Control and Perception of Balance at Elevated and Sloped Surfaces

Details

• Personal Author:
  Ammons DE ; Dotson BW ; Hsiao H ; Simeonov PI
• Description:
  Understanding roof-work-related risk of falls and developing low-cost, practical engineering controls for reducing this risk remain in high demand in the construction industry. This study investigated the effects of the roof work environment characteristics of surface slope, height, and visual reference on standing balance in construction workers. The 24 participants were tested in a laboratory setting at 4 slopes (0 degrees, 18 degrees,26 degrees, and 34 degrees), 2 heights (0, 3 m), and 2 visual conditions (with and without visual references). Postural sway characteristics were calculated using center of pressure recordings from a force platform. Workers' perceptions of postural sway and instability were also evaluated. The results indicated that slope and height synergistically increased workers' standing postural instability. Workers recognized the individual destabilizing effects of slope and height but did not recognize the synergistic effect of the two. Visual references significantly reduced the destabilizing effects of height and slope. Actual and potential applications of this research include the use of temporary level work surfaces and proximal vertical reference structures as postural instability control measures during roofing work. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Construction Industry Engineering Eye Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Sense Organs Workplace
• Keywords:
  Construction-industry Construction-workers Engineering-controls Height-factors Human-factors-engineering Risk-factors Roofers Roofing-industry Safety-engineering Slope-stability Visual-perception Walking-surfaces Work-environment

  More +
• ISSN:
  0018-7208
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DSR - Division of Safety Research
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  136-147
• Volume:
  45
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20023874
• Citation:
  Hum Factors 2003 Spring; 45(1):136-147
• Contact Point Address:
  Peter I. Simeonov, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Division of Safety Research, 1095 Willowdale Road, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  psimeonov@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2003
• NORA Priority Area:
  Research Tools and Approaches: Exposure Assessment Methods
• Performing Organization:
  West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19940701
• Source Full Name:
  Human Factors
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:939281b21c96765e827d2a5cf6fc6c2c4c318447d5d2bac6416dc5fbbea70a9b34b1204f71684b7c155ca2a7cffe519c6a42ea80ad63f94821abceb1975f207e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/195966/cdc_195966_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 236.06 KB ]