Musculoskeletal Disorders in Construction Health and Safety Management - Report Example

Musculoskeletal Disorders in Construction Health and Safety Management Executive Summary The construction industry demandsphysical working in which heavy loads as well as the working tools are handled as the daily norm. The physical or manual labour within the construction and building industry is mainly accomplished in uncomfortable working position. This makes the construction workers at a high risk of contracting occupational injuries. The introduction outlines the background information about the construction industry, which makes its workers more prone to occupational injuries, particularly MSDs. Further, the aspects of MSDs in construction industry are discussed, which includes the prevalence rates, the causes and its effects on the society. Thereafter, the solutions and the mitigation measures to the MSDs within the industry are provided. Eventually, the discussion and conclusion part highlights the major points derived from the report as a summary. Musculoskeletal Disorders in Construction Health and Safety Management Introduction Working in the construction industry is demanding physically to the employees because of the frequent need to handle heavy loads and working tools. Work environment as well as work organization within the construction industry is changing constantly across the globe. The industry is unlike other industries because of the continual changes in work organization and setting. Most of the duties performed within the construction industry are accomplished in poor and uncomfortable positions. As a result, the construction workers are among individuals at high risk of contracting occupation health injuries. Health risk and safety management within the construction industry poses exceptional challenges because of the nature of the industry. The occupational injuries and their related costs are excessively represented in the construction segment of the general work population. The majority of injuries and diseases affecting the construction employees are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). These disorders take the form of sprains and strains classified as acute or chronic. The chronic disorders are always described in terms of cumulative trauma disorders and repetitive strain injuries. The best approach of handling the MSDs as an occupational health and safety risk is through strong emphasis on prevention, safety at work as well as early recognition as a means of optimal health and safety risk management. Musculoskeletal disorders is discussed and explored critically as a prevalent health and safety issue in construction industry. The background information of the main causes of the MSDs in construction industry is provided in the introduction section of the report. Further, the theoretical or conceptual underpinnings of the health and safety aspects of MSDs in construction industry are explored in detail through logical arguments that are developed well. After which, the mitigation measures and the most appropriate resolutions and recommendations on how to deal with the occupational health and safety challenge is presented. Finally, the report discusses the main findings and trends within the construction trade on the issue of MSDs health and safety risk. The conclusion will provide the major research findings and the possible resolutions to the problem. Aspects of Musculoskeletal Disorders Health and Safety in Construction Industry According to Hughes and Ferrett (2010, p. 420), the construction industry covers several activities from small to large scale projects. The industry is dominated by sub-contractors at almost every level. Following increased construction and building across the country, there is increased possibility that almost every individual is aware or involved with some element of construction work in his or her workplace through repairs and modifications among other ways. It is essential for the health and safety practitioners to possess some fundamental knowledge of health and safety hazards in such occupations (Hess, Weinstein, & Welch, 2010, p. 448). The accidents and ailments within the construction industry across the world are challenging to quantify because of a general lack of information and statistics on the MSDs. Notwithstanding, according to the International Labour Organizations international estimates in 2003, the occupational health and safety management in construction industry is appalling such that 17% of the global occupational fatalities were recorded, representing approximately 60 000 of the 355 000 deaths recorded. According to the report findings, in certain countries across the world, MSDs is accounted for in almost 30% of the people working in construction industry (Hughes & Ferrett, 2010, p. 420). MDSs are a prioritized area in the management of occupation health and safety risks across Europe. There is an increased trend in the MSDs across the European countries. The health, social and economic impacts of such occupational health risks are very high. It has affected areas like management of workforce and hindered work productivity because of the increased ageing of the workforce population among other factors (Douillet, 2000, p. 4). In United Kingdom for example, in 2011/2012, 439 000 employees within the construction industry were approximated to be suffering from MSDs because of either their present or past occupations. The MSDs impacted the economy of the country such that approximately 7.5 million occupational days were wasted in 2011/2012 alone. For each of the individuals reportedly suffering from occupational MSDs, 17 working days were spent away from