OSHA Renews Alliance with NAHB

OSHA and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) have renewed their Alliance for two more years to further occupational safety and health in the residential construction industry. The Alliance, first launched in May 2003, places special emphasis on the industry’s Spanish-speaking workforce and developing safety and health information for trade contractors.

“Renewing our Alliance with NAHB is very important because it allows us to further our efforts to provide safety and health information and training to Spanish-speaking workers,” said Jonathan Snare, acting assistant secretary of Labor for OSHA. “Together we will continue producing positive results in ensuring safe and healthful workplaces for all workers in this important industry.”

“Training and education are by the far the best way to promote worker safety on construction sites,” added NAHB President David Wilson. “This agreement is another illustration of the private sector working jointly with the government to identify and eliminate hazards that are responsible for the majority of serious injuries on home building job sites.”

Through the Alliance, OSHA and NAHB are developing training and education programs and workshops on residential construction industry issues, emphasizing the Spanish-speaking workforce. The organizations are also planning a residential construction training program for OSHA staff. The program includes information on how houses are built and focuses on the four major construction hazards; falls, struck-by, caught-in between, and electrocution.

During the initial two years of the OSHA and NAHB Alliance, the association worked with OSHA to develop the agency’s Residential Construction Industry safety and health topics page and NAHB members serve on the page’s editorial board.

In addition, the organizations shared safety and health information through a number of speaking and exhibiting events, including the National Safety Council’s 2005 Congress and Expo.