Article

Interventions to prevent injuries in construction workers

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  • Amsterdam UMC - Universiteit van Amsterdam
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... Aside from the lack of adherence to OSHA guidelines, aged equipment could also be contributing to falls, as one study from Spain showed a significant decrease in the rate of falls after companies received government subsidies for new scaffold equipment [41,42]. Additionally, a recent review on interventions to prevent injuries in construction workers, concluded that a multifaceted safety campaign and drug-free workplace program, along with subsidies for replacement of scaffoldings, may be effective in reducing non-fatal injuries [43]. The authors found that the majority of data evaluating strategies for injury prevention in construction were of low quality and called for further research on this subject, preferably clusterrandomized controlled trials [43]. ...
... Additionally, a recent review on interventions to prevent injuries in construction workers, concluded that a multifaceted safety campaign and drug-free workplace program, along with subsidies for replacement of scaffoldings, may be effective in reducing non-fatal injuries [43]. The authors found that the majority of data evaluating strategies for injury prevention in construction were of low quality and called for further research on this subject, preferably clusterrandomized controlled trials [43]. Another important finding of our study was the proportion of Hispanic patients who fell from scaffolds, which approached 30%, and reflects the demographic of construction workers in the United States [3]. ...
... The annual event is designed for companies of all sizes and in all industries to discuss fall hazard safety with employees, and as of 2020, was enacted in all 50 states and internationally [46]. Continued surveillance is warranted to elucidate whether education policies like this, along with improvements in personal protective equipment, will impact fall-related injuries including those from scaffolds [43,47]. More detailed information on fall prevention in construction as well as information booklets and training courses can be found on the website of OSHA [48]. ...
Article
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Introduction Falls from scaffolds are a common cause of occupational injuries and fatalities, however, the data concerning these injuries are scarce. The purpose of this study was to characterize the epidemiology, injury patterns, and outcomes of falls from scaffolds. Methods Retrospective cohort study using data from the National Trauma Data Bank (2007–2017). All adult patients who sustained injuries following falls from scaffolds and as a comparator, falls from ladders, were identified using the external cause of injury codes. The primary outcome was differences in the type and severity of injuries between the groups. Results A total of 183,853 patients were analyzed. Of these, 18,189 (9.9%) fell from scaffolds and 165,664 (90.1%) from ladders. Patients who fell from scaffolds were younger, more often male, and more likely to sustain severe trauma (ISS > 15: 24.1% vs 17.3%, p < 0.001). Falls from scaffolds resulted in more severe head injuries (head AIS ≥ 3: 18.6% vs 14.7%, p < 0.001) and more spinal fractures (30.3% vs 25.2%, p < 0.001). Falls from scaffolds were associated with higher mortality (2.5% vs 1.8%, p < 0.001), higher ICU admission rate (25.0% vs 21.5%, p < 0.001), and longer hospitalization. On multivariable analysis, the strongest predictors of mortality were GCS < 9 and hypotension on admission, severe (AIS ≥ 3) head injury, and age > 65 years. Conclusion Falls from scaffolds are associated with more severe injuries and worse outcomes compared to ladder falls. Males in the fourth decade of life were disproportionally affected. Further research on fall prevention is warranted to decrease this important cause of death and disability.
... 10,109,110 Given their differences, work health and safety programming should be tailored to increase safety knowledge, improve risk perception, and identify healthrelated challenges that are influencing age-related injury risk and work ability. [111][112][113] Older workers should have additional training to understand their limitations, considerations of modified work adapted to changing physical risks or non-traditional employment roles rather than active construction activities, and access to ergonomic aids. 56,77 While younger workers would benefit from mentorship and education from older workers concerning hazard appraisal, risk management, and promotion of safety behaviors. ...
... 56,77 While younger workers would benefit from mentorship and education from older workers concerning hazard appraisal, risk management, and promotion of safety behaviors. 91,110,113 Poor sleep quality also contributes to development of chronic diseases and risk of musculoskeletal disorders in construction workers. Long working hours, high work demands, and ongoing pain can contribute to poor sleep quality and fatigue, reducing work ability and performance. ...
