June 22, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released results from a study detailing health risk behaviors among construction workers.

The survey covered 38 different construction occupations, including laborers, project managers, those in construction trades, and contractors. The main findings from the study showed: (1) smoking, smokeless tobacco use, binge drinking, no leisure-time physical activity, and not always using a seatbelt were significantly more prevalent among construction workers than in the general workforce; (2) construction managers had elevated prevalence for smoking, smokeless tobacco use, binge drinking, and not always using a seatbelt; (3) because of their important leadership roles, behavior changes among construction managers could have positive effects on the safety and health culture in the construction industry; (4) carpenters, construction laborers, and roofers all had significantly elevated negative trends for five of the six behaviors (all except not getting enough sleep); (5) roofers, as well as electrical power-line installers and repairers, had significantly elevated prevalence for binge drinking; and (6) operating engineers, who operate and maintain heavy earthmoving equipment, had very high rates for smokeless tobacco use.

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