MSD Risks for Construction Workers

Excerpted from "National Construction Agenda (NORA) for Occupational safety and Health Research in the U.S. Construction Center," NORA Construction Sector Council, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, October 27, 2008.

Risks to Workers

Work-related musculoskeletal disease (WMSD) injuries or illnesses of the muscles, tendons, joints, and nerves caused or aggravated by work. Examples of WMSDs are: inflamed tendons or joints, elbow muscle and tissue inflammation (tennis or golfer's elbow), herniated disc, rotator cuff syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and back or neck strain. Workers in all construction sectors and occupations are exposed to multiple physical risk factors associated with WMSDs, such as high physical exertions (e.g., manual material handling), prolonged static physical exertions (e.g., working with arms/shoulders raised or working in kneeling position), repetitive physical exertions (e.g., use of manual and power tools), awkward working postures (e.g., stooping to work at floor level, working inside confined spaces such as duct work and crawl spaces), working in cold conditions, and whole-body or segmental vibration (e.g. tool vibration and mounted equipment vibration) ^{1 2} .

WMSD incidence and prevalence rates are widely believed to be underreported in the national U.S. injury and illness statistics ^{2 3 4 5 6} . Despite underreporting, WMSDs are recognized as a major problem by many industry stakeholders, because they result in significant hardship for workers and increased costs for contractors and building owners. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) uses a probability sample of contractors' reports of injuries and illnesses to estimate the incidence of WMSDs and other injuries and illnesses. In 2005, the BLS estimated 35,900 construction workers developed a WMSD. According to the BLS, 42% of the construction workers with WMSDs were laborers and carpenters. The median number of days away from work (DAW) for a WMSD was 10 days ⁷ .

Data indicate that WMSD costs are disproportionate to their occurrence ⁸ . CNA Insurance reported that for the pipe and sheet metal trades WMSDs accounted for 29% of workers' compensation claims and 36% of claims dollars during 1999-2001. Electricians' WMSD claims during the same period also showed a disproportionate claim-to-cost ratio ⁹ .

These problems are expected to increase in the near future. As the construction workforce ages, many of the physical demands associated with construction tasks, such as manual material handling and sustained overhead work, may be incompatible with the physical capabilities of older workers ¹⁰ .

Visit the following pages for related injury data.

• Awkward or Static Postures
• Bureau of Labor Statistics Data
• Data from the CPWR Construction Chart Book
• Drill Holes and Shoot Fasteners
• Floor and Ground-Level Work
• Forceful Exertions
• Hand-Intensive Work
• Lifting, Holding, and Handling Materials
• Manual Material Handling
• Overhead Work
• Repetitive Motion
• Vibration

National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Construction Sector Links

NORA Construction Sector Strategic Goals
NORA Goal 7.0 Reduce the severity and incidence of WMSD among construction work

Specific Exposure Risks

Data from the CPWR Construction Chart Book
Manual Material Handling
[Lifting]
Vibration
Repetitive Motion

References

¹ NIOSH (1997). Musculoskeletal Disorders and Workplace Factors. Cincinnati, OH: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 97-141.

² NRC/IOM (2001). Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace: Low Back and Upper Extremities. Panel on Musculoskeletal Disorders and the Workplace Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.

³ Fan, ZJ, Bonauto DK, Foley MP, Silverstein BA (2006). Underreporting of Work-Related Injury or Illness to Workers' Compensation: Individual and Industry Factors. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. 48: 914-922.

⁴ Lipscomb HJ, Dement JM, Loomis DP, Silverstein B, Kalat J. (1997). Surveillance of work-related injuries among union carpenters. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 32: 629-640.

⁵ Morse T, Dillon C, Kenta-Bibi E, Weber J, Diva U, Warren N, Grey M. (2005). Trends in work-related musculoskeletal disorder reports by year, type, and industrial sector: a capture-recapture analysis. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 48: 40-49.

⁶ Schneider SP. (2001). Musculoskeletal injuries in construction: a review of the literature. Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. 16: 1056-1064.

⁷ BLS (2006) Nonfatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses Requiring Days Away From Work, 2005. http://www.bls.gov/news.release/osh2.nr0.htm. Accessed: June 4, 2007.

⁸ Hashemi L, Webster BS, Clancy EA, Courtney TK. (1998). Length of Disability and Cost of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders of the Upper Extremity. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 40: 261-269.

⁹ Albers J, Estill C, MacDonald L. (2006). Proceeding of a Meeting to Explore the Use of Ergonomic Interventions for the Mechanical and Electrical Trades (San Jose, CA, February 25-26, 2002). NIOSH Publication No. 2006-11.

¹⁰ de Zwart BCH, Frings-Dresen MHW, van Dijk FJH (1996). Physical workload and the ageing worker: a review of the literature. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health. 68: 1432-1246.

¹¹ NRC (2004). Health and Safety Needs of Older Workers. Wegman DH and McGee JP, eds., Committee on the Health and Safety Needs of Older Workers, National Research Council, National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.