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Psychosocial job quality has been proven to be linked to workers' mental health. Drawing on a life course perspective, this study sought to identify, compare, and contrast the psychosocial characteristics of job quality that are related to mental health in three age groups of manual/nonmanagerial construction workers, i.e., young workers, middle-aged workers, and older workers. Data were extracted from the national and longitudinal Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey data set. The study used 15 waves of data from the HILDA survey with 6,352 responses from 1,768 participants. Longitudinal random-intercept regression models were used to examine the association between each of five aspects of job quality (i.e., job demands and complexity, job control, perceived job security, effort-reward fairness, and job intensity) and mental health. Overall, the research results showed that construction workers' mental health declined when experiencing adverse job conditions and the magnitude of decline increased as the number of job adversities increased. Specifically, workers of the midage group experienced more accelerated decline in mental health compared with the other two groups when experiencing two adverse job conditions. Age-related differences were also identified in the way that individual job quality aspects are related to mental health. Although low job security and perceived unfairness of effort and reward were significant predictors of mental ill-health in all age groups, job demand and complexity and high job intensity were predictors of mental ill-health in midage and older construction workers but were not significant contributors to mental ill-health among younger workers. The findings highlight the need to develop targeted approaches to protecting and promoting the mental health of construction workers in different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A qualitative investigation of the relationship between the experience of bodily pain and work-life balance was conducted in a sample of manual/non-managerial workers in the Australian construction industry. Participants were purposefully selected for the study on the basis that they reported experiencing ongoing bodily pain. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed that participants perceive their pain to have substantial impacts on their ability to participate successfully in family life and in social and leisure activities, indicating that the experience of bodily pain has a negative impact on the work-life balance of these manual/non-managerial construction workers. Participants regularly seek remedial treatment outside of work and adapt their activities in order to cope with their pain. Results suggest that for workers in physically demanding jobs, work-life conflict may extend beyond a time-, strain- and behaviour-based model and include a physical capacity component. The research also proposes a new form of time-based work-life conflict which occurs through an indirect pathway through which pain negatively impacts time available for non-work activities. These findings suggest that organisational work-life balance initiatives should also consider the physicality of work, which can contribute, through musculoskeletal pain, to work-life conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injury in tying steel reinforcement bars. Three tools are compared to determine the extent to which ergonomically designed tools can reduce the risk of injury to the back and wrist in steel-tying. A whole body system of wearable sensors was used to measure biomechanical risk in tying. Three tools were assessed to determine their impact on the risk of work-related musculoskeletal injury when used at different heights. These were: a conventional pincer-cutter tool; a power-driven tying tool, and a long handled stapler tool. No tool was found to work best in all situations. The long handled stapler tool significantly reduced trunk inclination when used from ground to shoulder height but produced higher trunk extension (backward bending) when used above shoulder height. The power tying tool did not reduce the need to bend when working at lower work heights. The power tying tool produced significantly lower peak wrist flexion values compared to the conventional pincercutter tool at all work heights except overhead. The power tying tool involved significantly lower levels of wrist rotation than the conventional pincer-cutter tool at all work heights above knee level. Many assessments of ergonomic risk factors in construction rely on observational methods. The use of small, lightweight wearable sensors permits the objective measurement of biomechanical risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal injury, as well as providing objective performance data that can be used in the design and selection of task-specific tools. Our analysis of work by height also provides insight into the way in which the risk factors and reduction opportunities afforded by different tools vary depending on the height at which work is performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of occupational health and safety (OHS) training programs is dependent on the extent to which workers transfer OHS knowledge, skills and abilities acquired from OHS training into post-training workplace performance. However, the lack of training transfer has long been a critical problem in the construction industry. As an attempt to gain a better understanding of the transfer of training, this research investigated factors affecting construction workers' OHS training transfer intention. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data from Australian construction workers, and 295 valid responses were obtained. