Taking a Systematic Approach to Research to Action: Lessons Learned from a Multi-Year Initiative in Construction Health and Safety

Effective interventions have been developed that could prevent deaths, injuries, and illnesses in construction, yet too often these solutions are not adequately disseminated or implemented.  CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training undertook a four-year Research to Practice (r2p) Initiative in Construction Safety and Health to ensure that evidence-based solutions reach and benefit workers “in the trench and on the steel.” We present lessons learned from this unique, multi-pronged effort in moving research into practice.  

Methods

The r2p initiative involved several focus areas: 1) development of tools to track CPWR-funded research to identify promising interventions and promote dissemination; 2) initiation and study of multi-stakeholder partnerships considered pivotal in r2p; and 3) creation and dissemination of practical tools and resources for construction audiences to facilitate r2p efforts.

Each component was evaluated individually.  Methods included tracking numbers of CPWR projects reviewed with r2p tools and subsequent follow-up efforts; industry surveys of changes in health and safety intervention awareness and use; qualitative interviews of partnership representatives; and monitoring of tools and communication products developed and distributed. Evaluation findings were synthesized for lessons learned.

Results

Results include indications of awareness and behavior changes in targeted industry segments, evidence of improved “r2p infrastructure” in construction health and safety, and lessons learned about the benefits of a broad-based, coordinated approach to dissemination and the resource requirements and challenges of sustaining such an effort.

Conclusion(s)

Lessons from CPWR’s r2p initiative will provide important new information on the emerging area of research dissemination in construction.