Interventions in the construction industry: A systematic review and critical appraisal

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in the construction industry represent a significant problem resulting in days away from work, and the effective solution to this problem requires the implementation of useful interventions. This article presents a systematic review and critical appraisal of construction intervention studies to provide a basis for future research and practice. A comprehensive search of seven electronic databases-Medline, PubMed, Ergonomics Abstracts, Health and Safety Science Abstracts, BIOSIS, Psychinfo, and NIOSHTIC 2-was performed to identify relevant articles. Further, the methodological quality of identified studies was assessed by the Epidemiological Appraisal Instrument (EAI). Eight intervention studies linking and introducing the following aspects of the construction industry were identified: an intervention with reduced MSD; decreasing work demands; or increasing human abilities, comfort, or ease of use among workers. The methodological quality of the studies ranged between marginal and average. There is an urgent need for more construction intervention studies to fill the gaps in this research area. Moreover, future research and practice should avoid the limitations of past studies in order to ultimately reach the goal of effective interventions in the construction industry. C 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The impact of tool selection on back and wrist injury risk in tying steel reinforcement bars: a single case experiment

“…Researchers and ergonomists have recommended the development of trade-specific tools to reduce the risk of work-related MSDs in the construction industry (Rinder, et al, 2008;Li, 2002). However, our analysis suggests that there may not be a 'one size fits all' solution to tool selection.…”

Effects of a Participatory Ergonomics Intervention With Wearable Technical Measurements of Physical Workload in the Construction Industry: Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

“…Consequently, a reduction of the physical workload to promote sustainable working careers [8] in construction work should have high priority. Moreover, a systematic review highlighted an urgent need for interventions focusing on reducing WMSD in construction workers [9]. In addition, most studies are based on self-reported measurements.…”

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“…Rates of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in construction are responsible for high rates of both workers’ compensation claims and personal health claims [CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training, ; Dale et al, ; Lipscomb et al, ,] and implementation of sustainable ergonomic solutions to prevent MSD in construction work is a challenge [Schneider, ; Hecker et al, ; Hess et al, ; Weinstein et al, ; Rinder et al, ; Kramer et al, ]. An ergonomic solution is defined as an available new device or technology that can be used to reduce musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risk factors in construction related tasks, and may include equipment, positioners, hand tools, power tools, manual material handling devices (MMH), and personal protective equipment (PPE) [Bernard, ; Dale et al, ].…”