International Symposium on Safety and Health in the Construction Industry CPWR is hosting the 30th International Symposium on Safety and Health in the Construction Industry in Boston, Oct. 16-18, 2012. This symposium, held once every three years, is sponsored by the Construction Section of the International Social Security Association. It is the principal international forum on construction safety and health policy formation. The conference will focus on two topics: Safety and health in the life-cycle of the construction industry: pre-construction; construction; post-construction. Safety and helath training in construction: learning; aims; efficiency. Training-related papers should focus on best practices that provide evidence of the effectiveness of safety and health training at two levels: improve knowledge (process) and reduce injuries (outcome). All presentations should be highly focused and aimed at industry leaders world-wide. Fore each presentation, there will be a panel of industry decision-makers who will comment. Go to the ISSA website "Call for Papers" for more details and to submit abstracts.

NIOSH Personal Protective Equipment, Selection, Use, and Expectations: PPT Stakeholder Meeting and Workshop Hyatt Regency Pittsburgh Airport Pittsburg, PA March 20-21, 2012 This meeting will disseminate up-to-date information about PPE and the NIOSH PPT Program to stakeholders through breakout sessions, workshops, posters, and presentations. In addition, the PPT Program wants to obtain stakeholder input and feedback on NIOSH PPT program activities and actions to enhance worker safety and health by closing PPE research, standard, and certification gaps. See additional details on the meeting, and how to attend here.

CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS

• CPWR exhibited at the 20th Annual Construction Safety Conference
  
  The 20th Annual Construction Safety Conference, held February 16-17, 2010 in Rosemont, Ill., is America’s largest gathering focused on safety within the construction industry.
  
  CPWR’s Associate Director of Safety and Health Research, Janie Gittleman, delivered two workshops on Performance Metrics.
  
  Click here to access session proceedings.
  

• CPWR attends international symposium on aging and globalization in construction, signs
  COSH declaration

The XXIXth International Symposium of the of the International Social Security Association (ISSA-C) Construction Section Nov. 23-25, 2009, in Brussels, Belgium, produced a series of resolutions from the participating heads of organizations, safety coordinators, occupational physicians, employers, union representatives and academics. This Declaration of Brussels was signed presidents of European building trades organizations, the International Labor Organization (ILO), and CPWR.

Read the recommendations in the symposium’s Declaration of Brussels.

• DREAM Workshop (Direct-Reading Exposure Assessment Methods)

  The Dream Workshop, held Nov. 13-14, 2008 in Washington, D.C., achieved many of its objectives thanks to the 185 attendees. CPWR was a co-sponsor, along with NIOSH, AIHA and others.
  
  To access workshop proceedings click here.
  
  The site also provides a way for viewers to provide input on the developed research agenda. If interested, feedback should be submitted to the NIOSH Science Blog.

• Click here to view information about the National Conference on Immigrant Workers in Construction

Key findings from recent peer-reviewed journal articles and reports authored by CPWR consortium researchers and staff.

• Creating the Climate for Making Ergonomic Changes. December 2011.
  
  
• Design of a Portable Safety Database for Construction. December 2011.
  
  
• The Role of Age on the Cause, Type, Nature and Cost of Construction Injuries. December 2011.
  
  
• Design for Safety Techniques for Green Building Components. July 2011.

• Genetic Testing for Beryllium: Worker Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes. July 2011.
  
  
• Using New Data to Improve Understanding of Construction Injuries. July 2011
  
  
• Injury Underreporting among Small Establishments in the Construction Industry. May 2011.
  
  
• Chronic Diseases and Functional Limitations among Older Construction Workers in the United States: A 10-Year Follow-Up Study. April 2011.
  
  
• Non-Fatal Construction Industry Fall-Related Injuries Treated in US Emergency Departments, 1998-2005. February 2011.

