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Background: The body of literature regarding the use of an upper limb exoskeleton during authentic working conditions is sparse. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an upper limb exoskeleton in reducing muscle strain during authentic industrial construction work. Methods: Fifteen male participants, comprising of roofers, scaffolders, builders, bricklayers, and graders performing overhead work participated in the study. During work without (REF) and with exoskeleton (EXO), muscle activity from 8 muscles, heart rate (HR), metabolic equivalent (MET), and upper arm elevation angles were recorded. Results: When using the exoskeleton, a significant reduction of 20.2% in average muscle activity of 8 muscles was found. The largest effect focused on m. deltoideus, where 46.2 and 32.2% reduction occurred in medial and anterior parts of the muscle, respectively. HR and MET were unaffected. Upper arm elevation angles were similar between REF and EXO, indicating equal biomechanical loading. Conclusions: This study indicates that exoskeletons show great promise in reducing the potential for musculoskeletal strain during authentic overhead construction work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and development efforts have been undertaken to develop a method for accurately localizing construction vehicles in various environments using multiple 3D-LiDARs installed in the work environment. In this approach, it is important to calibrate the installed positions and orientations of the multiple LiDARs as accurately as possible to achieve high-accuracy localization. Currently, calibration is performed manually, which results in accuracy variance depending on the operator. Furthermore, manual calibration becomes more time consuming as the number of installed LiDARs increases. Conventional automatic calibration methods require the use of dedicated land markers because stable features are difficult to acquire in civil engineering sites in which the environment is altered by work. This paper proposes an automatic calibration method that calibrates the positions and orientations of 3D-LiDARs installed in the field using multiple construction vehicles on the construction site as land markers. To validate the proposed method, we conducted calibration experiments on a group of 3D-LiDARs installed on uneven ground using actual construction vehicles, and verified the calibration accuracy using a newly proposed accuracy evaluation formula. The results showed that the proposed method can perform sufficiently accurate calibration without the use of dedicated land markers in civil engineering sites, which increase costs and make features difficult to acquire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This topic resonates in the field of construction for a long time, especially in connection with the need to define the construction work as accurately as possible, whether in the framework of public procurement or the conclusion of contracts for works. The aim is to minimize the risk of incorrect valuation, which often happens due to undervaluation of contracts. In addition to intentional undervaluation by bidders, insufficient specification of the work by the contracting authority/investor also plays an important role in this process. There are several ways of solving this problem, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. The correct definition of the construction work is crucial when preparing the budget. For this purpose, valid laws, project documentation, technical specification, budget with a statement of dimensions, spatial plans, territorial decision, building permit, standards and classifications can be used. These tools mentioned above contribute to the precise definition of the construction work and help to minimize the risk of incorrect valuation in public procurement or when concluding contracts for works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is widely used for outbreak analysis of bacteriology and virology but is scarcely used in mycology. Here, we used WGS for genotyping Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from a potential Aspergillus outbreak in an intensive care unit (ICU) during construction work. After detecting the outbreak, fungal cultures were performed on all surveillance and/or patient respiratory samples. Environmental samples were obtained throughout the ICU. WGS was performed on 30 isolates, of which six patient samples and four environmental samples were related to the outbreak, and twenty samples were unrelated, using the Illumina NextSeq 550. A SNP-based phylogenetic tree was created from outbreak samples and unrelated samples. Comparative analysis (WGS and short tandem repeats (STRs), microsatellite loci analysis) showed that none of the strains were related to each other. The lack of genetic similarity suggests the accumulation of Aspergillus spores in the hospital environment, rather than a single source that supported growth and reproduction of Aspergillus fumigatus. This supports the hypothesis that the Aspergillus outbreak was likely caused by release of Aspergillus fumigatus spores during construction work. Indeed, no new Aspergillus cases were observed in the ICU after cessation of construction. This study demonstrates that WGS is a suitable technique for examining inter-strain relatedness of Aspergillus fumigatus in the setting of an outbreak investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Actual Problems of Jurisprudence / Habaršy. Zan̦ Seriâsy is the property of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

