Training Development of Infectious Diseases for Construction Workers

Construction workers may be at an elevated risk of contracting infectious diseases due to unsanitary conditions and constant exposure to health hazards on jobsites. Poor sanitation is one of the major causes of the spreading of infectious diseases. Construction workers with poor or limited sanitary conditions may struggle with safe drinking water, hand washing, access to clean toilets, and properly handled and serviced food. Some examples of infectious diseases include the common cold, flu, tuberculosis, pneumonia, and human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). This paper develops several training scenarios on infectious diseases to keep construction workers safe and healthy in the construction industry. The authors collected documents and scenarios on four topics: potential exposures to infectious diseases, common causes and types of infectious diseases, precaution and prevention strategies, and control and protection plans. The authors analyzed scenarios collected from real-world construction projects and synthesized them in training manuals. The developed manuals are publicly available for corporate trainers and university educators to train construction workers and students. The research outcomes provide preliminary guidance and effective practices for training workers and preventing infectious diseases on construction jobsites.