NIOSH's National Construction Center: Research to Cut Injuries in a Dangerous Industry

Construction is dangerous work. In 2022, construction had 9.6 deaths per 100,000 full-time workers, against 3.7 for all U.S. industries. Sites are complex, with many employers working side by side, and much of the work brings hazards such as silica, noise, being struck by objects and welding fumes, plus awkward postures and other risks for musculoskeletal disorders. Workers are also at risk of heat stress.

To tackle this, NIOSH funds a National Construction Center, which carries out interdisciplinary research and outreach.

Who runs it

Since 1990 the center has been run by CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training, a nonprofit in Silver Spring, MD, working to reduce injuries, illnesses and deaths in construction by:

• building on what is known and speeding the identification and adoption of evidence-based best practices
• responding to the National Occupational Research Agenda for Construction and to recommendations from a review of NIOSH's construction program
• focusing more on research to practice
• being ready to respond quickly to new issues and trends
• sharing findings in new and more innovative ways
• tracking changes in the industry and evaluating changes in safety and health

What NIOSH asks of it

NIOSH puts the emphasis on:

• applied research
• translating discoveries for specific users to prevent or reduce construction injuries and illnesses
• effective prevention practices and products
• education and outreach
• lasting partnerships

It also expects a strong data and statistics capability, and a public repository of construction hazards and solutions, educational materials and other products.

Working together

CPWR is an integral part of the NIOSH Construction Program. The two run national campaigns to prevent falls and struck-by incidents, and CPWR contributes to yearly infographics on construction hazards.

A 2018 evaluation of the NIOSH Construction Program recognized CPWR for the value of its research translation. The peer review panel looked at NIOSH-funded construction research from 2007 to 2017 on:

• silica
• musculoskeletal disorders
• noise exposure and hearing loss
• highway work zones
• fall prevention

Funding

The cooperative agreement usually runs in five-year cycles. The current one, under RFA-OH-24-001, covers 2024–2029; the previous one, under RFA-OH-19-001, covered 2019–2024.

Sources

Based on "National Construction Center," National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; a work of the United States government in the public domain. The page's two photographs were stock images and its map is a CPWR infographic; none is reproduced.