MHBA Committee cont.
Every new building plan will present challenges. Every time you adjust a plan, there’s going to be a consideration." “
IHOR BARWINSKY, MEMBER OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SAFETY AND INNOVATION COMMITTEE AND CHAIR OF THE FORMER SAFETY COMMITTEE.
Ihor Barwinsky is a member of the new committee and chair of the former safety committee. He’s been with Gypsum Drywall Interiors (a member of MHBA) since 2007. From drywalling to being seconded into commercial and residential safety, Barwinsky has been busy with what has grown into a full-time position. “We walk onto a site and are told it’s perfectly safe — but there may be sharp nails sticking out somewhere, a hole in the floor,” he says. “It’s important to acknowl- edge that there’s a hole in the floor. Someone could break a leg or sprain an ankle. Have you looked under your kitchen sink? The cleaning supplies? Look at the labels. It’ll blow your mind. Awareness is crucial.” Homeowners have been known to
“Our main goal is to develop training; whatever is needed for members. It changes year to year. If we see a need for any type of training, we do our best to create a platform to deliver it to the MHBA members. This is usually done at the housing forum or through full-day and half-day courses,” McDonald says. “The interesting thing about this committee is that we are bringing together different people who usually compete against each other. Our goal is to make sure we develop best practices and train everybody as much as we can. We have a variety of people brainstorming and working together, and it benefits everybody. At the end of the day, it’s the homeowner that benefits from this.”
attend some of the safety seminars presented by Barwinsky to gain a better understanding of how things work, like rules and regulations. “You don’t have to be a safety nerd to learn this. Identifying hazards, first and foremost, can lead to interesting observations,” he says about the broad range of potential safety hazards. With professional development and ongoing safety training, Barwinsky says the work is never boring or routine. “Every new building plan will present challenges. Every time you adjust a plan, there’s going to be a consideration. When you swing a hammer, is that ergonom- ically efficient or safe?” he asks. “We are always assessing and ready to accept that there will be unexpected things when we do a hazard assessment.”
112 PARADE of HOMES FALL 2025
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