Work, Work Development and Functioning Ability among the Construction Workers

This study is part of the Skanska Jaksava project, which is financed by The Finnish Work Envi-ronment Fund (Työsuojelurahasto). Functioning ability is marginally studied among construction workers in its full meaning, which covers physical, social, psychological and cognitive entireties.

The purpose of this Masters´s thesis was to obtain information about construction work and work development from the construction workers point of view. The aim of this study was to determine construction workers´ functioning ability and burden of their work. The focus was to find ways to lessen the work overload among the construction workers and enhance their functioning ability.

One of the main purposes of the Health 2015 public health program is to develop working age people´s work and functioning ability and their working conditions. The aim is that their working life would continue for about three years further than in 2000. The work in construction site is very accident prone when compared to other working branches. Construction work in house building burdens workers in many ways. Work is often done in dusty, noisy and drafty conditions without compromising the quality of the work. Traditionally construction work has been physically demanding and schedules are tight. Even though construction work in some ways has become lighter, it burdens the work and functioning ability in a more multidimensional way than before. Many of the construction workers do not believe that they are able to work until retirement age.

This study is done by qualitative research methods. Theme interviews were used to collect the data. Eight construction workers were interviewed in three different Skanska construction sites. The theme interview frame was developed with the help of developmental work research and its structure model. Risk factors of the work disability should be known but also the factors that enables people to work longer. This study indicates that rush and poor planning were the most burdening things to work ability at a construction site. Construction workers felt that rush could be reduced by good planning.

Construction work, construction workers, work development, work and functioning ability