Improving construction worker safety through foremen's fall prevention and safety communication training

Background/Objectives: Falls from heights account for 64% of residential construction worker fatalities and 20% of missed work days. We hypothesized that worker safety would improve after foremen received training in fall prevention and safety communication.

Methods: Training priorities identified through foreman and apprentice focus groups (n=48) and surveys (n=409) were integrated into an 8-hour intervention. Seventeen foremen from a large residential contractor participated in this ongoing study. Carpenter trainers contrasted proper methods to protect workers from falls during home construction with methods observed at the foremen's worksites. Foremen manipulated fall prevention technologies on a building prop and identified solutions for each building stage in small work groups. Trainers presented methods to deliver toolbox talks and safety messages. Results from worksite observational audits (n=25) and foremen/crewmember surveys (n=91) administered before and after training were compared using descriptive and nonparametric statistics.

Results: We observed many statistically significant improvements. Frequency of daily toolbox talks increased (14% to 69%) and these talks became more interactive and focused on hazardous daily work tasks. Crewmembers' knowledge about the fall prevention plan and unsafe practices increased (36% to 92%) as safety communication improved. Foremen reported increased use of personal fall arrest from 25% to 81%. Prior to training, auditors rarely observed fall arrest, but it was common post-training. Unsafe behaviors decreased greatly, such as working on walls and floor joists without fall protection.

Conclusions: Initial results from an ongoing study demonstrated increased worker safety due to foremen participation in a problem-based fall prevention and safety communication intervention.