Work-related falls from roofs remain a significant problem for workers in the construction industry. Knowledge about the main causative or initiating factors leading to fall incidents is desperately needed for fall prevention intervention. From biomechanical and psychophysiological perspectives the majority of occupational falls, including falls from roofs, can be regarded as loss-of-balance incidents. The primary objective of this paper is to summarize the current knowledge from multiple fields about factors that are related to the control of balance during roofing work. An extensive literature review identified a number of environmental, task-related and personal factors that degrade the control of balance and could be associated with the initiation of falls from roofs. These factors include visual exposure to elevation; unstable visual cues and inadequate visual information in the work environment; 'confined' and inclined support surfaces; unexpected changes in roof surface properties; load handling; physical exertion; fatigue; task complexity that diverts workers' attention; individual differences; work experience and training; and personal protective equipment. Current measures to reduce falls from roofs focus mainly on fall protection procedures, such as the use of covers, guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall-arrest systems, or the application of warning-line systems, safety monitoring systems, and fall protection plans. In many instances, these procedures are not practical for the industry and current regulations allow the use of alternative means of fall protection, such as slide guards. Future research on preventing falls from roofs should consider the main effects and interactions of the environmental, task-related and personal factors that affect the balance control of workers. Research-supported improvements in the visual and physical characteristics of the roof work environment, the construction materials and methods, and work procedures and practices may result in improved workers' balance control as well as overall safety performance, and would ultimately reduce incidents of falling from a roof.
Understanding roof-work-related risk of falls and developing low-cost, practical engineering controls for reducing this risk remain in high demand in the construction industry. This study investigated the effects of the roof work environment characteristics of surface slope, height, and visual reference on standing balance in construction workers. The 24 participants were tested in a laboratory setting at 4 slopes (0 degrees, 18 degrees, 26 degrees, and 34 degrees), 2 heights (0, 3 m), and 2 visual conditions (with and without visual references). Postural sway characteristics were calculated using center of pressure recordings from a force platform. Workers' perceptions of postural sway and instability were also evaluated. The results indicated that slope and height synergistically increased workers' standing postural instability. Workers recognized the individual destabilizing effects of slope and height but did not recognize the synergistic effect of the two. Visual references significantly reduced the destabilizing effects of height and slope. Actual and potential applications of this research include the use of temporary level work surfaces and proximal vertical reference structures as postural instability control measures during roofing work.
The study compared human perceptions of height, danger, and anxiety, as well as skin conductance and heart rate responses and postural instability effects, in real and virtual height environments. The 24 participants (12 men, 12 women), whose average age was 23.6 years, performed "lean-over-the-railing" and standing tasks on real and comparable virtual balconies, using a surround-screen virtual reality (SSVR) system. The results indicate that the virtual display of elevation provided realistic perceptual experience and induced some physiological responses and postural instability effects comparable to those found in a real environment. It appears that a simulation of elevated work environment in a SSVR system, although with reduced visual fidelity, is a valid tool for safety research. Potential applications of this study include the design of virtual environments that will help in safe evaluation of human performance at elevation, identification of risk factors leading to fall incidents, and assessment of new fall prevention strategies.
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