BACKGROUND: Despite numerous regulatory initiatives to improve health and safety in the construction industry, it still ranks as one of the most accident-prone industries worldwide. A dedicated focus on safety culture has been suggested as a complement to laws, regulations and management systems. OBJECTIVE: This article explores safety culture research conducted in the construction industry, with the aim to provide insight into the specific themes that tend to be in focus as well as what theoretical and methodological approaches that tend to be favored. METHODS: Searches in scientific databases were conducted twice. In a first attempt, searches resulted in 54 hits but only two articles fit the scope of the study. A revision of the search phrase resulted in 124 hits. Ultimately, 17 articles fit the scope of the study and were included. The content of the articles was analyzed and sorted thematically. RESULTS: The results show that four themes are prevalent in the existing literature: 1) unique challenges entail a need for situated applications, 2) models developed to operationalize safety culture, 3) measuring safety culture, and 4) safety management and leadership as key factors. CONCLUSION: Although research focusing on the construction industry has come to favor certain study designs and definitions of safety culture, further research may be enriched by broadening the theoretical and methodological perspectives. Specifically, researchers should conduct more in-depth qualitative studies that take the complexity of the industry into account, including the interpersonal relations between the actors involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction work or other maintenance and repair activities in navigational channels are crucial to ensure and improve ships' movement on the selected routes. However, during the performance of these works, the ships' navigation along the construction area becomes more difficult due to the decreased parameters of passages for vessels and the operation of specific equipment on the route, e.g., dredgers and floating cranes. During construction work in navigational channels, it is impossible to stop navigation or limit ships' parameters because there may not be other possibilities for vessels to reach their planned ports or other dedicated areas. The prior determination of ships' sailing conditions and restrictions is essential to ensure maritime safety in such areas. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology that allows the precise determination of minimum passage parameters for the navigation of ships sailing through the areas in navigational channels where construction or development works are being carried out. The theoretical basis for the minimum passage parameter calculation is presented. The methodology for assessing the conditions and restrictions of navigation during construction work is proposed. The minimum width of the shipping passages in defined navigational, hydro-meteorological, and hydrological conditions and the possible minimum parameters sufficient to guarantee navigational safety are considered in a case study. The research results may be interesting for port authorities, shipping companies, and other entities involved in the organization of ships' movement during construction work in navigational channels or other areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jurnal Indonesia Sosial Teknologi is the property of Publikasi Indonesia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Whole genome sequencing (WGS) is widely used for outbreak analysis of bacteriology and virology but is scarcely used in mycology. Here, we used WGS for genotyping Aspergillus fumigatus isolates from a potential Aspergillus outbreak in an intensive care unit (ICU) during construction work. After detecting the outbreak, fungal cultures were performed on all surveillance and/or patient respiratory samples. Environmental samples were obtained throughout the ICU. WGS was performed on 30 isolates, of which six patient samples and four environmental samples were related to the outbreak, and twenty samples were unrelated, using the Illumina NextSeq 550. A SNP-based phylogenetic tree was created from outbreak samples and unrelated samples. Comparative analysis (WGS and short tandem repeats (STRs), microsatellite loci analysis) showed that none of the strains were related to each other. The lack of genetic similarity suggests the accumulation of Aspergillus spores in the hospital environment, rather than a single source that supported growth and reproduction of Aspergillus fumigatus. This supports the hypothesis that the Aspergillus outbreak was likely caused by release of Aspergillus fumigatus spores during construction work. Indeed, no new Aspergillus cases were observed in the ICU after cessation of construction. This study demonstrates that WGS is a suitable technique for examining inter-strain relatedness of Aspergillus fumigatus in the setting of an outbreak investigation.

