Foremen and lead workers who have the skills to be effective jobsite safety leaders are the linchpins to creating a strong jobsite safety climate — a key indicator of injury outcomes. Unfortunately, there is a shortage of needed safety leadership training. To help address this gap, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training with funding from NIOSH, developed The Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL); a two-and-a-half hour safety leadership training module designed to teach foremen and lead workers five critical safety leadership skills and how to put them into practice.

The FSL is the result of a rigorous 18-month development process. Beginning in September 2014, researchers from CPWR and two Colorado universities worked closely with a 17-member curriculum development team that included OSHA 10- and 30-hour outreach trainers, construction workers, safety and health professionals from small and large companies, representatives of building trade unions and construction trade associations, consultants and OSHA staff to make sure the final leadership module would meet the needs of foremen as well as those who would conduct the training. The final module contains foundational material plus seven real-world animated scenarios designed to teach these 5 critical safety leadership skills:

"I would have to say just the participation in the class lets the foremen know that the owners and upper management are on-board with safety, by actually giving them the time to do what they have to do to perform the job safely."

"I think they're more aware when they do their morning huddle.... I also see them take a little more time when they're talking about the work that they also cover the safety implications of that work. [They] try to get more input from the employees on their crew instead of just giving instructions."

"It’s a rare occurrence that construction leaders thank us for training, but that’s what we received from our supervisors after the FSL training. What’s even better is that they have been able to improve their communication and engagement with their team."

"I never took it as seriously as I do now ... You know, having the people explain back to you what you told them. I mean, that really really has helped a lot. Instead of just giving somebody some information, sending them off blindly to do the job, and then you know, getting mad ‘cause they didn’t do it right. That way you know, they can explain to you back exactly what you said to them and if they didn’t get it the first time, you know, you can talk about it, have an opportunity to get it right."

"It also makes them feel like they’re, part of the, you know, the planning. So for the specific task, I think that it is a great tool. Something I’ve done a little bit of but really really try to do a lot more of ‘cause of the training."

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For more additional information about the FSL, you can contact the FSL project lead: Dr. Linda M. Goldenhar, director of research and evaluation at CPWR — The Center for Construction Research and Evaluation, at lgoldenhar@cpwr.com.

 

 

 

 

AGC of America, supported by Susan Harwood Federal Training Grant, developed the Fall Prevention Safety Training Program.

Construction workers make up approximately 4 percent of the country’s workforce but account for an average of 19 percent of all job-related fatalities each year. Consistently, over the past five years approximately 35-39 percent of those fatalities are from falls. Falls account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry, especially among small businesses and businesses with Hispanic workers. In addition, fall protection violations continue to be among the most-cited standards in the construction industry. AGC of America is pleased to offer this one-day training program based on OSHA standards and best practices to answer the need for quality training within the industry. Classes are offered at various locations and dates throughout the year.

August Class

 

 

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