Journal
JOURNAL OF CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT-ASCE
Volume 138, Issue 12, Pages 1370-1376Publisher
ASCE-AMER SOC CIVIL ENGINEERS
DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000556
Keywords
Ergonomic analysis; Work-related musculoskeletal disorders; Occupational safety; Productivity; Construction tasks; Construction costs; Construction industry
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The execution of daily construction tasks exposes workers to one or multiple ergonomic risk factors (awkward postures, static force, vibration, repetition, environmental risk, contact stress) and thus varying risks of developing musculoskeletal disorders. As a result, musculoskeletal disorders are common issues in construction and result in costly delays and disability claims. Though there is recent research investigating the epidemiology and causal factors for musculoskeletal injury, the construction industry has not fully embraced this as part of its safety practices. This study presents state-of-the-art ergonomic techniques, Canadian ergonomic legislation, and work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMSD) lost-time claims (LTC) statistics to show the resultant economic (cash and productivity) losses and adverse social (occupational health and safety) impact of WRMSDs resulting from current practice and legislation. The potential short-and long-term productivity and cost merits of incorporating ergonomic assessments for construction tasks are presented. DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000556. (C) 2012 American Society of Civil Engineers.
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