scholarly journals O5A.4 Overexertion related age-specific wmsds claims among construction workers in ohio, USA: 2007–2013

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. A42.1-A42
Author(s):  
Harpriya Kaur ◽  
Mike Lampl ◽  
James Grosch ◽  
Steven Wurzelbacher ◽  
Chih-Yu Tseng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
Full Time Equivalent ◽  
The U.S

BackgroundAs the proportion of older workers in the U.S. increases, understanding the health and safety needs of an aging workforce is critical, especially in the hazardous and physically demanding construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in 2016 the rate of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in construction was 32.7 per 10 000 full-time equivalent workers, which was 11% higher than the rate for all industries combined. The objective of this study was to examine the rate and cost of WMSDs due to overexertion, the leading cause of WMSDs, among construction workers by age group in Ohio using workers’ compensation claims.MethodsOverexertion related WMSDs allowed claims, submitted to Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation (OBWC) by workers in the construction industry for injuries occurring from 2007–2013 were analyzed to compute rates of allowed claims and claim costs by age group. The American Community Survey of the U.S. Census Bureau was used to determine the proportion of construction workers in each age group in Ohio. For this study, age was categorized as 14–24, 25–34, 35–44, 45–54 and ≥55 years old.ResultsThere were 7434 overexertion related WMSD claims accepted by OBWC for construction workers who were injured due to overexertion in 2007–2013. Workers 35–44 years old experienced the highest claim rate of 7.28 per 1000 for WMSDs due to overexertion. However, the highest mean medical compensation cost for WMSD claims due to overexertion was for construction workers 55 years and older.ConclusionOverexertion-related WMSD claims appear to rise and then fall with age (≥55). There is a need to understand how aging interacts with WMSDs risk factors. Age-specific interventions to reduce WMSDs may help to retain older and skilled workers whose knowledge and experience might otherwise be lost when workers need to leave work because of debilitating WMSDs.

scholarly journals Issues with Senior Workers in Hong Kong Construction Industry: Preliminary Observations and Intervention Opportunities

2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-30
Author(s):  
Tas Yong Koh ◽  
Steve Rowlinson ◽  
Stephen Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Psychosocial Problems ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Workforce Productivity

There is an increasingly larger proportion of workforce 50 years of age or older. This ageing trend is prevalent in the Hong Kong construction industry. The implications of this ageing trend for the construction industry are the decline in workforce productivity due to old age, compromised health, safety, and well-being; and the shortage of workforce. Coupled with various organisational and institutional shortcomings in the industry that lead to unfavourable working environment, these situations not only negatively affect the economic viability of the construction industry but also give rise to other psychosocial problems experienced by the older workers. Despite these situations, we know very little of the conditions older construction workers experience in the construction industry.There is therefore a need to investigate such issues and propose possible interventions to improve the working conditions of the senior workers. With these objectives, in this paper, we first report the findings of a small scale survey on the care of older workers in Hong Kong construction industry, and second propose potential intervention by combining the findings of the survey and our industry observations of the practices implemented by progressive contracting firms in Hong Kong. The findings reveal that despite the industry under appreciation of the ageing workforce, there are interventions implemented by progressive contracting firms that can potentially provide health and safety protection to the workforce of all ages although these firms are small in number. This article is an extended version of a conference paper that appeared as Koh et al. (2019).

Improving Workforce Education Learning Outcomes

2018 ◽  
pp. 1368-1390
Author(s):  
Carsten Schmidtke
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Workforce Education ◽  
Dropping Out ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
The Past ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The U.S

Despite numerous attempts over the past few decades to prepare the U.S. workforce for the increasing challenges of a global economy, educators hear the same complaints from industry about how difficult it is to find highly skilled workers. The growing need to have a higher level of education and different knowledge, skills, and attitudes than in the past brought on by globalization makes the task of preparing workers for tomorrow's workplace even more daunting. Whatever the reason for dropping out, many young people have clearly not responded to the attempt to educate them through full-time schooling, no matter how innovative the program. This chapter argues that more adolescents can be educated in a school system that no longer emphasizes full-time schooling but instead combines part-time school with part-time real-world work experience. To carry out such an approach, it may be time to expand our horizons in the search for solutions, and we can find some guidance in a rather unexpected place, the work of Soviet educator Anton Semyonovich Makarenko. Makarenko's success in training young people to become productive workers includes several concepts and methods that may be useful in improving today's workforce education system.

