Abstract
This article describes a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health Communications Research Branch study designed to improve eye-protection behavior in construction workers. We applied the social psychology theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), to the occupational issue of eye protection (EP) usage. We created interventions to specifically give the carpenters control over their safety behavior, an important part of TPB. This article is a preliminary report only on the portion of the study that examines the self-reported and observed behaviors both before and after specific interventions to prevent work-related eye injuries. In 2000, about 54,000 work-related eye injuries or illnesses involving days away from work were reported across all private industries. Of these injuries, 15% occurred in construction. Though it is believed that most eye injuries can be prevented with safety eyewear use, protective eyewear is still not worn by many workers.