Abstract

Construction is an essential service and has recently experienced unprecedented growth. A veil of mystery however shrouds the industry for those not directly involved in its daily operations, while its traditions and complexities take decades to master even by those most prevalent in the industry. Gender segregation, ethnic divisions and employment organization create barriers for individuals at all levels. Unique health and safety risks subject the construction laborer to a wide variety of stresses. OSHA was created to ensure the well-being of workers through enforceable standards, education and training. Fatalities and occupational injuries are declining overall but remain higher for minorities. Focusing more attention on the needs of the labor force will further reduce these unfavorable events while increasing job performance and production quality. Project success is dependent on a wide variety of professionals with diverse knowledge, skills and backgrounds. Integration of emerging technologies and integration of new philosophies will ensure the improvement of the socioeconomic conditions for everyone involved.

Keywords: Construction Industry, Labor Force, Occupational Safety, Mobile Technology, Design Thinking

Social, Safety and Economic Concerns within the Construction Industry

by Jeffrey C Kadlowec, Registered Architect
(dedicated to Alex Ponce, Carpenters 1977)

The present environment of Las Vegas, NV is at the opposite extreme that it was in twelve years ago during the Great Recession. During the last two-years of the CoVid-19 epidemic, the construction industry was classified as an ‘essential service’. While many restrictions were placed on the public for health concerns, new web-based technologies were implemented to expedite for plan reviews and permit applications for local jurisdictions. This coupled with online meetings applications and remote project management tools have assisted in handling the unprecedented growth seen throughout that market sector.

The term, paradoxical invisibility, is coined by [1] when describing the working conditions of the construction laborer. He states though construction occurs all around us and that we are always in close proximity, it is also shrouded in mystery by those with little to no experience of life on the job-site which combines time-honored skills and traditions with technical complex equipment and modern new devices. There is also a necessary levels of control for materials and machinery, construction means and methods, and the intellectual property of architects and engineers. All these elements combine to form a dynamic dichotomy that must be cautiously navigated by those most invested in these projects.

Construction workers are the largest subgroup of the 164 million international labor migrant labor force [2] with over 90% being men. This gender segregation is compounded by significant ethnic divisions. The employment structure and employer control over the organization of work leads to the exploitation of workers. The needs to increase productivity and meet deadlines set by clients and developers makes this work temporary nature and extremely insecure. Racialization and racism creates ethnic fragmentation of the workforce and counteracts collective resistance. It puts constant pressure on workers both through fear of dangerous work and anxiety over job loss [1].

Large-scale international projects like those of the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup pose a series of unique social and health issue for the workers. These events are a showcase for the host country with both short and long term economic and industrial impact. Though the health risk of mass gatherings gained considerable media attention over the past few years, the vulnerabilities of low-skilled migrant laborers tasked with constructing and maintaining these facilities has drawn little attention [2].

The mobilization of these construction workers is akin to that of a military operational deployment. The workers tend to be young and rather healthy, but upon arrival in a foreign country, are subject to unique health risks and barriers to healthcare that can be detrimental to their wellbeing. Migration, along with social, economic, and occupational factors all contribute to the physical and psychiatric stresses in a workplace already prone to injuries and accidents. Although these health risks are a direct concern for the laborer, family and children left behind are at an increased risk of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation [2].

Although the construction industry is likely the most significant industry in terms of gross domestic product (GDP), occupational safety and health should be the primary concern of the host country. Workers must perform a wide variety of tasks, directly exposing them to associated risks and passively exposing nearby co-workers to related risks [3]. Every structure presents a unique set of issues that must be addressed—the more complex the building design, size, scope, and site conditions, the greater the level of learning and adaptation required, leading to higher frequencies of accidents. Analysis of these occupational risks and related accidents can be used to develop regulations along with educational and training materials.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to ensure the health of workers by enforcing safety standards while providing education and training with documentation and analysis of occupational injuries and illnesses. OSHA provides 10-hour and 30- hour programs to promote safe behavior and decrease construction accidents. This training is intended to create a ‘safety attitude’ [4] which will lead to overall savings in project costs due to reductions in employer liability and potential delays in production times; Table 1 provides a list of these training topics. The construction industry accounts for 1 in 4 occupational deaths and over 200,000 non-fatal injuries per year. Most of these accidents are preventable construction workers following proper safety rules and regulations.

