CPWR UPDATE
From the Desk of Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director
April 2023
The 4th Annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents is Less than Two Weeks Away!
The NORA Construction Sector Council’s annual Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents takes place April 17-21 in coordination with National Work Zone Awareness Week. Any workplace can hold a stand-down by taking a break to focus on “Struck-by Hazards” and reinforcing the importance of training and prevention. Learn more from this “What is the Struck-by Stand-Down” flyer and access FREE Stand-Down materials and training resources. CPWR will host a NORA Construction Sector Council Struck-by Work Group webinar to kick off the week on Monday, April 17th. Register for that event here.

Improve your pre-job and pre-task planning to prevent struck-by incidents by participating in CPWR’s new pilot planning program. It walks users through creating a pre-job plan and provides tips and resources to encourage employees to plan to prevent struck-by incidents at every stage of work. Learn how to use the program for free and join our pilot study here.

Next Up: The 10th Annual Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls
May 1-5 marks the tenth year of an event that’s touched millions of lives in our industry: the OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. In honor of the upcoming Stand-Down and the year-round Fall Prevention Campaign, CPWR, NIOSH, and OSHA held a webinar with industry partners Jacobs and Gilbane to discuss the best way to prevent falls – by designing out hazards altogether. Preventing Falls through Improved Design provided background information on Prevention through Design (PtD), followed by practical PtD methods to prevent falls.

Many other fall prevention materials – including webinar recordings, training resources, and promotional materials -- are available in the One-Stop Stand-Down Shop, and don’t forget to order your hardhat stickers before we run out!
TOOLS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH
CPWR’s Data Center has launched a Data Dashboard examining union membership in construction for wage-and-salary workers. In addition, three injury dashboards have been updated with the latest available data -- Fatality Map, Severe Injury, and Falls, Slips and Trips -- as were two others that use OSHA enforcement data: OSHA Inspections and Citations and OSHA Citations for Chemical Exposures.
RESEARCH NEWS
Our Small Study Program supports promising new research initiatives on improving construction safety and health with funding up to $30,000. While we normally accept applications on a rolling basis, starting August 31 we will take a one-year pause from funding new studies. Because the review process can take a few months, new letters of intent must be submitted by May 31.

Research Partners Wanted
CPWR is seeking partners to join us in our application to continue as the National Center for Construction Safety and Health Research and Translation under a new five-year cooperative agreement with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Consortium partners will develop and implement three- to five-year projects consistent with the research priorities described in this solicitation.  The deadline to submit concept memos is May 1, 2023.

Research Request: Take Part in a Study on Minimizing Painters’ Chemical Exposure
Our research partners at the University of Massachusetts Lowell are looking for construction painters to participate in a study about minimizing exposure to hazardous Part B ingredients of reactive chemical systems used in metal structure coatings. The researchers will be visiting workplaces to conduct field surveys, monitor airborne and skin exposures, and collect biological samples to measure the effects of exposure and evaluate the efficacy of personal protective equipment and engineering controls. Participants will receive a $50 gift card for donating urine before and after the shift and an additional $50 for a blood sample. Contact Dhimiter_Bello@ uml.edu or [email protected] to learn more.
NEWS & EVENTS
Webinars
Monday, April 17 at 2:00 p.m. ET 
National Struck-by Stand-Down Kick-Off Webinar
Hear from Stand-Down organizers and subject matter experts on struck-by prevention as we kick off the Stand-Down week virtually.

 
Miércoles 26 de Abril a las 2:00 p.m. ET
Protección Contra Caídas
Las caídas son la principal causa de muerte relacionada con el trabajo en la construcción, pero no tiene por qué ser así. Todas las caídas se pueden prevenir. Inscríbase en el seminario web de la Campaña nacional de prevención de caídas para aprender sobre prevención de caídas, protección contra caídas y rescate de caídas.
 

Women in Construction Series
The recordings of CPWR’s three-part webinar series on women in construction have been posted on our YouTube channel. Each of the webinars – Why We Need More Women in Construction, Strategies to Recruit and Retain Women, and Being an Ally – are available for free on demand.
CPWR in the News
Career Opportunities