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Robin Lybarger
Cohn Marketing
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robin@cohnmarketing.com

Home Safe Colorado Nationally Recognized
Local Safety Program Serves as Model for the Industry

Denver, Colo. – March 1, 2007 – Home Safe Colorado, a program of the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver, received the home building industry’s Innovative Safety Program of the Year award. The award recognizes the achievements of builders and contractors who have developed and implemented high-quality construction safety programs. Winners were announced at the National Association of Home Builders’ Safety Awards For Excellence (SAFE) banquet on February 9, 2007, in Orlando, Fla.

Home Safe Colorado is a partnership between the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). As one of the first programs of its kind in the nation, Home Safe Colorado works to minimize construction jobsite hazards and risks through training, certification and peer support. The Home Builders of Metro Denver’s Jobsite Safety Committee oversees the program.

“We are extremely excited that Home Safe Colorado has received national recognition,” said Roger Reinhardt, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver. “Our partnership with OSHA has resulted in a model program that helps ensure the safety of workers and civilians on or around construction jobsites. It is a true honor to be seen as a leader with respect to safety, which is one of the most important issues within the building industry.”

Due to the Home Safe program, Colorado remains above national standards in job safety. Across the industry, there are an estimated five injuries per 100 home construction workers. But in Colorado, home builders who participate in Home Safe Colorado, have seen an estimated two injuries per 100 workers. The Home Builders Association of Metro Denver attributes this lower number to employers holding monthly or weekly training sessions to identify and correct potential hazards. These companies are also adding more bilingual instruction and multimedia tools to teach safety techniques for each specialty skilled worker on-site.

The Home Builders Association of Metro Denver is a trade association representing more than 1,300 businesses involved in the residential development, construction and remodeling industry in the eight-county Denver metro region. Members of the association include home builders, land developers and remodelors, as well as trade partners including architects, mortgage lenders, building material suppliers and sub-contractors. For more information, visit www.hbadenver.com.

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