RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES RESEARCH DEMONSTRATES CONSTRUCTION WORKER CONSTRUCTION WORKER HEALTH PROTECTION IS HEALTH PROTECTION IS

LINKED TO SPECIFIC SAFETY LINKED TO SPECIFIC SAFETY MANAGEMENT ELEMENTSMANAGEMENT ELEMENTS

The University of TennesseeThe University of TennesseeUT Safety CenterUT Safety Center

Dr. Susan SmithDr. Susan SmithDr. Tyler KressDr. Tyler Kress

Dr. Gregory PettyDr. Gregory Petty

Worker Health Protection is Worker Health Protection is linked to the elements of:linked to the elements of:

Management CommitmentManagement Commitment Employee InvolvementEmployee Involvement Work-site AnalysisWork-site Analysis Hazard Prevention & ControlHazard Prevention & Control Safety TrainingSafety Training

– US Department of Labor, 1989US Department of Labor, 1989

Who Wins?Who Wins?

EmployeesEmployees– Reduced number and severity of accidents Reduced number and severity of accidents

affects personal and family quality of livingaffects personal and family quality of living Management/CompaniesManagement/Companies

– Reduced costs results in increased profits and Reduced costs results in increased profits and greater competitivenessgreater competitiveness

GovernmentGovernment– Public health is affected by decreased load on Public health is affected by decreased load on

government health and rehabilitation programsgovernment health and rehabilitation programs

Safety Management Safety Management ElementsElements

Few data based studies support Few data based studies support safety management elements from safety management elements from reduced costs and injuries.reduced costs and injuries.

Management/Companies resist Management/Companies resist spending money on safety spending money on safety management elements because management elements because there is little evidence to support this there is little evidence to support this expense.expense.

Who Loses?Who Loses?

Short termShort term– Management/Companies will need to invest Management/Companies will need to invest

money “up front” to hire safety managersmoney “up front” to hire safety managers– Management/Companies must spend money Management/Companies must spend money

to join and attend professional conferencesto join and attend professional conferences– Management/Companies must spend money Management/Companies must spend money

and provide the time for staff and and provide the time for staff and management to attend safety trainingmanagement to attend safety training

Long term – see “Who Wins?” Long term – see “Who Wins?” section abovesection above

Who Cares?Who Cares?

This study indicates that safety This study indicates that safety training and use of safety managers training and use of safety managers reduces costs and injuries in the reduces costs and injuries in the hazardous construction industry.hazardous construction industry.

More research is needed to further More research is needed to further support this positionsupport this position

Safety Practices SurveySafety Practices Survey Questionnaires were sent to 305 Questionnaires were sent to 305

construction companies in construction companies in TennesseeTennessee

89 of 305 (29%) responded89 of 305 (29%) responded Surveys focused on rates and costs Surveys focused on rates and costs

of injuries and safety practices of injuries and safety practices followed by the companyfollowed by the company

Determination of Costs of Determination of Costs of InjuriesInjuries

To fairly determine costs, a factor of To fairly determine costs, a factor of workers compensation cost the workers compensation cost the Experience Modification Rate (EMR)Experience Modification Rate (EMR) was utilized in this studywas utilized in this study

Companies with lower than average losses Companies with lower than average losses are assigned a EMR of less than 1.0, while are assigned a EMR of less than 1.0, while companies with higher than average companies with higher than average losses are assigned an EMR of greater losses are assigned an EMR of greater than 1.0. than 1.0.

Survey responses were grouped into two Survey responses were grouped into two categoriescategories

1.1. High Cost/High Injury Rates (EMR >1.0)High Cost/High Injury Rates (EMR >1.0)2.2. Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR <1.0)Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR <1.0)

FindingsFindings

Companies with Low Cost/Low Injury Companies with Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR <1.0) demonstrated a Rates (EMR <1.0) demonstrated a significant relationship with:significant relationship with:

– Employed full time safety manager Employed full time safety manager ((pp=0.015)=0.015)

– Use of pre-job brief (Use of pre-job brief (pp=0.013)=0.013)– Written drug/alcohol programs (Written drug/alcohol programs (pp=0.014)=0.014)– Attendance at AGC conferences (Attendance at AGC conferences (pp=0.027)=0.027)

FindingsFindings Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR

<1.0) were found for larger <1.0) were found for larger Construction Companies with 51 or Construction Companies with 51 or more employees (more employees (pp=0.008) that:=0.008) that:– performed drug testing (performed drug testing (pp=0.015)=0.015)– participated in AGC professional participated in AGC professional

conferences (conferences (pp=0.011=0.011

FindingsFindings Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR <1.0) Low Cost/Low Injury Rates (EMR <1.0)

for those Construction Companies for those Construction Companies with a full-time Safety Manager that:with a full-time Safety Manager that:– presented pre-job briefs (presented pre-job briefs (pp=0.009) =0.009) – had written drug/alcohol program had written drug/alcohol program

((pp=0.018)=0.018)– performed drug testing (performed drug testing (pp=0.002)=0.002)– tracked injury costs (tracked injury costs (pp=0.023)=0.023)– performed weekly safety inspections performed weekly safety inspections

((pp=0.003)=0.003)

FindingsFindings

Companies that reported written & clearly Companies that reported written & clearly defined safety responsibilities had:defined safety responsibilities had:– drug/alcohol prevention programs (drug/alcohol prevention programs (pp<0.001)<0.001)– emergency preparedness programs (emergency preparedness programs (pp<0.001)<0.001)– company safety policy (company safety policy (pp=0.012)=0.012)– tracked injury costs (tracked injury costs (pp=0.001)=0.001)– tracked first aid cases (tracked first aid cases (pp=0.01)=0.01)– tracked near misses (tracked near misses (pp=0.005)=0.005)– conducted safety training (conducted safety training (pp=0.039)=0.039)– conducted safety inspections (conducted safety inspections (pp=0.001)=0.001)– had established safety committees (had established safety committees (pp=0.048)=0.048)

ConclusionsConclusions Implementation of sound safety Implementation of sound safety

programs has led to reductions in programs has led to reductions in fatalities & injuries fatalities & injuries

Study found that companies with Study found that companies with lower EMR reported high number of lower EMR reported high number of key safety management practiceskey safety management practices

More studies are needed that More studies are needed that quantitatively identifies effective quantitatively identifies effective safety program elementssafety program elements

Conclusions Conclusions (continued)(continued) Increasing Worker Health Protection is Increasing Worker Health Protection is

affected by the following key safety affected by the following key safety management practices:management practices:– Hiring a full-time safety managerHiring a full-time safety manager– Presenting pre-job briefsPresenting pre-job briefs– Implementing drug/alcohol programsImplementing drug/alcohol programs– Attending safety conferencesAttending safety conferences– Tracking injuriesTracking injuries– Conducting safety inspectionsConducting safety inspections– Clearly defining safety rolesClearly defining safety roles– Reporting of the Safety Manager to Executive Reporting of the Safety Manager to Executive

Management & attending management meetingsManagement & attending management meetings

Conclusions Conclusions (continued)(continued)

Costs of construction fatalities & serious Costs of construction fatalities & serious injuries include both human suffering and injuries include both human suffering and economic losseseconomic losses

Construction companies can improve Construction companies can improve safety image of the industry and safety image of the industry and positively impact the bottom-line by positively impact the bottom-line by implementing sound safety management implementing sound safety management practices practices

Investment in safety pays dividends in Investment in safety pays dividends in both human and economic termsboth human and economic terms