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SBS Gift Cards make shopping for that handyman easy!	Jobsite Safety Programs Save Money and Benefit Us All Looking for an easy and effective way to lower insurance premiums? Having a good safety record for two or three years can reduce worker’s compensation insurance and general liability insurance premiums by as much as 40 percent. If that’s not a good enough reason to get started on your company’s job safety program, add better product quality, a solid company reputation, on-time production schedules and improved employee morale and turnover to the benefits most companies see after putting a job site safety program in place. Each year, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that 38,000 construction injuries are reported. The construction industry has the highest number of occupational injuries (10 percent) of all industries, and 20 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities occur within our industry. Accidents account for about 6.5 percent of all construction dollars spent. The good news on this front, is that builders who have an effective written safety program have 36 percent lower accident rates, on average. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently came out with 10 steps that can help sharpen a company’s safety focus. Most apply to commercial as well as residential operations: 1. Leadership – A company owner needs to take an active role in developing and supporting a company-wide safety program and needs to communicate its importance to employees. Management also has to be willing to provide staff and budget for the safety program, hold supervisors accountable for achieving goals, participate in training and review status reports annually. 2. Budget – The estimated cost of a safety program is about 2.5 percent of direct labor costs. Expenses typically include training, safety equipment and signage and first aid kits. Other costs might include a safety consultant and incentives to motivate and reward employees for success. 3. Safety Coordinator – One person should be designated as responsible for the company’s safety performance. Coordinator jobs include conducting safety audits, investigating accidents, making recommendations on how to avoid future accidents, maintaining OSHA records, providing copies of the safety and health program to employees, making sure job sites have safety equipment, information and contact information. 4. Employee Discipline – Make it a requirement that employees and contractors follow the health and safety rules on your job sites. Document discipline procedures, since some legal issues can be involved. 5. Put the Safety Program in Writing – Write down your company’s safety policies, regulations and procedures. Guides and a variety of training programs that will help with this process are available. Copies of the safety manual should be distributed, and signed by everyone. 6. Training – Offer safety training as a part of new employee training and offer continuing training to all staff. 7. Modified or Early-Return-to-Work Program - Consider allowing an injured worker to do light or transitional duty until he can return to his or her normal job. 8. Trade Contractor Compliance – Choose subs that care about safety and stress to those that work for your company that safety is a top priority. 9. Measure and Evaluate – Track injuries and lost work days. Review the safety program periodically and ask for feedback. 10. Consistency – Put a comprehensive program in place, and practice it every day Job Site Safety Information on the Web National Safety Education Center - http://www.earnyourcard.com National Safety Council - http://www.nsc.org American National Standards Institute - http://www.ansi.org OSHA Assistance for the Construction Industry - http://www.osha.gov/doc/index.html U.S. Department of Labor - Residential Construction Industry Safety Training Schedule - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/residential/training.html

SBS Headlines
SBS Purchases Polar Supply Company

SBS Purchases Arctic Builders Source

SBS Gift Cards make shopping for that handyman easy!

Jobsite Safety Programs Save Money and Benefit Us All

Looking for an easy and effective way to lower insurance premiums? Having a good safety record for two or three years can reduce worker’s compensation insurance and general liability insurance premiums by as much as 40 percent. If that’s not a good enough reason to get started on your company’s job safety program, add better product quality, a solid company reputation, on-time production schedules and improved employee morale and turnover to the benefits most companies see after putting a job site safety program in place.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Labor reports that 38,000 construction injuries are reported. The construction industry has the highest number of occupational injuries (10 percent) of all industries, and 20 percent of the nation’s workplace fatalities occur within our industry. Accidents account for about 6.5 percent of all construction dollars spent. The good news on this front, is that builders who have an effective written safety program have 36 percent lower accident rates, on average.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) recently came out with 10 steps that can help sharpen a company’s safety focus. Most apply to commercial as well as residential operations:

1. Leadership – A company owner needs to take an active role in developing and supporting a company-wide safety program and needs to communicate its importance to employees. Management also has to be willing to provide staff and budget for the safety program, hold supervisors accountable for achieving goals, participate in training and review status reports annually.

2. Budget – The estimated cost of a safety program is about 2.5 percent of direct labor costs. Expenses typically include training, safety equipment and signage and first aid kits. Other costs might include a safety consultant and incentives to motivate and reward employees for success.

3. Safety Coordinator – One person should be designated as responsible for the company’s safety performance. Coordinator jobs include conducting safety audits, investigating accidents, making recommendations on how to avoid future accidents, maintaining OSHA records, providing copies of the safety and health program to employees, making sure job sites have safety equipment, information and contact information.

4. Employee Discipline – Make it a requirement that employees and contractors follow the health and safety rules on your job sites. Document discipline procedures, since some legal issues can be involved.

5. Put the Safety Program in Writing – Write down your company’s safety policies, regulations and procedures. Guides and a variety of training programs that will help with this process are available. Copies of the safety manual should be distributed, and signed by everyone.

6. Training – Offer safety training as a part of new employee training and offer continuing training to all staff.

7. Modified or Early-Return-to-Work Program - Consider allowing an injured worker to do light or transitional duty until he can return to his or her normal job.

8. Trade Contractor Compliance – Choose subs that care about safety and stress to those that work for your company that safety is a top priority.

9. Measure and Evaluate – Track injuries and lost work days. Review the safety program periodically and ask for feedback.

10. Consistency – Put a comprehensive program in place, and practice it every day

Job Site Safety Information on the Web

National Safety Education Center - http://www.earnyourcard.com

National Safety Council - http://www.nsc.org

American National Standards Institute - http://www.ansi.org

OSHA Assistance for the Construction Industry - http://www.osha.gov/doc/index.html

U.S. Department of Labor - Residential Construction Industry Safety Training Schedule - http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/residential/training.html