• CPWR IMPACT

  Learn about CPWR projects and the impact they are having on worker, contractor and other stakeholder's awareness of hazards and use interventions to reduce injuries and illnesses on construction jobsites. To order copies of the printed cards, contact CPWR Communications.

  • Reducing the Pain and Fatigue of Overhead Drilling
  • Empowering Day Laborers to Work Safely in Construction

• HIGHLIGHTS 2010 – 20 Years of Partnerships
  
  
• CPWR Data Brief: Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries among Hispanic Construction Workers, 1992-2008. December 2010.

The final installment of a Data Brief series focusing on Hispanic construction workers, this publication reflects rates of injuries based on demograpics, establishment size and type/ causes of injuries. Statistics compiled and analyzed by the CPWR Data Center from data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• CPWR Report: Work-Related Fatal and Nonfatal Injuries among U.S. Construction Workers, 1992-2008. Dong, Xiuwen, Xuanwen Wang, and Brett Herleikson. October 2010.

View charts in PowerPoint


• Preventing Falls from Ladders in Construction - A Guide to Training Site Supervisors. Perry, Melissa and Christopher J. Ronk. 2010. Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health.
  
  
• White Paper: Reaching Higher - Recommendations for the Safe Use of Mast Climbing Work Platforms

Developed by the CPWR Work Group on Mast Climbing Work Platforms

Co-chairs:
Stephen Martini - International Masonry Institute
Jim Kinateder - Fred Kinateder Masonry, Inc.

Lead Researcher:
Pam Susi, MSPH - CPWR

• Understanding training and documentation for Riggers and Signal Persons under the new Cranes and Derricks standard

The BCTD and CPWR developed this article, “Highlights of the new OSHA cranes and derricks rule,” to help JATCs clarify worker training required by the new standard and the documentation employers must maintain on that training. The requirements for Riggers and Signal Persons are very different, so this article should help everyone better understand the new rule.

• CPWR Technical Report: Occupational Licensing and Injuries and Death in Construction: An Analysis of Electricians and Plumbers. Kleiner, Morris and Kyoung Won Park. September 2010.

• CPWR Report: Occupational Exposures, Respiratory Symptoms, and Blood Lead Levels among Latino Day Workers in Greater New Orleans. Rabito, Felicia A., PhD. September 2010.

• CPWR Technical Report: Knowledge and Recommendations of Sales Personnel Regarding Pneumatic Nail Gun Safety. Lipscomb, Hester. August 2010.

A CPWR-funded research team led by Hester Lipscomb of Duke University discovers some source of misinformation was given to nail gun buyers in almost 75 percent of the 217 businesses visited.

• Duke Medicine press release: Staff selling nail guns know little of their dangers, study finds
• Abstract from American Journal of Industrial Medicine
• More information on eLCOSH - Nail Guns: Injuries, Productivity and Recommendations

• CPWR Data Brief: Health Insurance Coverage and Health Care Utilization Among Hispanic Construction Workers. August 2010.

  Second in a series of three CPWR Data Briefs focusing on Hispanic construction workers, this publication compares health insurance coverage by demographic, insurance and, in some cases, union status. Statistics compiled and analyzed by the CPWR Data Center from data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

• CPWR Technical Report: Manganese Exposure and Cardiovascular Responses Among Welders. Cavallari, Jennifer. July 2010.

• CPWR Report: Green and Healthy Jobs. Chen, Helen. June 2010.

View PPT

• CPWR Technical Report: Risk of Isocyanate Exposure in the Construction Industry. Redlich, Carrie. June 2010.

View table of products that contain polyurethane (PU).

• CPWR Report: Construction Procurement Policies That Address Health Insurance: A Cost Analysis.
  May, David C., and C. Jeffrey Waddoups. April 2010.

• CPWR Technical Report: Analysis of Work-Related Safety & Health Hazards of Unrepresented Workers in the Iron Working Industry. Bratcher, Brady, Ruth Ruttenberg, Maria Obando. February 2010.

