The Foundations for Safety Leadership for Residential Construction is a new, free training program designed to teach safety leadership skills to foremen and other lead workers in residential construction. The FSL4Res was developed by the Healthy Work Center at Washington University in St. Louis, with support from CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, and is based on CPWR’s original Foundations of Safety Leadership training course, which became available in 2017.
Falls from height are the leading cause of fatalities in construction, and a disproportionately high number of all fatalities (67%) occur in small roofing and residential contracting companies. Safety leadership training for lead workers on residential job sites is crucial, and although foremen and superintendents are trained in fall safety practices, they may not have the leadership and communication skills needed to ensure crews consistently follow good safety practices.
The original FSL training program introduces foremen to critical safety leadership skills that relate closely to safety behaviors: leading by example; engaging and empowering team members; actively listening; practicing three-way communication; developing team members through teaching, coaching and feedback; and recognizing team members for a job well-done. The FSL4Res builds upon the FSL program by maintaining the content but reformatting it to meet the unique needs of the residential construction sector.
The FSL4Res includes three new scenarios specific to residential construction that emphasize fall prevention. The interactive training requires learners to determine leadership skills that can be used to prevent falls and address other worksite hazards. Presenters can tailor the training to different audiences and choose the best teaching method for their classes.
Visit CPWR’s website to view and download FSL4Res teaching and supporting materials.
