Sleep duration and fatigue in construction workers: A preliminary study

Abstract The construction industry is known for its high rate of accidents. Among the different possible causes of this situation, we could find lack of sleep and fatigue. Chronic sleep deprivation is a determining factor in the deterioration of vigilance and alert, and consequently a risk factor for occupational accidents. Fatigue is the answer of our organism to sustained physical and mental stress. Regretfully, those topics have been ovelooked in the construction industry. The objective of this study is to understand better these phenomena, such as sleep duration and fatigue, and whether they are interrelated, and to propose strategies to mitigate them and contribute to the reduction of accidents in construction projects. We worked with 154 male construction workers from one Chilean construction company. To assess sleep quality, we used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). To evaluate fatigue, we used a personal computer version of the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PC-PVT) that measures alertness and vigilance. This 5-minute test was performed on construction workers on-site in the morning. Those people who took part in the test were classified into various groups according to self-reported sleep hours, namely: 7–9 h (26%), 5–7 h (61.7%), and <5 h (12.3%). These results were compared for three variables (Mean Reaction Time (RT), 10% faster, and 10% slower) using an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test. Differences were found for Mean RT and Slowest 10%, the difference being greater in the group that reported sleeping <5 h, but without statistical significance. Studies with a greater number of subjects and measurements are required throughout the working day.

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Perceptions of Safety Climate in Construction Projects between Workers and Managers/Supervisors in the Developing Country of Iran

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su131810398 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (18) ◽

pp. 10398

Author(s):

Daniel W. M. Chan ◽

Matteo Cristofaro ◽

Hala Nassereddine ◽

Nicole S. N. Yiu ◽

Hadi Sarvari

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Risk Perceptions ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Safety Climate ◽

Management Practices ◽

Research Question ◽

Social Process ◽

Construction Workers ◽

The Difference

What are the different perceptions on safety climate (SC) by workers and managers/supervisors engaged in the construction industry of developing countries? Reconciling these two differing views is pivotal for mitigating and avoiding both the injured and fatal accidents in the construction industry, especially in those developing countries where safety conditions are poor and unpredictable, and safety measures are inadequate in most cases. To answer this research question, the collective perceptions of 118 construction workers and 123 managers/supervisors on the SC in construction projects in Iran were gleaned and investigated. In particular, these perceptions were initially collected by two different empirical surveys validated by a sample of university professors and construction managers and then analyzed through the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) test and Bartlett’s test of sphericity under factor analysis, together with a one-sample t-test. Results indicated that “workers’ attitudes and perceptions”, “safety knowledge and training”, “working relationships and roles of colleagues”, and “workers’ risk perceptions” are important categories of SC factors perceived by construction workers, whereas “safety rules and management practices” is the essential category of SC factors discerned by managers/supervisors. The difference in perceptions between workers and managers/supervisors is considered to be beneficial for an overall understanding of SC in general and for developing countries in particular. Moreover, a series of effective suggestions for improving SC in the construction industry of developing countries are provided with reference to each category. The views of SC factors are reinforced as a social process combining the synergies of workers and managers/supervisors, as well as proper safety training to be pushed forward as an essential activity that should be incorporated in human resources development of construction organizations so as to improve the existing level of SC, leading to fewer accidents at the industry level.

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Risk Perception in the Construction Industry: Differences Between Italian and Migrant Workers Before and After a Targeted Training Intervention

NEW SOLUTIONS A Journal of Environmental and Occupational Health Policy ◽

10.1177/1048291121998364 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 (1) ◽

pp. 65-71

Author(s):

Federico Ricci ◽

Giulia Bravo ◽

Alberto Modenese ◽

Fabrizio De Pasquale ◽

Davide Ferrari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Construction Industry ◽

Migrant Workers ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Construction Sites ◽

