The Center for Construction Research and Training

What The Center for Construction Research and Training does

CPWR (The Center for Construction Research and Training) is a U.S. non-profit research organization founded in 1990 and headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. It operates as NIOSH's designated National Construction Center under a cooperative agreement (most recently renewed for 2024-2029), conducting industry-driven research on construction occupational hazards and translating findings into practice through its Research to Practice (r2p) program. CPWR serves construction workers, contractors, unions, federal and state government agencies (notably NIOSH, OSHA, and DOE), academic researchers, and policy stakeholders across the United States.

CPWR's "product surface" is a portfolio of research outputs, training programs, data products, and service programs rather than a unified software platform. Core offerings include: the Construction Chart Book (7th Edition with interactive dashboards) and Data Center for industry statistics; the Research to Practice (r2p) program for knowledge transfer; training programs such as Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL), Safety Voice for Ergonomics (SAVE), Hazardous Waste Worker Training, Hearing Loss Prevention, and Best Built Plans; practical resources including Hazard Alert Cards, Toolbox Talks, and infographics; the Safety Climate Assessment Tool (S-CAT); and the Building Trades National Medical Screening Program serving former workers at U.S. Department of Energy nuclear weapons sites. Companion properties include eLCOSH, Silica Safe, Stop Construction Falls, and CPWR Construction Solutions. Underlying technology consists of web-published research databases, downloadable training materials, and survey/assessment instruments rather than proprietary AI or software platforms.

CPWR's business model is federally funded research and free dissemination. The organization does not charge for its resources, training, or data products. Its primary revenue stream is the NIOSH cooperative agreement that designates it as the National Construction Center, with additional revenue from research grants, consortium partnerships, and program-specific federal awards (e.g., DOE hazardous waste training). There is no commercial monetization pathway and no equity funding history. CPWR is governed by a Board of Directors and operates as an independent non-profit, reaching well over 50,000 workers per year through training programs delivered in partnership with unions, contractors, and government agencies, supported by a digital marketing presence (website, CPWR Update newsletter, REASON newsletter, 100+ on-demand webinars) and national campaign participation such as the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

Name

The Center for Construction Research and Training

Legal name

CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training

Website

https://cpwr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CPWR is a U.S. non-profit research organization, designated as NIOSH's National Construction Center, conducting industry-driven construction safety and health research and delivering free training, data resources, and services to construction workers, contractors, unions, and government agencies nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Safety and Health Research

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Hazard Communication (GHS/SDS) & Chemical Safety (EDABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Incident Command System (ICS) & Emergency Management Training/Exercises (Tabletop/Drills) (EUAHALAE)

Keywords

• Construction safety research
• Occupational health training
• Construction hazard prevention
• Workplace safety training
• Construction industry research

Headquarters

HQ city

Silver Spring

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Funding: CPWR operates as a nonprofit research organization funded primarily through a cooperative agreement with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), serving as the National Construction Center. Additional funding comes from research grants and consortium partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CPWR operates as NIOSH's National Construction Center, conducting industry-driven research on existing and emerging construction hazards and translating findings into practical interventions through its Research to Practice (r2p) program. It delivers national training programs, free safety resources (toolbox talks, hazard alert cards, infographics), data products (Construction Chart Book, Data Center), and direct service programs including the Building Trades National Medical Screening Program for former DOE nuclear weapons site workers.

