Work, Health and Wellbeing in the Construction Industry


Book Description

This book covers a wide range of topics relating to the health and wellbeing of the construction workforce. Based on more than two decades of work examining various aspects of workers’ health and wellbeing, the book addresses a key topic in construction management: how the design of work environments, construction processes and organisation of work impact upon construction workers’ physical and psychological health. Occupational health is a significant problem for the construction industry. However, the subject of health does not receive as much attention in occupational health and safety research or practice as the subject of safety. Traditional management approaches (focused on the prevention of accidents and injuries) are arguably ill-suited to addressing issues of workers’ health and wellbeing. This book seeks to explain how workers' health and wellbeing are impacted by working in the construction sector, and suggest ways in which organisations (and decision makers within them) can positively shape workplaces and practices in ways that better support construction workers to maintain healthy and productive working lives. Including chapter summaries and discussion questions to encourage student readers to reflect on and formulate their own viewpoints about the issues raised in each chapter, the book has the potential to be used as a textbook in undergraduate or postgraduate occupational health and safety, or construction management courses dealing with occupational health and safety. It could also be used as supplementary recommended reading in undergraduate or postgraduate programmes in architecture, engineering or management.




Work Ability Index


Book Description




Integrating Work Health and Safety into Construction Project Management


Book Description

Provides insights into how health and safety can be more effectively integrated into the procurement, design, and management of construction projects This book aims to explore the ways in which technological, organizational, and cultural strategies can be combined and integrated into construction project management to produce sustained and significant health and safety (H&S) improvements. It looks at design and safety practices, work organization, workforce engagement and learning, and offers ideas for producing systemic change. Integrating Work Health and Safety into Construction Project Management addresses how best to achieve safety in design through the adoption of a stakeholder management approach. It instructs on how to drive H&S improvements through supply chain integration and responsible procurement and project management practices. It examines the components of a culture for health and safety and the development of a cultural maturity model. The book discusses the potential to improve H&S through the provision of conditions of work that afford workers a positive work-life balance. It also covers how advanced technologies and the application of techniques developed from health informatics can support real time analysis and improvement of H&S in construction. Lastly, it looks at the benefits associated with engaging workers and using their tacit H&S knowledge to inform work process improvements. This text also: Provides new and non-traditional ways of thinking about H&S Focuses on technological, organizational, and cultural integration Offers a multi-disciplinary perspective provided by an internationally recognized research team from the social sciences, engineering, construction/project management, and psychology Presents, in detail, the collective analysis from a broad-ranging ten year program of collaborative research Contains a rich range of industry case studies Integrating Work Health and Safety into Construction Project Management is an excellent resource for academics and researchers engaged in research in construction H&S, as well as for postgraduates taking construction project management and H&S courses. It will also be beneficial to consultants, policy advisors, construction project managers and H&S professionals.




Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the COVID-19 era


Book Description

This edited book presents a significant and timely contribution to our understanding of a broad range of issues pertaining to COVID-19 and its relationship to occupational safety, health and well-being (OSHW) in the global construction industry. The editors first introduce the industry and its poor OSHW history before highlighting some of the broader impacts of the pandemic on the sector. The book is then divided into two sections. Section One focuses on the management of COVID-19 transmission risk. It captures insights, practices, technologies and lessons learned in relation to what has and is being done to prevent or mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission among the construction workforce. Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the COVID-19 Era also details case studies, lessons and best practices for managing sites and workforces when infections inevitably do occur. Section Two brings together international chapters discussing the impacts of COVID-19 on the OSHW of the construction workforce both on and off-site, as well as the management of those impacts. Furthermore, this presents implications of the pandemic (at the short-, medium-, and long-term) for other performance measures of construction projects such as cost, schedule, quality and, most importantly, how the pursuit/non-pursuit of such performance measures have impacted/will impact the OSHW of construction workers and professionals in the industry. This book addresses the gap in literature by offering global perspectives on the OSHW impacts and implications of COVID-19 in the construction industry and will help its wide readership (including construction industry organisations, professionals, researchers, government bodies/policy makers and students) to understand a broad suite of issues pertaining to COVID-19 and its relationship to OSHW in construction.




Handbook of Construction Safety, Health and Well-being in the Industry 4.0 Era


Book Description

This Handbook seeks to examine and advance current understanding of the confluence of construction health, safety and well-being and the broad range of Industry 4.0 technologies in use in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. Globally, the construction sector accounts for more than 100,000 occupational fatalities annually. In many countries, reports of work-related accidents, injuries and illnesses are commonplace, and there is an urgent need to improve the occupational safety and health (OSH) outlook of the construction sector. The fourth industrial revolution presents opportunities to leverage modern technologies (e.g., big data, artificial intelligence, automation, sensors, AR, VR and robotics) to improve the poor OSH performance of the construction industry. However, embracing such technologies could also induce unintended adverse consequences for the safety, health and well-being of construction workers. Therefore, the realisation of the opportunities as well as the mitigation of potentially adverse consequences requires research-informed holistic insights around the union of Industry 4.0 and construction occupational safety and health management. This cutting-edge volume addresses a significant gap in literature by bringing together experienced academics and researchers to highlight the drivers, opportunities and drawbacks of the merging of Industry 4.0 with construction health, safety and well-being. After a detailed introductory section which highlights key issues and challenges, section one covers the application of a broad range of digital technologies; then section two discusses the application of industrial production and cyber physical systems in the context of construction safety and health management. Readers from a broad range of AEC backgrounds as well as safety professionals and technologists will come to understand how the technologies are applied and the resulting OSH benefits as well as potential drawbacks.