Copyright of Guangdong Architecture Civil Engineering is the property of Guangdong Architecture Civil Engineering Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual reality-based experiments were conducted to assess the impacts of environmental pollutants (i.e., noise, vibration, and dust) on work performance. In these experiments, concrete chipping work was performed in eight different exposure environments based on exposure to three environmental pollutants to measure data related to work performance: (i) work performance metrics, including work duration and accuracy; and (ii) mental workload. The relationships between data related to work performance and environmental pollutants were then analyzed using statistical techniques as follows: First, work duration was statistically significantly affected by dust, while work accuracy was significantly affected by vibration. Second, mental workload was statistically significantly affected by all three environmental pollutants, increasing with the number of environmental pollutants the workers exposed to. Third, all data related to work performance were found to be correlated with each other. These findings provide insights into improving work performance by managing environmental pollutants in the construction industry. • The impacts of environmental pollutants on work performance were assessed in VR. • Work duration was statistically significantly prolonged only by exposure to dust. • Work accuracy statistically significantly dropped only by exposure to vibration. • Mental workload was exacerbated by the number of pollutants exposed increased. • Under exposure environments, work performance and mental workload had a correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road maintenance is crucial for road comfort. Inappropriate maintenance construction works may cause waste in budget and extra greenhouse gas emissions. Previous studies designed construction plans based on experience and the current distress stage of the road, without considering the cost and carbon emissions between different construction plans throughout the life cycle. The road deterioration tendency, however, is complicated and depends on multiple factors. This paper presents a two-layer multi-objective optimization maintenance decision support system based on 10-year maintenance and inspection historical data. Pareto frontier is used to provide a maintenance construction plan to a hundred-meter interval. A case study demonstrates that this approach can increase road performance by 6.6 %, reduce costs by 69.56 %, and reduce carbon emissions by 88.2 % compared with the practical maintenance plan. This study considered the data-driven deterioration tendency, carbon emission, and cost associated with various construction methods in maintenance strategy formulation. • A two-layer multi-objective conservation decision-making model is constructed. • The Pareto frontier is used to optimize cost, pavement performance, and carbon emissions at the same time. • Three machine learning models are compared in predicting the natural deterioration of highway pavement. • The study is based on 10-year maintenance and inspection historical big data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, risk is an issue of concern in a variety areas of society. The more human society develops, the more diverse, rich and complex human activities become. Therefore, risks are increasingly complex that effect negative impacts to people’s life. It can be said that construction work is a special product, therefore there are more and more risks that are hidden in the construction process. Especially, when building and working in remote, mountainous or border areas, the risks become more complex and diverse. Hence, if risks are identified quickly and accurately, managers can reduce the level of risk in the process. Then, people can aslo suggest some solutions to reduce the risks. This paper proposed and evaluated the risk factors of the construction process in several boder districts, Quang Nam province by applying Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) method. This study tried to collect data, analyze qualitative and quantitative risk factors. The results showed that the collected survey data is meaningful.

The quality of design is an important parameter in achieving requested construction work's quality. The aim of this research is estimation of design quality in the Republic of Croatia based on survey, and proposal of future continuous monitoring as a tool for tracking changes of design quality. Evaluation of the current state of quality of designs was based on first national survey conducted in June 2020 among construction sector professionals: designers and user of designs. The results of the research (a) identified key properties of design quality, (b) established basic reference data on the level of quality of designs in the Republic of Croatia, and (c) profiled a potency for improvement of design quality. Identification of key properties of design quality enabled introduction of design quality indexes. In conclusion, professional community is encouraged to implement activities that improve the key properties of design quality exctracted in current study as an essential part of improving design quality in general. Future continuous monitoring will show the results of these activities and expected improvement of design quality.

The progress of construction work has different deviations at a certain point in time. Various factors cause inequality. A positive progress deviation indicates that construction work is completed faster where the progress of the plan is lower than the actual one, otherwise it is said to be late if it is negative. The uncertain nature of construction work causes there are 3 (three) scenarios of possible progress deviation values, so that these three values form one expected progress deviation value. A deviation of value greater than negative 10% for a duration from 0 to 70% is categorized as a critical contract. The purpose of this study was to determine the deviation of the progress of 29 construction works. Data collection was carried out on 29 construction works that had been carried out. The data is taken directly from the contractor. The results of data analysis showed that at 10% D, 11 construction works with poor performance were obtained. Information was also obtained that the construction work No. 12 have critical contracts (-11,773). Furthermore for the current construction work 30%D. 50% D and 70% D number of poorly performing construction works 12; 10; and 9. The value of the largest positive progress deviation is 15,362 at the 70% time point D. The expected value of the largest positive progress deviation is positive 1,763. By knowing the expected negative progress value, the contractor must exercise control as soon as possible before the contract expires. Acceleration can be done on activities that are on the critical path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of buildings against the pernicious radiation types can be achieved by simultaneous structural and shielding parameters. Those shields are mainly made of heavyweight concrete, which causes many serious problems in the areas of technology, supply logistics, financial supply, Occupational Safety & Health Administration, and substitutions of structural and material solutions. This work presents a case study of the construction of the university building with rooms requiring protection against malicious radiations. Apart from that, it presents the problems and solutions that occurred during the construction from the perspective of the works contractor. This study was also expanded to include the analysis of alternatives for construction-materials. The obtained results were used to develop a generalized scheme, which will be helpful in the preparation and implementation of any facilities requiring fixed radiation shields.

