The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported that the suicide rate for men in construction and excavation was five times greater than the rate of all other work-related fatalities in the construction industry, and these workers are four times more likely to end their own lives than people in the general population.

In today’s Federal Register, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it is seeking comments on a new information collection request entitled, “Field Testing of Spanish-Language Toolbox Talks for Spanish-Speaking Construction Workers.” “Toolbox talks” are brief (approximately 5-10 minutes) occupational safety and health instructional sessions designed to be delivered on the work site or at the contractor’s office. This new ICR will evaluate Spanish-language toolbox talks with Spanish-speaking construction workers to assess the effectiveness of toolbox talks as an OSH training method for this audience.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has clarified that construction workers will likely receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the third phase of its rollout program.