Overcoming recruitment challenges in construction safety intervention research

Area of Science:

• Occupational Safety and Health
• Construction Industry Safety
• Behavioral Science in Safety

Background:

• Small construction companies face unique recruitment challenges for safety programs.
• High worker turnover and worksite changes hinder participant enrollment.
• Economic pressures and time demands impact sustained participation in safety initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the difficulties in recruiting and retaining participants from small construction companies in safety programs.
• To identify factors influencing participation and nonparticipation in voluntary safety research within this sector.

Main Methods:

• Developed six simulation exercises targeting back and fall injuries based on worker and owner focus groups.
• Recruited owner-operators of construction companies with low payroll expenses via incentives, mail, and phone calls.
• Collaborated with a workers' compensation insurer for access to target companies.

Main Results:

• Low participation rates were observed over a 2-year intervention period despite employing recommended recruitment strategies.
• Owners' perceptions of adequate existing safety records were a primary reason for nonparticipation.
• Concerns about the time demands of participation also significantly deterred involvement.

Conclusions:

• Existing recruitment literature overemphasizes procedural aspects, neglecting participant perspectives on current practices and perceived benefits versus costs.
• Understanding owners' judgments about safety adequacy and time trade-offs is crucial for improving recruitment in hard-to-reach populations.
• Future efforts should consider participant perceptions to enhance engagement in construction safety research.