Building and the Construction Industry

Building and construction are among the oldest activities of mankind. Important improvements in history were the invention of nails and screws, the introduction of ceramic building materials and the invention of prestressed concrete. The first important step in the field of work organization was the introduction of professional tradesmen. Specialization of trades was introduced in the early middle ages. In the second half of this century many new specialists arose, mainly as jobs were split up into several new trades, which often only consist of one or just a few tasks. In most cases the only change for the construction process was the appearance of several tradesmen in a sequential order. Teamwork still does not exist in road construction and other civil work. As we look at the pace of innovation in other sectors of industry, the construction industry can be characterized as conservative. Work is still physical straining and work organization and working methods are traditional. Koningsveld and van der Molen (1997) described the history and future of ergonomics in building and construction at the First International Symposium of Ergonomics in Building and Construction, which was part of the 13th triennial congress of the IEA in Tampere in 1997. There it was concluded that radical changes in working methods, work organization, and working conditions are necessary for a secure future for companies and a safe and healthy future for the workers. Ergonomists can help in the improvement process on evidenced-based ergonomic knowledge.