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to test the model of transfer intention adapted from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Multigroup analysis was conducted to identify the similarities and differences in terms of factors affecting transfer intention among managerial/professional and non-managerial/manual construction workers. The research found that the TPB can be used to explain the transfer intention of OHS training among construction workers. Perceived behavioural control was found to be an antecedent of the intention to transfer among both groups of workers. However, attitudes only predicted transfer intention among managerial/professional workers, while subjective norms only predicted transfer intention among non-managerial/manual construction workers. The study provided a good understanding of the formation of transfer intention among managerial/professional and non-managerial/manual construction workers and identified critical factors influencing the transfer intention of these two groups. This new knowledge is useful for training providers and construction organisations to develop targeted strategies to increase the transfer of OHS skills and knowledge among construction workers and improve the effectiveness of OHS training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety performance data collected over a five year period, at a large Australian infrastructure project was analysed. The analysis examined the temporal relationships between the safety performance indicators measured at the project, including traditional lagging indicators, as well as expected leading indicators. The purpose of the research was to uncover time dependent relationships and explore causal relationships between indicators. The analysis revealed complex interactions between safety indicators over time. Notably, the expected leading indicators behaved as both leading and lagging indicators in relation to the project total recordable injury frequency rate. This finding suggested a cyclical relationship between management actions relating to safety and the rate of safety incidents. This cyclical relationship is unlikely to produce long term sustained improvement in safety performance. The expected leading indicators of safety were also inter-related with one another in complex ways. The results indicate that assumptions underpinning the use of leading indicators should be reconsidered. In particular, the findings challenge the assumption that leading indicators measured at one point in time can predict safety outcomes at a subsequent point in time. The collection and use of different types of safety indicator data should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of health promotion interventions in Queensland, Australia. During the research period, the workers’ employing organization, a large contracting organization, was engaged in a competitive tender to renew their service contract. The research therefore provided an opportunity to examine the impact of health promotion interventions in project-based work environments under conditions of job insecurity. Design/methodology/approach – The sample comprised of workers contracted to provide facility maintenance and management services for a power station. Data were collected using a longitudinal survey of workers’ health, weekly logs recording health behaviour, and a post-intervention evaluation workshop. Health interventions implemented sought to encourage workers to eat more fruit and participate in a physical exercise programme. Findings – Findings revealed that workers’ health was generally lower than the Queensland male population when measured using a standardized norm-based tool. The log data revealed that health behaviour fluctuated over time but did not show significant or sustained improvement with the introduction of the health interventions. The evaluation workshop revealed that workers’ concerns about their job security during the research period impacted their health behaviours. Originality/value – The need to address the structural and organizational factors that influence the health of project-based workers is highlighted. In particular, concerns about continuity of work may otherwise reduce the beneficial effect of health promotion programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demands and resources are central to work–life fit. However, they are often not clearly defined within the work–life literature, lack consistency and/or are ambiguous or too narrowly defined. Furthermore, there has been more emphasis on the work and family domains, while the community domain has often been excluded. In seeking to better understand the work–life experience of individuals, interviews were held with nine construction workers to review and verify a full set of specific demands and resources originating in the work, family and community domains in a specific Australian industry. There was evidence of an additional domain of work–life strain relating to personal activities. A total of 112 demands and resources were identified in the research. The structure and nature of work undertaken in the construction industry is different from that in many other industries, therefore the demands and resources identified through the study may not be generalizable to other industries. However, the methodological approach may be applied in other industries to explore industry-specific demands and resources across the work, home, community and personal domains. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose -- The research aims to explore the interaction between design decisions that reduce occupational health and safety (OHS) risk in the operation stage of a facility's life cycle and the OHS experiences of workers in the construction stage. Design/methodology/approach -- Data was collected from three construction projects in Australia. Design decisions were examined to understand the reasons they were made and the impact that they had on OHS in the construction and operation stages. Findings -- The case examples reveal that design decisions made to reduce OHS risk during the operation of a facility can introduce new hazards in the construction stage. These decisions are often influenced by stakeholders external to the project itself. Research limitations/implications -- The results provide preliminary evidence of challenges inherent in designing for OHS across the