M.Tech (Construction Management) / Many construction companies are beginning to realize the value of their employees. Employees are to a large extent the engine of the organisation. Todays employees are under a lot of pressure and stress from home and at the construction sites. The construction industry just like any other industry, is faced with the challenges of dealing with personal as well as work related problems. These problems they have effect on job performance. An Employee assistance Programme is a programme that is utilized to resolve personal and work related programme. An EAP can be defined as a programme that is designed to deal with the personal and work related problems of employees and their family member, which may be impacting on productivity and social functioning. EAP has to be based on the special needs and interest of employees, who will be served by such a programme needs for assessment is important to ensure that the EAP closely matches the needs of the employees.

Ethics is not a new or modern discipline. It was developed thousands of years ago and still remains relevant today. Ethics is applied in all spheres of modern life from philosophy to business and religious environments and even around dinner table conversations. It is applicable to all areas of life. This research is aimed at investigating whether ethical conduct among new entry level emerging contractors can contribute to and ensure their sustainable competitiveness within the South African construction industry. This research is also aimed at determining whether education and knowledge of entrepreneurship, business, project and construction management and building contracts can contribute to new entry level emerging contractors’ ethical conduct and sustainable competitiveness. The literature reviewed and results of quantitative and qualitative research amongst professional consultants in South Africa formed the basis of the study. Ethics is a sensitive topic within the industry and therefor it is difficult to gather data directly from contractors, as they are reluctant to participate in fear of revealing their identities and having it negatively influencing their personal and business credentials. Therefor unbiased respondents who were not directly linked to emerging contractors and who were unafraid to give objective opinions were questioned. These unbiased respondents included consultants within the industry. The study revealed that ethics is an important factor in any business environment and that the correct application thereof can partially contribute to the sustainable competitiveness of new entry level emerging contractors and this in turn can promote the long term survival of a business. Furthermore, knowledge of good management practices and building contracts can contribute to a successfully run business. However, the average new entry level emerging contractor has insufficient experience and knowledge of the management of construction projects, as well as building contracts.

spending is regarded to be one of the major contributors to economic growth. The purpose of the study was to investigate how infrastructure projects could engender professional skills development. The topic is focused on a human resource (HR) perspective as it is one of the knowledge areas in project management. In order to achieve the research objectives and also establish the breadth of the subject issues in the literature review, a qualitative methodology was employed. Interviews were conducted and the majority of the participants were working towards professional registration in the built environment professions. The empirical findings that emerged from the study show that the majority of the respondents agreed that HR units should be aware of the legislation related to professional training and education. The interviewees further elucidate that, although professional registration is the primary duty of the candidate, HR units should ensure that interns are doing what is in line with their professional requirements, according to different councils, to ensure compliance. However, the lack of a structured approach in administering training programmes is a key factor that contributes to the lack of development of professional skills on government sponsored infrastructure projects. This must be addressed to attain the desired professional development outcomes among historically disadvantaged individuals (HDIs) that are keen on professional registration and development in the built environment professions. Other empirical findings showed that most of the respondents showed some concern regarding job security with their present employment. They explained that once the status of professional registration is attained, securing employment in the industry should be relatively easy. South Africa needs a highly skilled workforce to ensure growth of the economy therefore HR departments in organisation should adapt a systematic approach in their HR planning in order to ensure skills are engendered to HDIs as well.

