ABSTRACT

According to a 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report, approximately 90% of construction companies employ 20 or fewer workers; of these, 30% specialize in residential construction. Contractors with 10 or fewer employees are exempt from OSHA reporting requirements, unless a fatality occurs or an injury/illness leads to lost workdays for three or more employees (29 CFR 1904.1, Subpart B). This qualitative case study was conducted to understand characteristics and work patterns to develop a clearer understanding of the natural context of work, especially given the underreporting of safety information by small construction companies. A prospective study was conducted in which construction workers logged critical incidents for four weeks. Definitions and examples of critical incidents were given to workers, along with a data logging notebook with structured questions. Workers could report the events immediately upon occurrence or after the workday ended. A total of 102 critical incidents were reported. Content (axial coding) and cluster analyses were used to analyze the logs and to extract important descriptors and patterns. Results were used to characterize injury types, antecedents, time-of-day, and family-work involvement. Descriptions regarding the training-, resource-, and planning-related practices of small construction workers focused on the unique challenges that impose barriers and constraints on safety climate.

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