CHALLENGING TIMES
Home builders take two-pronged approach to COVID-10 virus By James Day Life throws you curveballs from time. It’s how you deal with unexpected events that defines you. The coronavirus is the all-time curveball, and for members of the Home Builders Association of Marion & Polk Counties it has presented challenges in two basic areas. First, what is the best way to keep contractors, subcontracters and all of their employees safe on the job? Second, how do you keep Association members who might be struggling during the economic downturn supplied with information on relief programs?
Worker safety “Worker safety has been our primary focus since the outbreak of the pandemic, as it’s the key to ensuring that the construction industry is allowed to remain working,” said Mike Erdmann, chief executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Marion & Polk Counties. “We’ve worked to educate members and their employees about the jobsite safety and physical distancing practices needed to keep everyone safe, making sure that everyone knows that if we fail to do an excellent job of this then there’s a decent chance we’d be shut down by the state.” www.HomeBuildersAssociation.org
Erdmann credits the Oregon HBA for spearheading the effort to keep the industry working, and working safely. “Our state association took a very proactive role in working with the Governor’s office and the Oregon Health Authority to ensure that if the industry was able to follow property safety practices, we’d be allowed to continue operating. They also rushed to quickly put together a one-hour online class designed to help train contractors on the necessary safety practices, as well as formed a coalition with other statewide trade associations and trade unions to make sure we were all working together towards safe jobsite practices.” Brad Nanke, the HBA’s Director of Safety and Training, has also worked with this new coalition and Oregon-OSHA to promote safe construction sites and advise construction employers on best practices during the pandemic. One of the biggest hurdles builders have had is traveling to work sites. “One of the real challenges for many employers has been the sharing of company vehicles,” Erdmann said. “Workers are unable to maintain proper physical distancing if they’re sharing the front seat of a vehicle together, so that’s been especially problematic for employers who send out two or more employees to a jobsite in a company rig. Continued next page Summer 2020 | The Chalkline | 5
