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Analysis of working postures at a construction site using the OWAS method.
1Department of Management and Information Technology, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan, Taiwan. thlee@mail.stut.edu.tw
Summary
Construction workers often adopt poor working postures, particularly bent and twisted trunk positions, during log cabin foundation building. This study highlights key tasks contributing to these risks and suggests mitigation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Occupational Health and Safety
- Ergonomics
- Construction Management
Background:
- Construction work, especially foundation building, involves physically demanding tasks.
- Repetitive and awkward postures can lead to musculoskeletal disorders in construction workers.
- Objective analysis of working postures is crucial for identifying and mitigating risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the working postures of construction workers during log cabin foundation construction.
- To identify specific jobs and postures associated with high risk.
- To propose methods for reducing and evaluating poor working postures in dynamic construction environments.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Occupational Weighting Analysis of Static (OWAS) method for posture analysis.
- Videotaped eight elementary jobs involved in log cabin foundation construction.
- Analyzed video recordings in a laboratory setting with three experienced construction workers.
Main Results:
- Bent and twisted trunk postures were identified as the major poor posture, occurring in 34% of observations.
- These poor postures predominantly fell into OWAS action category 3.
- Tying beams, assembling column templates, and cement grouting were identified as the principal high-risk jobs.
Conclusions:
- Foundation construction for log cabins presents significant risks of poor working postures.
- Specific tasks like beam tying and cement grouting require ergonomic intervention.
- Implementing strategies to reduce and evaluate poor postures is essential for worker safety.
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