http://www.stlouispdf.org/newswire/ en danatpdf@aol.com Copyright 2007 2007-09-04T15:58:00-06:00 http://www.stlouispdf.org/newswire/new_safety_campaign_will_save_lives_says_awpt/ http://www.stlouispdf.org/newswire/new_safety_campaign_will_save_lives_says_awpt/#When:14:58:00Z A new safety campaign to encourage all users of boom-type platforms to wear a full body harness with a short lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point has been launched by Aerial Work Platform Training in North America. The "Click It!" campaign has received the approval of the Scaffold Industry Association and is similar to successful promotional campaigns encouraging people to wear their seatbelts when riding in a car. The new program's initiative came from companies frustrated with the fact that people are dying in boom-type lifts because they are not wearing a harness that would keep them from being thrown or catapulted from the platform. To remind and encourage people to wear a harness, AWPT had that advice printed on stickers that can be placed on the boom lift where they can be seen by all occupants in the platform. In addition, AWPT has made available a document titled "Technical Guidance Note AWPT H1" that provides information on their recommendation for the proper use of harnesses and lanyards on different types of aerial platforms. Information on both can be found online at http://www.awpt.org. Called "Clunk Click!" in the United Kingdom where it was first introduced, the campaign is being promoted worldwide by the International Powered Access Federation, AWPT's parent organization. To date, thousands of stickers have been printed and distributed throughout the U.K., and the program has spread rapidly. At the recent Bauma show, international versions of the program were launched at the IPAF stand including the German "Click Clack!", Italian "Clic Clac!", French "Un petit Clic!" and other versions of the program in Dutch and Spanish. "In countries where the program has already been introduced, major rental companies and others took the initiative to promote the program because unnecessary fatal accidents were happening when occupants were catapulted out of boom platforms because they were not wearing harnesses," said IPAF managing director Tim Whiteman. "These simple stickers can save lives." The "Click It!" program was officially introduced in North America at the Saf-T Conference that followed the Scaffold Industry Association Convention last AUGUST, and the program is already starting to gain momentum. Skyjack, a major aerial work platform manufacturer, has committed to placing the "Click It!" stickers on all boom lifts that leave their factory, and a number of major rental companies have expressed interest in placing this vital message on all boom lifts in their rental fleet.If your organization is interested in obtaining "Click It!" stickers for your machines or copies of "Technical Guidance Note AWPT H1", visit http://www.awpt.org. Small quantities of stickers are available free of charge and larger quantities or custom-printed versions can be ordered for a nominal price. Downloadable artwork is also available online for printing your own stickers.   2007-09-04T14:58:00-06:00 http://www.stlouispdf.org/newswire/existing_home_sales_slip_02_percent_in_july/ http://www.stlouispdf.org/newswire/existing_home_sales_slip_02_percent_in_july/#When:21:20:01Z Existing-home sales were essentially unchanged in July, with increases in the West and Northeast offset by a decline in the Midwest, according to the National Association of Realtors.Total existing-home sales - including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops - slipped 0.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.75 million units in July from an upwardly revised pace of 5.76 million in June, and are 9.0 percent below the 6.32 million-unit level in July 2006.Lawrence Yun, NAR senior economist, said the market is holding on despite temporary mortgage disruptions. "Home sales probably would be rising in the absence of the mortgage liquidity issues of the past two months," he said. "Some buyers with contracts have been scrambling when loan commitments did not materialize at the last moment, while other potential buyers are simply waiting for the mortgage market to stabilize."The rise in sales and prices in the Northeast region on a fairly consistent basis in recent months is promising because this was the first region that underwent sales and price weakness after the boom. Now, it appears that it will be the first region to climb back, indicating that other regions could follow a similar path."The national median existing-home price for all housing types was $228,900 in July, down 0.6 percent from July 2006 when the median was $230,200, the highest monthly price on record. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less.Total housing inventory rose 5.1 percent at the end of June to 4.59 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 9.6-month supply at the current sales pace, up from an upwardly revised 9.1-month supply in June.Single-family home sales slipped 0.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.00 million in July from an upwardly revised level of 5.02 million in June, and are 9.3 percent below the year-ago pace of 5.51 million units. The median existing single-family home price was $228,600 in July, down 1.0 percent from July 2006.Existing condominium and co-op sales rose 1.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 750,000 units in July from 740,000 in June, but are 7.5 percent below the 811,000-unit level in July 2006. The median existing condo price was $230,600 in July, up 2.4 percent from a year ago.Regionally, existing-home sales in the West rose 1.8 percent in July to an annual pace of 1.12 million, but are 15.2 percent below a year ago. The median price in the West was $349,400, up 0.9 percent from July 2006.Existing-home sales in the Northeast increased 1.0 percent to a level of 1.02 million in July, but are 2.9 percent lower than July 2006. The median existing-home price in the Northeast was $290,900, up 5.9 percent from a year ago.Existing-home sales in the South were unchanged at an annual rate of 2.26 million in July, but are 10.7 percent below a year ago. The median price in the South was $186,300, down 3.2 percent from July 2006.Existing-home sales in the Midwest fell 2.2 percent in July to a level of 1.35 million, and are 5.6 percent below July 2006. The median price in the Midwest was $173,800, which is 1.8 percent below a year ago.  2007-08-30T21:20:01-06:00