Gendered Safety and Health Risks in the Construction Trades.
Saved in:
| Title: | Gendered Safety and Health Risks in the Construction Trades. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Curtis, Hannah M1 hmcurtis@uw.edu, Meischke, Hendrika2, Stover, Bert2, Simcox, Nancy J1, Seixas, Noah S1 |
| Source: | Annals of Work Exposures & Health. Apr2018, Vol. 62 Issue 4, p404-415. 12p. 4 Charts. |
| Subjects: | Bullying, Construction industry, Work-related injuries, Industrial hygiene, Industrial safety, Job stress, Sex distribution, Sexual harassment, Work environment, Occupational hazards, Environmental exposure, Work-life balance |
| Abstract: | Objectives: Despite women's increased representation in the overall workforce, construction remains a male-dominated industry. Prior studies have noted that the hazardous workplace environment combined with a culture that can be discriminatory and openly hostile can threaten women workers' health and safety. However, little information exists about the current physical and psychosocial hazards at work affecting tradeswomen. Methods: We examined differences in workplace exposure between women and men, and the association of these exposures with self-reported stress and work injury, in order to highlight how gendered conditions of work negatively affect tradeswomen's health. A holistic view of health that included the influence of both home and work spheres as well as hazards related to women's social experience was considered. Almost 300 workers (198 tradeswomen and 93 tradesmen) throughout Washington State completed surveys. We used descriptive statistics to compare exposures between genders, and logistic regression to model the association between psychosocial exposures and injury and stress outcomes. Results: We found that women were significantly more likely than men to report high perceived stress (31 and 18%, respectively) and being injured at work in the past year (31 and 12%, respectively). Ten of the 12 work-related psychosocial exposures were found to be associated with either stress (job strain, gender and age discrimination, bullying, work/life balance, isolation, sexual harassment, safety climate, and social support) or injury (gender discrimination, bullying, overcompensation, and sexual harassment) for women. Conclusions: The industry continues to lag in supporting tradeswomen's health and safety needs. This study suggests that multiple exposures (including discrimination, overcompensation, and work/ life balance) have an important impact on worker well-being. The findings underscore the complex interaction of gender, psychosocial exposures, and occupational risks, and indicate areas for intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Annals of Work Exposures & Health is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
Be the first to leave a comment!
