Technical Papers
Apr 28, 2017

Construction Equipment Operator Physiological Data Assessment and Tracking

Publication: Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 22, Issue 4

Abstract

The construction industry experiences a disproportionately high number of injuries and fatalities among the total U.S. employed workforce. Although correlations have been identified between physiological information, worker fatigue, and safety, minimal research efforts have collected and analyzed construction-worker physiological metrics. The objective of this case study was to quantify and analyze physiological data of two individual construction-equipment operators over a consecutive 5-day duration. Physiological metrics, including human heart rate, breathing rate, upper body posture angle, traveling speed, and acceleration, were automatically collected and assessed. Experimental trials were also conducted to validate measurement data collected by the physiological status monitoring system. The main contributions of this case study were found in the framework for assessing physiological properties of construction-equipment operators and scientifically collected and analyzed physiological data.

Get full access to this article

View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.

References

Acharya, R., Kannathal, N., and Krishnan, S. (2004). “Comprehensive analysis of cardiac health using heart rate signals.” Physiol. Meas., 25(5), 1139–1151.
AHA (American Heart of Association). (2015). “All about heart rate (pulse).” 〈http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/MyHeartandStrokeNews/All-About-Heart-Rate-Pulse_UCM_438850_Article.jsp〉 (Jul. 30, 2015).
Arditi, D., Ayrancioglu, M., and Jingsheng Shi, J. (2005). “Worker safety issues in night-time highway construction.” Eng. Constr. Archit. Manage., 12(5), 487–501.
Astrand, P., and Rodahl, K. (1986). Textbook of work physiology: Physiological bases of exercise, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Awolusi, I., Marks, E., and Hallowell, M. (2016). “Physiological data collection and monitoring of construction equipment operators.” Construction Research Congress, ASCE, Reston, CA, 2946–2956.
CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2015). “Assessing your weight.” 〈http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/adult_bmi/index.html〉 (May 15, 2015).
Cheng, T., Migliaccio, G., Teizer, J., and Gatti, U. (2012). “Data fusion of real-time location sensing and physiological status monitoring for ergonomics analysis of construction workers.” J. Comput. Civ. Eng., 320–335.
Christensen, E. H. (1983). “Physiology of work.” Encyclopedia of occupational health and safety. L. Parmeggiani, ed., International Labour Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Cretikos, M., Bellomo, R., Hillman, K., Chen, J., Finfer, S., and Flabouris, A. (2008). “Respiratory rate: The neglected vital sign.” Med. J. Aust., 188(11), 657.
David, G. (2005). “Ergonomic methods for assessing exposure to risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders.” Occup. Med., 55(3), 190–199.
Gatti, U., Migliaccio, G., and Schneider, S. (2011). “Wearable physiological status monitors for measuring and evaluating worker’s physical strain.” 2011 ASCE Workshop of Computing in Civil Engineering, ASCE, Reston, VA, 194–201.
Gillen, M., Baltz, D., Gassel, M., Kirsch, L., and Vaccaro, D. (2002). “Perceived safety climate, job demands, and coworker support among union and nonunion injured construction workers.” J. Saf. Res., 33(1), 33–51.
Hallowell, M., Hinze, J., Baud, K., and Wehle, A. (2013). “Proactive construction safety control: Measuring, monitoring, and responding to safety leading indicators.” J. Constr. Eng. Manage, 04013010.
Hinze, J., Thurman, S., and Wehle, A. (2013). “Leading indicators of construction safety performance.” Saf. Sci., 51(1), 23–28.
Hjortskov, N., Rissén, D., Blangsted, A., Fallentin, N., Lundberg, U., and Søgaard, K. (2004). “The effect of mental stress on heart rate variability and blood pressure during computer work.” Eur. J. Appl. Physiol., 92(1), 84–89.
Kantor, L., Endler, N., Heslegrave, R., and Kocovski, N. (2001). “Validating self-report measures of state and trait anxiety against a physiological measure.” Curr. Psychol., 20(3), 207–215.
Kristal-Boneh, E., Silber, H., Harari, G., and Froom, P. (2000). “The association of resting heart rate with cardiovascular, cancer and all-cause mortality.” Eur. Heart J., 21(2), 116–124.
Lusk, S., Gillespie, B., Hagerty, B., and Ziemba, R. (2004). “Acute effects of noise on blood pressure and heart rate.” Arch. Environ. Health., 59(8), 392–399.
Magari, S., Hauser, R., Schwartz, J., Williams, P., Smith, T., and Christiani, D. (2001). “Association of heart rate variability with occupational and environmental exposure to particulate air pollution.” Circulation, 104(9), 986–991.
Marx, A., and Hootegem, G. (2007). “Comparative configurational case analysis of ergonomic injuries.” J. Bus. Res., 60(5), 522–530.
Meijer, G., Westerterp, K., and Koper, H. (1989). “Assessment of energy expenditure by recording heart rate and body acceleration.” Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 21(3), 343–347.
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). (2003). “Safety and health topics.” 〈https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/aed/index.html〉 (Jul. 14, 2015).
Overdyk, F., Carter, R., Maddox, R., Callura, J., Herrin, A., and Henriquez, C. (2007). “Continuous oximetry/capnometry monitoring reveals frequent desaturation and bradypnea during patient-controlled analgesia.” Anesth. Analg., 105(2), 412–418.
Rejeski, W., et al. (2011). “Translating weight loss and physical activity programs into the community to preserve mobility in older, obese adults in poor cardiovascular health.” Arch. Intern. Med., 171(10), 880–886.
Sarkin, J., Nichols, J., Sallis, J., and Calfas, K. (2000). “Self-report measures and scoring protocols affect prevalence estimates of meeting physical activity guidelines.” Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 32(1), 149–156.
Sawacha, E., Naoum, S., and Fong, D. (1999). “Factors affecting safety performance on construction sites.” Int. J. Project Manage., 17(5), 309–315.
Schneider, S., and Susi, P. (1994). “Ergonomics and construction: A review of potential hazards in new construction.” Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc., 55(7), 635–649.
Shikdar, A., and Sawaqed, N. M. (2003). “Worker productivity, and occupational health and safety issues in selected industries.” Comput. Ind. Eng., 45(4), 563–572.
Spielholz, P., Wiker, S. F., and Silverstein, B. (1998). “An ergonomic characterization of work in concrete form construction.” Am. Ind. Hyg. Assoc., 59(9), 629–635.
Sroufe, L. (1971). “Effects of depth and rate of breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability.” Psychophysiology, 8(5), 648–655.
Taelman, J., Vandeput, S., Spaepen, A., and Van Huffel, S. (2009). “Influence of mental stress on heart rate and heart rate variability.” 4th European Conf. of the Int. Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering, Springer, Berlin, 1366–1369.
Thayer, J., Yamamoto, S., and Brosschot, J. F. (2010). “The relationship of autonomic imbalance, heart rate variability and cardiovascular disease risk factors.” Int. J. Cardiol., 141(2), 122–131.
Van der Molen, H., Sluiter, J., and Frings-Dresen, M. (2009). “The use of ergonomic measures and musculoskeletal complaints among carpenters and pavers in a 4.5-year follow-up study.” Ergonomics, 52(8), 954–963.
Watson, A., and Donncha, C. (2000). “A reliable technique for the assessment of posture: Assessment criteria for aspects of posture.” J. Sports Med. Phys. Fitness, 40(3), 260–270.

