Best practices for health and safety technology transfer in construction

Abstract

A more comprehensive understanding of the health and safety technology transfer landscape, the various actors, and their motivators and goals will help to foster the successful commercialization and diffusion of health and safety innovations.

Facilitators and barriers to the adoption of ergonomic solutions in construction

“…While our results support the use of the Solution Matrix for determining the likelihood of adoption for solutions labeled simple compared to those in the complex categories, additional factors must be addressed to support the adoption of complex solutions. The successful introduction of new tools or technology relies on the involvement of stakeholders and a simultaneous understanding of the construction culture, and need a long‐term commitment from all parties [Baker et al, ; Welch et al, ]. To understand change in the industry we need good metrics, such as the Weinstein criteria for adoption, process measurement, stakeholder engagement, and patience.…”

“…Information on available ergonomic solutions for construction applications has grown dramatically over the past ten years through online resources promoted by CPWR [] and publications by NIOSH [Albers and Estill, , NIOSH, ]. However, the adoption process of solutions by individuals and organizations has been slow [Kramer et al, ; Welch et al, ; Dale et al, ].…”

“…). Adoption of interventions depends upon the commitment of the organization to initiate the intervention and of the workers to implement its use [Welch et al, ]. There is little known about the barriers to dissemination of interventions into construction projects.…”

Observed use of voluntary controls to reduce physical exposures among sheet metal workers of the mechanical trade

“…The participants agreed that a long-term commitment is needed; change often requires sustained attention over a long time (Boatman et al, In Press; Welch et al, 2015). Contractors will avoid new technologies that decrease worker productivity, reduce job quality, require frequent or costly maintenance, require large capital investment, or change the nature of the job so dramatically that it is assumed by another trade or requires added supervision.…”

“…There are no national mechanisms nor data available in the United States to track the transfer of recommendations, the implementation of voluntary control measures, the evaluation of the high-risk tasks for which control measures are needed, or the description of barriers to implementing hazard controls (Albers et al, 2005; Andersson, 1990; Wos et al, 1992). A workshop held by the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) in 2012 brought together researchers, tool manufacturers, contractor associations, trade union representatives, and insurance industry representatives to explore the challenges of transferring technology to workers engaged in appropriate work tasks (Welch et al, 2015). The participants agreed that strong cultural norms within the construction industry can create barriers to change, and the constantly changing workplace makes implementation and evaluation of interventions very difficult.…”