Article
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Purpose The construction industry is a diverse sector with exposure to multiple psychosocial and environmental workplace hazards that increase the risk of injury. This scoping review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the physical and psychosocial determinants influencing the risk of occupational physical injuries among construction workers globally. Methods A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension checklist guided. Literature searches were performed between June and October 2023 in electronic academic databases. Results A total of 77 studies were identified, encompassing various geographical regions, including North America (n = 29), Africa (n = 18), Europe (n = 12), Asia (n = 9), the Middle East (n = 5), and Oceania (n = 4). The review identified physical and psychosocial factors in 3 domains influencing occupational physical injuries: workplace physical environment (eg, exposure to physical hazards, availability and utilization of personal protective equipment, company size, and job type), workplace culture (eg, psychosocial stressors, gender-related barriers, migrant and ethnic disparities, educational background), and physical wellbeing, health and aging (eg, age, obesity, sleep quality, marital stats, and physical health status). Notably, workers from social minority groups (eg, women, ethnic and migrant workers) of young (<25 years old) or older ages (45-55 years old) employed in smaller construction companies are vulnerable to increased injury risk and exposure to physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace. Conclusion The review emphasizes a global paucity of research examining the implications of physical and psychosocial factors on injury risk within the construction industry. Future research should prioritize investigating the impact of psychosocial hazards on younger and older workers to detect age-related differences in injury rate, treatment access, and work-related health outcomes.
... Clarke's (2013) analysis comprises empirical studies in a variety of industrial sectors and paves the way for further research into safety leadership in the construction industry (Grill et al., 2017). The construction industry is one of the economic sectors most challenged by occupational accidents, accounting for more than 20% of all occupational fatalities in Europe (Eurostat, 2017), and very few evidence-based safety solutions for the construction industry have been identified (Swuste et al., 2012;van der Molen et al., 2018). ...
... By combining several activities, the effect of each single activity may be inflated. Concerted actions have also been highlighted in contemporary organisational intervention research as the most efficient way to increase safety performance within construction (van der Molen et al., 2018). The results of the present study exemplify the leadership behaviours involved in executing efficient concerted actions: communicating and clarifying expectations, creating ownership through involvement, ensuring knowledge sharing about work progress, and providing continuous feedback on compliance to safety rules. ...
Article
Managerial leadership is an essential element in preventing occupational risk and increasing safety performance. The aim of the present study was to investigate construction site managers’ experiences of how their leadership practices influence safety performance at construction sites in order to expand present knowledge on the influence of leadership on occupational safety. The critical incident technique was applied in interviews with 37 construction site managers. The results provide detailed descriptions of how construction site managers both promote and impede construction site safety performance through their leadership behaviour. The core leadership behaviours involved in positively influencing safety were found to be continuous planning and coordination, role modelling, monitoring work and proactively correcting deviations. Negative safety leadership was found to emerge when site managers were subjected to positive feedback to meet deadlines, minimise costs and refrain from unpopular leadership behaviour. Positive safety leadership may therefore be encouraged by minimizing such feedback and/or providing site managers with positive feedback for engaging in planning, coordinating, role modelling, and monitoring. It may also be encouraged by training and coaching site managers to acknowledge their leadership responsibilities, to communicate clear expectations, to execute individual and collective risk-assessment, and to execute proactive monitoring and feedback procedures.
... To date, most integrated approaches for construction workers have been individual-based, or those provided through labor unions [24,26]. Many worksite-based safety interventions for construction worksites have focused on using simple campaigns (such as poster and leaflet educational material) [27,28], training programs [29,30], behavioral management programs [10,31,32], or new, task-specific ergonomic tools and methods [33,34]. The intervention, "All the Right Moves" (ARM) described in this study, tested a different approach based on integrated approaches promoted by The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Total Worker Health ® program. ...
... Other researchers in the construction industry have also found mixed findings with respect to improvements in pain and injury and perceived physical effort after implementing ergonomic interventions, including participatory ergonomics programs [33,[56][57][58]. In these studies, reasons for intervention failure were generally associated with the intervention not being delivered as intended or implemented at all of the sites [28,57]. In our study, intervention delivery occurred as per the protocol in four of the five sites during the intervention period. ...
Article
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This study evaluated the efficacy of an integrated Total Worker Health® program, “All the Right Moves”, designed to target the conditions of work and workers’ health behaviors through an ergonomics program combined with a worksite-based health promotion Health Week intervention. A matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted on ten worksites (five intervention (n = 324); five control sites (n = 283)). Worker surveys were collected at all sites pre- and post- exposure at one- and six-months. Linear and logistic regression models evaluated the effect of the intervention on pain and injury, dietary and physical activity behaviors, smoking, ergonomic practices, and work limitations. Worker focus groups and manager interviews supplemented the evaluation. After controlling for matched intervention and control pairs as well as covariates, at one-month following the ergonomics program we observed a significant improvement in ergonomic practices (B = 0.20, p = 0.002), and a reduction in incidences of pain and injury (OR = 0.58, p = 0.012) in the intervention group. At six months, we observed differences in favor of the intervention group for a reduction in physically demanding work (B = −0.25, p = 0.008), increased recreational physical activity (B = 35.2, p = 0.026) and higher consumption of fruits and vegetables (B = 0.87, p = 0.008). Process evaluation revealed barriers to intervention implementation fidelity and uptake, including a fissured multiemployer worksite, the itinerant nature of workers, competing production pressures, management support, and inclement weather. The All the Right Moves program had a positive impact at the individual level on the worksites with the program. For the longer term, the multi-organizational structure in the construction work environment needs to be considered to facilitate more upstream, long-term changes.