Visual Tool ◽

Occupational Risks ◽

Linguistic Barriers ◽

Before And After ◽

The Difference

We developed a visual tool to assess risk perception for a sample of male construction workers (forty Italian and twenty-eight immigrant workers), just before and after a sixteen-hour training course. The questionnaire included photographs of real construction sites, and workers were instructed to select pictograms representing the occupational risks present in each photograph. Points were awarded for correctly identifying any risks that were present, and points were deducted for failing to identify risks that were present or identifying risks that were not present. We found: (1) Before the course, risk perception was significantly lower in immigrants compared to Italians ( p < .001); (2) risk perception improved significantly ( p < .001) among all workers tested; and (3) after the training, the difference in risk perception between Italians and immigrants was no longer statistically significant ( p = .1086). Although the sample size was relatively small, the results suggest that the training is effective and may reduce the degree to which cultural and linguistic barriers hinder risk perception. Moreover, the use of images and pictograms instead of words to evaluate risk perception could also be applied to nonconstruction workplaces.

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Small Bowel Adenocarcinomas Featuring Special AT-Rich Sequence-Binding Protein 2 (SATB2) Expression and a Colorectal Cancer-Like Immunophenotype: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers12113441 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (11) ◽

pp. 3441

Author(s):

Giuseppe Neri ◽

Giovanni Arpa ◽

Camilla Guerini ◽

Federica Grillo ◽

Marco Vincenzo Lenti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Small Bowel ◽

Colorectal Carcinoma ◽

Binding Protein ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

High Rate ◽

Unknown Primary ◽

Diagnostic Pitfall ◽

Pathologic Features ◽

The Difference

Special AT-rich sequence-binding protein 2 (SATB2) is a transcription factor expressed by colonic cryptic epithelium and epithelial neoplasms of the lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as by small bowel adenocarcinomas (SBAs), though at a lower rate. Nevertheless, up to now, only small SBA series, often including a very limited number of Crohn’s disease-associated SBAs (CrD-SBAs) and celiac disease-associated SBAs (CD-SBA), have been investigated for SATB2 expression. We evaluated the expression of SATB2 and other GI phenotypic markers (cytokeratin (CK) 7 and CK20, caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2) and alpha-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR)), as well as mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, in 100 SBAs, encompassing 34 CrD-SBAs, 28 CD-SBAs and 38 sporadic cases (Spo-SBAs). Any mutual association and correlation with other clinico-pathologic features, including patient prognosis, were searched. Twenty (20%) SATB2-positive SBAs (4 CrD-SBAs, 7 CD-SBAs and 9 Spo-SBAs) were identified. The prevalence of SATB2 positivity was lower in CrD-SBA (12%) in comparison with both CD-SBAs (25%) and Spo-SBAs (24%). Interestingly, six SBAs (two CD-SBAs and four Spo-SBAs) displayed a full colorectal carcinoma (CRC)-like immunoprofile (CK7−/CK20+/CDX2+/AMACR+/SATB2+); none of them was a CrD-SBA. No association between SATB2 expression and MMR status was observed. Although SATB2-positive SBA patients showed a more favorable outcome in comparison with SATB2-negative ones, the difference did not reach statistical significance. When cancers were stratified according to CK7/CK20 expression patterns, we found that CK7−/CK20- SBAs were enriched with MMR-deficient cases (71%) and patients with CK7−/CK20− or CK7−/CK20+ SBAs had a significantly better survival rate compared to those with CK7+/CK20− or CK7+/CK20+ cancers (p = 0.002). To conclude, we identified a small (6%) subset of SBAs featuring a full CRC-like immunoprofile, representing a potential diagnostic pitfall in attempts to identify the site of origin of neoplasms of unknown primary site. In contrast with data on colorectal carcinoma, SATB2 expression is not associated with MMR status in SBAs. CK patterns influence patient survival, as CK7−/CK20− cancers show better prognosis, a behavior possibly due to the high rate of MMR-deficient SBAs within this subgroup.