Construction related falls are a leading cause of many fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries. Between 2003 and 2018, there were 5,701 construction worker deaths due to falls—more than one-third of the total of industry fatalities [5]. Employment in construction has been rising steadily over the past decade with major growth in Southern Nevada in recent years. Fall fatalities in the Hispanic construction labor force surged by nearly 90%, outpacing employment gains in the same period and outweigh those in manufacturing and related industry sectors by approximately ten-to-one [5]. Continued efforts to prevent these injuries and fatalities through enhancements in fall protection, reduction in fall hazards, and providing proper equipment is need in addition to safety training.

The global economy is impacted by almost 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million occupational illnesses each year costing over 1.25 trillion dollars [6]. Although much effort is placed on examining, preventing and managing the risk of injuries and fatalities in the work place, little attention is directed towards exertion-related incidents resulting from bodily dysfunction or disruption of physiological processes, except in high school athletics and by the military. The population of workers performing under physical exertion that are at risk of catastrophic injuries and death is 15 times greater at 134.5 million, than those two areas combined [6]. Although the OSHA Severe Injury Report database from 2015 to 2020 only lists 2.9% of all injuries as exertion related (see Table 2), these factors are very likely to be an underlying cause for many of the accidents that occur on the job-site due to environmental conditions and physical nature of construction work.

Racial and ethnic inequalities are prevalent throughout the United States in health, wealth, education and employment. These disparities combined with the high risk of work-related injuries and illnesses are probable cause of higher severity and a workplace absenteeism among minority workers [7]. Furthermore, these many of these issues are likely to go unreported therefore resulting in critical finds to be underestimated. Studies have shown that Hispanic trainees tend to value job security over safety issues even when personal protective equipment is required by law. Language barriers for construction laborers and a lack of bilingual skills by both workers and employers compound this problem, as do racial discrimination and workplace harassment [7].

The construction industry is an immense contributor to the economy of any nation, providing the necessary infrastructure for every sector to function effectively. Successful completion of any project is dependent upon the knowledge and execution of architects, engineers and teams of builders [8]. In order to be productive, each individual of that workforce must remain competitive and strive towards innovation. Development of those professionals is accomplished through education, experience and examination, with apprenticeship and mentorship the key to future achievements. The structure of the industry is becoming more complicated with technological integration and inherently unpredictable due increasing size and scope of projects. This is placing greater demands on everyone, especially for those in the fields of architecture, engineering, surveying, building technology and construction management [8]. Polytechnic universities are heavily focused on producing graduates with many of these core competencies.

Mobile technology has recently been integrated into the management of construction projects allowing for the coordination of planning, design and building. The implementation of these tools can reduce costs and improve productivity while offering a competitive edge regarding quality of service and client satisfaction [9]. They provide better ways to exchange data and distribute information across project team members. This can unify the fragmented nature of the construction industry and bridge gaps between stakeholders working in remote offices and at job sites, thus avoiding costly delays and adherence to rigid timelines [9].

The speed and scale of housing construction is accelerating in urban centers. The technologies utilized in planning of cities and construction engineering is constantly evolving [10]. Engineering coordination, construction management and occupational safety must all be addressed in real-time during the project phases. New technologies benefit construction personnel by establishing a high sense of responsibility and achieving finer control while improving efficiency and quality of production [10].

Bar charts and Gnatt charts have developed into the Critical Path Method (CPM) and Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) [11]. These illustrate the construction project schedule as a virtual timeline with multiple levels of detail, assisting in the managing the complex and unpredictable nature of building while providing a way to explore different scheduling possibilities that can be completed concurrently or must be done sequential [11]. Many of these software packages have become available online through web-based applications.

The construction industry is second only to that of the agricultural sector. It contributes directly to the national economy and employs a countless number of people. ‘Design Thinking’ is a growing trend that emphasizes a human-centered approach to problem-solving [12]. Reimaging the ways of doing business and focusing on the human element of markets fosters an innovative mindset. This changes the framework of organizations from “What do we do next?” to “Where do users need help the most?” [12]. Taking a holistic perspective while promoting sustainable design will ensure that socioeconomic conditions will continue to improve in the future and for coming generations.

Tables

References
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