| A hazard communication web-based survey was mailed via traditional (U.S. Postal Service) and non-traditional (electronic) means to 364 current members (A.K.A. companies) of the Western Kentucky Construction Association-Association of General Contractors (WKCA-AGC). To evaluate the status of OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard program and to gather demographic and programmatic data from the Western Kentucky construction industry, a valid, reliable survey consisting of 75 questions was developed. The U.S. Postal Service, Internet, e-mail, facsimile, and telephone calls were used in follow-up reminders.; Results showed the typical respondent was a White male, 44 years of age with a bachelor's degree and no professional certifications or licenses. He had 14 years of service, spent ∼5% of his time dealing with chemical safety, was full-time employed, and had primary responsibilities for ownership, safety, and/or supervision. The average member/company had ∼26 employees and had provided or planned to provide ∼23 employees with hazard communication training but did not plan to provide 5 employees with hazard communication training due to non-exposure.; To increase the response rate with this historically nonresponsive industry, an incentive was offered and multiple data gathering methods used. As a result, the highest response rate (34.3%/125 responses) ever was achieved by WKCA-AGC.; Based upon the analyses of data collected, it can be concluded that: (1) construction companies in Western Kentucky have a handle on the communication of on-site hazardous chemicals; (2) despite the challenges associated with construction work, companies have not only made and continue to make progress toward full compliance with OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard, but in many cases are also exceeding minimum requirements; (3) electronic data gathering is still a viable option; and (4) the use of multiple (i.e., traditional and non-traditional) methods was pivotal to the increased response rate over historical data gathering efforts. |