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Strategic framework for implementing smart devices in the construction industry

Construction Innovation ◽

10.1108/ci-11-2019-0132 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 218-243

Author(s):

Manuel Alexander Silverio-Fernández ◽

Suresh Renukappa ◽

Subashini Suresh

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Success Factors ◽

High Rate ◽

Smart Devices ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Strategic Framework ◽

Construction Companies ◽

The Uk

Purpose The decentralisation of information and high rate of mobile content access in the construction industry provide an ideal scenario for improvement of processes via the implementation of the paradigm of the Internet of Things (IoT). Smart devices are considered as the objects interconnected in the IoT; therefore, they play a fundamental role in the digital transformation of the construction industry. Currently, there is a lack of guidelines regarding the implementation of smart devices for digitalisation in the construction industry. Consequently, this paper aims to provide a set of guidelines for implementing smart devices in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was performed in the UK and the Dominican Republic (DR). Following a systematic approach, qualitative data collection and analysis was performed based on semi-structured interviews involving professionals from construction companies in the UK and the DR. Interviews were recorded and subsequently transcribed using Microsoft Word and exported to the software NVivo, where the software was used to find common thematic nodes across all interviews. Findings The findings encompass drivers, challenges and critical success factors (CSFs) for implementing smart devices in construction project. For both countries, the top five CSFs were leadership, staff training, culture, technology awareness and cost of implementation. These findings were used to develop a strategic framework for implementing smart devices in construction companies. The framework establishes the actors, elements and actions to be considered by construction companies when implementing smart devices. Originality/value This paper provides a richer insight into the understanding and awareness of implementing smart devices. A strategic framework for implementing smart devices in the construction industry and providing guidelines for adopting smart devices in construction projects was developed and validated. This study provides a better understanding of the key factors to be considered by construction companies when embedding smart devices into their projects.

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

Journal of Civil Engineering and Management ◽

10.3846/jcem.2010.56 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 16 (4) ◽

pp. 499-509 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

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.

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Occupational accidents and injuries among workers in the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia

International Journal of Health ◽

10.14419/ijh.v5i1.7303 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 55 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emma Maano Nghitanwa ◽

Zungu Lindiwe

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Occupational Diseases ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Young Male ◽

Body Part ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Occupational Accidents ◽

General Body ◽

Document Review

The construction industry is the most dangerous industry in the word with higher prevalence of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases. There is a paucity of studies that investigate occupational accidents, injuries and diseases in the Namibian construction industry. The study was conducted to determine the magnitude of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases in the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia. A quantitative, retrospective document review was conducted to investigate the documents for reported occupational accidents, injuries and diseases for the period of five years, from April 2011 to March 2016. Data was analysed with SPSS version 23.The study found out that occupational accidents and injuries are prevalent in the Windhoek construction industry. The study recorded the total of 37 cases of occupational accidents and injuries. Young, male construction workers are mostly sustained accidents and injuries. Labourers were mostly affected than other occupations while cut by machinery comprise the majority of the source of accidents. The most body part injured is the general body. The researchers did not find any documentation for reported occupational diseases from the construction industry of Windhoek. The researchers recommended the preventive measures to be implemented to prevent occupational accidents and injuries and enforcement of legislations on occupational accidents, injuries and diseases recording and reporting.

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NEGLIGENT USE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT BY CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN SRI LANKA: ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL MANIFESTATIONS

10.31705/faru.2020.5 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

S.P.M DASANDARA ◽

◽

D.M.P.P. DISSANAYAKE ◽

Keyword(s):

Sri Lanka ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Small And Medium Enterprises ◽

Health Condition ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Working Environment ◽

Occupational Accidents ◽

Research Approach ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

The Individual

The construction industry can be identified as one of the main sectors in Sri Lanka where the majority of occupational accidents happen. When considering the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), occupational accidents have been significantly happened due to many reasons. Among those reasons, negligence of the use of PPE by construction workers has become prominent. Different factors can affect this situation. Among them, individual manifestations such as perceptions, beliefs, experiences and attitudes of the workers can make a significant impact. Hence, there is an emerging need to explore the reasons under these individual manifestations, which encourages the negligence use of PPE. This paper therefore aimed to analyse the individual manifestations to unveil the reasons behind the negligence of use of PPE by construction workers in Sri Lanka. A qualitative research approach was followed to achieve the aim of the study. Case studies were conducted using two SME construction projects. Fourteen semi structured interviews were conducted in both cases with managerial and worker level respondents. Collected data were analysed using code based content analysis. ‘Considering PPE as a disturbance’, ‘lack of experiences of the workers’, ‘poor education level of the workers’, ‘inadequate knowledge and skills of the workers’, ‘poor income level’, ‘age of the workers’, ‘number of dependencies’, ‘poor health condition’ and ‘different lifestyles of the workers’ were revealed through the empirical research findings as the key reasons under individual manifestations, which affect for the neglect usage of PPE by the workers. The knowledge generated through this study can be used in many ways by the industry practitioners to make safe working environment within the construction sites.