work. Construction and building occupations are among the leading employments with high prevalence rates for MSDs in UK. In addition, the construction industry reported the highest rate of individuals affected by occupational MSDs across the country (Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, n.d.). According to the statistics provided by Health and Safety Executive in 2011/2012, the MSDs trend in UK is reducing as from 2001/2002. The construction industry has a high prevalence rate of occupational MSDs because of the nature of work such that the main activities accomplished include manual labour, uncomfortable and tiring work postures, which are engaged in continually and frequently (Health and Safety Executive, 2012, p. 2). The poor health and safety management witnessed in the construction trade is because of the nature of its operation. The industry hardly offers a steady employment to its personnel, and this makes it challenging to assess the employment history of its employees, including the injuries, hazard exposures and the use of personal protective equipment in certain cases. The construction sites require that the employees move from place to place across the sites as work assignments change. The employees are often out of employment, and may have several employers within a year. The workers are afraid of relating their health and safety problems with their occupations because of the possibility of losing on their employment. The practitioners within the construction industry under recognized occupational health and safety management because of a reluctance to make a correlation between the occupational ailments of their employees and the work environment (Coble, Haupt, & Hinze, 2000, p. 68). Working conditions within the construction industry are important to ensuring health and safety of employees working therein. The adverse working conditions in the construction industry, which contribute to occupational hazards, should be changed to improve the safety and health management standards for the workers (Joyston-Bechal, Grice, & Dering, 2004, p. 63). Health and safety management within the construction industry is fundamental because ill-health of the workers employed in the industry have been a major problem. Throughout the history, less effort has been directed towards health issues, unlike the immediate safety problems. Ill-health experienced by most of the construction workers in UK continually disables as well as kills many construction personnel. The delays in the health effects, such as MSDs, becoming serious among the construction workers affected is a major reason as to why the issue of health and safety management should be taken seriously, addressing and mitigating its effects on the labour force (Alistair, Gyi, & Thompson, 1999, p. 1). The MSDs safety and health issues prevalent within the construction industry should be addressed conclusively because of the increasing costs of employee ill-health. The industry suffers from the occupational safety issues in form of MSDs through loss of production, increased insurance and health costs, frequent recruitments and re-trainings as well as compensations to some of the affected workers. Collectively, the economy of UK loses approximately 12 billion pounds annually because of ill-health costs contributed to by the MSDs in construction industry (Alistair, Gyi, & Thompson, 1999, p. 3). Furthermore, the occupational health and safety issues within the industry should be managed appropriately because the managers and the employers have a responsibility to manage them. The construction clients and constructors have a fundamental responsibility under the common and statutory law to develop health risk management systems for their employees. These systems should be established on full and careful appraisal of the construction health and safety risks to which all workers, including the sub-contracted ones, are exposed to (Alistair, Gyi, & Thompson, 1999, p. 4). According to Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, Work and Pensions Committee (2004,p. 19), the construction industry had instituted appropriate efforts and measures in ensuring that health and safety management is achieved through setting industry targets that were more challenging that those detailed in the national strategy statement. Nevertheless, the report was sceptical as to whether the industry would accomplish the targets they had set for themselves. The industry stakeholders and practitioners should engage in a multi-aspect enhancement within the construction workplace because this measure would help reduce occupational health injuries like MSDs. MSDs like back pains accounts for the main ill-health compensations (Rwamamara, Lagerqvist, Olofsson, Johansson, & Kaminskas, 2010, p. 499). MSDs include a wide range of occupational injuries as well as illnesses that are not characteristically the outcome of a severe or immediate event, but the outcome of continual developments. The development of these disorders is contributed to by diverse risk factors like personal attributes and societal factors. The MSDs affect people in various construction occupations because various trades involve different types of physical workloads. The demanding physical activities within the industry are considered MSDs primary risk factors. Not only are MSDs contributed to by the physical risk factors but also psychological factors like work demands, role allocations influenced by societal demands among other causes. The majority of the MSDs are experienced after high exposure levels to the risk factors and through a combination of poor work conditions (Rwamamara, Lagerqvist, Olofsson, Johansson, & Kaminskas, 