Real Earnings of Full-Time Workers by Education, Age Group and Sex, 1974–2012

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Foster
Keyword(s):  
Work Force ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Census Bureau ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Microsoft Excel ◽  
Aggregated Data ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Log Linear

Abstract This note rearranges the data from Census Bureau Personal Income (PINC) tables 32–35 showing earnings of full-time, year-round workers from 1974 to 2012 to display the 39-year time series for average real earnings by education, age group, and sex. Aggregated data show strong upward trends for all males and all females combined, for males and females with a bachelor's degree or more and for those with less than a bachelor's degree. However, all trends have flattened or become negative since 2000. Shifts in the composition of the work force over time mean that trends in aggregated earnings incorporate those shifts, so may not be useful for projecting earnings growth for any individual plaintiff of a specific age and educational background. The note addresses that problem in two ways: First it re-weights the aggregate statistics to remove some effects of shifts in composition of the workforce. Second it gives summary statistics for log-linear regressions of real earnings on time for all education-age-sex combinations for the period 1974–1999 and for 2000–2012. Growth for the latter period is negative for most of those combinations. Supplemental material for a Microsoft Excel workbook contains the underlying data and several figures and is accessible from the Journal of Forensic Economics website.

scholarly journals Health and Safety Issues of Older Workers Surveyed in the Construction Industry

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-131
Author(s):  
Sang D Choi ◽  
Douglas Rosenthal ◽  
Sampson Hauser
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Wellness Programs ◽  
Aging Workforce ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Health And Safety Issues

The study aimed to gain a better understanding of age-related construction worker’s health and safety issues and discuss practical solutions to improve safety and health of the older workers in the construction industry. A two-page survey questionnaire was developed and sent out to the safety managers, directors, or coordinators in the construction firms. The participants were employed in 27 companies that employed 12,452 employees and have been in business for an average of 75 years. All of the companies had a written safety program, but only 50% of the companies represented in the survey had the Health and Wellness programs. The findings suggested that the construction industry was in fact well aware of the worker health concerns that the aging construction workforce has been facing. The survey also revealed that there was an overwhelming agreement that older workers were still very valuable to the industry. The occupational ergonomic, health and safety professionals should pay more attend to develop creative and effective health/wellness programs that any size organization can use, with the ultimate goal being to have a sustainable and healthier aging workforce in the industry. The results of other findings are also discussed in detail.

scholarly journals Determinants of Work Motivation and Work Ability among Older Workers and Implications for the Desire for Continued Employment

2012 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Büsch ◽  
Dennis Dittrich ◽  
Uta Lieberum
Keyword(s):  
Work Ability ◽  
Older Workers ◽  
Work Motivation ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Skilled Workers ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Continued Employment

In times of demographic change, with the associated challenges for social security systems and the looming lack of skilled workers, extending working life becomes increasingly significant. According to the continuity theory (Atchley 1989) we can assume that individuals who are satisfied with their structures and performance will stay at work longer. We will therefore examine whether motivation and perceived work ability have an influence on the desire for continued employment. In addition, we will answer the question of whether factors that have a positive influence on motivation and work ability also have a direct influence on continued employment. Besides objective factors such as enterprise size and occupational status, we will examine subjective factors, such as assessment of recognition, the demands, and the meaningfulness of the work for their contributions to the explanation. The following analysis is based on a survey taken in May 2008 together with the Bundesinstitut für Bevölkerungsforschung (BiB). It enables us to identify the desire for continued employment in old age, the existing work motivation, and the state of health. The core results of the statistical analysis show that in men high motivation is linked to the desire for continued employment in retirement age. This does not apply to women; for them, work ability is the decisive criterion. In general, we observe that a positive assessment of the subjective influencing factors strengthen work motivation. In addition, with regard to objective factors it was ascertained that for men the working hour regime (full-time work) and occupation status (salaried “white-collar” employees) correlate positively with the desire for continued employment. In particular, meaningful work increases motivation among men and work ability increases motivation among women. It appears important that enterprises convince their employees of the meaningfulness of the work.