Product overview

CPWR (The Center for Construction Research and Training) operates as a research and training organization serving as NIOSH's National Construction Center. Rather than a unified software product, CPWR offers a portfolio of interconnected research programs, training initiatives, and knowledge resources. Core offerings include the Construction Chart Book and Data Center for industry statistics; Research to Practice (r2p) program for translating research into practical tools; and various training programs such as Foundations for Safety Leadership (FSL), SAVE ergonomics training, and Hazardous Waste Worker Training. Additional products include the Safety Climate Assessment Tool (S-CAT), Best Built Plans for ergonomic planning, Hazard Alert Cards, Toolbox Talks, and the Building Trades National Medical Screening Program. The organization maintains companion websites including Stop Construction Falls, eLCOSH, Silica Safe, and Construction Solutions, all designed to disseminate research findings and practical safety resources to construction workers, contractors, and researchers nationwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Chart Book A comprehensive data publication featuring interactive dashboards with statistics on construction industry employment, income, safety, and health topics. Targeted at construction researchers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
• Data Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Training reaches well over 50,000 workers per year
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPWR serves as NIOSH's National Construction Center, conducting safety and health research under a cooperative agreement with NIOSH. This is CPWR's primary federal partnership enabling their national research mission. The relationship began with the establishment of CPWR and continues through at least 2029 under the current five-year cooperative agreement.
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPWR partners with OSHA on national safety initiatives including the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, supporting the campaign with resources, training materials, and promotional activities.
• CPWR (as funder for construction robotics safety research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPWR funds research related to construction robotics and human-robot collaboration safety, partnering with university researchers and NIOSH's Center for Occupational Robotics Research.
• SmartMarket Report PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCPWR partnered with Dodge Construction Network to publish the 2026 SmartMarket Report on Safety Management in Construction, examining how contractors approach safety management including preconstruction planning, heat illness prevention, mental health support, and technology adoption.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Safety Council: Nonprofit safety organization with a comparable mission of reducing preventable deaths and injuries through research, training, and advocacy. Although NSC's scope spans all industries rather than construction specifically, it operates a similar model of federal partnerships, free resources, data products (Injury Facts), and workforce training programs.
• American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA): Nonprofit professional association advancing occupational and environmental health through research, education, and advocacy. AIHA's research-to-practice emphasis, hazard-focused publications, and member training offerings are structurally analogous to CPWR's research-driven training programs.
• American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP): Professional association for occupational safety and health practitioners offering standards, training, publications, and certification. Comparable to CPWR in its role developing industry-recognized safety content and serving as a knowledge hub for safety professionals.

Broad incumbents

• Underwriters Laboratories (UL): Large safety science organization with research, standards development, and training across multiple industries. Comparable to CPWR in its safety-research mission and content library, but with substantially broader commercial scope and global reach.
• Procore Technologies: Construction management platform whose safety module competes with CPWR-adjacent safety-management workflows (observations, inspections, incident tracking). Comparable only on the safety-tooling axis; broader scope than CPWR's research and training mission.

Emerging players

• SafetyCulture: Commercial safety inspection and training platform with mobile-first inspection, training, and reporting tools widely used across construction. Direct comparison to CPWR's hazard alert and toolbox talk content but delivered through a modern, data-driven SaaS platform.
• Vector Solutions (formerly Vector EHS / SafeTec): Commercial online safety and compliance training platform serving construction and industrial clients. Comparable to CPWR's training-program portfolio (Foundations for Safety Leadership, SAVE) but delivered as paid SaaS with interactive modules and compliance tracking.
• HammerTech: Construction-focused safety management platform offering pre-task planning, orientations, and incident reporting. Comparable to CPWR's Best Built Plans and Pre-Task Planning Guidelines but delivered as an integrated commercial software platform.
• ClickSafety: Online construction and OSHA-compliance training provider offering interactive eLearning courses. Comparable to CPWR's online training programs and webinar series but delivered through a paid subscription model with detailed completion tracking.

Others

• Dodge Construction Network: Construction industry data and analytics provider that co-publishes CPWR's SmartMarket Report on Safety Management. Comparable in delivering data-driven construction-industry intelligence, including the safety-management datasets that complement CPWR's Construction Chart Book.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/playlist?list=PLuzTg2wYpXWX2a2d6gB8GQR9i-XWXDemC
• Xx.com/CPWR
• Facebookfacebook.com/CPWR.COSH

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for Construction Research and Training