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Are green building features safe for preventive maintenance workers? Examining the evidence
Mohamed Shamun Omar1, Margaret M Quinn, Bryan Buchholz
1Department of Work Environment, University of Massachusetts Lowell, School of Health and Environment, Lowell, MA, USA. Mohamed.omar@kaust.edu.sa
American Journal of Industrial Medicine
|February 8, 2013
Summary
Green building design can pose occupational safety and health (OSH) risks for preventive maintenance (PM) workers. Designing to eliminate these hazards, such as inadequate fall protection or confined spaces, is crucial for worker safety.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Safety and Health
- Green Building Design
- Sustainable Architecture
Background:
- Green buildings (GB) often use the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system.
- LEED focuses on energy conservation, environmental harm reduction, and indoor quality.
- This study examines occupational safety and health (OSH) risks in GB preventive maintenance (PM).
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate OSH risks for PM workers in green buildings.
- To identify design-related hazards in LEED-certified GB.
- To inform safer GB design practices.
Main Methods:
- Conducted job hazard analyses (JHA) on PM tasks for five LEED-certified GB features.
- Selected features from 13 LEED-certified buildings.
- Developed a 22-item JHA and OSH risk scoring system.
Main Results:
- Identified OSH hazards: slippery green roofs without fall protection.
- Confined spaces in energy recovery wheels and stormwater systems pose risks.
- Lack of guardrails on skylights and cramped mechanical rooms create unsafe conditions.
Conclusions:
- Green buildings can introduce unique PM OSH risks.
- These OSH risks must be addressed during the building design phase.
- Proactive design integration is essential for worker safety in GB.
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