Evaluation of HomeSafe: an injury and illness prevention program in residential construction.
OBJECTIVE
To design a program evaluation to determine the effectiveness of a novel safety and health program in residential construction.


METHODS
The overall program evaluation incorporates five separate studies with designs including: pre-test-post-test control group designs for determining program effects on safety culture and safe work behaviors, and cohort designs to assess longitudinal changes in injury rates and workers compensation costs.


RESULTS
Preliminary data from 252 respondents who completed a two-page questionnaire after attending an initial training session indicated that the innovative HomeSafe Program has been well received. Companies who have joined the program to date are not representative of the broader population of businesses in the residential construction industry, as they generally are larger with heightened concerns for health and safety.


CONCLUSIONS
Evaluating a safety and health program being introduced into the dynamic residential construction industry presents numerous challenges which are discussed.
Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Safety Section, Colorado State University, 104 Environmental Health Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Bigelow
Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Safety Section, Colorado State University, 104 Environmental Health Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Gilkey
Department of Environmental Health, Occupational Health and Safety Section, Colorado State University, 104 Environmental Health Building, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Greenstein
Technical Assistance and Training Corporation, 2409 18th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA.
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Kirsch
Construction safety; Injury prevention; Intervention research; Program evaluation; Workers compensation cost reduction