AN ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK MODEL FOR PREDICTING FATIGUE OF CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN HUMID ENVIRONMENTS

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Yi ◽  
Albert P. C. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Heat Waves ◽  
Heat Stroke ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Percentage Error ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Artificial Neural

Climate change is experienced in many countries located in tropical/ subtropical regions with generally hot/humid condition. Heat illness, particularly heat stroke, has caused a substantial increase in morbidity and mortality during heat waves. Thus, the high incidence of heat stroke is a pressing concern in the construction industry. Construction workers, being exposed to such unpleasant working environment, are at a higher risk of heat stress while undertaking physically demanding tasks. This paper aims to establish a model for predicting fatigue of construction workers in hot weather. During the period of summer months in 2010 and 2011, we conducted 39 field measurements on six construction sites in Hong Kong and collected a series of meteorological, personal, and work-related parameters. A total of 550 synchronized datasets were measured to establish the model. Artificial neural networks (ANNs), a type of artificial intelligence technology which implements more complex data-analysis features into existing applications, was applied to forecast the fatigue of construction workers. Performance measures including mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), R2, and root-mean-square deviation (RMSE) confirm that the established model is a good fitting with high accuracy. The ANN-based model presents a reliable and scientific forecast physical condition of workers which may enhance the occupational health and safety (OHS) in the construction industry.

scholarly journals EVIDENCE‐BASED PREVENTION OF WORK‐RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romuald A. Rwamamara ◽  
Ove Lagerqvist ◽  
Thomas Olofsson ◽  
Bo M. Johansson ◽  
Kazys Algirdas Kaminskas
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Musculoskeletal Health ◽  
Construction Sites ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Work Related

Many construction work tasks are physically very strenuous and the incidence of work‐related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers is considerably higher than those in most other occupations. The aim of the study presented in this paper was to contribute to understanding a healthy construction site brought about by the best practices implemented by large construction sites to prevent WMSDs. A triangulation method made of interviews, site observations and studies on company's documents was used to identify the best practices in 13 several construction projects. A range of the best practices both in the pre‐construction and construction phases of the projects were identified in six different areas of the balance of the construction workplace system; however, there seems to be a significant need for good practices in the management of a systematic work environment. It is now established that Swedish construction industry has several best practices to protect work‐related musculoskeletal health. However, inadequate worker participation and the neglect of health and safety issues by designers in the planning process as well as the implications of some remuneration methods on the production schedule were perceived as detrimental to the musculoskeletal health of construction workers. Santrauka Daug statybos darbu yra fiziškai labai itempti, o su darbu susijusiu raumenu ir skeleto sistemos pažeidimu dažnis tarp statybininku yra kur kas aukštesnis negu tarp daugelio kitu profesiju. Šio tyrimo tikslas – pletoti supratima apie sveikatos būkle ir jos svarba dirbant statybu aikštelese, igyvendinant didelius statybos objektus, siekiant išvengti su darbu susijusiu raumenu ir skeleto sistemos pažeidimu. Tyrimams buvo taikytas interviu, pagristas trianguliacijos metodu, darbo procesu stebejimo statybos aikštelese metodas, buvo nagrineti statybos kompaniju dokumentai, siekiant identifikuoti 13 skirtingu statybos projektu. Geriausia praktika, prieš pradedant statybas ir jau statant, buvo nustatyta šešiuose skirtinguose statybu regionuose, tačiau tokia praktika yra svarbi darbo aplinkos vadyboje. Pripažinta, kad Švedijos statybos pramoneje taikomi keli būdai, kaip apsaugoti statybininkus nuo raumenu ir skeleto sistemos pažeidimu. Vis delto mažas darbininku domejimasis šia problema, sveikatos bei saugos problemu nepaisymas planavimo procese, kai kuriu atsilyginimo būdu itraukimas i gamybos veiksniu saraša buvo vertinti kaip faktoriai, žalingai veikiantys statybininku raumenu ir skeleto sistema.