Handbook of Drivers of Continuous Improvement in Construction Health, Safety, and Wellbeing


Book Description

This Handbook presents opportunities, best practices, and case studies backed by cutting edge research on the drivers of continuous improvement of health, safety, and wellbeing in the architecture, engineering, construction, and facility management sector. The book consists of 23 chapters with six themes covering: ● Drivers of the business case for healthier and safer construction ● Opportunities and drivers of digital technologies for improving health and safety ● Drivers of human factors for improving health and safety ● Drivers of safer design and procurement ● Drivers of better health and wellbeing for construction. ● Opportunities for driving equality and inclusivity for safer construction. The book will be beneficial to academics, undergraduate and postgraduate (research and taught) students, professional institutions (such as the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health), health and safety professionals (health and safety officers, consultants and managers), occupational health professionals, mental health and wellbeing professionals, construction managers, architects, project professionals, engineers (design, construction, project, site, electrical, mechanical, civil, building services, and structural), facilities managers, quantity surveyors, and site managers. The aim of the book is to provide critical perspectives alongside evidence based practical examples of success stories, that should inspire readers and engender continuous improvement in health, safety, and wellbeing in the construction industry.




Construction Project Organising


Book Description

Construction Project Organising Discover foundational and cutting-edge ideas in the organisation of construction projects In Construction Project Organising, an authoritative team of construction researchers delivers a comprehensive exploration of the many organisational processes and forms that can be found in construction project organising and the many dimensions that can influence these forms. The authors examine these dimensions, detailing their importance to projects and enabling managers to respond to calls by industry professionals for more collaborative forms of organising that focus on value creation. The book investigates the relationship between structure and action, and how patterns of action are created, recreated and maintained by scrutinising the myriad of organisational arrangements between clients, financiers, design teams, contractors, stakeholders and supply chains. It also discusses different concepts in the development and management of construction project organisations, including formation and maintenance issues. Construction Project Organising highlights some of the key issues that remain underdeveloped in the modern literature. It also includes: A thorough description of the rapidly changing socio-economic, technological, digital and data-driven context in which construction projects are designed and delivered A comprehensive examination of different concepts in the development and management of construction project organisations A practical investigation of the relationship between structure and action and how action patterns are created, recreated and maintained Grounded advice to help readers respond to calls by industry for more collaborative forms of project organisation focused on value creation Perfect for researchers, academics and advanced students of construction and similar disciplines, Construction Project Organising is also a must-read resource for construction professionals and the consultants who serve them.




Occupational Diseases in the Construction Industry


Book Description

Despite occupational diseases in construction contributing to a significant proportion of fatalities, and permanent and temporary incapacities, they have not gained as much attention as occupational injuries from practitioners and researchers. The research in this book aims to discover occupational diseases that cause fatalities and permanent and temporary incapacities in the construction industry, along with their epidemiological causal mechanisms. Through chapters examining cancers, circulatory system diseases, respiratory system diseases, nervous system and sense organ diseases, and musculoskeletal diseases, the authors provide new knowledge and insights to help proactively prevent and control these diseases. The research underpinning the development of the book applies empirical analyses of real-world occupational disease data for the construction industry alongside a detailed review and meta-analysis of literature pertinent to risk factors and methods and strategies to prevent and/or control occupational diseases in construction. Knowing the riskiest diseases and occupations for construction workers, along with organisational and personal risk factors, is critical to optimising risk management efforts. This book should be of interest to students, researchers, and practitioners in construction management, occupational health and safety, and risk management.




CIB W99“建筑安全与健康的全球合作”国际会议论文集


Book Description

本书精选了CIB W99“建筑安全与健康的全球合作”国际会议论文75篇,涉及有关建筑安全与健康的法律、战略和发展规划,规范和标准,教育培训和持续学习,风险分析与决策,安全投资和效益,量测及定量分析,信息技术和自动控制的应用等内容。




Managing Work-Life Balance in Construction


Book Description

Work in the construction industry is particularly tough. It demands excessively long hours and frequent weekend work. Other characteristics are particularly marked, such as re-location, job insecurity and distinctive behavioural patterns, which negatively affect employees’ personal lives further. Work–life balance has emerged as one of the most pressing management issues in the 21st century. For construction managers dealing with traditional models of work and rigid work schedules, the issue may be especially difficult to manage, and yet the work–life balance is now recognised as an issue of strategic importance to the construction industry. It is critical to the construction industry’s continued ability to attract and retain a talented workforce, and it is also inextricably linked to organizational effectiveness and employees’ well-being. This book presents the argument for the management of work–life balance in the construction industry. It maps the changes to the workforce demographic profile and the changing expectations relating to work and personal life that occurred during the second half of the 20th century. Legal imperatives for managing work–life balance are set out. It also presents work–life balance theory and discusses the practical implications of research, along with extensive empirical data collected from the industry. Lastly, practical advice is provided about what construction organizations can and should do to manage work–life balance. This provides a unique guide to a key issue.




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