Assessment of the Impact of Musculoskeletal Disorders on Nigerian Construction Workers (Published)
The purpose of the study is to assess the impact of construction activities as construction work entails non-ergonomic activities, range of in-situ work at various levels and construction workers; complain of pain, retire early from work, are frequently absent, are required to handle materials manually resulting in poor productivity as contractors are required to execute designs and excessive material wastage occurs. The focus is on reducing the impact of work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMD’s) among construction workers through contractor’s perception thereby creating effective and healthy construction workplaces. Given that the general contractors (GCs) responded relative to both general contractor (GC) and sub-contractor (SC). The impact of construction activities on construction workers in the Nigeria construction industry as it precipitates into WMDs affects the rate of productivity. The paper uses historic data on unfavourable ergonomic practices and quantitative survey method (based on a designed questionnaire) to establish a criterion for reducing WMD’s in construction by providing an effective strategies to promote construction workplace health and safety. The study establishes various interventions on factors that negatively impact on the health and safety of construction workers. Based on the findings from empirical survey and the survey of literature, the study tends to establish a work organization that can influence process and activities in the construction industry through designing of work place to ameliorate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorder among its workers. Furthermore, the contractors’ perspective approach for health and safety as a panacea to reducing WMD’s is established. The information provides an insight into the contribution to safety and health of construction workers. The study establishes various interventions on factors that negatively impact on the health and safety of construction workers.
Keywords: Construction workers, Contractors, Design, Ergonomic practices, Health and Safety (H&S), Work organization, musculoskeletal disorders