CPWR UPDATE
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April 2020
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From the Desk of Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director
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Updated Coronavirus Guidance for Construction Workers and Employers
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CPWR continues to expand the resources we offer to help construction employers take necessary precautions to keep workers safe during the coronavirus pandemic. Our COVID-19 page includes an updated version of the CPWR/NABTU guidance, available in English and Spanish; links to the latest information from key agencies like the CDC, NIEHS, NIOSH, and OSHA; and resources from industry partners like the Laborers' Safety & Health Fund of North America and Milwaukee Tools. We encourage our readers to email us with relevant information, including materials on COVID-19 they have developed and examples of how our industry has been supporting the nationwide response, such as making donations of personal protective equipment.
New Data Bulletin Examines Health Insurance Among Construction Workers
This month we launch a new online data series -- the CPWR Data Bulletin -- as another element in our ongoing efforts to share relevant and data-driven information with the construction industry. To provide more timely data and better service to our stakeholders, the Data Bulletin will replace the Quarterly Data Reports and be published more frequently -- six rather than four times annually. This inaugural edition focuses a crucial topic for worker safety and health: health insurance coverage. The findings show that approximately one in four construction workers lack health insurance, with nearly half of Hispanic workers without insurance coverage. The Data Bulletin also reveals that construction workers employed by small companies are much less likely to receive health insurance through their employment than counterparts at large companies, while unionization significantly increases insurance coverage for construction workers.
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TOOLS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH
Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents During April's National Work Zone Awareness Week The 20th National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW), an annual campaign held at the start of construction season, will take place April 20-24. This year, the in-person official kick-off in Michigan, scheduled for April 21st, has been cancelled, in accordance with CDC guidelines regarding the coronavirus pandemic, and instead states and localities are encouraged to use social media to take part in NWZAW. During NWZAW, NIOSH's NORA Construction Sector Council is launching the first National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents, which will be held virtually at 2:00 p.m. E.T. on April 20th. We invite you to register for this virtual Stand-Down to ask questions and hear from experts on how to work safely in work zones and prevent struck-by incidents all year long. Click here to register for the webinar and share your questions. (See the full webinar description, including the speakers, below.) In addition, the Sector Council has developed information to help companies and organizations conduct their own virtual Stand-Down activities, including an online resource with information, training materials and research from trusted sources that can be used April 20th and in the weeks and months ahead to raise awareness of struck-by hazards and ways to prevent them.
Postponed: 7th Annual National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction
The Safety Stand-Down, originally scheduled for May 4-8, has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A new date will be announced this summer. In the meantime, remember that falls are still the leading hazard in construction and should be an area of focus year-round. Visit the Stop Construction Falls website for tools and resources, including videos and webinars that can be a part of virtual training efforts. Updates on the Stand-Down and new materials will be added to the website when available. CPWR's 2020 Hardhat Sticker order form has been closed temporarily but will re-open when we are able to resume shipping.
Join CPWR on Instagram!
Our new Instagram channel provides an exciting, visual way to find resources and guidance to improve the safety and health of construction workers. Follow CPWR to receive the latest information.
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RESEARCH NEWS
Lung cancer mortality among construction workers: implications for early detection. John M. Dement, Knut Ringen, Stella Hines, Kim Cranford, Patricia Quinn. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2020. Read the article.
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Thursday, April 16, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. E.T. (1 hour): Fall Prevention & Protection in the Roofing Industry
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and roofers are at an even greater risk than workers in other trades. In 2017, roofers experienced 35.9 deaths per 100,000 FTEs, more than 10 times the rate of all construction occupations combined. The OSHA-NIOSH-CPWR National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls and the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) are working to reduce these numbers by increasing employer and worker awareness and understanding of fall hazards and how to address them. Although the Safety Stand-Down has been postponed until later in the summer due to COVID-19, that doesn't mean we should stop focusing on falls. This hour-long webinar provides the perfect opportunity to learn virtually from experts about specific considerations roofing contractors and workers need to take into account when planning, training, and executing fall prevention measures, as well as what to do in the event that a fall does occur on your job site. After an introduction from Scott Ketcham, director of OSHA's Directorate of Construction, hear from three leaders at NRCA: Thomas Shanahan, vice president of enterprise risk management and executive education; Harry Dietz, director of enterprise risk management; and Rich Trewyn, also director of enterprise risk management.
Monday, April 20, 2020, at 2:00 p.m. E.T. (1 hour+): Virtual National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-by Incidents - Q&A Panel Struck-by incidents are a leading cause of injuries and fatalities in construction. To combat this, the NORA Construction Sector Council has undertaken a number of initiatives to improve awareness of work zone safety and ways to prevent struck-by incidents, including launching a National Stand-Down to Prevent Struck-By Incidents and establishing an online source for information on the Stand-Down. See the description of National Work Zone Awareness Week under Tools and Resources above for more information. During this webinar, a panel of experts introduced by Scott Earnest, acting director for the Office of Construction Safety and Health at NIOSH, and moderated by Brad Sant, senior vice president at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, will answer your questions about struck-by hazards in work zones and provide practical information that stakeholders can use on their job sites to prevent incidents. The panelists will be David Fosbroke of NIOSH, Travis Parsons of the Laborers' Health & Safety Fund of North America, Jerral Wyer of Texas Department of Transportation (retired), and David Dostaler of Kraemer North America, LLC. Register here (At registration, you will be prompted to submit a question on struck-by hazards in work zones. These questions will be used to guide the panel, and we will also take questions during the webinar itself.)
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