... As a result, work zone fatalities experienced a downward trend until 2011. However, fatality statistics suggest that these management strategies alone are not adequate to substantially reduce the high risk encountered at highway work zones [3]. An alarming upward trajectory in work zone fatalities was observed from 2013 to 2021. ...
... The Lpac method is an occupational risk assessment approach adapted to building construction processes. The values of the Lpac parameters are quantitative and determine the level of risk associated with the complexity of the work units, their place in the work, and their interdependence (Carpio et al., 2021a) in the documentary environment (Van der Molen et al., 2018); the level of risk regarding the particular characteristics of construction systems and preventive systems (Newaz et al., 2018) in the construction environment (García & Segovia, 2020); and, the level of risk characterized by the perception of the environment and the state of mind shown by workers (Ahn et al., 2020) in the social environment (Casey et al., 2017). The Lpac is structured in five phases based on an experienced technical analysis and an on-site psychosocial survey. ...
... However, the systematic literature review by Van Der Molen et al. (2018) found no evidence suggesting regulation enforcement, OHS promotion through campaign activities, inspections and occupational health services reduced or prevented injuries at work. Also, Jung and Makowsky (2013) claimed that state-and federal-controlled inspections, presidential and congressional party affiliations, economic conditions and union representations are some of the factors that might affect the outcome of the decisions about possible sanctions or penalties in cases of OHS infringements in the US. ...
Article
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Literature suggests occupational health & safety (OHS) relates to and influences overall worker wellbeing and indicates that respective labour legislation and inspections can contribute to better workplaces and organisational outcomes if applied effectively. Following two disastrous accidents in Bangladesh in 2012 and 2013, the country's Department of Inspection for Factories and Establishments (DIFE) was substantially reformed and strengthened to improve OHS and other wellbeing areas across the industry. Using the textile sector as a case study, the objective of this study was to compare the current levels of compliance amongst all areas inspected by DIFE, including OHS, and reveal the extent to which inspections produce uniform effects. The sample consisted of 201 inspection records from textile factories in 2019 and was subject to descriptive analysis and non-parametric statistical tests to detect significant variations and associations. The results revealed average compliance levels, with OHS ranking in the middle compared with the rest of the worker wellbeing aspects inspected. The statistical tests showed significant differences in the compliance scores amongst the inspected areas and occupational health items and highly dissimilar patterns of cross-factory and cross-section compliance levels. Overall, the highly variable picture across the textile industry suggests DIFE could not yet follow a risk-based approach by focusing on the weakest wellbeing areas. Nevertheless, recommendations for improvement include improving the inspection checklist, including psychological workplace factors in legislation, upskill and staffing levels of the inspectorate, technical and financial support to businesses, and continuous engagement with all stakeholders.
... Economic incentives to companies may reduce the rates of non-fatal injuries from falls, and multifaced interventions may significantly decrease the initial and sustained accident rate at company level, albeit not at regional scale. Whilst a multifaced drug-free workplace intervention at company level might decrease non-fatal injuries in the year following the implementation and to smaller extent also in the subsequent years, the implementation of occupational health services did not reduce fatal and non-fatal accidents [37]. ...
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Background. A national database of work related injuries was established in Italy since 2002, collecting information on the injured person, his/her work tasks, the workplace as well as risk factors contributing to accident dynamics, according to a model called Infor.Mo. Methods. The present is a qualitative description of occupational fatal injuries, excluding work-related fatal traffic injuries, that occurred in Italy from 2002 to 2016 (15 years). Results. 4,874 victims were registered, all were males, mainly of >51 years of age (50.5%), predominantly self-employed (27.8%) or workers with non-standard contracts (25%). About 18.4% and 17.3% of fatal accidents occurred in micro-enterprises belonging to, respectively, Construction and Agriculture. A wide range of nationalities (59 countries in addition to Italy) was identified. 18.9% work related fatal injuries were due to some form of dangerous energy ‒ mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical ‒ freely present in the workplace. Fall of workers from height (33.5%), heavy bodies falling on workers from height (16.7%) and vehicles exiting their route and overturning (15.9%) were the accidents causing the greatest proportion of occupational fatal injuries. The activity of the injured person made up 43.3% of 9,386 risk factors identified in 4,874 fatalities. Less common risk factors were related to: work equipment (20.2%); work environment (14.9%); the activity of third parties (9.8%); personal protective equipment/clothing (8.0%) and materials (3.7%). The activity of the injured person remained the most relevant contributing factor even when the accident was caused by two or more risk factors. Discussion. Occupational fatal injuries occurred mainly in small size firms. Small companies generally have less resources to catch up with the continuously evolving health and safety at work regulations; moreover, they tend to be less compliant with occupational health and safety regulations since are less likely to be inspected by occupational vigilance services. As a result, the enforcement of regulations to control the occupational risk factors of occupational injuries is seemingly costly and scarcely effective. An alternative approach that is being introduced in Italy relies on the use of economic incentives to promote safe and healthy workplaces.
