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Adoption of Construction Ergonomic Interventions on Building Construction Sites in Nigeria

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Advances in Physical Ergonomics and Human Factors (AHFE 2017)

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Abstract

The construction industry is physical in nature and the incidence of work related musculoskeletal disorders is increasing, especially in a developing country such as Nigeria. Ergonomic hazards reduce the effectiveness of thousands of construction workers in the Nigerian construction industry. Work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) effectively marginalise construction productivity, which is a challenge in general in the industry. Furthermore, the industry is also affected by a shortage of skilled craftsmen. Then, observations and anecdotal evidence indicate that Nigerian construction workers have not adopted ergonomics principles. The research examines the level of adoption of ergonomics principles in preventing WMSDs on construction sites in Nigeria. It assesses the practice of ergonomics based on stretching and exercises, use of personal protective equipment, working methods, and material storage and movement. Site observations were used to assess ergonomic practices among one hundred and twenty workers on construction sites in Nigeria.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria

    Ibrahim AbdulHafeez

  2. Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, Port Elizabeth, South Africa

    John Smallwood

Authors
  1. Ibrahim AbdulHafeez
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  2. John Smallwood
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to John Smallwood .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of IELM, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong

    Ravindra S. Goonetilleke

  2. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA

    Waldemar Karwowski

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AbdulHafeez, I., Smallwood, J. (2018). Adoption of Construction Ergonomic Interventions on Building Construction Sites in Nigeria. In: Goonetilleke, R., Karwowski, W. (eds) Advances in Physical Ergonomics and Human Factors. AHFE 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 602. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60825-9_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60825-9_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60824-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60825-9

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