NationalInstituteforOccupationalSafetyandHealth

DevelopingProductstoPreventWork-RelatedMusculoskeletalDisordersinAgingConstructionWorkersinSmallConstructionFirmsBermangOrtiz,B.A.,PublicHealthAdvisorJuliannScholl,Ph.D.,Co-DirectorNationalCenterforProductiveAgingandWork(NCPAW)10/25/2017

Overview§ Background§ DemographicsandOSHoutcomesfor

olderworkersinconstruction.§ Needsassessmentmethodsandfindings

Background§ Inconstruction,workplacemusculoskeletaldisorders(WMSDs)areasignificantportion

ofnon-fatalinjuriesandamajorcauseoffunctionalimpairments.§ Eachyear,constructioncompanieslosehighlyskilledandexperiencedemployees.§ Smallbusinessesare80%ofconstruction(CPWR,2013).§ NationalCenterforProductiveAgingandWork(NCPAW)

– ProductstoreduceWMSDsamongconstructionworkersacrossagegroups– Meetneedsofagingconstructionworkersandberelevant/accessibletosmall

enterprises§ Startswithaneedsassessmenttodeterminegapsinresearchactivityandproduct

developmentthatbenefitagingworkforce

Between1985and2015,theaverageageincreased6.5 yearsinconstruction,and4.9 yearsforallU.S.workers

36.0

42.5

37.3

42.2

35.0

36.0

37.0

38.0

39.0

40.0

41.0

42.0

43.0

1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Aver

age A

ge (i

n ye

ars)

ConstructionAll industries

Source: 1985-2015 Current Population Survey. Calculations by The CPWR Data Center.

During the past 30 days, have you had any symptoms of pain, aching, or stiffness in or around a joint?

22.0%

33.2%37.8%

54.0% 54.1%

17.8%

25.7%

37.1%

46.9%52.5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

18-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

Perc

ent i

n ag

e gr

oup

Age groupConstruction All industriesSource: 2015 National Health Interview Survey. Calculations by The CPWR Data Center.

SafetyCultureIndicators

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

Safetygoals/objectives OSHA10-hourtraining Safety/healthagendaiteminmeetings

ComparisonofLargeandSmallConstructionContractors

Large(500+) Small(1-9)

Source:CPWR(2016).2nd Quarter:SafetyManagementandSafetyCultureamongSmallConstructionFirms

TheoreticalFramework§ Work Ability 1,2: a worker’s capacity to continue working in his or her

current job, given work demands and available resources. § Four basic areas of focus:

– The work environment (e.g., ergonomics, human factors engineering)– The organization of work (e.g., job design, return to work)– The employee (e.g., chronic disease management, programs that

promote health & well-being)– Social support (e.g., community support, protection from discrimination

at work)1 Ilmarinen J. (1999). Ageing workers in the European Union: Status and promotion of work ability, employability and employment. Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Helsinki, 274 pages.

2 Silverstein, M. (2008). Meeting the challenges of an aging workforce. American Journal of Industrial Medicine, 51, 269-280.

PreliminaryAnalysis:NeedsAssessment§ Needsassessment—Smallbusinessowners:

Health/safetyneeds,risksPerceptionsofolderworkersandgenerationaldifferencesDesiredproducts/guidancetobenefitolderworkersWhatthey’recurrentlydoingBarriersandchallengestoinformationandpractices

§ Focusgroupwith9smallbusinessowners,2fromconstruction§ ThematicanalysisutilizingtheWorkAbilitymodel§ Inductivecoding§ Intercoder assessmentrevealedsubstantialagreementinmajorthemes

identifiedandcorrespondingsubthemes.

Workenvironment§ Ergonomicriskfactors§ Slips/trips/falls§ Physicalenvironment§ Eye/vision§ Hearing/noise

Workenvironment§ Slips/trips/falls:“Wellinourspaceitisslipsandfalls.Yeahgoingdown

physically,goingdown.Theotherismovinganyweightorequipment,materialsthatmaybeatacertainweightthresholdwhereit,youknowitleavestheirhandsortheircontrolandthensomethinghappenswhenithitsthegroundorcomesup.Thatiswhatweseeoften.”

Workenvironment§ Physicalenvironment:“Fromourperspective,smallbusinessoperatingin

theolderbuildingright.There’salotofriskwiththis.There’syouknowfromleadpotentialfromeventhebuild-upofdusttoyouknow,someanimalsandallthatgoodstuffandthisisindowntownCincinnati.”

§ Adjusttheworkenvironmentforage-relatedchanges§ Work-restschedules&reductionofrepetitivetasks

Workorganizationandpsychosocialfactors§ Agestereotypes§ Adaptability§ Stress§ Workflexibility

Workorganizationandpsychosocialfactors§ Agestereotypes:“Yeah,Iwouldcomplementthataswell.Someworkthat

wedo,dowithmunicipalitiesetc.witholderormore-seasonedworkersisthatwhenaparticularsafetymeasureorpolicy isputinplaceassimpleasputtingonahardhatthatthefolkswhohavebeeninthatspacefor25/30/40yearstheydon’tseeanyreasonforthatatall.

