Quantifying the Effect of Mental Stress on Physical Stress for Construction Tasks

Abstract

Because of labor-intensive and physically demanding tasks, construction workers are known to be at a higher risk of developing physical fatigue. Recently, studies have shown that construction workers are often exposed to considerable mental stresses as well. While a number of studies have proposed methods and tools to measure and monitor physical and mental stress disjointedly, there is a need to explore their interaction. The literature indicates that no previous study has endeavored to evaluate the effect of mental stress on physical stress for construction tasks. This investigation is necessary to better comprehend work demands of construction tasks. Accordingly, entailing randomized crossover design and simulated manual material handling experiment, this study evaluated the effect of cognitive task-led mental stress on physical stress using both subjective (ratings of perceived exertion) and objective measures (heart rate, skin temperature and skin conductance). The results revealed that cognitive task-led mental stress led to a significant increase in subjective ratings of perceived exertion accompanied by an increase in skin temperature and skin conductance, while heart rate remained unaffected. The findings of this study add to the body of knowledge by highlighting that traditional benchmarking of task demands using only physiological measures may not be comprehensive. Rather, it might be suggested that additional psychological measurements are also essential as they might affect physical stress development. Furthermore, the current study has increased our understanding related to the interaction of physical and mental stress by revealing inter-individual differences among the participants. Accordingly, by examining each worker separately, practitioners and safety managers can develop better mitigation strategies and individualized training programs, especially for more vulnerable workers, which can enhance overall health and safety on construction jobsites.

Assessing the Physical and Psychological Well-being of Construction Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…14 Studies showed that construction workers are often exposed at the same time to physical and mental stress, being necessary to simultaneously monitor both the conditions to better evaluate the job strain. Umer et al 15 set the goal of monitoring carefully and simultaneously the physical and mental stress, using physiological measures and learning algorithms. To prove that in 2021, they carried out a survey that revealed that using only physiological measurements does not give a complete range of the psychological disorders of construction workers.…”

Investigating the Relationship between Occupational Stress and Work-Life Balance among Indian Construction Professionals

“…To assess work-related stressors and organisation-related stressors, the scale developed by Ng, Skitmore and Leung (2005) was adopted. Similar studies in the recent past also adopted Ng, Skitmore and Leung (2005) scale to study occupational stress in other contexts (Zheng, et al, 2021;Zhang and Bowen, 2021;Umer, Yu and Afari, 2022). To assess the components of work-life balance, a 24-item scale developed by Fisher, Bulger and Smith (2009) was adopted for the present study.…”

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

“…For instance, construction workers are 1.7 times more likely than workers in general industries to suffer from psychological health issues, including emotional and stress-related injuries [ 20 ]. Stress is mainly due to various aggravators such as the harsh outdoor environment, physically demanding tasks, time pressure, interpersonal conflicts and insufficient management support [ 21 ]. The COVID-19 pandemic may further deteriorate this situation by disrupting the construction activities, and bringing about other stressors such as pandemic fear and job insecurity.…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic may further deteriorate this situation by disrupting the construction activities, and bringing about other stressors such as pandemic fear and job insecurity. Working under excessive stress could have adverse effects such as higher mistakes and accident risks, lowered productivity and mental health illnesses [ 21 ]. The construction industry is labor-intensive, and workers are directly responsible for the success of construction projects [ 22 ].…”