices, especially entering the cold season:
- Keep the worksite clear of extraneous items and clean up spills immediately.
- Be aware of fuel and ignition sources on the jobsite, and ensure proper placement and storage.
- Ensure rooms have proper ventilation before spraying paint and other solvents.
- Ensure temporary heaters are being properly used.
- Keep fire extinguishers within easy reach, and make sure workers are trained to use them.
Serious fires on home building jobsites are rare, but they can be very destructive. And all fires are fairly easy to prevent with diligent planning and maintenance.
Winter is an especially dangerous time as many sites use temporary heaters when working on interiors. These heaters can be knocked over, left on, or simply malfunction, leading to fires that can quickly spread. Proper use of space heaters is essential to keeping workers safe.
Take this week as an opportunity to stop and think about fire safety on your jobsites. Is everyone aware of the escape plan? When was the last time fire extinguishers were checked? Is housekeeping a daily task?
You’re probably already covered. But stop and think about it, and ask the questions to make sure.
For more on home building site fire safety, watch the NAHB Toolbox Talk below or visit the fire prevention toolkit.
Latest from NAHBNow
Sales of newly built single-family homes declined 10.5% in July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 607,000, following a sharply upwardly revised June estimate, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales was 6.3% lower than a year earlier.
The escalating U.S.-Canada trade dispute is a setback for residential construction. Talks between the two countries collapsed last Friday, and President Trump proceeded with his threat to impose 50% tariffs on about $20 billion in Canadian goods.
Latest Economic News
Elevated borrowing costs, rising inflation and broad economic uncertainty continue to curb buyer demand and hold back new home sales.
According to NAHB analysis of quarterly Census data, the count of multifamily, for-rent housing starts increased year-over-year during the second quarter of 2026.
Material costs increased by 6.7% over the previous year, according to results from the survey for the July 2026 NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI).