Work

Falls from Height in the Construction Industry: A Critical Review of the Scientific Literature

Year: 2016

Type: review

Abstract: Globally, falls from height (FFH) are a substantial public health jeopardy and are among the important leading causes of serious and fatal injuries for construction workers. A comprehensive understanding of the causal factors in FFH incidents is urgently required; however, the literature appears to lack a scientific review of FFH. In this study, 297 articles that contribute to the topic of fall incidents were reviewed. Seventy-five (75) articles met the criteria for relevance and were aggregated in a database to support a critical review. A synthesis of macro-variables approach was adopted rather than a structured meta-analysis. Such a method of analysis provides the flexibility to combine previous studies' findings. The most common factors associated with FFH are risky activities, individual characteristics, site conditions, organizational characteristics, agents (scaffolds/ladders) and weather conditions. The outcomes contributed to identifying the most significant research area for safety enhancement by improving engineering facilities, behaviour investigations and FFH prevention methods.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph13070638

Authors: Evan Nadhim, Carol Hon, Bo Xia, Ian Stewart, Dongping Fang

Institutions: Queensland University of Technology, Tsinghua University

Language: English

Topic: Occupational Health and Safety Research

Subfield: Radiological and Ultrasound Technology

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,016