From the Desk of Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director |
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New SC-SMIS Strengthens Safety Culture |
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CPWR has just launched the Safety Climate-Safety Management Information System (SC-SMIS), our latest resource to help contractors and safety professionals improve job site safety culture and safety climate – and therefore reduce the potential for injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Developed with extensive industry input, this robust new system builds on the resources we’ve created since 2016 that enable firms to measure and strengthen their safety climate. The SC-SMIS includes features that allow companies to measure job site safety climate across eight leading indicators with proven tools such as the S-CAT and the S-CATsc; download evidence-based safety management policies, procedures, guidelines, and templates from a large repository to improve low-scoring indicators; and develop a plan to help put those resources into action. Begin or continue your company’s safety climate improvement journey by visiting the SC-SMIS homepage, and learn more by joining a webinar on the SC-SMIS February 24.
Nominations for 2022 Liberty Mutual Innovation Award Close This Month
Nominations are closing soon for the 2022 Liberty Mutual Safety Innovation Award in Construction, which recognizes innovative approaches for reducing or eliminating hazards that lead to injuries and pain for construction workers. The nominated intervention can take many forms, including a new tool, an evidence-based technology, a new work practice, or a novel safety and health program. It could also be a grassroots or media campaign focused on reaching smaller contractors or segments of the construction workforce at higher risk. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance in partnership with CPWR, the award includes a $15,000 cash prize for the winning individual or organization; one or more honorable mentions may also be awarded. Learn more about the process and past recipients on the CPWR website. The submission deadline is February 28, 2022.
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TOOLS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH |
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Take Part in This Year’s Struck-By and Falls Stand-Downs
2022 promises to be a big year for construction, particularly with infrastructure work. As new projects begin and new workers enter the industry, it is critical for employers to put safety front and center, and the stand-downs can help build safer job sites.
3rd Annual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents: April 11-15
This year’s Struck-by Stand-Down, organized by the NORA Construction Sector Council Struck-by Work Group, is expanding from a one-day event to a full week of activities to coordinate with National Work Zone Awareness Week. As the Stand-Down has grown, its topics have increased to include not only work zone safety but also lift zone safety, heavy equipment, dropped objects, and other sources of struck-by injuries. During the Stand-Down, CPWR and the Struck-by Work Group will host a series of webinars covering relevant topics. Visit CPWR’s Struck-By pages for more information and resources.
9th Annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction: May 2-6
The OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR Stand-Down to Prevent Falls will again take place during the first week of May. The Stand-Down is a week-long event organized by the National Campaign to Prevent Falls and the NORA Construction Sector Council to raise awareness around fall hazards and the importance of preventing them. Employers across the country are invited to pause work on their job sites to engage in inspecting fall protection equipment, conducting training, joining one of the Falls Campaign’s webinars, or any other Stand-Down activities that emphasize and improve fall safety. For more information about what this year holds, watch last week’s Falls Campaign webinar on the importance of a year-round fall prevention program and check out CPWR’s One-Stop Stand-Down Shop to order resources materials, download Toolbox Talks, find social media messaging, and much more.
Construction Fatality Map Dashboard Updated
The Construction Fatality Map Dashboard, developed to raise awareness of construction hazards and the need for improved safety in the industry, now includes data for the first half of 2021. Newly redesigned, the highly interactive dashboard combines data from ongoing OSHA fatality investigations and online media sources gathered since 2011. Users can filter the data by Injury Type, Focus Four Category (2021 Onwards), State/Territory, Year, and Date Range, as well as downloading the Data itself.
COVID-19 Vaccine infographics Now in Spanish
CPWR has added Spanish versions of five infographics about COVID-19: Should I Get the Vaccine if I Already Had COVID? Is the Vaccine Effective? What Are the Side Effects? What is a Breakthrough Infection? What is Population Immunity? All are part of CPWR’s collection of resources to help the construction industry understand the science and benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Nebulizer-Retrofitted Drone Deployment at Residential Construction Sites
Rodney Handy. CPWR Small Study, 2021.
This study deployed a water-misting drone at two residential construction sites in Utah and measured the drones’ effect on temperatures and particulate matter concentrations. Read the Key Finding and the full report.