2010, p. 500). The construction industry employees many people across the country, and the issues on health and safety management should not be regarded lowly. The health problems associated with MSDs have forced many workers to leave the industry before their retirement age (Goldsheyder, Weiner, Nordin, & Hiebert, 2004, p. 113). The construction employees are exposed to severe working conditions, including kneeling and stooping, which increases their likelihood of contracting these occupational disorders. Nonetheless, the harsh picture portrayed within the construction industry is increasingly getting the attention it deserves to transform the working environment into a more conducive setting for employees’ wellbeing when working. The improved research and knowledge dissemination on unresolved occupational health and safety management within the construction trade has enhanced partly the emerging health and safety promotion culture at the construction workplace that emphasizes multiple environmental along with individual-related factors (Rwamamara, Lagerqvist, Olofsson, Johansson, & Kaminskas, 2010, p. 500). Mitigations and Solutions to the Musculoskeletal Disorders in Construction Industry The stakeholders and practitioners within the construction industry ought to adopt and implement legislations and standards pertaining to issues of ergonomics, which have contributed significantly to the MSDs in occupational health and safety of workers, particularly a hazard management approach to manual handling (Choi, 2010, p. 48). The construction industry players should identify and evaluate the health and safety risks related with manual handling activities, and further apply a hierarchy of risk controls in the process of selecting the injury prevention measures. This is necessary because research information within the construction industry reveal that construction firms, specifically the smaller ones, are not well versed in hazard management, which increased the prevalence of MSDs in workers within industry (Lingard & Rowlinson, 2005, p. 230). Relatively little work has been accomplished in the area of quantifying ergonomic exposures within the construction industry. This may be a contributing factor to the increased MSDs within the construction activities through mismatch of activities and the employee potentials to accomplish them. Detailed research study analysis on ergonomics exposures have revealed that causal correlations exist between some physical work factors and MSDs. Dominant work-related factors within the construction industry, such as repetition, duration, position, frequency and intensity of physical activities result in MSDs when the level of exposure is high to in excess of one factor (Sobeih, Salem, Genaidy, Abdelhamid, & Shell, 2009, p. 268). The presence of such ergonomic factors within the construction industry makes it important for the practitioners and stakeholders to apply the principles to realize an appropriate and suitable match between employees and their duties in reducing the incidences and severity of occupational injuries. MSDs, specifically the back injuries, are common health and safety management issues, which cost the industry immensely through the common risk factors like repetition and posture (Lingard & Rowlinson, 2005, p. 232). The construction employers and workers should encourage the health promotion culture within the industry emphasizing the establishment of supportive conditions and surroundings for enhanced health and safety for all the workers. Moreover, assessment of risks in construction products should also include evaluation of occupational health and safety hazards (Rwamamara, Lagerqvist, Olofsson, Johansson, & Kaminskas, 2010, p. 500). The construction workplaces should ensure that they have mandatory Work Environment Plan (WEP), which ought to incorporate the regulations applicable on the site, a description of the organization of the work setting and a description outlining the implementation criteria for the workplace setting criteria. The health and safety issues can be addressed through long-term planning in terms of assessing the risks and hazards involved in the construction activities. The analysis of the hazards and risks involved would help plan and schedule for suitable mechanical aids like cranes (Rwamamara, Lagerqvist, Olofsson, Johansson, & Kaminskas, 2010, p. 502). The construction industry should promote increased flow of information and knowledge between various groups, such as the contractors, the sub-contractors and supervisors. The supervisors should be trained on health and safety issues to offer a channel to share knowledge on health promotion and prevention measures regarding MSDs. Improved production technologies like automatic climbing systems should be introduced in construction sites to help reduce the risks factors because of heavy lifting and repetitive activities, leading MSDs. Work tasks also can be managed effectively within the construction industry to minimize the causes due to high risk factors. The employers and site managers can for instance, adopt the principle of work rotation among others (Spielholz, Davis, & Griffith, 2006, p. 1059). Proper physical fitness would help in reducing the risk for MSDs. Regular physical fitness should be encouraged besides pre-work exercise sessions. The development and implementation of a custom made program for enhancing the personal physical characteristics, which act as risk factors like age and weight. The physical activity levels among the construction workers should be increased and healthy dietary behaviour encouraged among the employees. The effect of the awareness levels on the physical wellbeing of the construction