Information & Authors

Information

Published In

Go to Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Practice Periodical on Structural Design and Construction
Volume 22Issue 4November 2017

History

Received: Jan 6, 2017
Accepted: Feb 27, 2017
Published online: Apr 28, 2017
Discussion open until: Sep 28, 2017
Published in print: Nov 1, 2017

Permissions

Request permissions for this article.

Authors

Affiliations

Xu Shen, S.M.ASCE [email protected]
Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Alabama, 260 H. M. Comer, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. E-mail: [email protected]
Ibukun Awolusi, S.M.ASCE [email protected]
Graduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Alabama, 260 H. M. Comer, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487. E-mail: [email protected]
Eric Marks, Ph.D., A.M.ASCE [email protected]
P.E.
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, Univ. of Alabama, 260 H. M. Comer, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (corresponding author). E-mail: [email protected]

Metrics & Citations

Metrics

Citations

Download citation

If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.

Cited by

View Options

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Get Access

Access content

Please select your options to get access

Log in/Register Log in via your institution (Shibboleth)
ASCE Members: Please log in to see member pricing

Purchase

Save for later Information on ASCE Library Cards
ASCE Library Cards let you download journal articles, proceedings papers, and available book chapters across the entire ASCE Library platform. ASCE Library Cards remain active for 24 months or until all downloads are used. Note: This content will be debited as one download at time of checkout.

Terms of Use: ASCE Library Cards are for individual, personal use only. Reselling, republishing, or forwarding the materials to libraries or reading rooms is prohibited.
ASCE Library Card (5 downloads)
$105.00
Add to cart
ASCE Library Card (20 downloads)
$280.00
Add to cart
Buy Single Article
$35.00
Add to cart

Media

Figures

Other

Tables

Share

Share

Copy the content Link

Share with email

Email a colleague

Share