Share Your Exposure Measurements
If you have exposure measurements for silica, welding fumes, lead, or noise, CPWR needs your help!
The Exposure Control Database (ECD), a free online tool that estimates your workers’ exposure to common health hazards, is expanding. If you have data that you are willing to share, please submit it to CPWR to make the ECD more accurate and reliable. If you have any questions, contact Sara Brooks ([email protected], 301-495-8532) with any questions. The following sampling forms are available to submit measurements:
Small Study Grant Funding Available
Our Small Study Program, which supports promising new research initiatives on improving construction safety and health, has a particular interest in studies that plan to work with and/or target small employers. We define small employers as those with 19 employees or fewer. We are giving priority to funding studies aimed at:
- Reaching high-risk populations: small employers, vulnerable workers, residential and light commercial construction firms
- Developing applicable, practical interventions
- Engaging stakeholders, through partnerships and other means, to better understand the barriers to and motivators for adoption of best practices
- Addressing emerging issues and exploring new technologies
- Evaluating promising research translation products and dissemination strategies
- Disseminating good practices to small employers
We are also interested in innovative approaches to reducing the spread of COVID-19 through ventilation, distancing, and respirators. A study may be proposed at any time and can receive funding of up to $30,000. For more information, including how to apply, visit the Small Study Program on CPWR’s website.
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Thursday, February 24 at 2:00 p.m. ET (45 mins)
CPWR’s New Safety Climate – Safety Management Information System (SC-SMIS)
CPWR has just launched the Safety Climate-Safety Management Information System (SC-SMIS), our latest resource to help contractors and safety professionals improve job site safety culture and safety climate – and ultimately reduce the potential for injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Developed with extensive industry input, this robust new system builds on the resources we’ve created in 2016 that enable firms to measure and strengthen their safety climate. In this 45-minute webinar, CPWR’s Director of Evaluation and Research Linda Goldenhar will review the benefits of the SC-SMIS, including features that allow companies to measure job site safety climate across eight leading indicators with proven tools such as the S-CAT and the S-CATsc; download evidence-based safety management policies, procedures, guidelines, and templates from a large repository to improve low-scoring indicators; and develop a plan to help put those resources into action.
CPWR’s webinar platform limits registration to 1,000 people. If you do not think you'll be able to attend live, please watch the recording of the webinar – all our webinars are available on-demand within a few days of their presentation.
SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, March 23 at 2:00 p.m. ET -- Drones in Construction
More information coming later this month.
Thursday, March 10 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Identifying and Addressing Top Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses in the Construction Industry (hosted by Occupational Health & Safety)
This presentation will focus on trends related to some of the most dangerous job site hazards such as falls, electrocutions, struck-by, caught-in/between, and even COVID-19. Amber Trueblood, assistant director of CPWR’s Data Center, will review recent research while also sharing interactive data dashboards that allow users to access and manipulate construction industry safety and health data to aid in priority setting, decision making, and education efforts.
Research to Practice (r2p) Director Jessica Bunting will then share some of CPWR’s resources, focusing on two upcoming annual events that address some of the top construction hazards: the National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents (April 11-15) and The National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction (May 2-6).
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The next National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Evaluation Community of Practice webinar will focus on the NIEHS Environmental Career Worker Training Program (ECWTP), a job development program targeting underserved populations. This webinar will discuss evaluating the benefits and impacts of ECWTP, and speakers will include Steve Surtees, who directs CPWR’s ECWTP, and Sue Ann Sarpy, who evaluates CPWR’s ECWTP.
10:00 a.m. ET – Nanomaterial Exposure Risks among Construction Workers
- Gavin West, Director, Nanomaterials Research, CPWR
- Bruce Lippy, Nanomaterials Research, CPWR
March 7, 12:00–1:00 p.m. CT: Nanomaterials in Construction
- Sara Brooks, Industrial Hygienist, CPWR
- Gavin West, Director, Nanomaterials Research, CPWR
March 8, 10:15–11:15 a.m. CT: Practical Lessons in Job Hazard Analysis
- Sara Brooks, Industrial Hygienist, CPWR
- Chris Le, Program Manager, CPWR
- Babak Memarian, Director, Exposure Control Technologies Research, CPWR
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