TOTAL WORKER HEALTH® TOOLKIT
Be Super!
TOOLS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
Construction workers in the United States are 3 to 5 times more likely to be injured or killed on the job compared to workers in other industries. The "Be Super!" toolkit is an evidence-based program designed to help organizations improve safety, health, and well-being by educating supervisors on effective supervision, safety practices, and healthy lifestyles.
Be Super! is now available in an easy-to-use toolkit designed with safety managers, team leads, HR personnel, and you in mind.
Below you will learn how to implement this toolkit in your construction company, get access to user guides, data management tools, and educational materials (in English and Spanish). In addition, find links to our computer-based training (fee to access the training) and instructional videos that will help you improve the safety, health, and well-being of your organization.
Download BeSuper!'s one pager to share with your organization.
Learn more on how your organization can participate in YourWorkpath Program to access the training program at no cost for up to 200 employees.
*Our toolkits are continually going through improvements and changes to provide your organization with updated and relevant content. Our toolkits were last reviewed and updated on January, 2020.
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ONLINE SUPERVISOR TRAINING
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BEHAVIOR TRACKING
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MEASURABLE
EVALUATION
GET HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE CARDS
"The Wellness program was split into categories which we met weekly to discuss. These meetings were short yet informative. The cards we reviewed were educational and brought up good discussion topics for the group to talk over. I believe that breaking the program down into these roughly half an hour meetings allowed our group to participate while not taking a large portion of the workday. It was interesting to discuss these topics with my coworkers and it carried into our discussions throughout the day."
- Erin Slusser, InLine Commercial Construction
“I participated in the program because my employer started the program. The program met my expectations. The program was unique because it was all new. I have never been in a program like this. What I particularly liked about the program was the group discussions. As a whole, I would say the program was good and useful. Yes, I would recommend this program to other companies.”
- Jeffrey Herman, General Sheet Metal
“I participated in the program to be more aware of my health and habits. The program was fun and had interesting facts. The program was unique in the way you can make changes in your lifestyle to help your health and longevity. I liked the program because of the weekly activities, good pace, it wasn't overwhelming, and [provided] useful information. Yes, I would recommend this program to others who work for GSM to make a stronger healthier workforce.”
- Anonymous
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1. GET STARTEDThe Start Guide is available to help introduce SHIP to your organization. This guide provides an overview of the toolkit along with step-by-step instructions on how-to implement. The Start Guide includes: SHIP One pager to learn more abou the toolkit SHIP Briefing Slides help inform leadership and managers about the benefits of the program and the SHIP process SHIP Implementation Checklist was developed to help workplaces get started in SHIP and identify roles that can help your workplace successfully implement the toolkit.
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2. ONLINE SUPERVISOR TRAININGThe Online Supervisor Training is an essential aspect of Safety, Health and Improvement Program and outlines the importance of supervisor support in improving employee health and safety. SHIP supervisor training topics cover: Improving work-like balance and safety Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB) Safety Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (SSSB) Tracking your Supportive supervisor Behaviors Follow-up and check-ins with your team The training consists of these objectives: Showing you how leadership can improve the organizational climate on work-life balance and safety and health of their employees Providing insight on how to be supportive of employee work-life balance Highlights how to provide supervisor support for workplace safety Detailing the importance of team building and goal setting, as well as reducing inefficiencies for work processes There are 3 options to get access to the SHIP online training. Access to the online training is free to any organization wanting access. 1. The components of the SHIP toolkit are free and accessible at the following links below. If your organization is interested in using any SHIP training content/materials or access to Learning Managment System (LMS) training files, a licensing agreement must be in place. Please contact us to learn more and obtain a license or more information to the online training. The SHIP toolkit is protected under OHSU copyright. ACCESS THE SHIP ONLINE TRAINING (60 minute training) *Updated April 2021 2. Participate in YourWorkpath Program to gain access to the entire toolkit including additional incentives for your organization. Contribute to occupational health sciences research. 3. Customization, branding, and licensing of online training content for your organization's Learning Management System (LMS) is available. Contact us at Helen Schuckers, schucker@ohsu.edu.
