The Climate, Energy and the Environment category in the  Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes construction projects that fall into four sub-categories: Clean Energy and Power; Water; Resilience (for example, response to climate-related disasters); and Environmental Remediation. Examples of the types of construction projects in this category and sub-categories include: constructing and replacing power systems; installing weatherization materials (such as insulation and caulking); replacing HVAC systems and making renovations to improve energy efficiency; building manufacturing facilities to, for example, produce or recycle advanced energy products; upgrading energy transmission distribution lines; repairing dams; constructing drinking water treatment plants and distribution systems; replacing lead pipes; building trail facilities for nonmotorized transportation; and cleaning up contaminated land on Superfund and brownfields sites.

The following resources are intended to help employers engaged in construction projects covered by this IIJA funding category quickly find information and materials they can use to keep their construction workforce safe and healthy. These resources are divided into the following sections:

• Planning
• Training and Education
• Best Practices and Solutions
• Research

Planning

Safety Climate and Safety Culture Tools — Online tools to measure safety climate based on eight leading indicators and resources to improve low scoring indicators and strengthen a company’s safety culture and climate.

Work Safely with Silica – Planning Tool — An online planning (Create-A-Plan) tool to help employers comply with the planning requirements in OSHA’s silica standards (CFR 1926.1153 and 1910.1053).

Exposure Control Database — An interactive tool helping the industry predict workers’ exposure to four hazards: silica, welding fumes, noise and lead.

Best Built Plans – Manual Materials Handling — Practical tools and information to plan for safe materials handling at each project stage starting with the bid and reinforce workers’ awareness and use of safe practices. Also available in Spanish.

Written Fall Protection & Rescue Plan — A generic plan that can be printed and filled in with details for a company’s job site(s). Also available in Spanish.

Small Contractor Fall Prevention Planning Resources — A package of resources for small construction employers to help them plan to prevent falls, provide the right tools and equipment for the job, and train employees to prevent falls. Also available in Spanish.

COVID-19 Exposure Control Planning Tool — An online planning tool to help employers create a plan to protect their employees and prevent the spread of COVID-19 on job sites.

Training and Education

Training and Awareness Programs

• Foundations for Safety Leadership — A 2.5-hour training program that teaches foremen and other lead workers skills they can use to be effective job site safety leaders. Also available in Spanish, it can be presented as a stand-alone training or as an elective in the OSHA 30-hour course.
• Work Safely with Silica — Training & Other Resources — Training programs and materials to help employers educate their employees on silica hazards and prevention and comply with training-related provisions in OSHA’s silica standards (CFR 1926.1153 and 1910.1053). 
• Best Built Plans —  Ergonomics Training Program for Workers — Reviews the causes and ways to prevent injuries associated with manually lifting and moving materials (soft tissue injuries – strains and sprains).
• Best Built Plans —  Ergonomics Training Program for Contractors – Reviews the causes of soft tissue injuries, prevention, and how to create an ergonomics program to reduce soft tissue injuries among a company’s employees.
• Safety Voice for Ergonomics — Developed to teach apprentices in the masonry industry about ergonomic risks and related problem-solving skills.
• Construction Noise and Hearing Loss Prevention Training Program — Modules and exercises to identify hazardous noise and prevent over-exposures. Also available in Spanish.
• Opioids Awareness Training Program — Discusses addiction risks, prevention and help available.
• Choose Hand Safety — Training and interactive tools to raise awareness of risks and how to select hand tools and gloves to prevent hand injuries and illnesses.
• Head Protection: Preventing Head Injuries — Explains the importance of using head protection, what to consider when selecting head protection, and safe practices.
• Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation Awareness Program for the Construction Industry — Developed to raise contractor and worker awareness of the potential risk, how to identify the hazard, and steps to work safely. 
• Hazard Communication Training — This course satisfies the general training requirements of OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard 29 CFR 1910.1200. 

 

Training Programs Available to Labor-Management Apprenticeship and Training Programs

In partnership with NABTU affiliates and the contractors who employ their members, CPWR has developed a series of safety and health training programs for use in union labor-management apprenticeship and training programs. The programs include:

• Disaster Response Training — This course prepares workers responding to man-made or natural disasters to recognize hazards, select and use the right PPE and decontamination procedures, and fit into the Incident Command system.
• Hazardous Waste Worker Training — This course satisfies the requirements under 29 CFR 1926.120 and includes information on workers legal rights and responsibilities, how to recognize and controls hazards, obtain information about hazardous materials, and inspect, use and decontaminate respirators and protective clothing. The training also covers correct work practices, air and medical monitoring, and emergency response. There is a separate version for Department of Energy work.
• Environmental Career Worker Training Program — This program trains, certifies, and secures jobs for economically disadvantaged workers living in the communities surrounding EPA’s Superfund National Priority List sites and brownfields sites and trains workers to, for example, replace lead pipes.
• Confined Space Training — This 16-hour worker course covers the most common confined space hazards and the OSHA standard, including topics such as monitoring principles, PPE, and ventilation.
• Smart Mark — This interactive program meets and exceeds the requirements of the OSHA Construction 10- and 30-hour programs. It covers 20 topics.

