National Deck Safety Month: May

Ahhh, May – the days are getting longer, when it’s not too hot or cool to go outside and spend some nice time reading a book, firing up the grill or having a party. For many of us, this time is generally spent out on our decks. Unfortunately, this also happens to be the time of year when the good times can quite suddenly come to a crashing end. Some of the common reasons a deck will collapse ranges from age of the deck, poor maintenance and exceeding its load capacity to improper building methods. With a little common sense, these deck failures can be avoided.

Per NADRA, more than 75 percent of the people on a deck when it collapses are injured or killed. In an effort to help save lives and prevent injuries, NADRA first declared May as “Deck Safety Month” back in 2006. Now in its fifth year, the purpose of the promotion is to increase public awareness of the necessity for regular inspection and maintenance of existing decks, and proper installation of new decks.

The video below is of a deck that collapsed at a birthday party:

Click here to read more about National Deck Safety Month from Nadra.

Article Source: http://blog.sls-construction.com/2010/may-national-deck-safety-month