... Overall, seven SRs investigated interventions for the prevention of occupational injuries. One review dealt with different interventions for the prevention of occupational injuries in the agricultural sector, 33 one SR examined the effects of interventions for the prevention of occupational injuries in the construction industry 34 and another review examined the effects of alcohol and drug screening of professional drivers on accidents. 35 Four SRs searched for safety products and practices in the health sector to prevent occupational injuries. ...
Article
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Objectives Occupational injuries and diseases are a huge public health problem and cause extensive suffering and loss of productivity. Nevertheless, many occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines are still not based on the best available evidence. In the last decade, numerous systematic reviews on behavioural, relational and mixed interventions to reduce occupational injuries and diseases have been carried out, but a comprehensive synopsis is yet missing. The aim of this overview of reviews is to provide a comprehensive basis to inform evidence-based decision-making about interventions in the field of OHS. Methods We conducted an overview of reviews. We searched MEDLINE (Ovid), the Cochrane Library (Wiley), epistemonikos.org and Scopus (Elsevier) for relevant systematic reviews published between January 2008 and June 2018. Two authors independently screened abstracts and full-text publications and determined the risk of bias of the included systematic reviews with the ROBIS (Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews) tool. Results We screened 2287 abstracts and 200 full-texts for eligibility. Finally, we included 25 systematic reviews with a low risk of bias for data synthesis and analysis. We identified systematic reviews on the prevention of occupational injuries, musculoskeletal, skin and lung diseases, occupational hearing impairment and interventions without specific target diseases. Several interventions led to consistently positive results on individual diseases; other interventions did not show any effects, or the studies are contradictory. We provide detailed results on all included interventions. Discussion To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive overview of behavioural, relational and mixed interventions and their effectiveness in preventing occupational injuries and diseases. It provides policymakers with an important basis for making evidence-based decisions on interventions in this field. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018100341
... In their study sample, the most frequent accident types were falls from height, contact with falling objects and contact with the moving parts of a machine. van der Molen et al 5 highlighted that more randomised controlled trials are needed to identify effective techniques for improving the occupational safety of construction sector workers. ...
Article
Background The construction industry has a high risk of occupational accidents and injuries. More randomised controlled trials are needed to identify effective techniques for improving the occupational safety of construction sector workers. New technologies such as virtual reality (VR) offer the potential to develop engaging learning tools for safety training. Although the number of VR applications in occupational safety training is increasing, only a few studies have evaluated the learning outcomes of VR safety training. Furthermore, previous studies indicate that learning to recognise human factors at work has positive outcomes for safety skills. However, there is lack of knowledge regarding the efficacy of human factors-related training in the construction industry. Objective To evaluate the efficacy and the implementation process of a VR-based safety training and a human factors-related safety training. Methods In Finland, 8 study organisations and approximately 130 construction sector workers will participate in a randomised controlled trial. The study participants will be randomly assigned to one of four intervention arms: (1) immersive VR safety training alone, (2) lecture-based safety training alone, (3) combined immersive VR safety training and HF Tool training or (4) combined lecture-based safety training and HF Tool training. We will test the efficacy of the safety training processes in these four arms. Randomisation of study participants is stratified by work experience. Baseline assessment will take place before randomisation. The short-term follow-up measurements of all study participants will be conducted immediately after the VR safety training and lecture-based safety training. The study participants will complete second measurements immediately after the HF Tool training approximately 1 month after previous safety training. The second measurement of the intervention arms 1 and 2 study participants will be conducted during the same week as that of the intervention arms 3 and 4 participants, who will not take part in the HF Tool training. Finally, semistructured individual interviews will be conducted to evaluate the learning process. Outcome measures Outcome measures include safety knowledge, safety locus of control, safety self-efficacy, perceived control over safety issues, safety-related outcome expectancies, safety motivation and safety performance. Discussion Study results will provide knowledge on the efficacy of VR safety training and human factors-related safety training. Furthermore, study provides knowledge on pedagogical techniques that can be used to guide future intervention plans and development. Trial registration number ISRCTN55183871 .
