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CPWR UPDATE
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July 2019
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From the Desk of Chris Trahan Cain, Executive Director
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CPWR Meeting Highlights Advances in Hazard Controls, Safety Management, Reaching Target Audiences
More than 80 people -- including researchers, union leaders, insurance representatives, government officials, and employer representatives -- came to the DC area in mid-June for CPWR's fifth Research to Practice (r2p) seminar and partnership workshop. "Continuing the Work: Moving Completed Research into Practice" continued our systematic approach to working with a wide range of stakeholders to build better pathways for sharing research findings with those who can use them to improve working conditions in our industry.
 Sessions examined topics such as construction industry trends, gaps in the hazard and control toolbox, reaching vulnerable workers, new technologies from other sectors, and safety leadership. For example, Dr. Dana Willmer of the NIOSH Mining Program introduced the new EXAMiner software developed to help miners recognize safety and health hazards. She explained how this free software's customizable functions allow construction users to upload job site photos to develop construction-specific training modules.
Attendees also participated in a workshop with representatives of our NIEHS-funded Environmental Career Worker Training Program on working with vulnerable construction worker populations, including young workers, women, and minorities. Training program representatives shared their experiences, answered questions, and facilitated discussions on ways to reach these workers with safety and health research findings and materials, and how the training program could help. This part of the workshop helped generate ideas on how to reach vulnerable workers and small employers for us to consider funding with the Turner Innovation in Construction Award we received earlier this year.
Learn more about the results of our current research projects.
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Upcoming Quarterly Data Report Analyzes Construction Falls
The new Quarterly Data Report (QDR) focuses on falls, which remain the most common cause of fatal injuries in the construction industry. In 2017, 389 workers died from falls, 367 from falls to a lower level. Encouragingly, the rate of fatal falls showed signs of decreasing among roofers, the occupation with the highest risk of falls, and among construction laborers, the largest occupation in the industry. Small employers (those with fewer than 20 employees) accounted for 75% of fatal falls between 2015 and 2017, despite making up only 39% of construction payroll employment. The rate of nonfatal falls trended downward between 2011 and 2017, though construction still reported the third-highest number of falls of all major industries. Since 2012, a wide range of stakeholders have conducted the National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction to improve safety in this area, and the QDR describes an analysis of the continuing growth of the Campaign.
The new Quarterly Data Report is available on the CPWR website, along with past QDRs. Also, sign up for the CPWR webinar on July 24 to learn more about key elements of the QDR, "Trends of Fall Injuries and Prevention in the Construction Industry."
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TOOLS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH
 Preventing Exposure to Isocyanates
Paints, glues, and spray polyurethane foams (also known as SPF, or spray foam insulation) often contain the highly reactive chemicals known as isocyanates. Workers exposed to isocyanates can develop asthma or rashes. Some people become sensitized, suffering asthma attacks or developing rashes if exposed to even small amounts, and more serious reactions can result in lost work days, disability and even death. Learn how to manage these hazards through CPWR's Hazard Alert and Toolbox Talk on isocyanates, both of which are available in English and Spanish.
SAVE Program Helps Apprentices Prevent Injuries and Hazards
 Apprenticeship training programs provide an excellent opportunity to teach new entrants to the construction workforce ergonomic principles and other skills that reduce hazards and injuries, including how or when to speak up or who to go to with a concern. SAVE -- Safety Voice in Ergonomics -- is a free training program that teaches masonry brick and block apprentices problem-solving skills and ergonomics. Developed over four years with support from CPWR's Masonry r2p Partnership, SAVE offers seven 30-minute units and includes slides, videos, activities, quizzes, a workbook, and instructor manual. Although developed for apprentices in the brick and block segment of the masonry industry, the materials can be adapted for other construction trades or target audiences.
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RESEARCH NEWS
The Gap Between Tools and Best Practice: An Analysis of Safety Prequalification Surveys in the Construction Industry
Kang-Hung Liu, Jamie Tessler, Lauren A. Murphy, Chien-Chi Chang, and Jack T. Dennerlein. New Solutions. Read the Key Findings.
Testing the associations between leading and lagging indicators in a contractor safety pre-qualification database
Justin Manjourides and Jack T. Dennerlein. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. Read the Key Findings.
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Wednesday, July 24th, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern: Trends of Fall Injuries and Prevention in the Construction Industry
Falls remain a common cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. But despite the number of falls increasing, the rates show signs of decreasing. This 45-minute webinar, including Q&A, will review the new CPWR Quarterly Data Report on fall injuries in construction. Sue Dong, director of CPWR's Data Center, Rebecca Jackson, assistant director of CPWR's Data Center, and Jessica Bunting, assistant director of CPWR's r2p Program, will provide updated data on the characteristics of fatal and nonfatal fall injuries among construction workers, as well as information from a social network analysis of the National Campaign to Prevent Falls in Construction. Click to register.
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