Construction worker 1121461 223182630 2008-07-02T22:56:00Z 86.16.160.17 [[Image:PalmercarpenterA.jpg|Carpenter at work in Tennessee, June 1942.|thumb|250px]] '''Construction workers''' are employed in the [[construction industry]] and work predominately on [[construction site]]s and are typically engaged in aspects of the industry other than design or finance. The term includes general construction workers, also referred to as [[labourers]] and members of specialist trades such as [[electrician]]s, [[carpenter]]s and [[plumber]]s.<ref>{{citebook|title=Handbook of OSHA Construction Safety and Health |author= Charles D. Reese, James Vernon Eidson|year=2006|publisher=CRC Press|id=ISBN 0849365465}}</ref> ===Construction trades=== *[[Bricklayer]], a [[tradesman]] who lays bricks to and construct [[brickwork]]. The term also refers to personnel who use [[Cinder block|blocks]] to construct blockwork walls and other forms of [[masonry]].<ref name = masonry>{{cite book|title=Masonry Skills |author= Richard T. Kreh|year= 2003|publisher=Thomson Delmar Learning|id=ISBN 0766859363}}</ref> *[[Carpenter]], a skilled [[artisan|craftsman]] who performs [[carpentry]] - a wide range of [[woodworking]] that includes constructing [[building construction|building]]s, [[furniture]], and other objects out of [[wood]]. The work generally involves significant manual labor and work outdoors, particularly in rough carpentry.<ref>{{cite book|title=Carpentry in Commercial Construction |author= Byron W. Maguire|year=1988|publisher=Craftsman Book Company|id=ISBN 0934041334}}</ref> *[[Concrete finisher]], a tradesman who works with concrete, which includes placing, finishing, protecting and repairing concrete in construction projects.<ref name = masonry/> *A [[heavy equipment operator]] drives and operates [[engineering vehicles]] used in [[engineering]] and [[construction]] projects.<ref>{{cite book|title=Construction Safety Handbook |author= V. J. Davies, Ken Tomasin|year=1996|publisher=Thomas Telford|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN072772519X&id=rpzFtFbGoq0C&pg=RA1-PA59&lpg=RA1-PA59&dq=Excavator+driver&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=8-nhK2jVcTdmP5l19jBclE6nO34|id=ISBN 072772519X}}</ref> *[[Electrician]], a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the construction of new buildings or maintenance of existing electrical infrastructure.<ref>{{citebook|title=Electrician|author=Roger Jones|publisher= Trotman Publishing|year=2004|id=ISBN 0856609978}}</ref> *[[Laborer]], tradesman proficient with [[air tools]], [[hand tools]], [[blasting]], small [[heavy equipment]] and assisting other trades. [http://www.laborerslocal185.com/] *[[Painter and decorator]], a tradesman responsible for the painting and decorating of buildings, and is also known as a decorator or house painter.<ref>{{citebook|title=Painting and Decorating |author= Alf Fulcher|year= 2005|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|id=ISBN 1405112549}}</ref> *[[Plasterer]], a tradesman who works with [[plaster]], such as forming a layer of plaster on an interior wall or plaster [[Molding (decorative)|decorative moldings]] on ceilings or walls.<ref>{{citebook|title=Plastering |author=Brian F. Pegg, William D. Stagg|year= 2007|publisher=Blackwell Publishing|id=ISBN 140515604X}}</ref> *[[Plumber]], a tradesman who specialises in installing and maintaining systems used for [[plumbing]], [[heating]], [[drainage]], potable (drinking) [[water]] or small-sized industrial [[Process engineering|process plant]] piping.<ref>{{citebook|title=Plumber's Handbook |author=Howard C. Massey|year=1998|publisher=Craftsman Book Company|id=ISBN 1572180560}}</ref> *[[Pipefitter]], (also called steamfitter) is someone who lays out, assembles, fabricates, maintains and repairs large-sized piping systems for industrial processes which are typically under high pressure and require metals such as [[carbon steel]], [[stainless steel]], and other alloys fused together through [[welding]].<ref>{{citebook|title=Estimating Building Costs|author= Calin M. Popescu, Kan Phaobunjong, Nuntapong Ovararin|year=2003|publisher=CRC Press|id=ISBN 0824740866|url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0824740866&id=dd_dZkSumg4C&pg=PA110&lpg=PA110&ots=QXAHHgYdvl&dq=Pipefitter+date:2000-2007+definition&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=ynGVFQjHwXFzS5Bst7o1-zGXvNE}}</ref> *[[Steel fixer]], a tradesman who positions and secures [[reinforcing bar]]s and mesh used to reinforce concrete on construction projects.