... Nowadays underdeveloped nations are excited to avail possibilities of online learning to convey actual cost, easily accessible and modern education of all ages and people backgrounds and geography. In the modern era, where the workers with good education are preferred as compared with workers with less knowledge and lifetime learning is realized as key to the nonstop achievement of modern civilization [2,3]. E-learning is compared by many as the feasible solution to the problem providing the funds mandatory to smooth lifetime learning [4,5]. ...
Conference Paper
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Learning technology was used as standalone software to install in a particular system, which needs to buy learning software of a particular subject. It was costly and difficult to search CD/DVD of the particular program in the market. Nowadays the trend of learning is changed and people are learning via the internet and it is known as Electronic Learning (E-learning). Several e-learning web applications are available which are providing more stuff about students and it fulfills requirements. The aim of this paper is to present a well-structured, user-friendly framework with the web application for e-learning, which does not need any subscription. The experiment was conducted with 691 students and teachers, the result shows 91.98% of participants were satisfied with the proposed E-learning system.
... 7 Improving Safety, Health, and Well-Being in Construction Federal and state safety requirements and regular safety inspections, designing construction projects for safety, 8 development of safety plans for construction projects, and regular toolbox safety talks 9,10 have contributed to the substantial reduction in deaths and injuries over the years in the construction industry. 11 Scientific studies of the effectiveness of specific safety training interventions for construction workers have not met with much success, 12,13 although Yu et al 14 recently demonstrated convincingly that participatory training reduced injury rates in construction workers. Although there are national initiatives to stimulate increases in workplace wellness programs in construction, 15 results are typically reported as case studies and not evaluated with systematic research methods. ...
Article
Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 14-week Total Worker Health (TWH) intervention designed for construction crews. Methods: Supervisors (n = 22) completed computer-based training and self-monitoring activities on team building, work-life balance, and reinforcing targeted behaviors. Supervisors and workers (n = 13) also completed scripted safety and health education in small groups with practice activities. Results: The intervention led to significant (P < 0.05) improvements in family-supportive supervisory behaviors (d = 0.72). Additional significant improvements included reported frequency of exercising 30 minutes/day and muscle toning exercise (d = 0.50 and 0.59), family and coworker healthy diet support (d = 0.53 and 0.59), team cohesion (d = 0.38), reduced sugary snacks and drinks (d = 0.46 and d = 0.46), sleep duration (d = 0.38), and objectively-measured systolic blood pressure (d = 0.27). Conclusion: A TWH intervention tailored for construction crews can simultaneously improve safety, health, and well-being.
... In contrast to the BoK approach we would argue that the OHS domain is far from a unified body of knowledge and is best described as an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary area of knowledge with many contested areas. Furthermore, much of the current practice of OHS appears to be based on a relatively low and undeveloped evidence base, for example see Cochrane Summaries on construction 22 , back pain 23 , occupational stress 24 and pre-employment screening 25 . ...
Article
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Over the last few years the Safety Institute of Australia (SIA) has developed and implemented a number of strategies to gain professional status for the 'generalist occupational health and safety professional'. Two of the most significant developments have been the publication of the 'Core Body of Knowledge for the Generalist OHS Professional.' and the accreditation of university OHS courses. Despite a considerable amount of work aimed at gaining professional status there has not been any public debate or reflection about how the professionalisation project may impact on OHS and how the project is being conducted. Professionalisation has been vigorously promoted as a sign of maturity for the SIA and which will provide unmitigated benefits for workplace health and safety. The aim of this paper is to critically reflect on the processes of professionalisation (the professional project) and discuss some of the ways in which this project may shape the field of occupational health and safety. The implications for the role of universities will also be discussed.
Article
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Indonesia's rapidly growing construction industry is a key economic driver, presenting both challenges and opportunities for graduates of the Building Engineering Education Program. Higher education plays a crucial role in developing competent human resources with the relevant knowledge, skills, and expertise to meet industry needs. This study maps the qualifications of technicians and analysts based on the Indonesian National Work Competency Standards (SKKNI) in the construction sector and analyzes the alignment of competency units with Building Engineering Education State University of Jakarta course outcomes. The analysis of SKKNI data from 2024 found that out of 71 job levels in the building subclassification, 14 are for technicians or analysts at KKNI levels 4 to 6, but only 10 have detailed SKKNI documents. In the construction management classification, there are 39 job levels, with 16 for technicians/analysts, all with detailed SKKNI documents. The analysis indicates that 11 job levels are relevant to Building Engineering Education course outcomes, while two are not. Specifically, several job levels in both subclassifications are rated from Relevant to Very Relevant. To address curriculum gaps, recommendations include strengthening the existing curriculum and adding new courses. This study aims to provide a foundation for curriculum revitalization, ensuring Building Engineering Education graduates are competitive in the labor market and meet the evolving needs of the construction industry.
