Documents construction work 77 results

"BJECTIVE:
This study presents a decision model that predicts long-term disability among construction workers.
METHODS:
Risk factors were identified in two cohort studies among construction workers and evaluated in validation samples of smaller cohort studies among Dutch construction workers. The risk estimates (odds ratios) were used in a logistic regression model to calculate the probability of long-term disability in the next 4 years for a particular construction worker, subject to a specific combination of risk factors. The a priori probability was set equal to the overall long-term disability risk among the youngest construction workers (< 30 years) with a relatively short exposure history.
RESULTS:
According to literature findings, the risk estimate for work ability was set with the odds ratio at 2.0 for good work ability, 5.0 for moderate work ability, and 10.0 for bad work ability. Age-dependent risks were set at odds ratios of 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 for the age groups of 30-34 years, 35-44 years, and 45-54 years, respectively. A sickness absence period of > or = 3 months had an odds ratio of 2.0, and severe musculoskeletal complaints had an odds ratio of 3.0. Since the number of construction workers older than 55 years was rather small and heavily biased by a healthy worker effect, it was decided to limit the applicability of the decision model to workers aged 20-55 years. The decision model used four risk factors and predicted a 40-fold difference in disability risk between construction workers with all four risk factors present (0.79) and those without any risk factor (0.02).
CONCLUSIONS:
The decision model presented the combined effect of different risk factors on the risk of an individual worker becoming disabled within 4 years. Evaluation studies will need to demonstrate whether the application of this decision model is helpful in identifying workers at risk for long-term disability and will facilitate appropriate intervention at the individual level."

"This study investigated the influence of manual stone and brick handling and psychosocial work factors on the risk of chronic low-back pain and describes the impact in terms of risk advancement period.The results suggest that repetitive work involving bent positions and the manual manipulation of heavy stones increases the risk of future chronic low-back pain. For risk communication, the notion that a 40-year-old construction worker laying large sandstones has the same risk as an unexposed 58-year-old construction worker may be more informative."

Fatal injuries involving cranes were reviewed using records from OSHA investigations from 1984 to 1994. 502 deaths in 479 incidents involving cranes in the construction industry were identified. Electrocution was the largest category, with 198 deaths (39%) reported. Other major categories were assembly and dismantling (12%), boom buckling (8%), crane upset and overturn (7%), and rigging failure (7%). The majority of the deaths during assembly and dismantling involved removal of the boom pins from lattice boom cranes. Only 34% of the construction firms employing the fatally-injured workers had ever been inspected by OSHA.

"OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were (i) to examine work scheduling in construction and (ii) to establish whether there is any connection between workhours and safety outcomes among construction workers. METHODS: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1979 cohort (NLSY79), was used for the data analysis. Odds ratios were used to measure the risk of work-related injury in different worker groups. RESULTS: The findings showed that (i) construction workers started work earlier, worked longer days and fewer weeks a year, and were more likely to hold multiple jobs and change jobs than their nonconstruction counterparts and (ii) long workhours and irregular work schedules were significantly associated with a higher work-related injury rate after control for possible confounders. CONCLUSION: The results provide evidence that overtime and irregular work scheduling have an adverse effect on worker safety."

"Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative contribution of individual characteristics, lifestyle factors, work-related risk factors, and work ability on the occurrence of short (<2 weeks), moderate (2-12 weeks), and long (>12 weeks) durations of sickness absence.Methods: Altogether 5867 Dutch construction workers with complete sick leave registration were followed from the day of their medical examination in 2005 until the end of 2006. The main outcome of the study was the duration of sickness absence, as registered by an occupational health service. Independent variables consisted of individual characteristics, lifestyle factors, work-related factors, and the work ability index. We used Poisson regression analyses with repeated occurrence of sick leave to calculate rate ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals of independent variables for the three categories of sick leave duration.Results: Predictors for sick leave lasting 2-12 weeks and >12 weeks were: older age, obesity, smoking, manual materials handling, lack of job control, lung restriction, and a less than excellent work ability. For most predictors, higher RR values were observed with a longer duration of sickness absence. Obesity, smoking, manual materials handling, and lack of job control remained important risk factors for moderate and long durations of sick leave after adjusting for the strong effects of work ability on sickness absence. The highest population-attributable fractions were observed for: age over 50 years (18%), manual materials handling (20%), and good (18%), moderate (28%), and poor (2%) work ability.Conclusion: This study suggests that a variety of preventive measures targeted at smoking, obesity, physical load, psychosocial work factors as well as work ability will contribute to a reduction in the occurrence of sick leave."

"Objectives
This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a safety communication and recognition program (B-SAFE), designed to encourage improvement of physical working conditions and hazard reduction in construction.
Methods
A matched pair cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted on eight worksites (four received the B-SAFE intervention, four served as control sites) for approximately five months per site. Pre- and post-exposure worker surveys were collected at all sites (N=615, pre-exposure response rate of 74%, post-exposure response rate of 88%). Multi-level mixed effect regression models evaluated the effect of B-SAFE on safety climate as assessed from surveys. Focus groups (N=6–8 workers/site) were conducted following data collection. Transcripts were coded and analyzed for thematic content using Atlas.ti (version 6).
Results
The mean safety climate score at intervention sites, as measured on a 0–50 point scale, increased 0.5 points (1%) between pre- and post-B-SAFE exposure, compared to control sites that decreased 0.8 points (1.6%). The intervention effect size was 1.64 (3.28%) (P-value=0.01) when adjusted for month the worker started on-site, total length of time on-site, as well as individual characteristics (trade, title, age, and race/ethnicity). At intervention sites, workers noted increased levels of safety awareness, communication, and teamwork compared to control sites.
Conclusions
B-SAFE led to many positive changes, including an improvement in safety climate, awareness, teambuilding, and communication. B-SAFE was a simple intervention that engaged workers through effective communication infrastructures and had a significant, positive effect on worksite safety."

Protest against the mitigation of climate change has become a core issue for right-wing populism across the globe. Such politics can mobilize a widespread normalization of ecological destructiveness. Drawing on Frankfurt School critical theory and Lacanian psychoanalysis, this article argues that climate protection provokes such outrage because it appears to negate all the sacrifices that had to be made for the world of work. Thus, the normalization of destructiveness relates to a fear of uselessness common to the modern subject. This fear is taken up by the right-wing anti-climate protest and turned into something positive to be enjoyed. The phenomenon is illustrated by interviews with Swiss construction workers about their experiences with climate change."

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