Occupational falls, a leading cause of fatalities, create a financial and human drain on the construction industry. In recent years a disturbing trend has developed with Latino construction workers suffering a disproportionate number of fatal and non-fatal work-related fall injuries.

Despite efforts by workers, unions, employers, safety professionals, researchers, and governmental agencies, falls remain a leading problem in construction and recognized fall prevention methods are practiced inconsistently. Because of this, both NIOSH and CPWR have devoted considerable resources to better understanding the cause of falls in construction, appropriate solutions, and barriers to use of those solutions.

The Latino Fall Prevention Partnerships will address these barriers by building on what has been learned so far. A preliminary needs assessment is underway in conjunction the NORA Construction Sector Council’s fatality prevention campaign. The new Partnerships will be launched in 2012. They will explore a local partnership model, bringing together labor, community, employer, and other partners to change local norms about fall protection.

California Partnership: A local Partnership with key stakeholders in Northern California working together to pilot test and evaluate a communication strategy, drawing on social marketing methods. Lead partner: Labor Occupational Health Program, U.C. Berkeley.

Philadelphia Partnership: A local Partnership with key stakeholders in Philadelphia seeking to change community norms in the residential construction sector through a training strategy. Lead partner: PhilaPOSH.