142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

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Impacts of alternative work schedules on skilled trades

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Monday, November 17, 2014 : 9:02 AM - 9:18 AM

Judith Daltuva, MA, MSW , Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Katherine King, MS, PE, BCEE , Monarch Environmental Services, Ann Arbor, MI
W.Monroe Keyserling, PhD, CDP, CPE , Industrial and Operations Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Thomas Robins, MPH, MD , Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
Background: Within the United Automobile Workers labor union, skilled trades personnel are at substantially greater risk of fatal injury than production workers (skilled trades comprise 15% of the membership, yet account for 43% of fatalities). For over 4 years, U-M and a major automotive manufacturing facility have collaborated on a joint labor/management skilled trades action research project to identify and intervene on systemic root causes and workplace cultural influences that contribute to unsafe conditions and work practices.  Recently, the facility implemented alternative work schedules (AWS).   NIOSH (2004) identified multiple effects of shift work and AWS on various professions.  Building on this body of knowledge, the joint committee identified a need to understand the potential unique impacts of AWS on skilled trades workers.

Methods: Focus groups with skilled trades workers, a root cause analysis by the joint labor/management committee, and analysis of incident reports were performed before and after implementation of AWS.

Results: Skilled trade workers face unique risks related to AWS due to: 1) the crisis response nature of their work (extreme time pressure), and 2) the need to remove/disable guards and protective devices in order to diagnose problems and perform repairs.

Conclusion: Action research involving labor and management provides a powerful tool to identify factors that increase injury risk when skilled trade workers move to AWS.

Reference: NIOSH (2004). Overtime and Extended Work Shifts: Recent Findings on Illnesses, Injuries, and Health Behaviors.

Learning Areas:

Occupational health and safety

Learning Objectives:
Identify impacts on skilled trades associated with alternative work schedules.

Keyword(s): Occupational Health and Safety, Labor

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have participated in safety culture research for the past 10 years and have evaluated health and safety training for 17 years.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3060.0: Partnerships for OHS research and action