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3. SUPERVISOR BEHAVIOR TRACKINGThe Behavior Tracking activity is designed to improve the transfer of trained behaviors following the Online Supervisor Training. This activity involves your choice of using a: notecard, log, journal or phone app to set goals and track supportive behaviors. Choose a method that works best for your organization/team. Behavior tracking will take between 3 to 5 minutes per day over a two-week period. This activitly will help supervisors and managers reinforce what is learned in the online training, as well as track supportive supervisor patterns towards their employees. Download SHIP Behavior Tracking The SHIP Start-Guide includes a “how-to guide” to faciliate behavior tracking. The tracking activity has the following elements: Daily Tracking Card 3x5 index card option Lanyard card option There are also smart phone behavior tracking apps available to download from the Apple Store or Google Play. We recommend the below apps: Upkeep Momentum Habit-Bull *OHWC does not endorse or maintain the smart phone apps listed. They are additional options to track behaviors that are not paper-based.
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4. FOLLOW-UPFollow-up includes group discussion in which supervisors and their teams meet to brainstorm solutions to improve work practices, communication, and the work environment. Follow-up and check-ins for supervisors/managers and their employees are an essential aspect of SHIP that help ensure what is learned during the SHIP toolkit becomes embedded into everyday work practices. Included in the SHIP User Guide are components to ensure the success of the SHIP trainings. Follow-up guide with check-in and quick tools provide additional resources to promote supportive supervisor behaviors and work life support The Follow-up Guide were developed by our partners, WFD Consulting, and consists of work practice assessments and templates.
Why Adopt Be Super?
U.S. construction workers are 3-5 times more likely to experience work-related fatal and non-fatal injuries compared with the all-industry average.
U.S. construction workers have higher BMI, blood pressure, and obesity rates than the average adult American male.
Construction companies are working hard to improve the safety of their workers.
Total Worker Health provides an evidence-based and integrated approach to improving the safety, health, and well-being of construction workers.
The BeSuper toolkit was developed by Dr. Kent Anger, PhD. Learn more about Kent Anger, and his research at OHSU.
NwETA, LLC is the company that collaborates with OHSU in the offering of the trainings in these toolkits. OHSU has a financial interest in this company and Dr. Anger, who is the Director of the Oregon Healthy Workforce Center at OHSU, is the company's President. If you would like more information about this, please contact the OHSU Integrity Department at (503) 494-8849 or integrity@ohsu.edu.
The Science Behind Be Super
The Be Super! toolkit that you are about to implement within your organization was developed by a team of researchers with decades of experience.
The program was tested with 35 construction workers across four commercial construction companies. We found important improvements in safety, health, and well-being (Anger et al., 2018).
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Improvements in well-being through decreases in pain and decreases in unhealthy food consumption including sugary snacks, sugary drinks, fast food, and caffeine.
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Increases in supportive supervisor behaviors and supervisor skills and knowledge
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Improvements in well-being for study participants in the areas of healthy lifestyle knowledge, social support for a healthy diet, exercise behaviors, strength, and sleep duration
The BeSuper toolkit was also adapted in the agricultural industry (funded by PNASH). Funding for BeSuper! was provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH; grant: U19OH010154).
View the BeSuper study results.
Scientific publications for BeSuper
Anger, W.K., Kyler-Yano, J., Vaughn, K., Wipfli, B., Olson, R., Blanco, M. (2018). Total Worker Health® intervention for construction workers alters safety, health, well-being measures. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 60 (8), 700-709. DOI: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001290.
Anger, K., Elliot, D., Bodner, T., Olson, R., Rohlman, D., Truxillo, D., Kuehl, K., Hammer, L., & Montgomery, D. (2015). Effectiveness of Total Worker Health interventions. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 20(2), 226-247. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0038340.
Scientific publications for family support dimension of toolkit
Crain, T. L., Hammer, L. B., Bodner, T., Kossek, E. E., Moen, P., Lilienthal, R., & Buxton, O. M. (2014). Work–family conflict, family-supportive supervisor behaviors (FSSB), and sleep outcomes. Journal of occupational health psychology, 19(2), 155.
Hammer, L. B., Ernst Kossek, E., Bodner, T., & Crain, T. (2013). Measurement development and validation of the Family Supportive Supervisor Behavior Short-Form (FSSB-SF). Journal of occupational health psychology, 18(3), 285.
Hammer, L. B., Kossek, E. E., Anger, W. K., Bodner, T., & Zimmerman, K. L. (2011). Clarifying work–family intervention processes: The roles of work–family conflict and family-supportive supervisor behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 96(1), 134.