lifecycle of a facility. Further research is needed to identify and evaluate methods by which risk reduction across all stages of a facility's life cycle can be optimised. Practical implications -- The research highlights the need to manage tensions between designing for safe construction and operation of a facility. Originality/value -- Previous research assumes design decisions that reduce OHS risk in one stage of a facility's life cycle automatically translate to a net risk reduction across the life cycle. The research highlights the need to consider the implications of PtD decision-making focused on one stage of the facility's life cycle for OHS outcomes in other stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research reports the impact of work on undergraduate students enrolled in construction programs. Students responded to a questionnaire on the nature of their paid work while enrolled in full-time study in six universities across Australia. The results indicate that students are working on average 19 hours per week during semester time. The results indicate that students in the early years tend to undertake casual work that is not related to their degree. However, this pattern changes in the later years of the program, where students switch to roles in construction that does relate to their coursework. The students start working on average 16 hours in the first year of their degree, and the number rises to 24 hours in their final year. Past research suggests that students may be working to an extent beyond what is considered beneficial to their studies. Past research has shown that working long hours has a negative effect on the study patterns of undergraduate students. The implications of the amount of time working and the type of work are discussed. The paper concludes by suggesting that universities need a greater awareness of the impact of paid employment on student engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A survey of construction companies' secondary disability management practices was undertaken in the state of Victoria, Australia. The results indicate that formal rehabilitation and return-to-work programmes and practices are not adopted in many companies. Smaller construction firms were less likely to have adopted formal programmes or practices than medium-to-large firms. In particular, construction companies reported difficulties in the provision of suitable alternate or light duties for workers returning to work following an injury. Most companies regarded disability management practices to have increased operating costs while yielding little or no benefit in terms of reducing lost workdays. Strategies to overcome some of these impediments to rehabilitation and return-to-work in construction are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted among employees of a large Australian construction firm. Comparisons were made between employees who differed by gender and work location. Male employees in site-based roles reported significantly higher levels of work to family conflict and emotional exhaustion than male employees who worked in the regional or head office. Site-based male employees were also less satisfied with their pay than male respondents who worked in the regional or head office. Few significant differences were found between women who worked in different locations. Neither were significant differences between men and women who worked in the same location reported. The results are explained in terms of women's tendency to work in administrative, secretarial or support services roles, which typically demand fewer hours. The paper concludes that the experiences of site-based construction employees, particularly men, warrant further attention to explore the sources of work-life imbalance and burnout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of women in the Australian construction industry was undertaken to examine the relationship between career, family and work environment variables on women's organizational commitment. Questionnaires were distributed to three hundred women in construction occupations and 109 completed and usable questionnaires were returned. Career choice commitment, satisfaction with career progression, job involvement, supervisory support and perception of the organizational diversity climate were significantly correlated with respondents' organizational commitment. No demographic or family variables were correlated with organizational commitment. Neither did organizational commitment differ significantly between women with dependent children and childless women or women with non-dependent children. It is concluded that construction firms aiming to improve organizational commitment among female employees should ensure women have access to career development opportunities and ensure just processes are used in allocating organizational rewards. Construction firms are also recommended to implement diversity initiatives and educate employees, particularly supervisors, in supportive management for a diverse workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was undertaken to explore the experience of 'burnout' among engineers working in the Australian construction industry. The most widely recognized model of burnout, comprising emotional exhaustion, cynicism and a diminished sense of personal accomplishment was found to be valid. However, Australian engineers experience a strong sense of the social worth of their professional activity, independently of believing in their own individual competence as engineers. There was also a widespread belief that the rewards enjoyed by engineers as a result of their professional endeavours are not commensurate with their level of skill and responsibility. The results of the study also show that burnout cannot be attributed to a single cause but occurs as a result of a complex interaction of individual characteristics and issues in the work environment. As such, there is no single 'cure' for burnout and multiple intervention strategies are probably needed. However, the relative importance of job characteristics compared to