Interventions to prevent injuries in construction workers.

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Safety Science
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• Construction workers face numerous injury hazards.
• Existing injury prevention interventions lack proven effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of various interventions for preventing fatal and non-fatal injuries in construction workers.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of randomized controlled trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time-series studies.
• Searches included major databases up to April 2017.
• Data extraction and risk of bias assessment were performed independently.

Main Results:

• Seventeen studies (14 interrupted time-series, 3 controlled before-after) were included.
• Evidence quality for most interventions (regulations, training, inspections, occupational health services) was rated as very low.
• Company-level multifaceted interventions (safety campaigns, drug-free workplace programs) and scaffolding subsidies showed some potential for reducing non-fatal injuries.

Conclusions:

• Most safety interventions lack adequate evaluation.
• Very low-quality evidence suggests regulations, regional campaigns, training, and inspections may not reduce injuries.
• Company-specific multifaceted interventions and subsidies show promise, but more high-quality research is needed.