Construction work ranks among the three most dangerous occupations in the world (Safe Work Australia 2012). The rapid and dynamic pace of work, high-risk nature of tasks, use of harmful materials and dangerous equipment, and other issues such as personality conflicts and heavy workload expose the construction workforce to significant physical and psychosocial risks (Gunasekaran et al. 2016). Included in this group are young people who are employed in various sectors of the construction industry (International Labour Organization [ILO] 2018).
The case of young construction workers is especially crucial because they are still undergoing physical, emotional, mental, social, and professional development (ILO 2018). Additionally, they have less “decision authority” over their job conditions (Zaniboni et al. 2016). Thus, when exposed to the hazardous nature of construction work, young workers are more likely than older ones to experience a high rate of negative physical and mental health outcomes such as permanent physical injury and disability, substance abuse, depression, and suicide among other things (Dong et al. 2015; Kines et al. 2013; Spencer-Thomas 2016). This has made it imperative to seek a deeper understanding of health and safety issues among young construction workers.
Correspondingly, a growing scholarly literature about the subject is emerging on both the general physical health and mental health of construction workers.
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Read our Research Briefs;
The State of Youth Health in Ghana’s Construction Industry(Mental Health)
The State of Youth Health in Ghana’s Construction Industry (Physical Health)
The State of Youth Health in Ghana’s Construction Industry (Stakeholders)