 

Toolbox Talks Series — Brief hazard-specific discussion sheets to use on job sites during morning check-ins or other safety meetings to raise workers’ awareness of hazards they may encounter on the job and steps being taken to mitigate their risk. Examples of the more than 70 Toolbox Talks, which are available in English and Spanish, include:

• Arc welding and electrical safety — English and Spanish
• Exposure to biohazards — English and Spanish
• Lockout/tagout risks and prevention when working with electrically powered equipment — English and Spanish

 

Hazard Alert Cards — Short, image-driven materials that describe a specific safety or health hazard and protective measures. These can be used as handouts on job sites or included in training and educational programs. Examples of the more than 30 Hazard Alert Cards, which are available in English and Spanish, include:

• Lead exposure — English and Spanish
• Isocyanates in construction products such as paints and spray foam insulation — English and Spanish
• Working in trenches — English and Spanish

 

Videos — A series of videos on safety and health topics that can be viewed on their own or included in training and education programs. Many are also available in Spanish, and topics include:

• Safe ladder practices — English and Spanish
• Trenching hazards and prevention — English and Spanish
• Ways to prevent strain and sprain injuries — English and Spanish

 

Best Practices and Solutions

Disaster Response App — These training tools provide health and safety guidance to those involved in disaster response and cleanup activities following a catastrophic event, such as a hurricane, earthquake, flooding, oil spills, and others. Available for Android phones.

Construction Solutions — An online database of information on hazards, and practical control measures that can be used to reduce or eliminate those hazards. The database includes a broad array of solutions for different types of work. Examples include:

• Push-fit heat-free connections
• Automated flagging assistant devices
• Illumination ring for hard hats
• Self-adjusting and directional backup alarms
• Work zone lighting
• Use of high-visibility safety apparel

 

Stop Construction Falls — A one-stop source of information on the National Campaign to Prevent Falls, including materials to use with workers and on job sites to raise awareness of risks and prevention.

Preventing Struck-By Hazards — Programs and resources to improve work zone safety in road work and and prevent struck-by incidents on all types of projects, including being struck by flying, falling, swinging, or rolling objects.

Working in Cold Weather — Resources to raise awareness and prevent health problems, such as hypothermia and frostbite, caused by working in a cold environment.

Working in Hot Weather — Resources to raise awareness and prevent health problems, such as heat stroke, caused by working in a hot environment.

Mining Resources for Construction — Resources that benefit both construction and mining including, for example, information on selecting heavy equipment that meets OSHA provisions in the silica standard.

Nail Gun Safety — Information on preventing injuries when using a nail gun, including information on the risks and related training materials and research.

eLCOSH Nano — An inventory of products that may contain nanoparticles to help employers and workers better consider the benefits and risks. This site also includes new information and access to related resources.

COVID-19 Construction Clearinghouse — Contains guidance documents, research, job site practices, and training materials to help prevent the spread of the disease.

Infographics — Using data from CPWR research and other trusted sources, these infographics raise awareness of occupational hazards and solutions. Available in English and Spanish, topics include:

• Trench Safety — English and Spanish
• Heat Safety — English and Spanish
• Winter Safety — English and Spanish

Research

CPWR Research Projects identify evidence-based technologies and work practices to address known and emerging hazards and ways to put findings into practice to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses.

Current Research

• Evaluation of Trunk and Arm Support Exoskeletons for Construction
• Manufactured Nanomaterials in Construction: Evaluating Exposures, Controls and Worker Training
• Reactive Chemical Systems: Part B – Developing Data-Driven Interventions. Part B includes chemicals in solvent blends, hardeners or catalysts, engineered nanomaterials and other additives, crystalline silica, and flame retardants

 

Completed Research

• Adoption of Innovations to Minimize Exposures to Dusts and Fumes in Construction
• Assessment and Prevention of Isocyanate Exposures [spray-foam insulation] in the Construction Industry
• Worker Electrical Inspection Pilot Intervention
• Evaluating Interventions for Overhead Drilling
• Masonry Ergonomics Best Practices – Two-Person Lift Teams

 

Small Studies

The Small Study Program provides seed money of up to $30,000 to investigate promising new research initiatives. Examples of relevant projects include:

• Prevention through Design (PtD) to Make Solar-Ready Houses Safe for Solar Workers
• Applying Prevention through Design (PtD) to Solar Systems in Small Buildings
• Prevention through Design for Safety in Solar Installations
• Identification and Assessment of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) Risk for Concrete Formwork Systems
• Aluminet: An Intervention for Heat-related Illness among Construction Workers