Every year, more than 80,000 workers suffer an injury on construction jobsites across the U.S. Any one incident is one too many. Life is too precious to not make safety the number one focus in the construction industry.

That's why over 40 national and global construction firms comprising The Construction Industry Safety (CISI) group and the Incident and Injury Free CEO (IIF) Forum have joined forces with a single aim: to inspire everyone in the industry to be leaders in safety. In addition, federal OSHA has partnered with ASSE and others to promote fall prevention and to educate everyone in the industry about workplace safety.

The Industry Safety Week effort presents a unique opportunity for construction firms across the U.S. to work together to eliminate worker injury. We can all be leaders in keeping our workforce safe - no matter where you are located, your company size or your role in our industry.

Master Builders of Iowa will provide safety tips throughout the week, so be sure to like our Facebook page for more Safety Week 2015 information!

It goes without saying that individuals are responsible for their own safety while working on a construction project.  However, a team of employees only looking out for themselves is risky business in the world of commercial construction.  Who is responsible to assure that the various activities on a project are being conducted safely? Who makes sure that the entire project is safe all day, every day?

To assist construction companies in answering some of these difficult questions, MBI is offering an OSHA 30 Hour Construction Course in Des Moines, scheduled for June 2nd - 5th.  This is an excellent opportunity for construction companies to upgrade the safety knowledge of their workforce by having one or multiple employees trained to identify jobsite hazards.  This course is specifically designed for anyone who has the overall safety responsibility for their company, or on a jobsite.  The course will provide in-depth instruction on the OSHA Construction Rules, as well as the opportunity to learn how cohorts handle challenging situations. There will also be a discussion on how to change employee behavior and how to maximize your safety budget.  Please see the course brochure for a complete listing of topics that will be covered. 

To register online for the 30 Hour OSHA Construction Course, CLICK HERE.

To view the course brochure, CLICK HERE.

For additional information, please contact Tom Fulcher at tfulcher@mbionline.com or 515.657.4395.

In September of 2014, MBI signed the papers to partner with United Fire Group (UFG), headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to offer our membership a dividend paying property casualty program. 

The goal of the UFG program is to lower members' costs by creating a pool providing enough critical mass to lower insurance premiums for those who qualify.  The program is set up to reward our members who have spent the time and resources to work at being a safe contractor, as well as those who are trying to improve. Those insured within this program are eligible to earn a safety dividend for their property and casualty lines of insurance (excluding workers compensation).  

Dubbed, "REWARDING SAFE CONSTRUCTION," the UFG  program has been received with open arms by our membership and many are entering the pool when their renewals are up.  As a reminder, this program is available through your local agent and we urge you to speak with them about the program in more detail to decide if it is a good fit for your company.