ANALYSIS OF BACK INJURIES IN CONSTRUCTION

It has been found that back injuries represent one of the largest segm ents of worker injuries in the U.S. Only the common cold accounts for more lost work days. It impacts not only the health of individuals, it is also a huge economic burden to the industry due to medical cost, b enefits, lost productivity, and absenteeism. However, the complexity a nd its cumulative nature make this injury difficult to understand, muc h less to propose preventive steps based on scientific analyses. This paper provides an overview of regulations and prevention methods used today. The major part of the paper presents a detailed discussion of p ossible causes of back injuries in construction. Statistical data from insurance companies, the Construction Safety Association of Ontario, and a national survey is used to pinpoint critical tasks and motions, as well as common catalysts of this type of injury. In addition, secto rs of the industry that indicate a higher occurrence of injuries invol ving the back are being identified. Based on these findings, a technol ogical approach to the problem of back injuries seems to be the only v iable process to improve the situation. It is felt that, due to the sp ecial characteristics of this industry, a concentrated and industry-sp ecific effort is needed to reduce the hazards and risks of injuring th e human spine.