Construction fatality due to electrical contact in Ontario, Canada, 1997-2007.

BACKGROUND: Electrical contact is a leading cause of occupational fatality in the construction industry. However, research on the factors that contribute to electricity-related fatality in construction is limited. OBJECTIVES: To characterize, using an adapted Haddon's Matrix, the factors that contribute to electricity-related occupational fatalities in the construction industry in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Coroner's data on occupational electricity-related fatalities between 1997-2007 in the construction industry were acquired from the Ontario Ministry of Labour. Using an adapted Haddon's Matrix, we characterized worker, agent, and environmental characteristics of electricity-related occupational fatalities in the province through a narrative text analysis. RESULTS: Electrical contact was responsible for 15% of all occupational fatalities among construction workers in Ontario. Factors associated with said occupational fatalities included direct contact with electrical sources, lower voltage sources, and working outdoors. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a profile of electricity-related occupational fatalities among construction workers in Ontario, and can be used to inform safety regulations.

Danger zone: Men, masculinity and occupational health and safety in high risk occupations.

The workplace is a key setting where gender issues and organizational structures may influence occupational health and safety practices. The enactment of dominant norms of masculinity in high risk occupations can be particularly problematic, as it exposes men to significant risks for injuries and fatalities. To encourage multi-disciplinary collaborations and advance knowledge in the intersecting areas of gender studies, men's health, work and workplace health and safety, a national network of thirteen researchers and health and safety stakeholders completed a critical literature review examining the intersection between masculinities and men's workplace health and safety in order to: (i) account for research previously undertaken in this area; (ii) identify themes that may inform our understanding of masculinity and workplace health and safety and; (iii) identify research and practice gaps in relation to men's workplace health and safety. In this paper we present key themes from this review. Recommendations are made regarding: (i) how to define gender; (ii) how to attend to and identify how masculinities may influence workers' identities, perceptions of occupational risks and how institutionalized practices can reinforce norms of masculinity; (iii) the importance of considering how masculinities may intersect with other variables (e.g. historical context, age, class, race, geographical location) and; (iv) the added significance of present-day labour market forces on men's occupational health and safety.

Searching for needles in a haystack: identifying innovations to prevent MSDs in the construction sector.

This study identified innovations that could potentially reduce the risk of MSDs in the construction sector. The action research approach was based on a collaborative model of researchers working with workplace representatives. We searched for innovations being used by construction companies. From a potential database of 125 innovations, the study focused on 20 innovations that varied in their penetration into worksites in the geographical area, represented a variety of trades, and were a cross-section of tools and work organizational processes. It examined the attributes of the innovations, and the barriers to their adoption. The analysis was based on observations of workers, surveys of workers and construction-safety consultants, and company interviews. The study found that innovations were adopted by companies for multiple advantages including productivity and quality, but not necessarily ability to reduce MSD risks, their non-complexity, and cost. The major barriers for adoption were the traditional culture of the construction sector rather than financial ones.

Spreading good ideas: a case study of the adoption of an innovation in the construction sector.

A health and safety association collaborated with two research centres to examine the dissemination of knowledge of an ergonomic intervention by opinion leaders in the construction sector. The intervention was a hydraulic ladder lift that aided with loading and unloading of ladders off van roofs. Thirteen companies, with five to 900 employees, were involved. The van operators informed workmates not employed by their companies but who worked on the same site as them about the intervention. The opinion leaders informed decision makers within their companies which led to commitments to purchase similar units. They also gave presentations at prearranged health and safety meetings, where attendees indicated that they thought the intervention sounded like a good idea. In this way, knowledge of the innovation reached at least 32 more companies and potentially several thousand other employees. The study showed the potential for workplace change to be exponential.