Fuertes, A and Khatabakhshrad, M (2024) Health and safety risk management in a changing climate: Contrasting supervisors and workers perceptions and approaches to heat coping strategies on construction sites. In: Thomson, C (ed.) Proceedings of 40th Annual ARCOM Conference, 2-4 September 2024, London South Bank University, UK.
Abstract
Global temperature increases and more frequent and severe heat waves pose a substantial heat strain risk to construction workers' health, safety and wellbeing, which could lead to physiological and psychological health conditions. Heat coping guidelines have been defined by occupational regulators; however, they are non-enforceable, not industry specific and informal. Thus, the implementation of heat coping strategies is subject to the employers and workers' awareness and motivation. Studies on heat coping strategies and awareness levels amongst UK construction organisations are limited. This study investigated how construction organisations are adapting to climate change by gathering quantitative data on the heat-related risks perception and adopted heat coping strategies among 50 construction site personnel in five construction sites in the UK. Results showed contrasting understanding of heat-related risks and adopted heat management approaches among supervisors and workers. This exploratory research identified a knowledge gap and highlighted the need to raise awareness of the impact of heat stress on UK construction site personnel to ensure that heat-related health symptoms are identified in time, and heat coping measures are appropriately being implemented.
| Item Type: | Conference Paper (Paper) |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | climate change; construction workers; health and safety; heat management; heat stress |
| Index terms: | construction worker, supervisor, implementation, climate change, psychological health, heat stress, coping, well-being, risk management, exploratory research, strategy, construction site, motivation, regulator, personnel, construction organization, health and safety |
| Subjects: | environmental health, behavioral psychology, health conditions and diseases, sociology, health safety and environment, management, research methods, contractual arrangements, psychology, work location, climate science, practitioner, risk assessment, organization, mental health and wellbeing |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Stakeholder Management, Roles and Professions, Sustainability, Procurement, Health and Safety, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Site Management, Human Resources |
| Descriptive scope: | 2 PC |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here