This issue of the CPWR Data Bulletin examines anxiety and depression symptoms or medication use among construction workers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Accompanying the Data Bulletin are two Data Dashboards related to construction workers’ health. One provides detailed information on mental health, including anxiety, depression, and psychological distress; the other explores medical expenditures, healthcare, and the impact of health insurance.

• Data Bulletin
• Data Bulletin – Charts
• Data Bulletin – Chart Data

CPWR’s Construction Safety and Health podcast series has added a new podcast on the Data Center, a leading source of detailed statistics and analyses of key trends in construction safety and health, and the publications, interactive dashboards, and other resources it produces.

CPWR continues to provide the construction industry current information about COVID-19 vaccinations with five new infographics based on our COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs resource. These infographics, which provide simple, straightforward information on COVID-19 vaccines, were created with support from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), and the NORA Construction Sector Council COVID-19 Work Group. They cover topics such as population immunity, who should get the vaccine, its effectiveness, side effects, and breakthrough infections.

Behavioral economics, a relatively new field of study that combines insights from psychology and economics, may have promise for influencing safety and health decisions made by employers, supervisors, and workers in the construction industry. This literature review explores the extent to which behavioral economics concepts have been used in the construction industry and, more broadly, how they have been used to influence safety or health decisions.

Nominations are now open for the 2022 Liberty Mutual Safety Innovation Award in Construction, which recognizes innovative approaches for reducing or eliminating hazards that lead to injuries and pain for construction workers. This intervention can be an evidence-based technology, work practice, program, or grass-roots campaign and media engagement focused on reaching smaller contractors or other underserved segments of the construction workforce. Sponsored by Liberty Mutual Insurance in partnership with CPWR, the award includes a $15,000 cash prize for the winning individual or organization; one or more honorable mentions may also be awarded. Click here to learn more about the process and past recipients. The submission deadline is February 28, 2022.