ABC Highlights Value of Leading Safety Indicators during OSHA Public Meeting

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Associated Builders and Contractors Vice President of Health, Safety, Environment and Workforce Development Greg Sizemore spoke at a recent Occupational Health and Safety Administration public meeting on leading indicators for safety and health programs. In his remarks, Sizemore emphasized the importance of leading indicators as a proactive measure to prevent workplace hazards and reduce recordable incidents, resulting in improved safety and health performance. Citing ABC’s 2019 Safety Performance Report, an annual assessment of STEP safety management system data, Sizemore outlined the remarkable impact that leading indicators, such as toolbox talks or substance abuse programs, have on a construction company’s safety … Read more

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Autodesk, AGC to Address Custom-Fitting Safety Harnesses for Women

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According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, falls are the leading cause of private sector worker fatalities in the construction industry. Everyone who works at heights, whether it’s on a roof, scaffolding or the edge of a tall building, should have properly fitting safety harnesses, yet not all contractors have the supplies they need to better protect women in construction. To help address this, Autodesk is funding a grant program with the Associated General Contractors of America to supply select, in-need member contractors with fall protection harnesses sized for women who work at heights. The program comes at a … Read more

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New QDR Shows Sharp Decrease in Employer-Reported Work-Related MSDs

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The new Quarterly Data Report from The Center for Construction Research and Training examines trends in work and non-work related musculoskeletal disorders, the soft-tissue injuries caused by exposure to repetitive or sudden motions, forces and awkward positions. In 2017, the rate of employer-reported, work-related MSDs in construction was 31.2 cases per 10,000 FTEs, less than one-quarter of 1992’s level. However, about 30% of construction workers self-reported they had low-back pain (work- or non-work-related), and that figure has not changed significantly. Moreover, nearly half of construction workers reported they had one or more MSD symptoms, such as neck pain, joint pain and back pain. Older workers were more likely to … Read more

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New Award Recognizes Innovative Safety Interventions

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The new Liberty Mutual Safety Innovation Award in Construction recognizes innovative Evidence-Based technologies, work practices and programs designed to reduce or eliminate construction hazards that lead to injuries and pain in the construction industry. The award is sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance and administered by CPWR. The award was established to: Encourage the development of innovative hazard reduction interventions Educate the construction community about safety and health hazards of national concern and promote widespread use of interventions to address them The winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize and a plaque. In addition, one or more honorable mention awards may … Read more

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5 Ways to Shake Up Your Safety Training

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At 20 years old, Regina McMichael’s husband died after falling off a roof at a jobsite where he was working. That was the day her safety career started. Thirty-three years later she is still focused on making the industry safer by improving the way we teach safety training. She recently shared five key ways to change your safety training to make it more effective. 1) Identify what the learners know and what they need to know “The gap between these two areas is what you teach to,” says McMichael. “Nothing more, nothing less.” She teaches trainers to use the ADDIE … Read more

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