Ergonomic measures in construction work: enhancing evidence-based implementation

Despite the development and availability of ergonomic measures in the construction industry, the number of construction workers reporting high physical work demands remains high. A reduction of the high physical work demands can be achieved by using ergonomic measures. However, these ergonomic measures must be effective and implemented.
In the first part, the effect of ergonomic measures on the physical work demands and workload was evaluated in two highly demanding construction jobs: screed floor layers and ironworkers. It was found that a different working method and electrical screed levelling machines are effective in significantly reducing the exposure to physically high work demands of floor layers, but not for the workload. For ironworkers, allowing 100-kg four-worker lifts instead of 50-kg two-worker lifts did not result in differences in physical work demands, but reduced the biomechanical workload of the low back.
The second part described and evaluated two guidance strategies of a Participatory Ergonomics intervention to implement ergonomic measures in construction companies. In the first strategy, the companies were guided by means of face-to-face contacts with an ergonomic consultant. In the second strategy, the guidance was offered through email contacts (e-guidance). The e-guidance influenced the use of ergonomic measures the most compared to the fact-to-face guidance, although the intervention was better delivered to the companies in the face-to-face guidance strategy.