EPA Safety Certification Training Course at HBA on January 6

CLASS DATE & LOCATION:

One-day class - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, January 6 - HBA Office, 636 W. Republic Rd., D108, Springfield MO

Training provided by an EPA Accredited RRP Training Provider. Space is limited!

REGISTER BY: Completing and Returning Registration Form (download by clicking here) to HBA with payment. Advance payment is required. No invoicing, no exceptions.

COST: $195 for HBA Members

$225 for Non-Members

Fee includes lunch; lunch is brief to achieve course in 1 day.

Safety Update - New OSHA Ruling Clarifies Key Residential Safety Regulations

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) applauds the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) decision to withdraw the interim fall protection guidelines for residential construction that were issued in 1995 and revert to the previous guidelines.

"Job site safety is the number one priority for builders," said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones, a home builder from Bloomfield Hills, Mich. "This action will clarify what actions builders need to take to comply with OSHA regulations while helping to ensure safer work sites."

The interim guideline, intended as a temporary policy, was implemented in 1995 to allow employers to use alternative measures for fall protection without having to provide a written, site-specific fall-protection plan or prove that conventional fall-protection systems were not feasible for a particular project. Prior to 1995, OSHA required builders to provide conventional fall protection (i.e., guardrail systems, personal fall-arrest systems or safety-net systems) for workers engaged in residential construction working six feet or more above a lower level. If an employer determined that using conventional fall-protection methods was not feasible or would create a greater hazard, the employer had to provide a written fall-protection plan utilizing alternative fall protection methods. OSHA's new compliance directive (STD 03-11-002) eliminates the interim guideline and reverts back to the pre-1995 regulation.

In a 2008 letter, NAHB requested that OSHA rescind the interim guideline as it created confusion about fall protection requirements for residential construction. The new directive (STD 03-11-002) will require employers to comply with 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13), which will "eliminate confusion in the residential construction industry as to which fall-protection methods and systems must be used and would make compliance with OSHA fall-protection requirements for the home building industry much simpler and easier to understand, as well as put into practice" according to the letter. The guideline still provides flexibility for employers by allowing them to implement a written fall-protection plan if they determine that conventional systems are not feasible or create a greater hazard to workers.

OSHA's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health and the Occupational Safety and Health State Plan Association also supported rescinding the interim guideline.

Construction and roofing companies have until June 16, 2011 to comply with the new directive.

For more information on complying with fall protection regulations and training materials, visit www.nahb.org/fallprotection.

Free Webinar @ HBA - MARKETING IN A NEW BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

View a free NAHB webinar entitled "Marketing in a New Business Environment" on Thursday, December 16, 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the HBA office. If you plan to attend, please email jennifer@springfieldhba.com or call 881-3711.

Description: Inasmuch as you wouldn’t use a telegraph to stay in touch with clients and vendors, why would you continue using traditional but fading marketing channels? More buyers are turning to the internet first when looking for a house, either existing construction or for new construction. Moreover, younger buyers stay abreast of new developments constantly, using social media resources to communicate their preferences and find out what’s hot. In the post-recovery marketplace you need to understand what buyers want. You also need to effectively utilize social media with existing marketing tools to reach the younger demographic that will be an increasingly important sector of the market.

Program includes:

Carol Flammer, MIRM, CAPS, President, Flammer Relations, Inc.;

Managing Partner, mRelevance, LLC.

Carol Flammer is the author of Social Media for Home Builders: It’s Easier Than You Think, and is the “go to” person for real estate and construction products public relations and social media. She is the visionary behind the nationally-ranked and award-winning atlantarealestateforum.com, Atlanta’s most popular real estate blog. Her launch of the site in 2006 was truly visionary and led the new media movement in the Atlanta new homes market. With 20 years of experience, Ms. Flammer is known for creating effective strategies that create impressions and brand, as well as drive traffic to Web sites and sales centers.

Ms. Flammer is president of Flammer Relations, Inc., and managing partner of mRELEVANCE, LLC, an Internet Marketing, Social Media and Public Relations firm with offices in Atlanta and Chicago. She is a frequent speaker at tradeshows including the International Builders Show, Century 21 Building Show and the Southern Building Show. She speaks frequently to Sales and Marketing Councils and teaches social media seminars at home builders associations around the country. You may contact her for your social media, public relations, or Internet marketing needs at 770-383-3360, @CarolFlammer or http://www.mrelevance.com/.

David Owen, President, Boone Homes, Inc.

David has been President of Boone Homes for Four years and was previously Vice-President for six years. He is currently serving as Vice-President of the Home Building Association of Richmond (HBAR) and will serve as President of HBAR in 2011. Boone Homes’ consistent innovation and outstanding architecture keep them in the top five builders (by annual revenue) each year in the Richmond Market. Over the last year Boone Homes has added social media to it marketing plans by adding a new blog website and completely updating their main website to obtain search engine optimization. The integration of blog posts, Facebook and Twitter into the company’s daily activities has help develop relationships with the local real estate community.

Marie Still, Marketing & Communications Director, MRIS

Marie Still is the Marketing & Communications Director at MRIS, the largest multiple listing service in the nation and leading real estate technology provider. With an MBA in Marketing and BA in English, Ms. Still has served in various interactive and marketing positions to include her previous role as Director of Marketing for AOL’s advertising division. Marie is also an avid blogger (stillisms.com) and speaker.

OSHA 10 Hour Class Offered at Safety Council

The Safety Council of the Ozarks is offering a 10 Hour OSHA Construction Outreach class on the 16th-17th of December. The cost is $99.00 for SCO members, (add $36 for non-members.) To register online, click here or call the Safety Council at 417-869-2121.

The 10-hour Construction Industry Outreach Program Training Program is intended to provide entry level construction workers general awareness on recognizing and preventing hazard on a construction site. The training covers a variety of construction safety and health hazards which a worker may encounter at a construction site. OSHA recommends this training as an orientation to occupational safety and health. Workers must receive additional training on hazards specific to their job. Training should emphasize hazard identification, avoidance, control, and prevention, not OSHA standards.