A deal for better condition

The Weekend Australian June 20-21 2009

Unions, employers and governments are trying to help construction workers get fit, writes Chris Herded

WORKING on building sites demands a certain level of physical fitness, but a recent survey has found the average construction worker is far from healthy.

A study of Queensland construction workers has revealed high levels of obesity, smoking and problem drinking. And in a tight labour market with greater demands on workers from a government push
to delay retirement, employers are seeing the benefits of more health-conscious workers.

Recruitment agency Bluecollar.com.au marketing research consultant Irini Cavalliotis says prospective employers traditionally assume candidates applying for physically demanding jobs will possess adequate fitness.

‘‘It generally goes without saying that workers in physically demanding jobs, including jobs in the construction industry, require a higher level of fitness than workers in nonphysically demanding jobs,’’ she says. ‘‘So if a fit and healthy candidate can do the job more efficiently than an obese and unhealthy candidate, then it is fairly safe to assume the former will be offered the job over the latter.’’

While machines do the heavy lifting and carrying on construction sites, many workers face sustained physical activity over their whole day and in all sorts of weather. But not all jobs on a construction site require above-average physical fitness.

‘‘It’s difficult to generalise what construction jobs require a higher level of fitness than
others because there are multiple varying factors,’’ Cavalliotis says. ‘‘An entry levelapprentice
concreter will undertake more physical work than a senior concreter who might take on a supervisory role. ‘‘However, it is generally safe to assume that concreting, bricklaying, labouring, landscaping,
roofing and tiling jobs all require an average to high level of fitness.’’

The Construction WorkHealth Initiative Pilot study originated when the Builders Labourers Federation approached the Building Employees Redundancy Trust and the Queensland government last year to ask for assistance to survey the health and wellbeing of the construction industry.It surveyed more than 1000 Brisbane and Gold Coast construction workers between September last year and February this year, and found that 66 per cent were overweight or obese compared with the 61 per cent in the
general population.

About 64 per cent drink alcohol at risky or high levels compared with 13 per cent for the general population, and 17 per cent had cholesterol problems. One in five of the workers who received
skin-cancer screenings had suspected skin damage and needed immediate specialist attention, while 37 per cent who took part in the study had ‘‘at risk’’ blood-pressure levels.

Later this year a subsequent taskforce will make recommendations for a health promotion blitz in the construction industry.

BLF Queensland health and safety adviser Royce Kupsch says the survey’s results were a shock.

‘‘We were very surprised over the survey results, especially with the blood pressure and obesity,’’ he says. ‘‘There’s been great interest interstate about the survey and I’m getting heaps of calls about it.’’

Kupsch says building companies and contractors employ workers first and foremost because of their skills. ‘‘But you have to remember that health is important to the industry because employers
want workers who are reliable and [can] be long-term employees,’’ he says. ‘‘That is especially relevant with the retirement age going up. ‘‘Our task is to get the message out there for workers, many who work 10 to 12-hour days, to make time to see their doctors.’’

Kupsch says workers at Baulderstone Hornibrook’s construction of the $485 million prison at Gatton, west of Brisbane, have been implementing healthier strategies in conjunction with the Queensland government.

‘‘There are strategies such as fat-free Fridays, so workers have something better than a pie for breakfast, [as well as] health seminars, health assessments and skin assessment,’’ he says. ‘‘Many other employers are looking at ways in which they can have a healthier workforce.’’

The Queensland Master Builders Association, which is one of the groups overseeing the pilot, says employees do not discriminate on health issues.

‘‘However, the industry does probably selfselect with the requirements of the position and the role requirements of the job,’’ QMBA construction director John Crittall says. ‘‘Certain trades and semi-skilled occupations all require significant amounts of agility, climbing on ladders and manual handling.

Even project managers and site management must traverse difficult terrain on a regular basis.’’
All structural trades, including formworkers, scaffolders, steel fixers, concreters,structural steel workers, crane drivers, riggers and general labourers, demand a certain level of physical fitness. But finishing trades may not require the same level of fitness. They include plasterers, painters, finishing carpenters, glaziers and tilers.

Crittall says the survey results, while limited to 1000 building and civil construction workers, clearly show that construction workers are over-represented against the average worker in having high body mass indexes, smoking and higher than average alcohol intakes. He says employers have a responsibility to ensure the health of their workers.

‘‘Employers have a general duty of care to ensure their staff are fit for duty and employees must come to work in a fit state,’’ Crittall says. ‘‘While the legislation does not target fitness levels specifically, the obligation is more about being fit for duty in a holistic sense, rather than any particular level of fitness. But this is a complex issue that crosses the boundaries between work and home. ‘‘Employers cannot control what most workers do away from the workplace, and policies and procedures must be fair to all".

‘‘We work in a high-risk industry and need to balance individual freedoms with the right
to provide a safe workplace for all. This is often a difficult balance.’