ABSTRACT:The poor safety record of the construction industry raises concerns about the extent to which it is able to integrate workers disabled as a result of a workplace injury back to the workplace. A review of the literature indicates there is little empirical evidence about the status of disability management (DM) in the Canadian construction industry, specifically with respect to injured construction workers returning to the workplace with a disability. To address this limitation, a web-based survey was administered to a sample of Manitoban construction organizations to enquire about workers disabled as a result of a workplace injury in the industry, practices in place to accommodate them, and barriers to their employment. The analysis of the responses of 88 organizations showed that the majority of responding organizations employed few disabled workers. Disabilities due to musculoskeletal injuries (MSI) were the most common, followed by physical mobility and hearing impairments. Respondents saw retaining valued and experienced employees and maintaining employee morale as the main reasons for implementing a DM program. They also found the lack of suitable modified or alternate work to be the most important barrier to DM; however, they identified the provision of such work as the most common practice implemented by them, raising questions about this work's suitability to disabled workers.

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The exposure of engineering students to relationships between technology and society has become an accepted component of undergraduate engineering curricula in North America, yet how to present the subject in a way that is stimulating and relevant to engineering students remains a challenge. At the University of Manitoba, various approaches have been taken over several years. This paper outlines a course format and content which has been well received by students. The framework of the course encompasses three main principles. First, technology is presented as having three aspects—technical, cultural, and organizational. Second, the topic is treated within a time‐related context—past, present, and future. Past and present are illustrated by examples of technology, their societal impacts, and related cultural and ethical issues. The future is examined using a systems approach for understanding the long‐term consequences of human activities and by discussion of the role of technology in reaching global sustainability. Third, the course emphasizes active student involvement through individual and group research and writing, and group discussions and presentation.

The operating efficiency of evacuated tubes themselves under varying environmental conditions and installation scenarios, independent of water and space heating auxiliary

The housing of gestating sows in groups requires sound information about the adapted design of the pen floor. Slatted concrete floors are commonly used for effective drainage of manure but can cause feet injuries and lameness. In the present study, kinematics were used to characterize the gait of 12 gilts and 12 lame sows walking in a corridor on slatted concrete floors with different combinations of slat (85, 105 or 125 mm) and gap (19, 22 or 25 mm) widths. The nine experimental floors were tested with slats in the perpendicular and parallel orientation to the direction of animal walk, according to a duplicated lattice design. Gait parameters were quantified using spatial, temporal and angular kinematics for front and rear limbs. Some parameters were significantly affected by the treatments (p < 0.05), but the effects differed between gilts and lame sows and between slat orientations. Gap width had a significant effect on parameters such as back angle, stride length, foot height, and carpal and tarsal joint angle amplitudes. Slat width significantly affected parameters such as foot height, and carpal and tarsal joint angle amplitudes. Comparisons of the different combinations of slat and gap widths revealed that slats with a width of 105–125 mm and gap width of 19–22 mm had the least effect on the gait characteristics of the gilts and sows.