• CPWR Technical Report: Evaluation of an Intervention to Reduce Trunk Flexion among Stud Workers. Fethke, Nathan and Lauren Grant. February 2010.
  
  

• AIHA Releases Third Edition of The Occupational Environment– Its Evaluation, Control
  and Management
  
  

• New Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) Program Report Now Available: Hispanic Day Laborer Electrocuted When an Aluminum Extension Ladder Contacted an Overhead Power Line—New Jersey

The ladder, missing a pulley to adjust the length, had been retrieved from a pile of damaged ladders at the general contractor’s storage yard. The worker, an immigrant from Guatemala, had been on the job for only three days.

• Materials and Training Resources to Prevent Heat Illness

  OSHA has launched a campaign to prevent heat illness, which includes handouts for workers and training materials/resources for employers.

• Labor Sec. Solis announces appointment of new members to Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH)

Among them are CPWR Executive Director Pete Stafford and Letitia Davis, a member of the CPWR Technical Advisory Board.

• Staff selling nail guns know little of their dangers, study finds

CPWR research team led by Hester Lipscomb of Duke University discovers some source of misinformation was given to nail gun buyers in almost 75 percent of the 217 businesses visited. View Dr. Lipscomb's report.

• CPWR Release: Researchers Identify Incentives and Barriers to Adoption of Back-Saving Best Practices among Masonry Contractors

  Masonry industry has highest rate of back injuries among all trades; contractor awareness and use of interventions vary by region
  

• CPWR Release: Journal of Safety Research Produces Issue Devoted to Construction Safety and Health Concerns

Authors from CPWR, NIOSH bookend the issue with a chronicle of NIOSH's history, examination of emerging issues that may threaten worker health


• CPWR Release: Roofers Who Leave the Trade Are Four Times More Likely to Face Economic Hardships Than Those Who Remain

Combination of poor health, musculoskeletal disorders force early retirement; Roofers age 40-50 hit hardest with financial woes


• CPWR Release: Researchers Find a Disconnect Between Safety Perceptions and Actuality; Opportunities Exist for Improvement

Ladders are #1 cause of injuries from falls among residential carpenter apprentices, but workers think ladders pose minimal fall risk

• CPWR Release: Researchers Confirm New Drilling Device Significantly Reduces Pain
  and Fatigue During Overhead Drilling

Stress to Hands Reduced 10 Times that of Traditional Method, New Tool Keeps Workers on the Ground, Preventing Ladder Falls, at No Loss of Productivity


• CPWR Release: Welders Exposed to Manganese Above Recommended Levels,
  Researchers Find

Local Exhaust Ventilation Reduces Exposure, Researchers Recommend OSHA Revise
Sampling Procedure for Welding Fumes


• eLCOSH Images has launched!
  A newly developed online library of construction photos. eLCOSH Images is the place for trainers and other professionals to go when seeking good practice, and bad practice, images for use in handouts, PowerPoint presentations, or other communication needs. All the images are free to the public.

• NPR’s All Things Considered visited The Flynn Center in December and found craftsmanship alive and well, thanks to dedicated instructors like Local 1 MVD’s Melvin Moore. To hear “A Master Bricklayer Preserves His Craft,” click here.

• Asbestos Hazards to Consumers and Workers

NIOSH Recommendations for Limiting Potential Exposures of Workers to Asbestos Associated with Vermiculite from Libby, Montana

EPA Fact Sheet: Protect Your Family from Asbestos-Contaminated Vermiculite Insulation


• National Acadamies report on construction research published
  The review of NIOSH's research program and CPWR's work by an independent panel of experts
  has been published. You can order a copy online or view/download the document free of charge.

  Construction Research at NIOSH:
  Reviews of Research Programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety
  and Health
  National Acadamies Press, 2009

RECALLS:

• Industrial Scientific Recalls GasBadge Plus Single Gas Monitors
  
  
• DeWalt Grinder PRODUCT ALERT!
  
