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Lumber News

CEOs Secretly Want Health-Care Reform

Number of Apartment Dwellers in U.S. on the Rise

FTC Releases “Red Flags” Template

Tractor Supply to Enter Tulsa Market

Staycation Here to Stay

U.S. Demand for Wall Coverings to Reach $2.4 Billion

OSHA to Regulate Combustible Dust

LP Recalls Composite Decking

Recess Toolkit

Paper Dust Mask Regulation

Crazy Driving Drives Us Crazy

Today's Quote

CEOs Secretly Want Health-Care Reform… Congressional leaders say they’ll have a health-care bill in June that will deal with the uninsured. Fine, says business, as long as the existing employer-based insurance system is maintained. That seems counterintuitive, given that health care is the fastest-growing cost for U.S. companies. “I’ve worked in the employer-based market for 35 years, and it’s bizarre that CEOs continue to support this system,” says Robert Laszewski, president of consultants Health Policy & Strategy Associates.

But perhaps they really don’t. Health reform experts say many CEOs would secretly love the federal government to take on the burden – and some don’t bother to hide it.

Insurance premiums charged to employers have soared 119% over the past decade, four times faster than wage increases. Based on a survey of 428 companies, Mercer, the consulting division of Marsh & McLennan, estimates that 46% of employers plan to shift more health costs to employees in 2010. Read more.

Source: Catherine Arnst, BusinessWeek, May 7, 2009

New Report Shows Number of Apartment Dwellers in U.S. Rising… The National Apartment Association released a report today that shows demand for new apartment buildings will rise to $1.1 trillion by 2030. A commensurate 8 percent decline in homeownership is expected as well.

“A number of factors are aligning to create a significant shift in U.S. housing trends, bringing us nearer to a European model, where homeownership tends to be below 60 percent,” reported Christopher E. Lee, President of CEL & Associates, Inc. and Special Advisor to NAA, who authored the report.

Source: LBM Daily, May 12, 2009

FTC Releases “Red Flags” Template for Entities That Have Low Risk of Identity Theft… Amendments to the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003 (FACTA) that went into effect in January 2008 outlined that organizations must implement a written program to detect, mitigate and respond to the surging risks of identity theft that are plaguing individuals and companies worldwide. In the United States alone, as many as nine million people have their identity stolen each year. The FACTA requirements are part of a multi-agency initiative to ensure that businesses of all sizes are protecting their customers’ information from falling into the hands of thieves.

In response, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) created the “Red Flags” Rule, for which the mandatory compliance date has been pushed back twice, most recently from May 1, 2009 to August 1, 2009. In this interim, to help clear some lingering wording confusion, the agency has released a template for companies that are considered a low risk for identity theft. Titled “Create Your Own Identity Theft Prevention Program: A Guided 4-Step Process,” the FTC guide is designed to help develop the necessary written program by providing walk-through instructions. Congress will also be given a chance to review the wording of the “Red Flags” Rule to determine whether the language, originally authored to be flexible, is too broad and ambiguous.

With the new three-month delay, companies have the chance to strengthen the written program they should already have in place by visiting the FTC’s release on the issue, which can be found here, or by browsing the agency’s template, located at
Create Your Own Identity Theft Prevention Program: A Guided 4-Step Process.

Source: Matthew Carr, NACM staff writer, eNews Weekly Update, May 12, 2009

Tractor Supply to Enter Tulsa Market… Tractor Supply started construction April 14 on its first store in the Tulsa, Okla., area, according to the Journal Record newspaper.

The 19,800-sq.-ft. store will sit on three acres in the southwest Tulsa suburb of Glenpool. It will cost more than $1.5 million to build and is expected to employ 15 people.

Tractor Supply now has five locations in the Oklahoma City suburbs of Edmond, Moore, Mustang, El Reno and Shawnee. Existing northeastern Oklahoma stores operate in Pryor, Miami, Tahlequah and Muskogee, which are all an hour or more from the Tulsa area.

Source: Home Channel News, Outdoor Living Digest, May 12, 2009

“Staycation” Here to Stay… The Staycation trend is here to stay according to the NPD Group, a market research firm, as it presents many lasting and ongoing sales opportunities for retailers. Roughly 45 percent of outdoor entertainer/consumers purchased some type of related product in the past 12 months. In addition, more than 40 percent of outdoor entertainers tell NPD they plan to purchase/add an item to their property in the next 12 months. Firepits/outdoor fireplaces, outdoor lighting and water fountain/décor were among the top products outdoor entertainers said they plan to purchase within the next year.

Source: The Industry Pulse, Home Channel News, May 14, 2009

U.S. Demand for Wall Coverings to Reach $2.4 Billion… Wallpaper, decorative wall tile and wall paneling are expected to make a comeback. Demand for wall coverings is projected to increase 4.2 percent annually to $2.4 billion in 2013, according to the Freedonia Group, a Cleveland-based research firm.

