Using stakeholder feedback to create an online network for building Research to Practice (r2p) capacity.

Details

• Personal Author:
  Betit E ; Bunting J
• Description:
  Background: The construction industry is highly decentralized, creating unique challenges for communicating safety and health information and sharing resources with stakeholder audiences. There are many individuals and organizations concerned about improving safety and health; however, on their own they only have the ability to reach a limited number of audiences with safety and health information and products. By working with industry partnerships and on other collaborative efforts, CPWR found when we are able to tap into others' networks, we can reach a higher number and wider variety of audiences than any one group can on their own. Recognizing the barriers to sharing network contacts, CPWR began exploring the development of a Construction Safety & Health Network, which would bring together safety and health minded individuals and organizations, establish a central platform for posting research and resources, and provide an easy to use mechanisms to quickly share postings with their individual networks using their preferred electronic communication method. Methods: Prior to developing this Network, we solicited input from potential participants in a variety of ways, with the goal of determining 1) whether they would participate, 2) what features would prompt them to use the network, and 3) how best to structure it to facilitate participation. CPWR introduced the concept of a safety and health partnership network at our first annual Research to Practice (r2p) Seminar and Partnership Workshop in 2015 (r2p Seminar). A workshop at this meeting, attended by many of the audiences that could benefit from such a network, was used to explore ways to improve connectivity within and between their networks, and solicit reactions to the idea of creating an online network focused on construction safety and health. We used attendee input to refine the concept. A year later, at the 2016 r2p Seminar, we presented a more fleshed out concept and solicited feedback during two interactive workshop sessions. Based on the feedback received fRom, William N.orkshop participants, we conducted another round of revisions to our concept and planned online mechanism functionality. These revisions were presented to a group of workshop attendees during a web-based meeting in February 2017. After this final round of feedback, we began development, presented mock-ups at the 2017 r2p Seminar, and provided those interested with the option of registering for the network in advance of the launch. Results: The Safety & Health Network launched in March 2018. We are now focused on growing both Network membership and site content, as well as learning how to best utilize the collaboration functionality of the Network. As we do so, we are gathering additional information about what our audiences want and will actually use in practice, both as it relates to this Network and to inform our r2p efforts overall. One result is that through our iterative feedback process and observing member use of the Network since its launch, CPWR has improved its understanding of the needs, desires, communication preferences, and constraints of our target audiences. We have also learned more about the importance of obtaining audience buy-in early on in the process. The result of the Network itself is that members have the ability to easily disseminate information to new and broader audiences, find new information to share with existing networks, address emerging hazards, and build sustainable relationships with partners they may not have previously considered or had the ability to connect with. Discussion: Disseminating information is difficult in a decentralized, ever changing industry. Utilizing multiple rounds of feedback from various stakeholder audiences, CPWR was able to create an online Construction Safety & Health Network that improves the r2p capacity of individuals, organizations, and the industry as a whole.
• Subjects:
  Accidents, Occupational Acids Environmental Monitoring Occupational Health Preceptorship Safety Skin
• Keywords:
  Construction Industry Construction Workers Information Dissemination Injury Prevention Partnership R2p Research To Practice Initiative Safety Programs Worker Safety
• Publisher:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Abstract
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  105-106
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062975
• Citation:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia. Morgantown, WV: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2018 Oct; :105-106
• Contact Point Address:
  Jessica L. Bunting, MPH, Program Assoc, Research to Practice, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research & Training, 8484 Georgia Ave, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910
• Email:
  JBunting@cpwr.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2019
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  National Occupational Injury Research Symposium 2018, (NOIRS 2018), October 16-18, 2018, Morgantown, West Virginia
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5bfb0cb60cb8ec61e9940c77e23e5befbec60a6d0c13f51f52def691251e0a8d458ad3053c117df784dbe9b82d468cc82ef25c2888026989987183e7011d5e35
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/181905/cdc_181905_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 41.42 KB ]