Article
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Introduction The integration of engineering approaches in education and training is pivotal for reducing workplace incidents. Effective safety education increases workers' awareness of potential risks and fosters a robust Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) culture. Virtual reality (VR) offers immersive experiences that enhance the efficacy of safety training. Method This study evaluated VR's effectiveness through two experiments that demonstrated improved learning capacities. The first study employed quantitative methods and quasi-experiments with electrical sector technical support professionals. The second study used a qualitative approach with scenario case studies involving graduate students. Results The quantitative study revealed significant improvements in OSH understanding among electrical workers, highlighting VR-based training's superiority over traditional methods. The qualitative study found positive outcomes in VR usability and user experience among graduate students, affirming VR's effectiveness in OSH education. Conclusion VR has proven to be an effective and efficient training tool for both graduate students and experienced workers. It significantly advances skills, knowledge, and proficiency in electrical engineering by providing realistic, immersive, and tailored learning experiences. As VR technology continues to evolve, its role in shaping the future of electrical technical education and training appears increasingly promising.
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Background Unsafe and unhealthy working conditions lead to injuries and financial losses across the globe, resulting in a need for research into effective work environment interventions. Objectives The objective of this evidence and gap map (EGM) is to provide an overview of existing systematic reviews and primary studies examining the effects of occupational health and safety regulatory interventions. Search Methods Relevant studies are identified through searches in published and unpublished literature performed up to January 2023. Selection Criteria The population for this EGM is workers above the age of 15 and their workplaces within the OECD. We include randomised controlled trials, non‐randomised studies with a comparison of two or more groups of participants, and systematic reviews of effects. Data Collection and Analysis The map has been populated based on information about interventions and outcomes, study design, OECD country, and publication status. We have performed critical appraisal of included systematic reviews using an adjusted version of the AMSTAR‐2 tool. Main Results The included studies for this report consist of six systematic reviews, 28 primary effect studies, and three on‐going studies. The interactive map shows that the largest cluster of studies is located in the inspection activity domain, while the sickness absence outcome domain and the intervention categories for training initiatives and formulation of regulatory standards are only scarcely populated. Additionally, the AMSTAR‐appraisal suggests a lack of rigorous systematic reviews and meta‐analyses. Authors’ Conclusions More research in the form of primary studies and rigorous systematic reviews is needed to provide stakeholders with better guidance as to what constitutes the most efficient regulatory approaches to improve the work environment.
Article
Little is known of the scale of avoidable injuries presenting to medical services on a national level in the UK. This study aimed to assess the type and incidence of preventable wrist and hand injuries (as defined by the core research team) at a national level in the UK. 28 UK hospitals undertook a service evaluation of all hand trauma cases presenting to their units over a 2 week period in early 2021 identifying demographical and aetiological information about injuries sustained. 1909 patients were included (184 children) with a median age of 40 (IQR 25-59) years. The commonest five types of injury were fractures of the wrist; single phalangeal or metacarpal fractures; fingertip injuries; and infection, with the most common mechanisms being mechanical falls and manual labour. This is the first extensive survey of preventable hand injuries in the UK, identifying a need for further work into prevention to reduce healthcare burden and cost. 50% of injuries presenting to hand surgeons are preventable, with the most common injuries being single fractures of the wrist, phalanx and metacarpal. Few preventable injuries were related to alcohol or narcotic intoxication. Further research is needed to identify how to initiate injury prevention measures for hand injuries, particularly focussed towards hand fracture prevention.
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Struck-by accidents are the leading cause of injuries in highway construction work zones. Despite numerous safety interventions, injury rates remain high. As workers’ exposure to traffic is sometimes unavoidable, providing warnings can be an effective way to prevent imminent threats. Such warnings should consider work zone conditions that can hinder the timely perception of alerts, e.g., poor visibility and high noise level. This study proposes a vibrotactile system integrated into workers’ conventional personal protective equipment (PPE), i.e., safety vests. Three experiments were conducted to assess the feasibility of using vibrotactile signals to warn workers in highway environments, the perception and performance of vibrotactile signals at different body locations, and the usability of various warning strategies. The results revealed vibrotactile signals had a 43.6% faster reaction time than audio signals, and the perceived intensity and urgency levels on the sternum, shoulders, and upper back were significantly higher than the waist. Among different notification strategies used, providing a moving direction imposed significantly lower mental workloads and higher usability scores than providing a hazard direction. Further research should be conducted to reveal factors that affect alerting strategy preference towards a customizable system to elicit higher usability among users.