This increase shows a considerable improvement over the past five years, when the new housing construction collapse reduced significantly the demand for wall coverings in new residential markets.

The firm continued to report that the demand for wall panels is expected to increase 4 percent per year to $920 million in 2013 while decorative wall tile could see a 5 percent annual increase. The demand for wallpaper is also expected to increase by 2.7 percent annually to $40 million. Finished gypsum board demand is projected to rise 4.2 percent annually to $80 million in 2013.

Source: NRHA eNewsletter, May 17, 2009

OSHA to Regulate Combustible Dust… The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) just announced its intention to initiate the rulemaking process to regulate "combustible dust."

Combustible dusts are solids finely ground into fine particles, fibers, chips, chunks or flakes that can cause a fire or explosion when suspended in air under certain conditions. Types of dusts include metal (aluminum and magnesium), wood, and plastic among others.

OSHA will issue an “Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking” and convene related stakeholder meetings to evaluate possible regulatory methods, and request data and comments on issues related to combustible dust such as hazard recognition, assessment, communication, defining combustible dust and other concerns.

NLBMDA will actively participate in the rulemaking process representing the interests of LBM dealers.  OSHA’s announcement can be found here.

Source: NLBMDA E-Update, May 18, 2009

LP Recalls Composite Decking... Louisiana-Pacific Corp. (LP) and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall last week of approximately 48 million linear feet of composite decking, which can prematurely deteriorate and unexpectedly break. There have been 14 reports of injuries.

The recall includes outdoor deck board and railings sold under the brand names LP WeatherBest, ABTCo. and Veranda and were sold between January 2005 and August 2008.  For more information on the recall, visit the CPSC website by clicking here.

Source: NLBMDA E-Update, May 18, 2009

NLBMDA Urges Standards Group to Create Wood Eco-Label… The National Lumber and Building Material Dealers Association (NLBMDA) yesterday urged a standard-setting group for softwood lumber to help create an eco-label that mills could add to their wood grade stamp if the timber they use came from a certified green forest. If enacted and recognized by forest certification groups, the eco-label ultimately could eliminate the expenses and rules that dealers now must deal with when fulfilling chain-of-custody certification rules for handling certified green wood. In separate comments, NLBMDA cited dealers’ complaints about what they regard as a deterioration in grading standards and warned about potential conflicts between graders’ and states’ standards for sizing lumber products. Read more.

Source: ProSales Business Update, May 20, 2009 

Recess Toolkit… Coalition for a Democratic Workplace (CDW) has rolled out a new recess toolkit, which can be found on their website here.  This toolkit contains sample LTEs and op eds, informational flyers, and sample print ads, along with helpful information regarding EFCA and proposed alternatives.

As always, we encourage all CDW members to use the recess work period to keep the heat turned up on your Representative and Senators.  If we keep the volume turned up on this issue at all times, Congress cannot “escape” this issue simply by leaving Washington for a week.

Remember, when you talk to your Senators and Representative, the message remains “no EFCA, no cloture, no compromise.”

Source: CDW Update, May 22, 2009

Paper Dust Mask Regulation… Let us not forget the OSHA regulation on wearing the 3M N-95 Respirator (you would refer to them as a paper dust mask).  According to OSHA it is not a dust mask but a respirator since it is stated on the box they come in. As such it requires a medical evaluation, fit testing, training and a written respirator program if the employer provides it. If the employee is not required to wear the N-95 but chooses to do so for his or her own comfort then the employee must have a signed copy of Appendix D from 29CFR1919.134 on file. Last week one of our clients received an OSHA violation when an employee disregarded these instructions.

Source: Brittney, Inc., May 22, 2009. Brittney is MLA’s endorsed provider of OSHA-compliance information. Call them at 417-866-8686.

Crazy Driving Drives Us Crazy

Discourteous driving irritates everyone and each of us is probably guilty of it occasionally. Unfortunately, we don’t always recognize our own driving habits that may drive someone else crazy.

Auto accidents are the leading cause of death among workers in the country and the largest claims expense for Federated. According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), distractions are a factor in nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes.

We are too often in a hurry and try to do too many things at once. Some people read, shave, or apply make-up while driving. We sometimes laugh about news stories of bizarre driving behavior. But, the common distractions that often cause accidents are behaviors such as talking on cell phones, eating, reaching for objects, tuning the radio, changing CDs, attending to children, daydreaming or thinking about something unrelated to driving, or even falling asleep.

Distracted drivers are worse than discourteous – they are dangerous. Federated has several programs and materials to help you keep your drivers attentive and safe.

Sources:   Federated Insurance Company Industry Loss Analysis – 2005-2007
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, 100-Car Naturalistic Driving Study, April 2006.

This article provided courtesy of Federated Mutual Insurance Company, your association’s recommended insurer.