Construction work or other maintenance and repair activities in navigational channels are crucial to ensure and improve ships’ movement on the selected routes. However, during the performance of these works, the ships’ navigation along the construction area becomes more difficult due to the decreased parameters of passages for vessels and the operation of specific equipment on the route, e.g., dredgers and floating cranes. During construction work in navigational channels, it is impossible to stop navigation or limit ships’ parameters because there may not be other possibilities for vessels to reach their planned ports or other dedicated areas. The prior determination of ships’ sailing conditions and restrictions is essential to ensure maritime safety in such areas. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology that allows the precise determination of minimum passage parameters for the navigation of ships sailing through the areas in navigational channels where construction or development works are being carried out. The theoretical basis for the minimum passage parameter calculation is presented. The methodology for assessing the conditions and restrictions of navigation during construction work is proposed. The minimum width of the shipping passages in defined navigational, hydro-meteorological, and hydrological conditions and the possible minimum parameters sufficient to guarantee navigational safety are considered in a case study. The research results may be interesting for port authorities, shipping companies, and other entities involved in the organization of ships’ movement during construction work in navigational channels or other areas.

The growing recognition that informal workers can organize successfully has generated debate over the determinants of effectiveness in such organizing. We contribute to this discussion by examining the cases of domestic and construction worker organizations in Mexico, using a power resources framework. Profiling these movements, the key obstacles they face, and their achievements, we undertake a threefold comparison. Within Mexico, we compare organizing both across the two sectors and over time. Additionally, we cross-nationally compare Mexican organizing in these sectors with U.S. comparators. We explain the disparate outcomes through changes in institutional opportunities and access to societal power (allies). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal disorders are among the major reasons for years lived with disability. Approximately one third of the European working population report lower-extremity discomfort and many attribute these discomforts to work-related factors. Employees in the healthcare and construction sectors reports high levels of lower-extremity pain and commonly relate the pain to their profession. These workers spend a large part of their workday standing. Periods of prolonged standing is suggested to increase lower-extremity symptoms, but this cannot be concluded on, since limited evidence is available from longitudinal studies using objective measures. This study aimed to determine possible associations between objectively measured total duration and maximum bout length of static- and dynamic standing at work and lower-extremity pain intensity (LEPi) among Norwegian construction- and healthcare workers. Methods One-hundred and twenty-three construction and healthcare workers wore two accelerometers for up to four consecutive days, to establish standing behavior at baseline. The participants reported LEPi (Likert scale 0–9) for the preceding 4 weeks at baseline and after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. We investigated associations between standing at work and average and change in LEPi using linear mixed models with significance level p ≤ 0.05. Results Total duration of static- and dynamic standing showed weak associations with average LEPi, for the total sample and for construction workers. Maximum bout of static- and dynamic standing was associated with average LEPi in construction workers, but not in healthcare workers. Furthermore, we found no associations between standing and change in LEPi over the 2-year follow-up in any of our analyses. Conclusions This study indicate that objectively measured standing is associated with average LEPi over 2-years follow-up in construction workers, and that maximal bout of standing have a stronger association to LEPi than total duration. For every 10 min added to the maximal length of continuous standing during an average workday, we found approximately one unit increase in pain on a 0–9 scale. The lack of significant findings in analyses on healthcare workers suggest that the association between standing and LEPi depend on work-tasks, gender and/or other sector-specific factors.

While COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis is now well described in developed countries, COVID-19-associated mucormycosis (CAM) has seemed to remain quite rare in Europe. A retrospective study was performed between March 2020 to September 2021 among COVID-19 adult patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Toulouse Hospital (Southern France). PCR screening on respiratory samples, which target Aspergillus or Mucorales DNA, were performed, and the number of fungal detections was evaluated monthly during the study period. During the 19 months of the study, 44 (20.3%) COVID-19 ICU patients had a positive PCR for Aspergillus, an overall rate in keeping with the incidence of ICU COVID-19 patients. Ten patients (7.1%) had a positive Mucorales PCR over the same period. Surprisingly, 9/10 had a positive Mucor/Rhizopus PCR in August-September 2021, during the fourth Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant wave. Epidemic investigations have identified a probable environmental cause linked to construction works in the vicinity of the ICU (high levels of airborne spores due to the mistaken interruption of preventive humidification and summer temperature). Even if CAM are apparently rare in Europe, a cluster can also develop in industrialised countries when environmental conditions (especially during construction work) are associated with a high number of COVID-19 patients in the ICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background This study examined access to health care in an occupational context in an urban city of India. Many people migrate from rural areas to cities, often across Indian states, for employment prospects. The purpose of the study is to explore the barriers to accessing health care among a vulnerable group – internal migrants working in the construction sector in Manipal, Karnataka. Understanding the lay workers’ accounts of access to health services can help to comprehend the diversity of factors that hinder access to health care. Methods Individual semi-structured interviews involving 15 migrant construction workers were conducted. The study applied theory-guided content analysis to investigate access to health services among the construction workers. The adductive analysis combined deductive and inductive approaches with the aim of verifying the existing barrier theory in a vulnerable context and further developing the health care access barrier theory. Results This study’s result is a revised version of the health care access barriers model, including the dimension of trust. Three known health care access barriers – financial, cognitive and structural, as well as the new barrier (distrust in public health care services), were identified among migrant construction workers in a city context in Karnataka, India. Conclusions Further qualitative research on vulnerable groups would produce a more comprehensive account of access to health care. The socioeconomic status behind access to health care, as well as distrust in public health services, forms focal challenges for any policymaker hoping to improve health services to match people’s needs.