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The consequences of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have given rise to unforeseen psychosocial risks in project management (PM) practices in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) project organizations, resulting in a decline in mental health among PM practitioners. This decline in mental health among PM-practitioners is considered to be a significant problem with substantial economic and social effects. Given the negative effects of poor mental health on projects, identification of causes and proper interventions to tackle this problem becomes vital. Several studies have been conducted to explore these risks and organizational interventions for poor mental health. However, the existence of COVID-19- related psychosocial threats had limited the capacity of traditional interventions. The development of organizational interventions requires the capture of the sources of the risks that can trigger poor mental health. There is scant research focused on improving the mental health status of PM-practitioners in the AEC project organizations during and after the pandemic. This study aims to identify the mental health status of PM-practitioners in the AEC project organizations and define ways to improve it. This has been achieved through a close examination of COVID-19 psychosocial risks, an exploration of organizational interventions and the development of a psychosocial risk management framework.
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Purpose: Injury prevention is important. Injury as a result of an accident carries with it huge cost to the individual and society including health services costs. Understanding the mechanism of injury is important to identify those injuries that are preventable. The aim of this study was to assess how many acute orthopaedic injuries were preventable should reasonable human interventions have been taken Methods: This prospective study was performed in a UK district general hospital that serves a population of 500,000 people. All patients referred to the Orthopaedic department over 4 weeks between 16th November and 14th December, 2020 were reviewed. Data were collected about the mechanism of injury, patient demographics, injury type, injury location, treatment and length of stay in hospital. The mechanisms of injury were analysed thematically. Results: We assessed 605 patient attendances. 502 patients sustained 516 acute traumatic injuries. Preventable injuries were common, accounting for 23.9% of all referrals. The upper limb was most commonly injured with the hand and forearm being injured 33% of the time. Of the preventable injuries 35% were treated operatively. Thematic analysis identified common mechanisms of: occupational related, stairs, RTA, cycling, alcohol related, trampoline, DIY and assault. Conclusion: This study identifies that a large proportion of acute orthopaedic injuries are potentially preventable meaning this is an important area for further study. Occupation injuries were identified as an area in which there is the greatest scope to reduce the number of preventable accidents.
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Construction project organization is a stressful working environment that exposes project management practitioners (PMPs) to poor mental health, which is a significant social and economic problem in Australia. The New South Wales (NSW) government, Australia government launched training on how businesses can attain mentally healthy workplaces through indicators for mental healthiness evaluation of project organization, where construction projects are executed. While acknowledging the significance of NSW initiative in promoting mentally healthy construction project environments, indicator assessment tool to assist construction businesses in NSW in evaluating mental healthiness of construction project environments is lacking. The paucity of an assessment tool for mentally healthy construction project environment prevented detection of unprecedented risk inimical to the mental health of project management practitioners in NSW, Australia. In this regard, this paper aims to develop an indicator assessment tool in the form of a data spreadsheet, using mental health indicators. Mental health assessment tool would assist project managers and stakeholders to accurately and reliably evaluate the mental healthiness of their construction project organisations in NSW, Australia. More importantly, with the mental health assessment tool, project managers can compare the mental health status of different project organisations on the same basis. The paper adopted systematic literature review to identify indicators for mentally healthy environments from various sectors to build a user-friendly indicators assessment tool for evaluating mental health level of construction project organizations.
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The COVID-19 outbreak is the greatest global health crisis in many years. It has had a dramatic effect on workforces and workplaces all around the world, as it has spawned a massive change in the working atmosphere and raised the level of employees’ concerns about their mental health and physical wellbeing. The construction industry has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and has been challenged to improve the safety and wellbeing of its workforce. The objectives of this study are to identify the health and safety issues that construction workers have encountered during the pandemic and to recommend management strategies to combat them. A thorough literature search on recently published literature, industry experiences, reports, and other related documents was performed to collect and categorize the required data. Seventeen COVID-19 challenges were identified and classified into five categories, and the results revealed that the lack of a safe environment in the workplace, heavy workloads, home situations, and concerns about job stability often contribute to anxiety, depression, and even suicide. Eleven strategies were identified to overcome these challenges, and the results demonstrated that redefining worksite safety by placing signs, ensuring a safe distance between workers, providing sanitizers and washing stations in the fields, and utilizing effective technologies would enhance project productivity while keeping workers safe. The findings of this study will help the project managers and authorities in the construction industry understand the challenges of the pandemic and adopt effective strategies that will improve the health and safety of their workforce.
