The Manitoba Home Builders' Association supports a culture of occupational safety and health to make the province's residential construction sector safer for its workers.
The MHBA Workplace Safety and Health Committee, established in 2002, plays a key role in promoting safety and health for its members. This committee works with the province's Workplace Safety and Health Division and the Construction Safety Association of Manitoba to develop training and education, highlighting safety on work sites.
In addition to participating in Manitoba's annual construction safety conference, the MHBA co-ordinates a two-day housing forum each year. Last year, members heard presentations on topics such as safety audits, loss prevention, fire safety and H1N1 awareness.
The MHBA also offers a subcontractor safety course that outlines the importance of safety on site, educates building sub-contractors and trades on their responsibilities as employers and explains how to conduct a hazard assessment, inspection and toolbox talk.
Fall protection is one of the association's most important training programs. To that end, the Fall Protection Training Centre was established. This facility reflects real-life working conditions and provides practical training to workers in the trades on using fall-protection systems.
Because residential construction in Manitoba continues to experience active growth, effective measures for safety and health must be created and used on every job site. In 2008, following a key focus of its workplace safety and health committee, the MHBA board of directors mandated that all builder members must have a certified safety program, such as the Certificate of Recognition (COR). Now, more than 70 per cent of all new homes built in Manitoba are constructed by companies that are safety certified.
The Manitoba Home Builders' Association and its member builders continue to promote safety on the work site for the betterment of the industry, the client and the worker. Safety is good business.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