personality characteristics in predicting burnout suggests that job re-design may be an effective preventive strategy. Cynicism and emotional exhaustion were strong predictors of engineers' intention to leave their jobs. This suggests that measures to prevent burnout could also help to reduce turnover and its associated costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 24 week experiment was conducted to assess the effect of first aid training on small business construction industry participants' understanding of occupational health and safety (OHS) risks and risk controls and their motivation to avoid occupational injuries and illnesses. Participants' subjective understandings of OHS risks, options for risk control and motivation to control OHS risks were explored during in-depth interviews before and after receipt of first aid training. Interview data revealed that, other than raising awareness of the risk of infectious diseases, the first aid training did not increase participants' understandings of the nature or severity of specific OHS risks relevant to their work. First aid training appeared to reduce participants' 'self-other' bias, making them more aware that their experience of OHS risks was not beyond their control but that their own behaviour was also an important factor in the avoidance of occupational injury and illness. First aid training also appeared to reduce participants' willingness to accept prevailing levels of OHS risk. Participants' understandings of methods by which OHS risks can be controlled were unchanged by the first aid training and are limited to individual controls. First aid training did appear to increase participants' perception of the probability that they would suffer a work related injury or illness and they also expressed greater concern about taking risks at work after receiving first aid training. It therefore appears that first aid training enhanced participants' motivation to avoid occupational injuries and illnesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multiple-baseline experiment design across waste streams was used to determine the effectiveness of a goal setting and feedback intervention in bringing about improved solid waste management performance on a sports stadium construction site in Australia. A desktop method was used to measure the volume of timber and construction waste disposed as landfill and recycled. A general index of material usage efficiency and two recycling indices were calculated. Performance was measured each fortnight and formal goal setting and performance feedback were introduced to the timber and concrete waste streams. The intervention was effective in reducing the volume of waste disposed as landfill and increasing material usage efficiency, indicating that solid waste was reduced at source or re-used. Recycling performance did not improve significantly with the introduction of the intervention. This may be due to the way in which construction workers perceive the costs and benefits of recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 24 week experiment was conducted to determine the effect of first aid training on the occupational health and safety behaviour of participants in small business construction firms in Australia. A purposeful sample of 22 small business construction industry participants was identified. A simplified multiple baseline across workplace settings experimental design was used to introduce first aid training to workplace settings on a staggered basis. Objective measurement of occupational health and safety behaviour was conducted, by a researcher directly observing the workplace, before and after participants received first aid training. Individual performance was measured using a 14-item 'individual safety measure' (ISM) and global safety performance was measured using a 21-item 'global site safety measure' (GSSM). Pre-training and post-training performance scores for each category of safety performance were analysed using paired samples t-tests. The results were mixed. Performance improved in three of the four categories of safety performance measured by both the GSSM and ISM. The statistical significance of these improvements varied between performance categories. The results suggest that first aid training has a positive effect on occupational health and safety behaviour in Australian construction industry small businesses in the categories of personal protective equipment and housekeeping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Factors contributing to construction crane safety incidents were explored using qualitative methods. • Contributing factors were identified at different levels within the construction industry work system. • Immediate factors were linked to issues in the regulatory, industrial and organisational environment. Crane safety incidents in the construction industry are persistent and have serious consequences. The research explored causal and contributing factors to crane safety incidents in the Australian construction industry. Key informants were purposefully selected because of their industry experience and knowledge of crane operations in the Australian construction industry. Informants participated in focus groups or interviews, in which the factors that cause or contribute to crane safety incidents in construction were explored. Data was systematically analysed using the framework method of qualitative data analysis. A total of 77 causal/contributing factors were identified in the analysis, which were found to operate at multiple levels within the work system relating to the use of cranes in the construction industry. The analysis also revealed that these factors interact with each other in complex ways within and between levels in the work system. Understanding these interactions can inform the selection and implementation of 'upstream' prevention measures for crane safety incident in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fig. 2 of the original article included an incorrect sociogram depicting a workgroup with low supervisor out-centrality. [Extracted from the article]