Review of Construction Employer Case Studies of Safety and Health Equipment Interventions
Publication: Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146, Issue 4
Abstract
This paper presents a review of 153 case studies of equipment interventions to improve safety and health of construction businesses in Ohio in 2003–2016. These represent $6.46 million (2016 USD) in purchases incentivized through the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (OHBWC) Safety Intervention Grant (SIG) program. The source data in the review were extracted from employer grant applications and final reports of the case studies. Results were aggregated by type of construction equipment and included the reduction in safety and ergonomic hazards (risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders), and an assessment of the quality of the case studies as determined through criteria established by the authors. Equipment associated with greatest reduction in risk factors and with case studies of higher quality were electrical cable feeding/pulling systems, concrete sawing equipment, skid steer attachments for concrete breaking, and manlifts (boom lifts). This review illustrates challenges in demonstrating efficacy of equipment interventions to improve construction safety/health—even from case studies within a structured health/safety program. The authors are aware of no other systematic review of case studies reporting on experiences with health/safety intervention equipment specific to the construction industry.
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Data Availability Statement
Data generated or analyzed during the study are available from the corresponding author by request. Information about the Journal’s data-sharing policy can be found here: http://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0001263.
Acknowledgments
Disclaimer
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Mention of any company or product does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) or the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation. This project was supported in part by an appointment to the Research Participation Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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Information & Authors
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Published In
Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
Volume 146 • Issue 4 • April 2020
Copyright
©2020 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 8, 2019
Accepted: Aug 12, 2019
Published online: Jan 20, 2020
Published in print: Apr 1, 2020
Discussion open until: Jun 20, 2020
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