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Deciphering Why 'Cursed Construction Workers' are More Vulnerable to Occupational Accidents

10.29007/wmdk ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Mostafa Namian ◽

Donna Hollar ◽

Farshid Taherpour ◽

Ebrahim Ghiasvand

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Safety Performance ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Occupational Accidents ◽

Workplace Hazards ◽

Effective Interventions ◽

Accident Causation ◽

Safety Attitude ◽

Superstitious Beliefs

The construction industry has high rates of accidents, but most can be prevented. To prevent accidents, researchers have demonstrated that workers must first identify workplace hazards. However, workers fail to identify most hazards in construction environments. Previous studies report several factors (i.e., safety attitude) that impact construction workers' ability to recognize hazards. However, the role of superstitious beliefs in safety performance has not been studied. This research investigates how construction workers’ superstitious beliefs impact their safety performance. To achieve the objectives, 135 construction workers participated in this study. The workers’ safety beliefs and the role of supernatural myths in accident causation perception were studied through use of a validated survey instrument. Results revealed that the greater workers’ superstitious beliefs, the more inferior their safety performance. Driven by superstitions, a worker believes that accidents are caused by supernatural powers and workers have little control over their fate resulting in inferior safety performance (i.e., hazard recognition). Poor safety performance, in turn, makes workers more vulnerable to accidents strengthening their superstitious beliefs. Results of this study highlight the role of personal superstitious beliefs in safety performance. Findings are beneficial for construction professionals and practitioners seeking long-lasting and effective interventions to improve safety performance.

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Exploring the Perfection Measures of Quality Management in Construction Site of Industrial and Civil Buildings

Journal of World Architecture ◽

10.26689/jwa.v1i3.183 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Zhang Wei

Keyword(s):

Construction Industry ◽

Construction Projects ◽

Rapid Development ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Construction Site ◽

Construction Enterprises ◽

Existing Problems ◽

Project Construction ◽

The Cost

At the present stage, China's construction industry has achieved rapid development with the rapid development of our society and economy. In the construction of our country's construction industry, scientific and rational project construction management can not only effectively improve the safety quality of construction workers, strengthen the personnel management of construction workers, effectively reduce the accidents of construction projects, but also can save the cost of construction projects and improve the economic efficiency of construction enterprises to the greatest extent. In view of this, this paper first analyzes the existing problems in the management of industrial and civil construction site and puts forward corresponding solutions.

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Problems Faced By Construction Workers Of Hisar City

Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing ◽

10.15614/ijhw.v11i01.16 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (01) ◽

Author(s):

Rupal Hooda ◽

Manju Mehta

Keyword(s):

Women Workers ◽

Labor Force ◽

Construction Industry ◽

General Information ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Occupational Accidents ◽

Specific Information ◽

Construction Sector ◽

The Government ◽

Unorganized Sector

A large number of workers are engaged in the construction sector. Out of them approximately 30% are women workers. Construction industry is the major source of employment for workers in the unorganized sector. In India, construction industry is the second largest employer when compared to agriculture and covers others allied field of activities in the civil, mechanical and electrical area also. The Indian construction labor force is 7.5% of the total world labor force and it contributes to 16.4% of fatal global occupational accidents. A study was conducted on 30 construction workers working on different sites of hisar city. A questionnaire was used for collecting general information and for specific information. Data reveals that 56.66% of the respondents were in 26-35 years of age group followed by 86% of the respondents were married. 63.33% of the respondents were living in village. 83.33% of the respondents’ family consists of more than 5 members followed by 73.33% of the respondents’ family has two earning members. Body discomfort level was also analyzed by using Relative Important Index. Conclusively, Construction sector falls under unorganized sector of an economy. They are working under unsecured environment or work culture. The scenario only can be changed with the government intervention, by implementing the policies strictly.

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