Ergonomic Exposures of Construction Workers: An Analysis of the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Database on Job Demands

Abstract

The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL/ETA) has for many years been collecting quantitative data based on field observations of the job demands of over 13,000 different occupations. Eleven of the 34 variables which DOL/ETA coded for seem to relate to ergonomics. For example, strength required by the job was assessed on a five-point scale from sedentary to very heavy. Construction jobs were identified by reference to classification by DOL/ETA and a contractor association manual. Data were sorted to compare construction job requirements with nonconstruction job requirements. These data show construction jobs to be significantly more ergonomically challenging than nonconstruction jobs. However, few differences seem to exist with regard to some variables, such as reaching, fingering, and handling, where nonconstruction jobs appear equally demanding. Limitations of the data set are also discussed.