  
• CPSC, Petzl America Recalls Scorpio and Absorbica Safety Lanyards Due to Fall Hazard
  

View more tool and equipment recalls. You will be redirected to CPWR's Electronic Library of Construction Occupational Safety and Health (eLCOSH) at www.elcosh.org.

HEADLINES:

• Workers Rate Safety Most Important Workplace Issue in New Labor Day Study

Fatal Accidents Can Trigger Public Concern – But Follow-Through Lags Too Often,
Experts Say

• “A single worker hurt or killed on the job is one too many.”

  Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis comments on decline in fatal occupational injuries during 2009.

• OSHA publishes final rule on cranes and derricks in construction

  Construction crane operators require certification by 2014;

  Riggers, other crane-related workers must be “qualified” starting Nov. 8, 2010
  
  
• OSHA's Cranes and Derricks Factsheet

• U.S. Outlines Plans to Curb Violations of Labor Law
  OSHA seeks to create a “culture of compliance” among contractors/businesses, including safety
  and health practices.

• Sec. Solis issues statement after another refinery worker dies of injuries

• Union painter rescues five from Texas IRS building after plane crash
  
  
• David Michaels’ First OSHA Presentation at NIOSH Going Green Workshop

• HHS agrees to change cancer compensation to Hanford workers
  

• GAO Report to Congressional Requestors - WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH:
  Enhancing OSHA’s Records Audit Process Could Improve the Accuracy of Worker Injury and Illness Data

  Report Summary
  

• OSHA revises enforcement policies for fall protection during steel erection
  
  
• WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH: Enhancing OSHA’s Records Audit Process Could Improve the Accuracy of Worker Injury and Illness Data
  

• Good editorial in the Austin Statesman (Texas) on construction:

Jobs laced with injustice, hazards and death


• Reporting on Construction Fatalities Wins Pulitzer
  Alexandra Berzon, a reporter for the Las Vegas Sun¸ won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service Reporting with her series chronicling the construction fatalities, site work and issues surrounding the $9.2 billion CityCenter project and other projects along the Las Vegas Strip. The loss of 12 workers in 18 months fueled a one-day walkout and an agreement between GC Perini and the Southern Nevada Building Trades that included a site safety assessment and training of workers needing OSHA 10-hour certification.

Read article about Pulitzer win

Get information about CPWR’s site safety assessment

• New Hand-Wipe Removes Lead from Skin
  NIOSH scientist's work now available commercially, reports Wall Street Journal

Read an article on lead decontamination and the problem of lead contamination among workers, written by the people who researched and developed this new hand-wipe product to remove lead from the skin.

• NIEHS earthquake emergency response information
  
  
• Protección personal y ayuda a los demás tras un terremoto: consideraciones de salud y seguridad
  para los participantes en operaciones de auxilio tras un terremoto (Spanish PowerPoint)
  
  
• Protección personal y ayuda a los demás tras un terremoto: consideraciones de salud y seguridad
  para los participantes en operaciones de auxilio tras un terremoto (Spanish brochure)

Hurricane

• CDC hurricane information for response + cleanup workers

• Immunization Guidance from CDC

• OSHA's guidance on worker safety during hurricane cleanup

• OSHA Disaster Site Worker Outreach Training Program

• Katrina Responders: Training and other resources from NIEHS and other federal agencies
  

• NIOSH web page on storm and flood hazards
  
  
• EPA web page on Katrina Response
  
  
• NIH links to Spanish and English health/environmental information

• NIEHS-OSHA Safety awareness for responders to Hurricane Katrina (PowerPoint)

• Protección personal y ayuda a los demás: consideraciones de seguridad para participantes en operaciones de auxilio del Huracán Katrina
  (Spanish PowerPoint)

• Protección personal y ayuda a los demás: consideraciones de seguridad para participantes en operaciones de auxilio tras el paso de un huracán: Protección personal y ayudaa los demás
  (Spanish brochure)