Analyzing psychological conditions of field-workers in the construction industry

Abstract

The Korean construction industry has experienced poor labor productivity and high accident rates. Previous studies have reported that workers' mental health can cause negative impacts on work performance; thus, enhancing workers' psychological conditions would help achieve more productive and safer workplaces. This research aimed to understand the level of psychological conditions of construction field-workers using four categories: (1) stress (occupational stress and stress-coping style), (2) personal temperament, (3) emotional disturbance (depression and trait anxiety), and (4) drinking habits. This research used validated questionnaires commonly used in the field of clinical psychology, surveyed 430 respondents from road, bridge, tunnel, subway, and apartment construction sites in Korea, and analyzed the overall psychological tendency of construction workers with the collaboration of professional clinical psychologists using the Z-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and cross-tabulation. The research also investigated how the mental conditions differed according to different working conditions, such as demographic information, employment status, work types, work experience, and wage conditions. The results indicated that construction workers suffer from a high level of stress and showed high inclination for problem-focused coping: impulsive, cautious, and dependent on other people. Two out of five construction workers suffer from depression and experience trait anxiety. More seriously, three out of five workers show alcohol-use problems that require clinical attention. This study also revealed the particular psychological problems that occur under different working conditions. The findings can be used to promote the awareness of the importance of construction workers' mental well-being and to help in setting targets for improvement.

Lean y construcción sostenible: una aproximación al bienestar laboral del trabajador de construcción

“…El bienestar laboral en construcción ha sido relacionado con la satisfacción laboral de los trabajadores (SANG; ISON;DAINTY, 2009;SHAN et al, 2016), el desempeño (ABREY; SMALLWOOD, 2014;BRADLEY et al, 2007;GATTI et al, 2014;NIKOLIN et al, 2015), conciliación entre trabajo y familia (MOSTERT; PEETERS; ROST, 2011;MARIANI, 2016), compromiso y motivación (BELL;POWELL;SYKES, 2015;KENNEDY;BREWER, 2012;LORENTE et al, 2014), ergonomía y entorno de trabajo (CHOI, 2012;DAMAJ et al, 2016;EAVES;GYI;GIBB, 2016;LIM et al, 2017) y accidentes y enfermedades ocupacionales (BODNER et al, 2014;JAAFAR et al, 2017;LANGDON;SAWANG, 2017;LINGARD;TURNER, 2017;ZHAO, 2014).…”

Weather and labor productivity in construction: a literature review and taxonomy of studies

“…The negative impact of the weather focused on workers' physiological and psychological conditions such as exhaustion, heatstroke and depression. Severe weather is one of the stressors that influences labor productivity and health (Lim et al, 2017). Majority of studies in this area focused on heat strain during the summer season.…”

“…In the literature, weather has been recognized as a significant contributor to labor productivity. Lim et al (2017) indicated the influence of severe weather on labor stress and productivity. Durdyev et al (2018) found that poor weather condition is one of the external factors that has a negative impact on labor productivity.…”

Impact of Alcohol on Occupational Health and Safety in the Construction Industry at Workplaces with Scaffoldings

“…Therefore, the reference unit was adopted for analysis. It was assumed that the reference unit is a man with a statistical height of a Pole equal to 1.80 m, a statistical body weight of 83 kg [11], and at the age that corresponds to the average age obtained in the analyses-40 years. This man has a normal body shape, normal alcohol consumption, and standard food consumption.…”

“…A construction worker is a typically male teamwork profession that requires physical effort [9], is performed outdoors, and is often carried out in difficult weather conditions [10]. These conditions are conducive to drinking alcohol for relaxation [11]. Drinking alcohol is an accepted social and cultural habit in most Western countries [12].…”