Assessing Impacts of Drone-Induced Distraction on Postural Stability of Roofers During Shingle Installation on Inclined Surfaces

Details

• Journal Article:
  Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
• Personal Author:
  Mouri, Mahfuza Maisha ; Han, Wei ; Xu, Liqun ; Ghasemi, Alireza ; Loh, Wei-Yin ; Zhu, Zhenhua ; Dai, Fei
• Description:
  Roofers face elevated injury risks due to the hazardous nature of working on inclined surfaces, which often require awkward postures and precise balance. The increasing use of drones in construction introduces a potential new hazard, because their presence may distract roofers and impair postural stability. Although prior studies have explored the impact of drones on workers' attention, there is limited research on their effects on workers' balance, particularly in high-risk environments such as roofing. This study investigated the effects of drone distraction on roofers' balance on the slanted roof surface. A controlled laboratory experiment was conducted with 24 participants who simulated a static shingle installation task on an adjustable wooden platform while wearing a virtual reality (VR) headset. The VR environment replicated three roofing conditions (i.e., pitch slopes 0, 3/12, and 6/12), under four drone conditions [i.e., no-drone control, and drone intrusions at altitudes of 4.88 m (16 ft), 14.63 m (48 ft), and 24.99 m (82 ft)]. Center of pressure (COP) data were recorded using a force plate and then processed into metrics, including mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) maximum COP displacement, ML and AP RMS displacement, and sway area, to assess balance stability. The results demonstrated that closer drone proximity significantly increased distraction, leading to greater postural instability. These findings highlight the potential safety risks posed by drone operations near roofing work and underscore the need for guidelines on safe drone deployment in construction zones to minimize worker distraction and enhance fall prevention strategies. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accidental Falls Construction Industry Occupational Health Postural Balance Posture Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Roofers; Postural Stability; Center Of Pressure; Kneeling; Inclined Surfaces; Drones; Virtual Reality Construction Industry; Roofers; Roofing Industry; Roof Falls; Accident Prevention; Virtual Reality; Posture; Safety Research;
• Source:
  J Constr Eng Manage 2026 Jun; 142(6):04026061
• ISSN:
  0733-9364
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Chicago Region [OSHA] ; Philadelphia Region [OSHA] ; West Virginia ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  10 pdf pages
• Volume:
  152
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071611
• Contact Point Address:
  Fei Dai, Ph.D., M.ASCE, Professor, Wadsworth Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia Univ., Morgantown, WV 26506
• Email:
  Fei.Dai@mail.wvu.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20230930
• End Date:
  20250929
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:cdadfe7cbb72c13ec22e2f6aaf7d304dd20a65bd755c8c2193d74f2989e147484080a3b2ade1bb2a812efa9c49cd5d79b5e322e3b7c600c2bd376438ba9bf54f
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259386/cdc_259386_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.34 MB ]