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[NB available as open access at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hfm.20882] Construction has been significantly affected by COVID-19 yet is critical to the post-COVID economic recovery. Specifically, construction needs to be constantly aware of safety and risk balanced with timely project delivery. Guidance for COVID-19 must therefore be implemented in a way that reflects working practice and pressures. There is, however, a potential knowledge gap regarding the practical feasibility and impact of applying COVID-19 measures within construction, made more difficult by factors such as the temporary nature of projects and complex working arrangements. This paper presents a commentary on safe construction during, and beyond, COVID-19, covering the human factors challenges and practicalities of implementing COVID-19 measures. We observe that while guidance is strong on risk management, understanding of how best to implement this guidance is not yet stable. Also, care must be taken that implementing guidance does not detract from general safety, which is also challenged by increased pressures on delivery arising from COVID-19. There may, however, be opportunities for safer working practice arising from new awareness of health, hygiene and safety risk. The role of safety leadership is overlooked in guidance yet is vital to ensure safe application of COVID-19 working practices. The key message is that COVID-19 needs to be integrated and promoted within a general risk management approach, in part because this takes account of differing priorities regarding safety risks, rather than overly focussing on COVID-19, and also because the effectiveness of COVID-19 mitigations can be amplified by integration with pre-existing safety processes. [NB available as open access at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hfm.20882]
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Working at heights includes ladders, scaffolds and platforms roof, and working over tanks and pits, at the edge of elevated structures, or on top of vehicles or trailers. Falling from heights, especially from buildings, is a significant public health problem and is responsible for many serious and fatal injuries. Are such falls described in the Bible? What are the consequences of falling from a height? How can we deal with this disaster? How can such falls be prevented? Biblical texts which describe a fall from a building were examined and the verses were studied from a contemporary viewpoint.
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Purpose: Occupational safety and health (OSH) risks in construction of healthy housing (HH) have not been examined and collaboration between HH and OSH professionals is inadequate. The World Health Organization is developing international HH guidelines and the International Labour Organization is working to improve OSH in construction globally. Methods: We searched for exemplary reports (including gray literature) on construction hazards; preventive measures for occupants and workers; OSH frameworks, laws, and regulations; definitions; and HH. Results: Healthy housing construction typically improves ventilation, moisture and mold, pest control, injury hazards, cleanability, maintenance, accessibility, thermal conditioning, and avoidance of toxic building materials. To date, this work is done without explicit requirements for worker health. Construction is among the most hazardous sectors around the globe, although protective measures are well known, including engineering and administrative controls and provision of personal protective equipment. Residential construction, renovation, repair, and maintenance are fragmented, consisting mostly of small companies without proper OSH training, equipment, and knowledge of HH principles. Residential construction is often undertaken by informal or unauthorized workers, putting them at high risk. Reduced exposure to toxic building materials is an example of a benefit for both workers and occupants if OSH and HH collaboration can be improved. By recognizing that homes under new construction or renovation are both a workplace and a residence, HH and OSH initiatives can apply public health principles to occupants and workers simultaneously. This article publishes key definitions, hazards and interventions common to both fields. Conclusions: A global increase in residential construction and renewed global interest in HH poses both risks and opportunities for primary prevention. Policy and practice interventions can benefit the health of occupants and those who work on their homes. Improvements in legislation, regulation, and international frameworks are needed to maximize OSH and HH collaboration and realize significant cobenefits. Occupational safety and health and HH standards should include requirements to protect both workers and occupants. Because homes can also be workplaces, both workers and housing occupants will receive important cobenefits when OSH and HH standards use proven interventions to protect workers and occupants.
Roger Haslam commented on all drafts of the review and assisted with the data collection. In the first review, Marika Lehtola was involved in the conception of the protocol, designing and running the searches, the inclusion of studies and the data extraction
  • Peter Hoonakker
  • Marika Lehtola
  • Jorma Lappalainen
Peter Hoonakker, Marika Lehtola, Jorma Lappalainen, Roger Haslam commented on all drafts of the review and assisted with the data collection. In the first review, Marika Lehtola was involved in the conception of the protocol, designing and running the searches, the inclusion of studies and the data extraction.
Hongwei Hsiao are acknowledged for their contributions up to the first update of the review
  • Andrew Hale
Andrew Hale and Hongwei Hsiao are acknowledged for their contributions up to the first update of the review.