Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among construction workers in the United States from 1992 to 2014

Details

• Personal Author:
  Choi SD ; Dement, John M. ; Dong, Xiuwen S. ; Wang X
• Description:
  Objectives: Examine trends and patterns of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers in the USA, with an emphasis on older workers. Methods: WMSDs were identified from the 1992-2014 Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), and employment was estimated from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Risk of WMSDs was measured by number of WMSDs per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers and stratified by major demographic and employment subgroups. Time series analysis was performed to examine the trend of WMSDs in construction. Results: The number of WMSDs significantly dropped in the US construction industry, following the overall injury trends. However, the rate of WMSDs in construction remained higher than in all industries combined; the median days away from work increased from 8 days in 1992 to 13 days in 2014, and the proportion of WMSDs for construction workers aged 55 to 64 years almost doubled. By occupation, construction labourers had the largest number of WMSD cases, while helpers, heating and air-conditioning mechanics, cement masons and sheet metal workers had the highest rates of WMSDs. The major cause of WMSDs in construction was overexertion, and back injuries accounted for more than 40% of WMSDs among construction workers. The estimated wage loss for private wage-and-salary construction workers was $46 million in 2014. Conclusions: Construction workers continue to face a higher risk of WMSDs. Ergonomic solutions that reduce overexertion - the primary exposure for WMSDs - should be adopted extensively at construction sites, particularly for workers with a higher risk of WMSDs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Age Factors Aging Construction Industry Demography Economics Ergonomics Musculoskeletal Diseases Musculoskeletal System Occupational Health Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Surveys And Questionnaires

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• Keywords:
  Age Factors Age Groups Construction Construction-industry Construction-workers Demographic Characteristics Economic Impact Health Surveys Information Retrieval Systems Lost Work Days Low Back Disorders Low Back Pain MSD Musculoskeletal Disorders Musculoskeletal System Disorders Overexertion Risk Assessment Risk Factors Task Performance

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• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; North Carolina ; OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5 ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  374-380
• Volume:
  74
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049048
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2017 May; 74(5):374-380
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Xiuwen Sue Dong, CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, 8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 1000, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
• Email:
  SDong@cpwr.com
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Construction
• Performing Organization:
  CPWR - The Center for Construction Research and Training, Silver Spring, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20090901
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20240831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:968c41d1414e5f1a4b3f1f49aa4dcd149c0db84a544cc692713e3fa45889360d4b5f51248022b2051782725433593ff5aadbca4a7c1f9342a876a57b7d186828
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203630/cdc_203630_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 580.07 KB ]