workers would help them gain more insight into the influences of preventive measures in mitigating the occupational health and safety management. This would also support the decision-making on which health encouraging actions within the industry should be applied (Viester, Verhagen, Proper, Dongen, Bongers, & Beek, 2012, p. 100). The problems and challenges of occupational health and safety are also contributed to through various individual and group factors, such as societal influence on the role of activities performed by either men or women, which may affect the construction workers psychologically, are associated closely with organization of work. The correlation between the factors is probabilistic. Consequently, the construction industry should introduce working standards helpful in biomechanical areas. The workers should be provided with an opportunity to air out their complaints regarding the MSDs and other work-related health and safety hazards. Further, they should be offered opportunities to get involved in the change programs through an opportunity to voice their preferred areas of changes. They should have a close relation with their supervisors such that they update the industry on their health and wellbeing each time to avoid the possibility of MSDs growing to be chronic after a while (Douillet, 2000, p. 6). Discussion and Conclusion The nature of the construction industry implies that demanding physical jobs are many. The high risk factors of MSDs within the industry have contributed to a high prevalence rate in MSDs because of poor health and safety management efforts. The industry is among the leading occupations across the globe affected by occupational health and safety issues. These issues can be prevented and mitigated albeit the high risk factors within the industry. The MSDs problem affects the economic, social and psychological wellbeing of the workers. Others lose their lives whereas some get early retirements. The national and global economies suffer loses due to huge costs incurred in treating ill-health issues caused through poor health and safety management. When workers are laid off from work, economic progress of the industry digresses and ill-health reduces productivity. Besides the health and economic reasons, the employers and clients within the health industry have a responsibility to provide the employees with safe and healthy working conditions and environments under both the statutory and common laws. Mitigating, preventing or resolving the MSDs and occupational health and safety challenges within the construction industry calls for cooperation between all the stakeholders and industry players. Workers should be encouraged to participate in preliminary hazard assessment through which the potential risks are identified and appropriate controls put in place. Knowledge sharing and exchange on health and safety management should be encouraged among several groups within the industry, including supervisors and workers to help them understand the prevention and mitigation measures to reduce the potential risks. Organization of work is among the most effective mitigation measures that can help reduce cases of MSDs. Worker involvement, awareness and leadership are effective solutions, which can be used to reduce the issue. Technical aspects like adopting the use of new advanced technologies to carry out the strenuous duties would reduce the MSDs risks through eliminating repetitive and demanding physical activities. Employers and employees should increasingly work together through administrative and management controls, such as promoting feedback mechanisms to facilitate awareness and effective communication on the health and safety problems at workplace. Poor and ineffective planning of the work setting contributed to MSDs through appalling physical environments, increasing the risks factors. Site organization and layout would help enhance the physical work environment and mitigate the potential dangers of suffering from MSDs. Putting into consideration the ergonomic principles together with the individual factors like physical work abilities because of age or muscular strength would help profile work activities and individual abilities. Work rotations would also be helpful in reducing repetitive works. Ultimately, if all the recommendations and measures on health and safety management are adopted and implemented collectively within the construction industry, the MSDs and other occupational health and safety issues would be addressed appropriately. Implementing either of the measures and recommendations would not help the industry achieve its desired results. The most effective measure is to create a balance between healthy workers and increased productivity. It is a challenge to eliminate the MSDs within construction industry because of the nature of the activities within the industry, but the challenge can be achieved with proper coordination and improved efforts. References Great Britain Parliament, House of Commons, Work and Pensions Committee 2004, The work of the Health and Safety Commission and Executive, Stationery Office, London. Alistair, GG, Gyi, DE & Thompson, T 1999, The Eci Guide To Managing Health In Construction, Thomas Telford, London. Choi, SD 2010, ‘Ergonomic assessment of musculoskeletal discomfort of iron workers in highway Construction,’ Work, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 47–53. Coble, RJ, Haupt, TC & Hinze, JW 2000, Management Construction Safety & Heal, Taylor & Francis, London. Douillet, P 2000., Preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Available from osha.europa.eu: . [5 December 2012]. 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