by Brianna Crandall — April 15, 2015—The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently launched a new topic page on its Web site concerning safety and health issues related to green and sustainable construction.
NIOSH Topic: Safe, Green, and Sustainable Construction addresses the safety and health of construction, operation, and maintenance workers, which the organization says is not specifically addressed by any of the green building rating systems.
As the site explains, the NIOSH Construction Safety and Health and Prevention through Design (PtD) programs are collaborating on efforts to increase the use of building designs and construction practices that address safety and health hazards during all the stages of a building: pre-design; design; construction; occupancy and maintenance; and demolition.
The aim of Prevention through Design is to prevent occupational injuries, illnesses, fatalities, and exposures by eliminating hazards and minimizing risks to workers in the design and re-design of facilities, work methods, processes, equipment and tools, and products. Eliminating hazards and controlling risks to workers “at the source” or as early as possible in the life cycle of items or workplaces is the goal. This includes the design, redesign and retrofit of work premises, structures, tools, facilities, equipment, machinery, products, substances, work processes and the organization of work.
NIOSH explains how green construction using environmentally responsible and resource-efficient processes is important to occupational safety and health:
- In 2011, 71% of construction businesses reported using at least one green technology or practice and more than half were involved in improving energy efficiency within their establishments or reducing creation of waste materials.
- Most of the rating systems for building environmental, energy and/or sustainable quality address some aspects of occupational health, but what they address is limited and does not specifically address safety.
- None of the rating systems for building environmental, energy and/or sustainable quality categories directly mentions construction, operation, or maintenance worker safety.
- We have an opportunity to integrate occupational health and safety into the design so that workers in construction and maintenance, building occupants and demolition specialists can be kept safe and healthy.
- Occupational health and environmental health can benefit each other by working collaboratively.
The Safe, Green, and Sustainable Construction site also includes NIOSH publications and other resources, as well as information on NIOSH initiatives for supporting and improving green construction.
