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4 Future Research and Program Improvement
Pages 82-100

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From page 82...
... , presents the committee's analysis of and recommendations regarding emerging issues and new research a ­ reas. The analysis and recommendations are based on discussions with stakeholders and on individual committee members' knowledge of the construction industry and their backgrounds and expertise.
From page 83...
... The NORA Construction S ­ ector Council will play a key role in bringing together researchers and practi­tioners to identify and prioritize the challenges and related research needs facing the construction industry now and in the future. The Construction Sector Council will also need to coordinate with other sector councils to explore and prioritize some crosscutting topics, for example, that of workers struck by vehicles or equipment on road projects, which affects both the construction and transportation sectors.
From page 84...
... Health and injury outcome topics that target the following: • Leading types of fatal and nonfatal traumatic injuries in construction; • Low-back injuries and other cumulative work-related musculo­ skeletal disorders among construction workers; and • Occupational illness topics that focus on respiratory disease and hearing loss. Respiratory disease includes airways disease, asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease, and silicosis.
From page 85...
... NIOSH shared these strategic goals as input to the NORA Construction Sector Council in 2006, and most but not all of these 2002 and 2005 topics were subsequently incorporated in some form into the NORA2 Preliminary Draft National Construction Agenda Strategic Goals (Box 4.1)
From page 86...
... STRATEGIC GOAL 7.0 -- Reduce the incidence and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers in the U.S. STRATEGIC GOAL 8.0 -- Increase understanding of factors that comprise both positive and negative construction safety and health cultures; and, expand the availability and use of ef fective interventions to maintain safe work practices 100% of the time in the construction industry.
From page 87...
... STRATEGIC GOAL 11.0 -- Increase the recognition and awareness of construction hazards and the means for controlling them through broad dissemination of quality training for construction workers, including non-English speaking workers. STRATEGIC GOAL 12.0 -- Increase understanding of how vulnerable worker groups experi ence disproportionate risks in construction work and expand the availability and use of effective interventions to reduce injuries and illnesses among these groups.
From page 88...
... trenching standard approach is viewed as effective, and the remaining obstacles to prevention of injuries from collapsing materials appear to be related to raising awareness and getting contractors and workers to use existing standards. This issue represents a potential new R2P research area, with stakeholder interest in the continuation of efforts to explore other approaches of OSHA's Ad visory Committee for Construction Safety and Health trenching work group and by members of the NORA Construction Sector Council.
From page 89...
... Reducing construction workers' exposure to causes of hearing loss and reducing the numbers and rate of hearing-loss cases ought to be a principal health and safety objective of the construction industry. The primary objective of the Construction Research Program should be to develop engineering controls and to find ways to broadly implement effective hearing-loss prevention measures.
From page 90...
... Reduce Welding Fume Exposures and Risks (NORA2 Goal 6.0) The Construction Research Program has identified an extensive and well thought-out set of emerging issues involving welding fumes that will be the target of new research initiatives.
From page 91...
... To date, the program has conducted little research to examine systematically the impact of culture and safety and health management systems on reducing i ­ njuries and illnesses and improving conditions in the construction industry. There is evidence, however, that a matter of critical importance in preventing injuries and fatalities on construction projects is how well participating parties ­(owners, contractors, contractor associations, insurance carriers, and, as appropriate, unions)
From page 92...
... Increase Understanding of Construction Industry Organizational Factors (NORA2 Goal 10.0) Goal 10.0 relates to the organizational complexity at construction worksites, which may involve multiple contractors and subcontractors, evolving produc tion techniques, all operating independently but in close proximity.
From page 93...
... . The study showed a need for significant improvement in the consistent use of hearing protection among construction workers and a need to design hearing-conservation programs for the construction industry.
From page 94...
... through more focused work planning. Opportunities also exist for design improvement in work flow and methods to reduce worker exposures to hazardous materials, such as silica or welding fumes, by minimizing the number of times that a task is performed.
From page 95...
... One aspect of this goal is the development of "leading indicators" as opposed to "lagging indicators." An example of a leading indicator is information on the exposure or the existence of programs and practices that correlate with safety and health performance. The NIOSH evidence package lists the various data series collected with the Safety Database and the Construction Industry and Construction Workforce D ­ atabases.
From page 96...
... The program's work in demonstrating that elevated blood lead levels among construction workers can be reduced through a focused surveillance program also identifies an emerging research area. A substantial amount of work by the program, coupled with its influence on surveillance and worker protection regulations, offers an opportunity not only for the assessment of that influence but also an opportu nity to improve worker safety and health.
From page 97...
... No additional future research appears to be contemplated by the program with respect to reducing exposures to asphalt in roofing operations, despite some success in identifying work practices that can reduce worker exposure to asphalt fumes. The committee recommends that the Construction Research Program examine the potential for building on its previous work to develop and implement engineering control approaches for roofing operations.
From page 98...
... efforts should involve indi­ viduals with the training or with the experience and skills to create strategic diffusion and social marketing plans for National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health research and to evaluate such plans' effectiveness. Recommendation 2: Consideration should be given to having the majority of research-to-practice efforts of the Construction Research Program con ducted through the National Construction Center.
From page 99...
... The committee encourages NIOSH to ensure that this position has some level of budgetary authority and management responsibility so that the Construction Program Manager can provide strategic and programmatic leadership and also assist in holding the program accountable for achieving its future research goals. As indicated in Recommendation 5 above, the committee also recommends that the National Construction Center continue to be used as an important component in NIOSH's Construction Research Program.
From page 100...
... 1998. Use of hearing protection and perceptions of noise exposure and hearing loss among construction workers.


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