Research

CPWR and other organizations have developed these free resources to help people across the construction industry initiate their PtD journey. They include guidelines, templates, forms, and other useful resources.

Contractor-developed Templates

Below are a series of PtD template documents developed and provided by a leading contractor committed to PtD. Organizations can customize any or all to embed PtD within their businesses. They include places for an organization to insert its name and/or logo when using these materials.

• PtD Document Map
  An Excel file that quotes from the ASSP Z590.3-2021 PtD Standard and was developed to track what PtD documentation would be required in order to comply with this standard.
• 01 — Sample PtD Company Policy
  A template document for businesses to use as a starting point to develop their own internal PtD policy.
• 02 — Sample PtD Company Procedure
  A template procedure for businesses to use as a starting point to developing their own internal PtD procedure that can be reviewed against existing company procedures.
• 03 — PtD Flowchart
  A draft flowchart that concisely explains the PtD process as shown in 02 — Sample PtD Company Procedure.
• 04 — PtD Execution Plan
  A template document for businesses to use to practically plan and execute PtD on an individual project basis.
• 05 — PtD Design Risk Management Guidance Document
  A guidance document to help companies adopt PtD Design Risk Management on their projects.
• 06 — Designer Register and Action Decision Log
  A template document to enable project teams plan and manage design team and their outputs.

CPWR

These resources provide supplemental information on project safety and health planning.

• Pre-Task Planning Guidelines and Resources to help contractors design, implement, assess, and continuously improve their Pre-Task Planning process to reduce worker exposure to hazards. This package contains checklists, templates, and practical examples for contractors.
• Electrical Task Analysis Documents for tasks including Conduit Installation, Wire Pulling, Termination, Grounding, Busway and Cable Tray Installation, Electrical Demolition, and more. These documents contain task-specific conditions and recommendations compiled from onsite observations and interviews with electrical workers and industry practitioners. They address safety and health hazards as well as production challenges for electrical tasks. These documents can be used for pre-task planning, hazard analysis, and training.
• Best Built Plans: One part of the Best Built Plans Materials Handling Contractor Planning Tool shows how planning to reduce manual materials handling can prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders and improve construction performance.

NIOSH

NIOSH Prevention through Design Toolkit for the Construction Industry 

This toolkit is intended to promote the use of PtD practices by construction companies and contractors to address and eliminate some of the most significant hazards seen by construction workers. This toolkit covers topics including falls, struck-by incidents, and residential construction.

Construction Solutions

CPWR’s Construction Solutions provides information on interventions and practices to reduce construction workers’ exposure to occupational safety and health hazards.

• Fixed Ladders and/or Stairways
  Fixed ladders and stairways can eliminate the need for portable ladders, lifts or scaffolds that may create a greater hazard to the worker.
• Cast-in Sockets for Guardrails and Handrails
  Specifications for guardrails in the design phase can prevent the risk of falls from floor holes.
• Roof Parapets
  Roof parapets meeting specific design requirements can reduce fall hazards for workers.
• Roofs with Permanent Roof Anchors
  Permanent and structurally sound roof anchors provide strong and reliable tie off points for personal fall arrest systems.
• Horizontal Round Grab Bars on Fixed Ladders for Three-point Control
  Incorporating horizontal round bars, which can provide better grip, on fixed ladders can help prevent ladder falls.
• Permanent Tie-in Anchor Systems
  Installing permanent tie-in anchor systems is stronger than relying on the strength of day-old veneer for securing scaffolds.
• Leading Edge Fall Protection System
  Pre-punching holes in steel columns for horizontal lifelines and wire guardrails.
• Pre-fabricated Slab Formwork System
  Using pre-fabricated slab formwork reduces safety risks associated with constructing traditional timber formwork.
• Pre-fabricated Wall and Column Formwork System
  Using pre-fabricated wall and column formwork reduces safety risks associated with constructing traditional timber formwork.
• Split Frame Lathe with Minimal External Components
  This patented split frame lathe has minimal external machine components that can reduce pinch points during pipe cutting and beveling operations.

