November 2005

HBAA GENERAL MEMBERSHIP

MEETING TABLETOP

To increase meeting attendance and to encourage education about new and existing products in our industry the HBAA board of directors has decided to try on a trial basis a tabletop discussion at the general membership meetings.  We are hoping vendors and salesmen will come and set up a table on their product or service.  They can then address questions  our members may have about your product.  Construction codes and standards are ever changing and contractors need to know when new technologies can be used and how to properly use them.  Continuous training is essential to success in the construction industry.  The cost is $50 per table per meeting.  If you are interested, please contact the HBAA EO�s office at 269-9268

TOP TEN CAUSES OF

WORKPLACE INJURIES

A Leading insurer defined the 10 leading causes of workplace injuries in a recent year as follows:

1.     Overexertion, 26.6%

2.     Falls on same level, 12.5%

3.     Bodily reaction, 10.8%

4.    Falls to lower level, 9.2%

5.     Struck by object, 8.9%

6.     Repetitive motion. 5.7%

7.     Highway incident, 5.2%

8.     Struck against object, 4.7%

9.     Caught in or compressed by equipment, 3.8%

10.   Assaults and violent acts, 0.9%

These statistics accounted for 88% of the $49.6 billion cost of serious workplace injuries in that year, the insurer reported. 

 

�UNMET EXPECTATIONS� PROVE
PROBLEMATIC

Most lawsuits and disputes in the construction industry come from �unmet expectations.�  Whether it�s a contractor failing to deliver to specs or substandard workmanship, an unhappy client/contractor relationship creates a springboard for contention and ultimately, allegations of liability.  To help avoid unmet expectations, follow these three basic steps.

  1. When negotiating agreements, define project parameters clearly, and never begin work until the agreements are complete. According to one study, companies experienced far more claims when they provided services before a completed agreement.
  2. Be selective in choosing your clients. A potential client's contractors, reputation for fairness, and financial stability are all indication of what you can expect in future dealings.
  3. Manage the client's expectations. During the negotiation product will be and list numerous examples of superior work done in the past; you might raise your client's expectations to an unattainable level. Be clear about what you can accomplish within a given budget, and caution clients on the effects of making changes once the job is under way.

P.B.A. OPPOSES PROPOSALS TO REQUIRE CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS

Carbon monoxide detectors would be required under HB 1677 and amendments to HB 1507, bills heralded by some legislators and consumer advocates. The PBA opposes exceeding the Uniform Construction Code with such a requirement.  Neither the International Building Code nor the International Residential Code mandates the devices, which are not manufactured to consistent standards and are considered unreliable.

 

 

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