The Study of Embodied Science and Technology Impacts of Construction Industry Based on I-O S-LCA Model

2014 ◽  
Vol 962-965 ◽  
pp. 2407-2413
Author(s):  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Science And Technology ◽  
Social Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Full Time Equivalent ◽  
Productive Force

The rapid development of urbanization promotes the development of the construction industry greatly. Due to long life cycle of the construction projects, construction industry and other industry departments associate widely. Therefore, construction industry inevitably has a big impact on economic growth. Based on the view that science and technology (ST) is the first productive force, this paper calculates 4 kinds of embodied science and technology impacts including ST personnel, full-time equivalent research and development (R&D) personnel, ST activities’ funding and intramural expenditures of construction industry based on the developed input–output social life-cycle assessment (S-LCA) model and satellite matrix. Results show that the ST personnel, full-time equivalent R&D personnel, ST activities’ funding and intramural expenditures between 2002 and 2007 all have increased in different degrees, so as to promote the overall development of economy and science.

scholarly journals An Innovated Integrated Prefabricated Quarter System for the Migrant On-site Construction Workers of China

2015 ◽  
pp. 233-246
Author(s):  
Tao Wang ◽  
Yulong Li ◽  
Guijun Li ◽  
Sijia Wu
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Urban China ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Traditional System ◽  
The Government

Migrant construction workers from rural communities are the main workforce in the Chinese construction industry and urban development. While far from hometown, most migrant construction workers live in temporary quarters, with poor conditions, on or near the construction site. Although there are standards set by the government to guarantee the basic health and safety conditions of such housing, migrant construction workers in China suffer some of the worst living conditions, even compared to migrant workers in other industries. Health and safety accidents occur often enough in workers’ quarters to provoke young laborers from rural areas to seek employment in the service industry, where better living conditions are available. As a result, serious labor shortages in the construction industry have emerged in China over recent years. There is a significant requirement for the industry to improve the condition of living quarters, by applying both technical and management methods. So far, very few articles have addressed the methods for improving the accommodations for rural migrant construction workers in urban China. This paper aims to develop an innovated integrated prefabricated (prefab) quarter system for the on-site construction workers in China. The paper first discusses the current status of the traditional construction workers’ quarters to disclose the most urgent problems in need of resolution. Barriers that block the innovation of improved workers’ quarters are listed. Then an innovated integrated prefab quarter system is introduced. The feasibility and applicability of the proposed system are discussed. The strengths of the system with regard to the management of health, safety, and environment are analyzed and compared to the traditional system. An actual pilot project is studied as the validation of the prefab quarter system.

scholarly journals Pre-Qualification of Selecting Construction Project Contractors Using Health and Safety Criteria

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-36
Author(s):  
Patricia Omega Kukoyi ◽  
Innocent Chigozie Osuizugbo ◽  
Hosea Shemang Yohanna ◽  
Uche Emmanuel Edike ◽  
Israel Esther Ohiseghame
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Construction Workers ◽  
Contractor Selection ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
The Right

AbstractContractors, among other construction stakeholders, are vital in achieving the set goals of a project. Adequately engaging a capable contractor is an important task for a client. This study aims at determining the reasons for clients contending with contractors that are not committed to health and safety (H&S). The study was conducted through a literature review, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to 286 construction stakeholders in the Nigerian construction industry. Cronbach alpha was used to test the reliability of the questionnaire used for data collection. Mean scores (MSs) were adopted to determine the major factors that influence clients’ selections and factor analysis was used to cluster variables of high inter-correlations. Findings from the survey reveal that H&S is not a clients’ goal or a project value hence, H&S is not viewed as a vital pre-qualification criterion for contractor selection. This results in a poor checklist concerning contractors’ quality assurance and inadequate verification of contractors’ H&S history. Therefore, appointing non-compliant H&S contractors. The findings provide information on the influence clients have respecting H&S as a prequalification criterion and towards construction workers’ H&S. This will enable construction stakeholders to make the right decision in the pre-qualification of contractors.

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