Workorganizationandpsychosocialfactors§ Adaptability:“Moderator:okay,anyoneelse?Whataboutneedsinthose

ofyouwhoworkintheconstructionindustry?Thatisaveryphysicallydemandingjob.Whathappensasyourworkersage?

§ Iwouldsaytheylookformoreofa,amorewelldefinedjobdescriptionwithsomeparameters.Youknow,wherethere’salotofphysicalactivity,youbettermakesurethatyou’vegottheup-to-dateandnecessaryequipmenttoassistthemtohelpthemdotheirjob.

Workorganizationandpsychosocialfactors§ Stress:WhenIthinkaboutit,ourgreatestriskisaccumulatedstressbecause

we’renotmovingaroundalotandwe’redealingwithtightschedulesandhavingtobecreativeinstantlyandpullarabbitoutofyourhatallthetime.AndI’mkindofcuriousaboutthatendofit.Whatisthelong-termimpactofstress?Although,IguessIcouldbeanexampleofit.

§ Workorganizationandpsychologicalfactors§ Agestereotypesinfluenceattitudestowardolderworkers§ Olderworkersareperceivedasbeinglessadaptable

Individualemployeeneeds§ Chronicdisease§ Training§ Disability§ Age-relateddeclines

Individualemployeeneeds

§ Chronicdisease:“But,wehaveanumberoffolkswhohaveterminalillnessesandyouknowtheyhavetotakemedicationandthingsofthatnatureandIguess,Idon’taskthemiftheyareokaybecauseIseethemandIknowtheyaremedicatingfortheirownsafety.Right.”

Individualemployeeneeds§ Training:“…We’vedonetraining andthat’saroundawareness,butthe

individualshavetoactuallypracticewhattheylearntochangethebehaviortowardmoresafeandsafetybehavior.Andthat’sachallengewherewethink,youknowyoucanteacholddognewtricksbutsomeoftheolddogssay,youknowinthelast60/65/70years,I’mgood.”

§ Chronicdiseasemanagement§ Healthcareandwellnessprograms§ Designandframingoftraining§ Ageandspecificapproachestotraining

Socialsupport§ Informationseeking§ Protectionfromdiscrimination§ Non-workfactors

Socialsupport§ Informationseeking:Wellinthespecifictacticalno.Inastrategicsensemeaning

whatItryanddoiscompareourclaim’sdataonpropertyandcasualtyandourworkerscompensationtopeersintheindustry.Arewehigher,lower,average,andifIknowI’mhigherorIknowI’maverageIhavesomeroomforimprovement.ThingsthatareworkingifI’mbelowbenchmarkareprobablyprettygood,butthedataisnoteasytoobtain. Soiftheansweris,IhaveaproblembasedonthatbenchmarkingIknowIneedtodosomemorediggingonthelevelofwhatisit?Isiteyesafety?Isitheadsafety?Isithowwedigtrenches?Whatisitthat’stheproblem

Socialsupport§ Protectionfromdiscrimination:…we’reinHRaspartofourbusinessandsowedirectlydealwith

agediscrimination,wherebyemployersorco-workersmayhavemoreofanegativeconnotationbasedonaperceivedageofsomeone.Theircapacity,theirabilityorinability,thereisalotofperceptionsaroundthisspaceandunfortunatelywe’recalledintodefendtheagingemployeewhenthereis,whentheydecidetoomittheirbirthdateorgraduationdatefromhighschoolorcollegefromtheresume.Whenthatcomesup,it’sso,didyoujustgraduateordidyougraduatein’74,right.We’vegotit,saywellyeahgraduatedin’72.Youknow,you’renotsnappyenoughtodothiswork,right.Andwe’vegottenthat.

§ Incentivizedtrainingformanagement.§ Healthandsafetyinformationthat’salignedwithreductionofworkers’comp

costs

Conclusion§ Jobdesignandredesignthatbenefitsallworkers.§ Countermisunderstandingsamongorganizationsandmanagersregarding

theabilitiesandskillsofolderworkers(e.g.,adaptingtonewtechnologies).

§ LeveragesocialsupportmechanismsusedbysmallbusinessestodisseminateOSHtoolsandguidance.

NextSteps§ Project:SuiteofproductstoreduceWMSDsamongconstructionworkers

acrossagegroups§ Insightswillincludebutnotbelimitedtothosefromsmallbusiness

employeesandowners§ Phase1:ExperienceswithandknowledgeofWMSDsinconstruction§ Phase2:Needsandpreferencesregardingdisseminationofmaterialson

constructionWMSDs§ Phase3:ProductdevelopmentinformedbyPhase1&2§ Phase4: Usertestingbyemployersandemployees

Acknowledgements§ JamesGrosch,NCPAWCo-Director§ HarpriyaKaur,Epidemiologist

§ ncpaw@cdc.gov§ http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/productiveaging/

Questions