Influence of Supervisors on Construction Safety Rises in New Study
Jobsite workers continue to be a critical part of safety programs, and new data show that construction firms rely on the leadership of their supervisors to improve safety.
NEW YORK – February 5, 2020 While improving jobsite safety has always been a top priority in the construction industry, the Safety Management in the Construction Industry SmartMarket Report series over the last eight years has shown that contractors place high importance on jobsite worker participation and contribution to safety. The latest SmartMarket Report, published by Dodge Data & Analytics, with the support of the CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training and Procore, reinforces those findings, and places new emphasis on the importance of supervisors onsite and their leadership in promoting safety.
Jobsite workers and supervisors dominate four factors selected by the highest percentage of contractors as essential aspects of a world-class safety program: jobsite worker involvement (84%), strong safety leadership abilities in supervisors (83%), regular safety meetings with jobsite workers and supervisors (82%) and ongoing access to safety training for supervisors and jobsite workers (77%). These four factors rank far above other important factors such as regular safety audits (67%), having staff positions devoted to safety (61%) or regular safety meetings among staff at the corporate level (62%). The percentage selecting the aspects involving supervisors also increased notably between 2017 and 2019, with increases spanning 7 to 10 percentage points.
The study also shows that companies rely on their supervisors and foremen to deliver safety training to jobsite workers –73% selected this as the means by which they provide training, almost 50% more than those selecting the second most popular option of using an in-house trainer.
The industry therefore needs to make sure supervisors and foremen can provide the safety leadership needed onsite, but the study suggests that the industry tools to do so are not being fully utilized. In 2017, the Foundations for Safety Leadership training module was introduced as an elective to the OSHA 30-hour safety training course, but only 43% of those participating in the study were familiar with this offering. This is despite the fact that, among the 29% who are actually using it, nearly all (90%) report that it is effective in improving the jobsite safety climate.
“Through our partnership in these studies with Dodge Data & Analytics over the years we learned that well over 80% of the contractors surveyed relied on the OSHA 30-Hour training program for their supervisory training, even though it was not designed for that,” says Chris Cain, CPWR Executive Director. “The Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL) module was developed to fill this gap”, she says, “and more than 70,000 workers have received the FSL training since it was first introduced three years ago. The contractors we’ve spoken to who have utilized it speak very highly of it, but from this report it is clear that we need to do a better job of promoting this free resource to the industry.”
The latest Safety Management SmartMarket Report continues to find strong business benefits resulting from contractors’ safety management programs, with over two thirds (69%) reporting that it increases their ability to attract new work. Over half (57%), also find that it improves their ability to retain staff, a critical factor for success in an increasingly tight labor market. “Dodge studies consistently find that most contractors are struggling with skilled worker shortages,” says Steve Jones, Senior Director, Industry Insights at Dodge Data & Analytics. “The competitive edge from being able to retain staff is growing in the industry.”
The study also looks at the tools to improve safety management, from the use of safety policies and organizational practices to training practices.
- The most popular safety policies are the site-specific ones, including creating site-specific safety and health plans and training programs for all employees and subcontractors. However, there is room for wider adoption even of these measures, especially among small contractors (fewer than 20 employees).
- While most contractors (66% or more) encourage workers to react to and report hazards onsite, far fewer ask workers for input on safety conditions (50%) or involve workers in safety planning (39%).
- Contractors still expect to increase their use of online training in the next few years, but, surprisingly, a lower percentage reported using it in the current study than in the one in 2017.
Contractors are particularly excited about the potential of technology to improve safety. While a relatively low percentage are currently using technologies like wearable devices (11%), virtual reality for training (5%) and visual monitoring employing artificial intelligence (3%), a surprisingly high percentage believe that these technologies have great potential to improve safety in the next three years (63%, 36% and 33%, respectively).
The findings of the study paint a robust picture of the issues, trends and opportunities facing the construction industry, further fueling the conversation on how to best address safety more effectively.
“Procore’s commitment to safety in construction goes beyond developing products,” said Sasha Reed, Director of Industry Advancement, Procore. “One of the biggest impacts we can have on jobsite safety is through supporting research, like this study of safety management in construction, and delivering free construction safety education online.”
The Safety Management in the Construction Industry 2020 SmartMarket Report also includes case studies on becoming a data-driven safety program and improving safety culture, along with features on critical topics like substance use disorder, ergonomics and using virtual reality for safety training, and it is available for free download at www.construction.com/toolkit/reports.
About CPWR: CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training is a 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit institution created by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). Its organizational mission is to improve safety and health conditions in the U.S. Construction Industry. CPWR is uniquely situated to serve U.S. construction workers, contractors and the scientific community, having partnered with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in the construction safety and health research initiative since its inception in 1990.
About Procore: Procore is a leading provider of construction management software. Our platform connects every project stakeholder to solutions we’ve built specifically for the construction industry—for the owner, the general contractor, and the specialty contractor. Procore’s App Marketplace has a multitude of partner solutions that integrate seamlessly with our platform, giving construction professionals the freedom to connect with what works best for them. Headquartered in Carpinteria, California, Procore has offices around the globe. Learn more at procore.com
About Dodge Data & Analytics: Dodge Data & Analytics is North America’s leading provider of analytics and software-based workflow integration solutions for the construction industry. Building product manufacturers, architects, engineers, contractors, and service providers leverage Dodge to identify and pursue unseen growth opportunities and execute on those opportunities for enhanced business performance. Whether it’s on a local, regional or national level, Dodge makes the hidden obvious, empowering its clients to better understand their markets, uncover key relationships, size growth opportunities, and pursue those opportunities with success. The company’s construction project information is the most comprehensive and verified in the industry. Dodge is leveraging its 100-year-old legacy of continuous innovation to help the industry meet the building challenges of the future. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.