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Buildometer
The preliminary numbers from the effect of hurricanes Katrina and Rita are in. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the damage and subsequent reconstruction will have little impact on the overall total -- in 2004, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi comprised just more than 3% of the total construction spending for the United States. The agency's survey collection process will follow normal data collection procedures. As reconstruction takes place, this activity will be included in the total of construction projects. Money spent on demolitions and related activities will be excluded from the figures. For projects where demolition and re-building are in the same contract, the agency will attempt to exclude the demolition portion through additional follow-up with respondents or other sources. For the purposes of the survey, cleanup is not defined as construction spending. All figures are calculated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate.




Eye on Safety
New York Congressman Criticizes Safety Regulations for Recovery Efforts
Congressman Major R. Owens (D-N.Y.) recently announced he will not support H.R. 3975, "Hurricane Regulatory Relief Act of 2005," which includes the provision to allow OSHA to use the services of volunteers for projects related to worker health and safety in response to hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Owens claims that the bill does not address the safety and health issues faced by the volunteer workers and that employment of residents may be undermined by an expanded volunteer project. According to Owens, OSHA has not conducted a comprehensive assessment of the hazards facing clean-up and recovery workers and that the agency has failed to specify what types of personal protective equipment are required for the different clean-up, recovery, and reconstruction tasks.

In response to Owens' allegations, the agency notes that hundreds of OSHA staff have been deployed in the hurricane-affected areas and have removed approximately 32,000 workers from hazardous situations. The agency also states that its response team is visiting electric and telecommunications utility restoration, construction, debris removal, and tree-trimming staging areas to provide advice and information on hazards to the workers.


Shows and Events
International Consumer Electronics Show
The Consumer Electronics Association (CES) will present the 2006 International CES conference from Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas. Exhibitors from the audio, home networking, and wireless industries will be in attendance. Microsoft's Bill Gates, Google co-founder Larry Page, and Sony Corp. CEO Sir Howard Stringer are scheduled to deliver keynote addresses, in addition to the presentation of the CES Innovations 2006 Awards. For more information, visit the CES Web site.

IESNA Centennial Conference
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) will present its Centennial Conference from Jan. 8-10 in New York. Participants are invited to the New York Academy of Medicine to hear Professor David DiLaura deliver the opening address, followed by a retrospective of the society's design awards programs. The event will then move to the Museum of the City of New York for the opening of the museum's exhibit, "Transformed by Light: The New York Night." Other activities include sessions on lighting education, research, and design and application. For more information and to register, visit IESNA's Web site.

2006 International Builders' Show & tecHOMExpo
The National Association of Homebuilders (NAH) will present its International Builders' Show from Jan. 11-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Planned highlights include a keynote address by General Colin Powell, speech by radio show host Dennis Prager, a viewing of The New American Home, and several awards programs. For more information, visit NAH's Web site.