Social consequences of injuries probed

A free safety program directed at construction safety personnel, stewards and apprentices will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 4 at the University of Michigan Hospital's Ford Amphitheater in Ann Arbor.

Presented as part of the Trauma Burn Center's Site Safe Injury Prevention Program, the seminar will highlight the medical, financial and social consequences of occupational traumatic injuries, as well as injury prevention strategies.

The seminar will include input from trauma surgeons, nurses, paramedics, rehabilitation specialists and safety experts.

SiteSafe program materials say that every year, six million workers suffer injuries that result in either lost time from work, medical treatment, or restricted work activity. The University of Michigan Trauma Burn Center "finds these numbers disturbing and unacceptable. The consequence of injury can be measured not only in lives lost and decreased productivity, but also in social and financial losses."

U-M Injury Prevention Educator Michael C. McReynolds, who is coordinating the event, said SiteSafe is a unique, new program "that offers a different approach to injury prevention, by talking about what really happens to people after a traumatic injury: there can be lifestyle changes, including alcohol abuse, divorce and not going back to work."

For reservation information, contact McReynolds at (734) 936-9672.

Construction outlook worsens for 2002

More weakness than was expected before Sept. 11 is predicted for the U.S. construction industry, with a decline that should continue until at least the second half of 2002.

That forecast comes from Robert A. Murray, vice president of economic affairs for the Construction Information Group of McGraw-Hill.

Even with the anticipated setback, Murray said the value of construction starts for 2002 is expected to be $481 billion, slightly less than $481.4 billion spent in 2001. Murray said there continues to be underlying market strength, with low interest rates and support from federal stimulus packages.

The weakness is expected to come in the construction of hotels, offices and stores. The terrorist attacks further weakened a commercial building market that was slowing before Sept. 11.

"Essentially, the weaker economy has caused many projects to be re-evaluated and banks to tighten up on funds available for commercial development," Murray said.

Unemployment up after terror attacks

The nation's unemployment rate jumped to 5.4 percent in October, the biggest one-month jump in more than 21 years, providing the most dramatic evidence yet that economic fallout from the terror attacks probably pushed the country into recession.

More than 400,000 jobs were eliminated during the month. The U.S. construction industry lost 30,000 jobs last month, but that was light compared to manufacturing, airlines, travel agencies, hotels and retailers, who took major losses.