Varje år rapporteras bullerrelaterade arbetsskador från byggsektorn till arbetsmiljöverket. Studien är utförd med syfte att utreda hur bullerrelaterade arbetsskador i byggbranschen kan minskas med hjälp av nya metoder, både innan och under pågående projekt. Metoderna kan implementeras under projekteringsstadiet eller ute i byggproduktionen. Studien har utrett frågan om hur arbetsmiljön kan förbättras med avseende på buller på byggarbetsplatser.Metodiken i studien bestod av kvalitativa och kvantitativa intervjuer samt en kvantitativ enkätundersökning. Intervjuerna besvarade av tjänstemän som dagligen hanterar projekterings- och planeringsfrågor inom Skanska Direkt AB. Yrkesrollerna bland respondenterna var arbetsledare, produktionschefer och ett skyddsombud. Enkätundersökningarna besvarades av yrkesarbetare där majoriteten tillhörde Skanska Direkt AB. Ljudmätningar har utförts på sex arbetsmoment, på totalt tre arbetsplatser, för att kontrollera om arbetsmiljön ute på byggarbetsplatserna är bullriga. Stödjande teori till studien var formler och begrepp inom akustik samt Arbetsmiljöverkets insats- och gränsvärden.Mätresultaten från arbetsmomenten visade att Arbetsmiljöverkets gränsvärden uppnåddes och att byggarbetsplatserna som undersöktes är bullriga. Samtliga yrkesarbetare ansåg att de dagligen arbetar i en bullrig miljö. Vidare konstaterades att buller inte beaktas i någon större omfattning under projekteringen av byggprojekt såväl som i byggproduktionen. Däremot ansågs behovet finnas. Majoriteten av respondenterna från enkätundersökningen och intervjuerna ansåg att hörselskydd ska vara en del av den obligatoriska skyddsutrustningen på byggarbetsplatserna. Införandet ansågs även ha en stor påverkan till förebyggandet av bullerrelaterade arbetsskador. Resultatet från intervjuerna visade att ökad kunskap generellt kring buller och dess risker, till exempel via online-utbildningar, hade minskat bullerrelaterade arbetsskador. Även fler bullerinriktade arbetsberedningar bör utföras i byggproduktionen. Två tekniska åtgärder gällande bullret på byggarbetsplatserna, som respondenterna från intervjuerna var positiva till, var införandet av bullerskydd och bullermätare. Resultatet visade även att det inte sker någon systematisk uppföljning av ljudnivåer på byggarbetsplatserna. Idag finns inte heller någon metod för att följa upp arbetsmiljön med avseende buller efter avslutade byggprojekt. Resultatet är generellt tillämpbart i hela byggbranschen.Slutsatsen kan dras att en mer bullerinriktad projektering bör göras, där man bland annat identifierar och tillämpar alternativa arbetsmetoder, material och verktyg för att minska bullernivåerna på byggarbetsplatserna. Ett införande av hörselskydd, som en del av den obligatoriska säkerhetsutrustningen på Skanska Sverige AB, behöver utredas vidare.Vidare konstaterades att en mer bullerinriktad planering på byggarbetsplatserna bör göras, där bullerinriktade arbetsberedningar är en lösning. En bullermätare på byggarbetsplatser är även en lösning. Bullerskydd, med uppgift att aktivt dämpa bullret, måste utredas vidare. / Every year noise-related injuries from the construction industry are reported to the Swedish Work Environment Authority. The purpose of this study was to examine how noise-related injuries could be reduced using new methods before and during ongoing projects. This study examined how the working environment can be improved regarding noise at the construction sites.The methodology used in this study consisted of a combination of qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys. The noise levels from six different work operations was examined to verify that the sound levels in construction sites in fact are noisy. The study is based on formulas and concepts in acoustics, as well as the Swedish Work Environment Authorities input and limit values related to noise.The results from the noise measurements showed that the limit values set by the Swedish Work Environment Authority was reached. The interviews showed that noise was not considered to any great extent in the planning or during ongoing production of a building project. Most of the respondents, both from the interviews and surveys, assessed that making ear protection a part of the mandatory protective equipment would reduce the noise related injuries.The results concluded that a more noise related planning should be implemented in construction projects. The noise related planning should identify alternative working methods, materials and tools leading to a reduction of noise. Making ear protection a mandatory protective equipment requires a further investigation. At the construction sites more noise- oriented work preparations should be held. Furthermore, education about noise could reduce the noise-related injuries.

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The architect’s main tool of representation, parallel projection drawing, can be described as the architect's way of "tracing the shadow of an imagined future". This shadow however, is bigger than the lines we put on paper. If we turn around and face the “behind” of the built, we find ourselves in front of a group of construction workers. “Parallel” and “shadow” are here no longer terms of architectural representation, but rather describes a shadow society existing in parallel to Swedish welfare. With the barracks conceived as infrastructure rather than homes, their inhabitants are being made invisible. Under the pretext "temporary", a lower standard of living is here excused. But workers tend to move from one temporary solution to the other, with the barrack and its shortcomings as a permanent backdrop to their lives.   This book is an effort to begin tracing the shadow of the architect's work, highlight the architecture indirectly produced, and begin a discussion on how to improve construction workers' living situation from an architectural  perspective.

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This study focuses on the mechanisms through which systems of inequality operate in relationship to health and disablement processes. Using quantitative data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1979 and qualitative data from in-depth interviews with twelve construction workers in the southeastern United States, this study evaluates the relationships among race, class, gender, and occupation in the health of male construction workers. More specifically, this research examines white working-class masculinity in the context of working within the construction industry, and in relationship to health and disability processes. Each chapter in this dissertation focuses on one of three primary research questions. First, how do race, class, gender, and occupation shape the health of construction workers? Second, how does working-class masculinity and occupation affect patterns of disablement among construction workers, and how do they experience these processes? And finally, how do social inequalities shape bodies? This study finds that race, class, gender, and occupation all play multiple roles in the health and disablement processes of workers. These findings also suggest that a re-conceptualization of disability as a process is necessary to best reflect the experiences associated with occupational disability. Finally, these findings point to the body as a social process, with direct ties to the larger social structure and systems of inequality. This study extends our conceptualizations of health, disablement, and the body as processes. In addition, it illuminates the mechanisms through which systems of complex inequalities operate to create health disparities. / Ph. D.

by Chan Ka-leung and Wong King. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1989. / Bibliography: leaves 92-94.

published_or_final_version / Real Estate and Construction / Master / Master of Science in Construction Project Management