Impacts of COVID-19 on Health and Safety of Workforce in Construction Industry

Pamidimukkala, Apurva; Kermanshachi, Sharareh; Nipa, Thahomina Jahan

doi:10.1061/9780784483541.039

Cited by 42 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…In line with the current literature, using innovative technologies to improve remote work productivity was beneficial to many, while some individuals needed additional support to overcome technical difficulties as they learned new technologies [23]. It is also important to note that remote work has led to social isolation, negatively impacting the mental health of workers [41]. One of the challenges of the construction industry is the need for in-person work since most field tasks cannot be completed remotely.…”

Section: Remote Work Accommodationsmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…This could be burdensome for construction firms in some respects, because most of their workforce needs to be on-site. As a result, although remote work is the safer practice to preserve the health and safety of the employees, the project itself may suffer [41].…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Communication In the Construction Indu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While there are many benefits associated with working remotely, such as decreasing overhead costs, reducing travel times to and from work, reducing the carbon footprint and so forth, several disadvantages must be noted [43]. For example, the online workplace can lead to increased mental health issues due to the inability to "unplug" [41]. In addition, some people must juggle the roles of being an employee and parent or caretaker working from home [43].…”

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Communication In the Construction Indu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Construction Industry in New York State

2022

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The COVID-19 pandemic severely impacted many industries on a global scale. Expectedly, the construction industry was not left out as non-essential construction was halted, strict health and safety protocols were introduced, and businesses were disrupted. New York City was the epicenter of the pandemic at its onset in the United States, and the pandemic had different impacts on workers based on their work location and role. This study utilized a survey including twenty-five statements to explore the initial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry in New York State, analyzing its effects on sixty-one construction industry professionals, their projects, and firms, also considering their work location and role in the construction process. The most severe impacts were on construction schedules and in-person meetings. Those who worked in New York City had more difficulty complying with the increased health and safety regulations than those who worked outside the city. Those categorized as builders indicated significantly more contract performance issues. Furthermore, a set of recommendations were highlighted to strengthen the industry’s response to future similar disruptions. This study is significant in helping researchers and businesses build more resilient operations to address current and future pandemic-related challenges facing the construction industry.

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Section: Remote Work Accommodationsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Communication In the Construction Indu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Impact Of Covid-19 On Communication In the Construction Indu...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Construction Industry in New York State

2022

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“…For instance, the average unemployment rate of construction workers in the USA increased by 95%, from 4.5% in 2019 to 8.7% in 2020 [ 7 ]. Therefore, COVID-19 has introduced significant challenges for frontline construction workers, such as increased concerns about economic insecurities and wellbeing, as well as the implementation of new and changing guidances in order to reduce the spread of the virus [ 8 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic Influences on Perceived Stressors of Construction Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Liang

Yang

Liu

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Construction work is one of the most stressful occupations in the world, and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated this reality. This research conducted a detailed investigation on the perceived stressors of different demographic groups among construction workers. Empirical data were collected using a structured questionnaire in the Chinese construction industry. The empirical data were processed using both an independent sample t-test and an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The findings indicated that male workers reported greater workloads than did females. Married workers experienced more pandemic fear and job insecurity, and they were more sensitive to the poor working environment. Highly-educated workers were inclined to be more satisfied with organizational pandemic responses, and had lower job insecurity and role ambiguity, but they experienced heavier workloads. In addition, the differences in work experience and age were statistically significant with regards to job insecurity. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by giving a comprehensive understanding of demographic influences on perceived stressors among construction workers. It also provides valuable insights to identify sensitive demographic groups and promote their health and wellbeing during and after the pandemic.

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“…Among these, for example, studies concerning contact tracing [13], app for identifying the drivers of COVID-19 epidemics [14] were analyzed, as well as researches that highlight how the pandemic has impacted construction sites [15] and changed the concept of worker safety [16]. In this latter context, some authors [17] have analyzed the social implications of the pandemic on workers, highlighting the initial refusal to use technological systems followed by acceptance in the light of the benefits achieved. The following paragraphs provide an overview of the Italian post-Covid-19 protocols adopted for the resumption of construction site activities, subsequently the CoFlex project is illustrated.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coflex: Flexible Bracelet Anti Covid-19 to Protect Construction Workers

Laurini

Rotilio

Berardinis

et al. 2021

Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spatial Inf. Sci.

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Abstract. To implement the protocol contrasting the diffusion of Covid-19, the employer is required, to ensure the safety and health of the worker at work, to adopt measures related to the control of body temperature (with respect for privacy), the minimum distance during work and all other activities such as breaks, canteen breaks, access to toilets, in addition to the adoption of specifically developed safety procedures, such as e.g. the use of man-down detection devices. In this context, the project aims to illustrate a system able of providing support in the safeguarding of workers' health on construction sites. This system, based on information received from sensors capable of identifying workers' positions (e.g., if less than 1m away) and their vital parameters (e.g., body temperature, gasped breathing), as well as moving objects inside the construction site area (e.g., to check if a worker is passing under a moving crane), will raise early alerts directly to the workers and/or to the central software, with respect for privacy, to immediately activate all the necessary measures to mitigate the risk. The system, based on the data communicated by the various sensors, will store and process them for the purpose of extracting useful information for risk management. The proposed system configured itself as a new product taking advantage from a high Technology Readiness Level maturated from the Smart Safety Belt already developed by some of the authors.

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Impacts of COVID-19 on Health and Safety of Workforce in Construction Industry

Cited by 42 publications

References 26 publications

Exploring the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Construction Industry in New York State

Exploring the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Construction Industry in New York State

Demographic Influences on Perceived Stressors of Construction Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Coflex: Flexible Bracelet Anti Covid-19 to Protect Construction Workers

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