Effects of Safety and Health Training on Work-Related Injury Among Construction Laborers

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate the effects of safety and health training on work-related injury in the construction industry. Methods: Union health insurance records, union training records, and workers compensation data for 1993 and 1994 were analyzed for more than 8000 construction laborers in Washington State. Results: After controlling for demographic factors, laborers who received safety and health training during the study period were 12% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.75–1.02) less likely than nontrained laborers to file for workers compensation. Among workers 16 to 24 years old, training was associated with a 42% (95% CI = 0.35–0.95) reduction in claims. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence of the effectiveness of safety and health training in preventing occupational injuries among construction laborers, particularly among younger workers. However, the results cover only a limited time and the long-term effects remain unclear.

[1]  Michael S. Bisesi,et al.  Evaluation of Safety Orientation and Training Programs for Reducing Injuries in the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry , 2000, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[2]  N. Stout,et al.  Risk differences in fatal occupational injuries among construction laborers in the United States, 1980-1992. , 1997, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[3]  Seronda A Jackson,et al.  Fatal occupational injuries in the North Carolina construction industry, 1978-1994. , 2002, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[4]  Linda M. Goldenhar,et al.  Health and safety training in a sample of open-shop construction companies , 2001 .

[5]  Kenneth A Johnson,et al.  A Job Safety Program for Construction Workers Designed to Reduce the Potential for Occupational Injury Using Tool Box Training Sessions and Computer-Assisted Biofeedback Stress Management Techniques , 2002, International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE.

[6]  M. Kreuter,et al.  Applications workbook to accompany health promotion planning : an educational and ecological approach , 1999 .

[7]  Helen Lingard,et al.  The effect of first aid training on Australian construction workers' occupational health and safety motivation and risk control behavior. , 2002, Journal of safety research.

[8]  A Bhattacharya,et al.  An ergonomic education and evaluation program for apprentice carpenters. , 1997, American journal of industrial medicine.

[9]  W. Halperin,et al.  Mortality patterns among construction workers in the United States. , 1995, Occupational medicine.

[10]  N S Seixas,et al.  A review of crane safety in the construction industry. , 2001, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[11]  W K Sieber,et al.  Job tasks, potential exposures, and health risks of laborers employed in the construction industry. , 1993, American journal of industrial medicine.

[12]  G. Sorock,et al.  Fatal occupational injuries in the New Jersey construction industry, 1983 to 1989. , 1993, Journal of occupational medicine. : official publication of the Industrial Medical Association.

[13]  Sally Lechlitner Lusk,et al.  Effectiveness of an Intervention to Increase Construction Workers' Use of Hearing Protection , 1999, Hum. Factors.

[14]  J M Dement,et al.  Mortality among North Carolina construction workers, 1988-1994. , 1999, Applied occupational and environmental hygiene.

[15]  B. Materna,et al.  Results of an intervention to improve lead safety among painting contractors and their employees. , 2002, American journal of industrial medicine.

[16]  M. Sweeney,et al.  Proportionate mortality among construction laborers. , 1995, American journal of industrial medicine.

[17]  T. Ore,et al.  Women in the U.S. construction industry: an analysis of fatal occupational injury experience, 1980 to 1992. , 1998, American journal of industrial medicine.

[18]  K. Hunting,et al.  Women in construction: occupational health and working conditions. , 2000, Journal of the American Medical Women's Association.

[19]  K. Hunting,et al.  Injury Surveillance in Construction: Injuries to Laborers , 2000, Journal of occupational and environmental medicine.

[20]  Helen Lingard,et al.  Behavior-based safety management in Hong Kong's construction industry , 1997 .