Topics in Construction Safety and Health – Prevention through Design (updated 2023)
This annotated, interdisciplinary bibliography, part of a CPWR series on key topics in construction safety and health, provides citations for and summaries of research on PtD.

NIOSH Science Blog: Prevention Through Design

A new behavioural approach for the sustainable design of the built environment.

Ray Coleman and Ian Thomas. Civil Engineering. 2023

Designer’s Liability: Why Applying PTD Principles Is Necessary. April 2016. 

Professional Safety 61(4):53-58. This research paper from Oregon State University explains the legal basis of a designers duty of care from US court cases.

Can Design Improve Construction Safety?: Assessing the Impact of a Collaborative Safety-in-Design Process

October 2005 Journal of Construction Engineering and Management 131(10). DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2005)131:10(1125)

Measuring and improving designer hazard recognition skill: Critical competency to enable prevention through design.

Safety Science. Volume 82, February 2016, Pages 254-263. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.09.005

Analysis of prevention through design studies in construction: A subject review.

Journal of Safety Research. Volume 84, February 2023, Pages 138-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.10.015

Construction hazard prevention through design: Review of perspectives, evidence, and future objective research agenda.

Safety Science. Volume 120, December 2019, Pages 517-526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2019.08.001

Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2017. 

Dodge Data & Analytics. This edition of Dodge’s continuing series of SmartMarket Reports on safety practices in construction includes a 14-page section on PtD.

Occupational Safety and Health in Green Buildings: LEED PtD Pilot Credit Analysis.

CPWR Small Study, 2017. Using case studies of two European construction projects that pursued a Prevention through Design pilot credit, as well as surveys and interviews with domestic building industry stakeholders, this CPWR Small Study explored why U.S. adoption of the credit has been limited.

Owners’ perceptions of barriers to Prevention through Design diffusion. 

Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, July 2017. This Key Finding summarizes a study of 103 construction owners, including interviews with 65, that aimed to learn what barriers they perceived to adoption of PtD.

Owners’ role in facilitating Prevention through Design.

Journal of Professional Issues in Engineering Education and Practice, January 2016.

Owners’ Role in Facilitating Designing for Construction Safety.

Michael Toole, John A. Gambatese, Deborah A. Abowitz. CPWR Report, 2012

NIOSH Video: Construction Falls Prevention through Design

Arizona State University (ASU) Prevention through Design Initiative (2020-2024)

NIOSH funded ASU to host five annual workshops from Spring 2020 onwards, enhancing PtD knowledge, implementation across the industry, and instruction in US college construction management and engineering programs.

CPWR hosts regular webinars on construction safety and health topics, including current research, new efforts and trends in occupational safety & health, and training programs. All past webinars, including three on PtD, are available for viewing on demand.

1. Preventing Falls through Improved Design (2023)
   Play Recording, Download Slides. List of Best Practices from a Contractor
   A panelist from the webinar, TJ Lyons, Safety Director with Gilbane, shared his spreadsheet of best practices and innovations to help others implement PtD measures.

2. Applying Prevention through Design (PtD) to Solar Systems in Small Buildings (2017)
   Play Recording. Report on Applying Prevention through Design (PtD) to Solar Systems in Small Buildings
   Hyun Woo Lee, John Gambatese, Chung Ho. CPWR Small Study, 2017
   The research team for this Small Study interviewed workers, contractors and engineers in the industry to identify choices during the design process that can reduce worker exposure to injury during construction.See also:
   Prevention through Design (PtD) to Make Solar-Ready Houses Safe for Solar Workers.
   Hyun Woo Lee, John Gambatese, and Yohan Min. CPWR Small Study, 2020
   This Small Study used interviews and a survey with industry professionals, as well as case studies of existing solar-ready houses, to develop a PtD design checklist and Building Information Modeling models.

3. Health and Safety Risk Reductions Using Pre-fabricated Concrete Formwork Systems(2016)
   Play Recording

Design for Construction Safety: Spreading the word about Design for Construction and Maintenance Safety