Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/395986
1 0 | A L A B A M A H O M E B U I L D E R | FA L L 2 0 1 4 The HBAA is mourning the loss of Elizabeth Alston Shivers Wheelock, who passed away on September 20. Wheelock served as the Executive Officer for the Home Builders Association of Dothan & the Wiregrass Area from 1981 to 2009. Throughout her 28-year tenure, the Dothan association grew from 99 members to nearly 500 members and won numerous awards, including the HBAA President's Trophy six times. She was instrumental in building the Dothan association's scholarship program, which has helped hundreds of students. Upon her retirement a scholarship was established in her name. A native of Marion, Wheelock graduated from Judson College and was a resident of Dothan for most of her adult life. She was a longtime advocate of causes such as the Special Olympics, the Dothan Botanical Gardens, the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and the Girls Club. She spearheaded many projects at the Vivian B. Adams School in Ozark, including a greenhouse project where students enjoyed hands- on learning about gardening and flowers. Wheelock was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Hugh Franklin Wheelock, Sr. and a sister, Mildred Shivers Sheen. The HBAA extends its sympathy to Wheelock's friends and family, including her three children, Hugh F. Wheelock, Jr., Laurin Wheelock and Lewitt Shivers Wheelock; her sister, Frances Shivers Cleverdon; brother and sister-in-law, William Lewitt Shivers, Jr. and Kathy Shivers; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Memorial contributions may be made in her honor to the Vivian B. Adams School, the HBA of Dothan & the Wiregrass Area's Scholarship Fund, or the Salvation Army. H B A A N E W S H B A A S AY S G O O D B Y E T O P A S T P R E S I D E N T AW T R E Y The HBAA is mourning the loss of longtime member Al Awtrey, who passed away on August 6. A native of Birmingham, Awtrey was a decorated World War II veteran who worked as a firefighter upon his return home before entering the home building industry. He started his first building company in 1959 and joined the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders in 1961. Awtrey was the first GBAHB builder member to achieve "Super Spike" status, having recruited more than 250 members. In 1964, he constructed the first "scholarship house" in the Birmingham Parade of Homes, in which the proceeds were used to fund a scholarship for a deserving recipient. He served as GBAHB President in 1968 and was inducted into the GBAHB Hall of Fame in 1986. The GBAHB annually presents the Al Awtrey Builder of the Year Award in recognition of the association's outstanding builder. At the state level, Awtrey served as HBAA President in 1975 and was among the first group of inductees in the Alabama Home Builders Hall of Fame in 1988. He was also extremely active within the National Association of Home Builders, serving as a National Life Director and a member of the National Housing Board. Awtrey was extremely active in civic activities related to housing, heading up the Partnership for Assistance to the Homeless and serving as Chairman of Birmingham's Housing and Zoning Commission. In 2009, he was honored for his service to his community with the Freedom Award from the city of Hoover. Awtrey was preceded in death by his eldest son, Albert Lawrence (Larry) Awtrey, who was also a member of the GBAHB. The HBAA extends its sympathies to Awtrey's family and friends, including his daughter, Donna Awtrey Trapp, his son, Russell Scott Awtrey, and his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Al Awtrey Elizabeth Wheelock H B A A M O U R N S L O S S O F L O N G T I M E E O W H E E L O C K The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a final rule requiring employers to notify OSHA when an employee is killed on the job or suffers a work-related hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye. The rule, which also updates the list of employers partially exempt from OSHA record-keeping requirements, will go into effect on January 1, 2015 for workplaces under federal OSHA jurisdiction. Under the revised rule, employers will be required to notify OSHA of any work-related fatalities within eight hours (same as before), and for a single employee, any work-related in-patient hospitalizations, amputations or losses of an eye within 24 hours. Previously, OSHA's regulations required an employer to report fatalities and in-patient hospitalizations of three or more employees. Reporting single hospitalizations, amputations or loss of an eye was not required under the previous rule. All employers covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act, even those who are exempt from maintaining injury and illness records, are required to comply with OSHA's new severe injury and illness reporting requirements. To assist employers in fulfilling these requirements, OSHA is developing a Web portal for employers to report incidents electronically, in addition to the phone reporting options. "Hospitalizations and amputations are sentinel events, indicating that serious hazards are likely to be present at a workplace and that an intervention is warranted to protect the other workers at the establishment," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. The Alabama Home Builders Self Insurers Fund offers loss control services to make sure that your jobsite is safe and up-to-date on the latest OSHA requirements. For more information about these services, contact the Fund's Loss Control Department at 1-800-745-3863 or email sherryjohnson@hbaa.org. O S H A A N N O U N C E S N E W R E Q U I R E M E N T S F O R R E P O R T I N G S E V E R E I N J U R I E S