Best practices for health and safety technology transfer in construction

• Published in: American journal of industrial medicine 2015-08, Vol.58 (8), p.849-857
• Main Authors: Welch, Laura S., Russell, Dustin, Weinstock, Deborah, Betit, Eileen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: construction; Construction Industry - organization & administration; Construction Industry - standards; Humans; Intellectual Property; intervention; knowledge translation; Occupational Medicine - methods; Practice Guidelines as Topic; qualitative; Safety Management - methods; Safety Management - standards; technology; Technology Transfer
• ISSN: 0271-3586; 1097-0274
• DOI: 10.1002/ajim.22456

Background Construction continues to be a dangerous industry, yet solutions that would prevent injury and illness do exist. Prevention of injury and illness among construction workers requires dissemination, adoption, and implementation of these effective interventions, or “research to practice” (r2p). Methods CPWR recruited participants with experience and insight into effective methods for diffusion of health and safety technologies in this industry for a symposium with 3 group sessions and 3 breakout groups. The organizers reviewed session notes and identified 141 recommendations, which were then assigned to 13 over‐arching themes. Results Recommendations included a guide for researchers on patenting and licensing, a business case model, and in‐depth case studies including development, testing, manufacturing, marketing, and diffusion. Conclusions A more comprehensive understanding of the health and safety technology transfer landscape, the various actors, and their motivators and goals will help to foster the successful commercialization and diffusion of health and safety innovations. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:849–857, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.