<ref>{{citebook|title=Civil Engineering Project Management |author=Alan Charles Twort, Gordon J. Rees|year= 2003|publisher=Elsevier|id=ISBN 0750657316 |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0750657316&id=7vdIliLEzykC&pg=PA254&lpg=PA254&ots=IYaDVOJHBH&dq=%22Steel+fixer%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=jSkm5bcM3A8H0l3AOrxU7XgD-TI}}</ref><ref>{{citebook|title=Reinforced Concrete Design to Bs8110: Simply Explained|author= Arthur Horace|year= 1988|publisher=Spon Press|id=ISBN 0419145508|url= http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0419145508&id=n2RP6HRXawMC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=%22Steel+fixer%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=UNIw8IM1yizRqSNrOvOWS6FGAF8}}</ref> *[[Steel erector]], a [[tradesman]] who installs structural steel frames of building and engineering projects. The components would usually have been prefabricated, including all [[weld]]ed joints. [[Structural steel]] installation is usually [[crane (machine)|crane]] assisted and utilizes mobile elevated work platforms or [[scissor lift]]s as the structure progresses. The work is executed in team using powered and hand tools to bolt the steelwork together.<ref>{{citebook|title=The Wiley Dictionary of Civil Engineering and Construction |author= Len F. Webster|year=1997|publisher=Wiley-Interscience|id=ISBN 0471181153 |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0471181153&id=u7nAYkS9lGcC&pg=PA557&lpg=PA557&dq=%22Steel+erector%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=yzF3cDwFo9MrjTXlFIiBDF5fNnc}}</ref><ref>{{citebook|title=Structural Detailing in Steel |author= M.Y.H. Bangash|year= 2000|publisher=Thomas Telford|id=ISBN 0727728504 |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0727728504&id=Wy_3nd8ZzaQC&pg=PA2&lpg=PA2&dq=%22Steel+erector%22&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html&sig=SXcVHTF-dVFX0JF_7qTko63-Wt0}}</ref> *[[Welder]] is a tradesman who specialises in [[welding]] materials together.<ref>[[Lincoln Electric]] (1994). ''The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding''. [[Cleveland]]: Lincoln Electric. ISBN 99949-25-82-2.</ref><ref>Weman, Klas (2003). ''Welding processes handbook''. New York: CRC Press LLC. ISBN 0-8493-1773-8.</ref> ===Construction site safety=== {{main|Construction site safety}} [[Image:Construction worker.jpeg|thumb|200px|A construction worker with column reinforcement steel.]] ====Hazards to construction workers==== The [[construction industry]] is the most dangerous land based civilian work sector. In the [[European Union]], the fatal accident rate is nearly 13 workers per 100,000 as against 5 per 100,000 for the all sector average.<ref>[[Eurostat]] Construction Accident staistics</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Construction Safety Management Systems|author= |id=ISBN 0415300630}}</ref> The problem is not that the hazards and risks are unknown, it is that they are very difficult to control in a constantly changing work environment. The two biggest safety hazards on site are falls from height and vehicles, but there are many more ([[electricity]] and being buried while working in excavations being two more examples). Some of the main health hazards on site are [[asbestos]], [[solvents]], [[noise (environmental)|noise]], cement dust, and manual handling activities. ====Applicable laws==== Under [[European Union Law]], there are [[European Union Directive]]s in place to protect workers, notably Directive 89/391 (the Framework Directive) and Directive 92/57 (the Temporary and Mobile Sites Directive). This legislation is transposed into the Member States and places requirements on employers (and others) to assess and protect workers health and safety. In the [[U.S.]] the Occupational Safety & Health Administration [[OSHA]] sets and enforces standards concerning workplace safety and health. Also the [[U.N.]] has the [[Safety and Health in Construction Convention, 1988]].<ref>[http://www.ilo.org/ilolex/english/convdisp1.htm Database of International Safety Standards]</ref> ====Personal Protective Equipment==== {{main|Personal protective equipment}} Construction workers are usually associated with wearing a [[hard hat]], this along with [[steel-toe boots]] are the most common personal protective equipment worn. The standard use of [[High visibility clothing|high visibility jackets]] is also widespread. Additional personal protective equipment is required on the basis of a risk assessment, for example when dealing with situations involving [[hazardous]] substances, protective [[gloves]] and [[goggles]] would be specified.<ref>{{cite book | last = Dalby | first = Joseph | title = EU Law for the Construction Industry | publisher = Blackwell Publishing| date = 1998-02-01| url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?vid=ISBN063204067X&id=4xyY6owu4-QC&ie=ISO-8859-1 | id = ISBN 0-632-04067-X }}</ref> [[Image:HighVisibilityClothing gobeirne.jpg|thumb|500px|left|Construction worker donning a high-visibility fluorescent vest.]] <br style="clear:both;"> Most sites operate a scheme for protecting casual labourers called "No boots, no work!" or similar. ==References== {{reflist|2}} == See also == *[[Building]] *[[Civil engineering]] *[[List of construction topics]] *[[Megaproject]] *[[Laborer]] *[[Construction site safety]] *[[Dirty, Dangerous and Demeaning]] ==External links== *[http://dmoz.org/Business/Construction_and_Maintenance/ Link to dmoz directory of construction weblinks] [[Category:Construction trades workers| ]] [[nl:Bouwvakker]] [[simple:Construction worker]] [[sv:Byggnadsarbetare]]