The migrant families who build India's cities do so to meet practical and ritual aspirations rooted in the village, undergoing spatial and temporal fragmentation to maintain rural longevity and the possibilities of ritual time. This article contributes an alternative position to linear‐framed presumptions of migration and urbanity, illustrating instead how everyday experiences of dislocation can be productive through labor, timespace, and imagination; bridging the gulf between residence on urban construction sites in Bengaluru, southern India, and desired village homes. However, lived experiences of dislocation remain stratified by gender and class, leading to highly conjugated experiences of precarity, mobility, and possibility. Despite the urban ambivalence felt by women and girls as a result, a shared experience of dislocation enables entire families to undertake the grueling yet regenerative work of circular migration, ensuring the continuation and renewal of village life and ritual time through its incompleteness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this research article, we present a methodological proposal for improving the process of monitoring public works using quality management. To do this, we have reviewed the monitoring process carried out by the National Education Development Fund (FNDE) during the Proinfância program. We adopted a case study based ondesign science researchas a methodology. This article presents the phases of the literature review, a map of the current work monitoring process, a survey and analysis of the data collected with the current process and a methodological proposal for the construction monitoring process. As a result of the work, a new flow for the work monitoring process is proposed, consisting of internal procedures, work routines and collection tools. The proposed methodology was applied to 15 works, and the results were analyzed.

Informal workers in Mexico, the majority of the country's workforce, have organised to demand rights, but with varying results. In this article, we contrast recent organising by Mexico's domestic workers and informal construction workers. Household worker movements have succeeded in institutionalising significant new organisations and raising public awareness. Construction workers, despite earlier militant counterexamples, have remained trapped by corporatist structures, and their organising capacity has atrophied. We place these outcomes in the context of the overall decline of labour, suggesting conclusions for the limits and possibilities of contemporary Mexican labour mobilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development and implementation of an observational video-based risk assessment is described. Occupational risk assessment is one of the most important yet also challenging tasks for employers. Most assessment tools to date use questionnaires, expert interviews, and similar tools. Video analysis is a promising tool for risk assessment, but it needs an objective basis. A video of a plastering worker was recorded using a 360° camera. The recording was then analyzed using the developed observational matrix concerning Work Characteristics, Work Activities as well as potential risks. Risk factors present during the video of the work included lifting, fall from ladder, hazardous substances as well as occasionally bad posture. The worker had no or just one risk factor present during most of the time of the video recording, while only 16 s with more than one risk factor present according to the observational matrix. The paper presents a promising practical method to assess occupational risks on a case-by-case basis. It can help with the risk assessment process in companies which is required by law in some industrialized countries. The matrix in combination with video analysis is a first step toward digital observational risk assessment. It can also be the basis of an automated risk assessment process.

