Many ergonomic hazards such as awkward postures, heavy lifting, and forceful exertions have been identified as being typical for the construction industry. Despite the high prevalence of these ergonomic hazards, research in this industry has been limited. This can be attributed mainly in part to the difficulty many researchers have in trying to derive quantitative ergonomic measures for a work environment that is for the most part unstructured and highly variable. Unlike most manufacturing or office environments, the construction work environment is typified by tasks that have a high degree of variability, irregular work periods, and a constantly evolving work site. Within recent times, however, several methods have been developed and used to document the ergonomic exposure profiles for unstructured work environments such as the construction industry. One such method is C-PATH (Computerized Posture, Activity, Tool, and Handling) which is based on a work-sampling strategy. C-PATH provides quantitative, task-based estimates of the percentage of time workers spend in specified postures of the trunk, arms, neck, and legs. It also provides frequency information on all activities, tasks, and manual material handling activities performed by the worker. This paper reports on data collected by C-PATH and how this data has been used to identify specific construction operations and tasks that are ergonomically hazardous for several construction trades and how this method can be adapted for use in other types of unstructured work environments.
Learning Objectives: Recognize the four categories of risk factors that C-PATH quantifies and discuss the utility of C-PATH as an ergonomic analysis tool in non-routine work environments
Keywords: Ergonomics, Occupational Exposure
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.