Construction worker

All you want to know about Construction worker

Construction worker

Carpenter at work in Tennessee, June 1942
Occupation
Type Vocation
Activity sectors Construction
Description
Competencies Manual dexterity, strength
Fields of employment Construction sites
Related jobs Labourer; see Construction trades

Construction workers are employed in the construction industry and work predominately on construction sites and are typically engaged in aspects of the industry other than design or finance. The term includes general construction workers, also referred to as labourers and members of specialist trades such as electricians, carpenters and plumbers.[1]

Contents

Construction trades

  • Concrete finisher, a tradesman who works with concrete, which includes placing, finishing, protecting and repairing concrete in construction projects.[2]
  • Electrician, a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the construction of new buildings or maintenance of existing electrical infrastructure.[5]
  • Painter and decorator, a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter.[6]
  • Pipefitter, (also called steamfitter) is someone who lays out, assembles, fabricates, maintains and repairs large-sized piping systems for industrial processes which are typically under high pressure and require metals such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and other alloys fused together through welding.[9]
  • Steel erector, a tradesman who installs structural steel frames of building and engineering projects. The components would usually have been prefabricated, including all welded joints. Structural steel installation is usually crane assisted and utilizes mobile elevated work platforms or scissor lifts as the structure progresses. The work is executed in team using powered and hand tools to bolt the steelwork together.[12][13]

Construction site safety

Main article: Construction site safety
A construction worker with column reinforcement steel.
A construction worker with column reinforcement steel.

Hazards to construction workers

The construction industry is the most dangerous land based civilian work sector. In the European Union, the fatal accident rate is nearly 13 workers per 100,000 as against 5 per 100,000 for the all sector average.[16][17]

The problem is not that the hazards and risks are unknown, it is that they are very difficult to control in a constantly changing work environment. The two biggest safety hazards on site are falls from height and vehicles, but there are many more (electricity and being buried while working in excavations being two more examples). Some of the main health hazards on site are asbestos, solvents, noise, cement dust, and manual handling activities.

Applicable laws

Under European Union Law, there are European Union Directives in place to protect workers, notably Directive 89/391 (the Framework Directive) and Directive 92/57 (the Temporary and Mobile Sites Directive). This legislation is transposed into the Member States and places requirements on employers (and others) to assess and protect workers health and safety.

In the U.S. the Occupational Safety & Health Administration OSHA sets and enforces standards concerning workplace safety and health. Also the U.N. has the Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988.[18]

Personal Protective Equipment

Main article: Personal protective equipment

Construction workers are usually associated with wearing a hard hat, this along with steel-toe boots are the most common personal protective equipment worn. The standard use of high visibility jackets is also widespread. Additional personal protective equipment is required on the basis of a risk assessment, for example when dealing with situations involving hazardous substances, protective gloves and goggles would be specified.[19]

Construction worker donning a high-visibility fluorescent vest.
Construction worker donning a high-visibility fluorescent vest.


Most sites operate a scheme for protecting casual labourers called "No boots, no work!" or similar.

References

  1. ^ Charles D. Reese, James Vernon Eidson (2006). Handbook of OSHA Construction Safety and Health. CRC Press. ISBN 0849365465. 
  2. ^ a b Richard T. Kreh (2003). Masonry Skills. Thomson Delmar Learning. ISBN 0766859363. 
  3. ^ Byron W. Maguire (1988). Carpentry in Commercial Construction. Craftsman Book Company. ISBN 0934041334. 
  4. ^ V. J. Davies, Ken Tomasin (1996). Construction Safety Handbook. Thomas Telford. ISBN 072772519X. 
  5. ^ Roger Jones (2004). Electrician. Trotman Publishing. ISBN 0856609978. 
  6. ^ Alf Fulcher (2005). Painting and Decorating. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 1405112549. 
  7. ^ Brian F. Pegg, William D. Stagg (2007). Plastering. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 140515604X. 
  8. ^ Howard C. Massey (1998). Plumber's Handbook. Craftsman Book Company. ISBN 1572180560. 
  9. ^ Calin M. Popescu, Kan Phaobunjong, Nuntapong Ovararin (2003). Estimating Building Costs. CRC Press. ISBN 0824740866. 
  10. ^ Alan Charles Twort, Gordon J. Rees (2003). Civil Engineering Project Management. Elsevier. ISBN 0750657316. 
  11. ^ Arthur Horace (1988). Reinforced Concrete Design to Bs8110: Simply Explained. Spon Press. ISBN 0419145508. 
  12. ^ Len F. Webster (1997). The Wiley Dictionary of Civil Engineering and Construction. Wiley-Interscience. ISBN 0471181153. 
  13. ^ M.Y.H. Bangash (2000). Structural Detailing in Steel. Thomas Telford. ISBN 0727728504. 
  14. ^ Lincoln Electric (1994). The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding. Cleveland: Lincoln Electric. ISBN 99949-25-82-2.
  15. ^ Weman, Klas (2003). Welding processes handbook. New York: CRC Press LLC. ISBN 0-8493-1773-8.
  16. ^ Eurostat Construction Accident staistics
  17. ^ Construction Safety Management Systems. ISBN 0415300630. 
  18. ^ Database of International Safety Standards
  19. ^ Dalby, Joseph (1998-02-01). EU Law for the Construction Industry. Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-632-04067-X. 

See also

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_worker"

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