New Study Reveals Safety and Health Insights Unique to Large-Scale Construction Projects

Upon completion of safety needs assessment surveys conducted at the worksites, four recommendations for management were compiled:

• General contractors need to demonstrate an organizational commitment to safety and "walk the talk."
• Training on proactive management skills should be conducted for senior and mid-level managers, engaging them more in safety.
• Supervisors should be encouraged to display constructive attitudes, actions, expectations and communications about safety.
• Employees need to be empowered to become actively involved in safety.

The study appears in a special edition of the National Safety Council’s Journal of Safety Research focused on construction.

More than 1,000 construction site fatalities annually occur in the United States. With improved safety and health on worksites, these deaths can be prevented. The special edition of the Journal of Safety Research is the result of collaborative efforts among the National Safety Council, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Center for Construction Research and Training and the Construction Safety Council.

"We hope this special edition of the Journal of Safety Research will bring more attention to the complexity of safety concerns in the construction industry and trigger more collaborative research to prevent injuries among construction workers," said Mei-Li Lin, Journal of Safety Research editor and senior director of the Research Group at the National Safety Council.