Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2005 / Workers in the construction industry are often exposed to ergonomic challenges. Some of
the most unfavourable ergonomic practices include bending and twisting of the body,
lifting and handling of heavy materials and equipment. Working above shoulder and head
and below the knee levels. Despite provisions made in various legislations about
compliance with the health and safety of the construction workforce, many employers
still do not comply and are not changing the way construction activities are carried out. It
was argued that some of the unfavourable ergonomic challenges such as repetitive and
awkward work routines might lead to strains, sprains, musculo-skeletal disorders and
carpal tunnel syndrome and that these problems could contribute to absenteeism and
reduced site productivity.
This study sought to establish the pervasiveness of ergonomic challenges and the
extent to which the construction workforce are exposed to these challenges. Empirical
studies using the philosophically positivistic paradigm and epistemologically objectivist
method of on-site observation of construction workforce activity were conducted on
purposively chosen samples of bricklayers, plasterers, painters and their helpers. The
purpose remained to count and record body movements of the said workers over 30
minute intervals. Alongside the observations, interviews were conducted to establish
what views and perceptions the workmen had with regard to the effect their daily work
had on their bodies.
The results revealed that the extent and effect of unfavourable ergonomic exposures
vary from trade to trade. For instance, bricklayers bent their bodies more than any other
worker while plasterers did more work below the knee than their counterparts. In the
same vein painters stretched their bodies and worked above their shoulders and heads
more than their counterparts.
Further extrapolation of the data over the working life of the tradesmen and their
helpers exposed the magnitude of the ergonomic exposures and the likely effects that
these exposures would have on their bodies and health. For instance, the bricklayer and
plasterer would have to bend and twist their bodies a record 5 million times in their 20 year
working lives. The painter would be exposed to 3 million and 4 million times
respectively of bending and twisting his/her body within the same 20-year period. The main conclusion was that currently construction activity exposes the workforce
to unprecedented unfavourable ergonomic practices. The recommendations were that
management should take the health and safety of their workforce seriously and that the
worker cohort should have direct intervention into the design and implementation of
favourable ergonomic work practices at their workface.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/1050 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Samuels, William Martin Abraham |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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