Safety communication and fall safety training for construction foremen

Background: Falls from height account for the majority of fatalities in residential construction workers. Methods: A team of researchers and carpenter instructors from a joint union / contractor apprenticeship program identified gaps in fall safety practices via focus groups and surveys of foremen and apprentices. We then developed and evaluated an 8 hour training intervention among construction foremen which addressed both fall safety practices and safety communication. Pre-intervention data included surveys of foremen and their construction crews, as well as worksite audits performed by experienced carpenters trained in research methods; these measures were repeated at 6, 12, and 24 weeks after training. Results: To date, 35 foremen and 6 superintendents from 4 participating residential contractors have completed training in this ongoing trial. Preliminary analyses show large and statistically significant improvements in both safety communication and fall prevention behaviors. Crew members report increased frequency and quality of worksite safety instruction, which became more positive, interactive, and problem-focused. Statistically significant improvements in participating foremen's knowledge are also apparent in their crewmembers. Both foremen and crewmembers report increased prevalence of safe behaviors when performing activities at heights that were emphasized in the training; with audit confirmation of improvements in several of these fall prevention behaviors. Discussion: After training construction foremen in both safety and safety communication, we observed improvements in safety knowledge and observed safety behaviors among their worker crews. Training supervisors in both fall safety and safety communication can be an effective intervention.on.