Influence of Visual Cues Work at Heights

Purpose

Study the effects of visual cues of height and restricted space on worker performance as a predictor of falls.

Research Summary

Falls from elevated work surfaces are the major cause of construction-related injuries and fatalities. NIOSH's National Traumatic Occupational Fatalities (NTOF) surveillance systems confirms that the construction industry suffers a disproportionate number of fatalities resulting from falls from elevations. From 1980 through 1989, 6,012 fatal falls were recorded in the NTOF surveillance system. Of these fatal falls, 2,551 (42%) were falls from elevations and occurred in the construction industry.

It is suspected that a work's perception of height and a restricted work space contribute significantly to falls. The effects of the visual cues of heights and restricted space on worker's performance will be investigate through the use of a virtual workspace created by mini-supercomputer and virtually reality software. The subjects will be immersed in this virtual workspace where they will stand on an elevated scaffolding board. The effects of changes in plank and platform widths will be examined at various virtual heights and walking speeds while workers perform various work tasks. It is hypothesized that standing instability, walking unsteadiness, and cardiovascular reactivity will increase as the perceived work space width is decreased, height is increased or lighting level is diminished.

The information from this study will lead to a better understanding of the minimum and optimal width requirements of platforms for scaffold workers to safely perform their tasks at various heights and under different environmental conditions. Results will also provide information regarding the benefits and possible limitations to incorporating virtual reality systems into occupational safety research.

Status

Point of Contact

Douglas Ammons, Division of Safety Research, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Phone: (304) 285-5910.

References

Disclaimer Statement

This research is a part of "A Compendium of NIOSH Construction Research 2002" published by National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH Publication No. 2003-103). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this research are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Construction Safety Alliance.

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