The chief objective of this article consists in a study of the change in the content of pollutants in surface runoff when conducting construction work on laying utility lines. The territory of Moscow with catchments of the rivers Likhoborka and Zhabenka was selected as the object of the study. Valleys of small rivers are subject to greater effect as a result of human economic activity, and therefore it is necessary to give particular attention to the quality of surface runoff, the state of the catchments, the bank line, and the streams themselves. The methodology of calculating rain and thaw runoff, and the dynamics of the content of suspended solids and petroleum products in surface runoff at various stages of development of the territory are examined: existing conditions, construction period, and operational phase. Based on analysis and tests conducted, it has been derived that the sewage treatment plants on the collecting channel will make it possible to reduce the content of the primary pollutants at discharge from the collecting channel into the river Likhoborka by a factor of at least 3 times, compared with existing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of five different handle shapes of masons' trowels on muscle activity of the arm and forearm muscles (through electromyographic measurements of the biceps brachii [BB], flexor digitorum superficialis [FDS], pronator teres [PT] and extensor carpi ulnaris [ECU]) were evaluated in a simulated masonry task. The results showed a significant effect of handle shape on the muscle activity of the BB, PT and ECU. The muscle activity of the extensor (ECU) and flexor (FDS) were generally larger than those of the supinator (BB) and pronator (PT). Some improvements were found in terms of muscular exertions with prototype designs C, D and E, which had either handles with variable diameter (designs C and E) or a slightly bent handle (design D). These findings have practical implications for the design of single-handle hand tools but may need further validation for specific contexts of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are among the major reasons for years lived with disability. Approximately one third of the European working population report lower-extremity discomfort and many attribute these discomforts to work-related factors. Employees in the healthcare and construction sectors reports high levels of lower-extremity pain and commonly relate the pain to their profession. These workers spend a large part of their workday standing. Periods of prolonged standing is suggested to increase lower-extremity symptoms, but this cannot be concluded on, since limited evidence is available from longitudinal studies using objective measures. This study aimed to determine possible associations between objectively measured total duration and maximum bout length of static- and dynamic standing at work and lower-extremity pain intensity (LEPi) among Norwegian construction- and healthcare workers.Methods: One-hundred and twenty-three construction and healthcare workers wore two accelerometers for up to four consecutive days, to establish standing behavior at baseline. The participants reported LEPi (Likert scale 0-9) for the preceding 4 weeks at baseline and after 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. We investigated associations between standing at work and average and change in LEPi using linear mixed models with significance level p ≤ 0.05.Results: Total duration of static- and dynamic standing showed weak associations with average LEPi, for the total sample and for construction workers. Maximum bout of static- and dynamic standing was associated with average LEPi in construction workers, but not in healthcare workers. Furthermore, we found no associations between standing and change in LEPi over the 2-year follow-up in any of our analyses.Conclusions: This study indicate that objectively measured standing is associated with average LEPi over 2-years follow-up in construction workers, and that maximal bout of standing have a stronger association to LEPi than total duration. For every 10 min added to the maximal length of continuous standing during an average workday, we found approximately one unit increase in pain on a 0-9 scale. The lack of significant findings in analyses on healthcare workers suggest that the association between standing and LEPi depend on work-tasks, gender and/or other sector-specific factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Assess the impact of summer heat exposure (June–September) on residential construction workers in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia by evaluating (i) heart rate (HR) responses, hydration status, and physical workload among workers in indoor and outdoor construction settings, (ii) factors related to physiological responses to work in hot conditions, and (iii) how well wet-bulb globe temperature-based occupational exposure limits (WBGTOELs) predict measures of heat strain. Methods Twenty-three construction workers (plasterers, tilers, and laborers) contributed 260 person-days of monitoring. Workload energy expenditure, HR, fluid intake, and pre- and postshift urine specific gravity (USG) were measured. Indoor and outdoor heat exposures (WBGT) were measured continuously and a WBGTOEL was calculated. The effects of heat exposure and workload on heart rate reserve (HRR), a measure of cardiovascular strain, were examined with linear mixed models. A metric called 'heat stress exceedance' (HSE) was constructed to summarize whether the environmental heat exposure (WBGT) exceeded the heat stress exposure limit (WBGTOEL). The sensitivity and specificity of the HSE as a predictor of cardiovascular strain (HRR ≥30%) were determined. Results The WBGTOEL was exceeded frequently, on 63 person-days indoors (44%) and 91(78%) outdoors. High-risk HRR occurred on 26 and 36 person-days indoors and outdoors, respectively. The HSE metric showed higher sensitivity for HRR ≥30% outdoors (89%) than indoors (58%) and greater specificity indoors (59%) than outdoors (27%). Workload intensity was generally moderate, with light intensity work more common outdoors. The ability to self-pace work was associated with a lower frequency of HRR ≥30%. USG concentrations indicated that workers began and ended their shifts dehydrated (USG ≥1.020). Conclusions Construction work where WBGTOEL is commonly exceeded poses health risks. The ability of workers to self-pace may help reduce risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]