search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
    • FEATURED PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • EBOOKS
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Plumbing News

Study: Higher Safety Risk For Green Construction Workers

December 1, 2011

New research, supported by the Center for Construction Research and Training, found that construction workers on LEED projects suffer more falls than workers on traditional projects, are exposed to high-risk tasks, and incur more lacerations, strains and sprains than workers on traditional construction projects.

The study, “Identification of Safety Risks for High Performance Sustainable Construction Projects,” which appeared in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, examined construction projects built to achieve the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification. LEED-certified buildings have a 9-percent higher recordable injury rate than non-LEED buildings.

Workers on LEED construction projects are exposed to work at height, with electrical current, near unstable soils and near heavy equipment for a greater period of time than on traditional projects, the study reported. Construction workers also are exposed to new high-risk tasks such as constructing atria, installing vegetated roofs and installing solar panels that are not present on traditional projects.

The most significant impacts are:

  • a 36 percent increase in lacerations, strains and sprains from recycling construction materials;

  • a 24 percent increase in falls to lower level during roof work because of the installation of on-site renewable energy such as solar panels;

  • a 19 percent increase in eye strain when installing reflective roof membranes; and

  • a 14 percent increase in exposure to harmful substances when installing innovative wastewater technologies, such as gray water reuse and on-site wastewater treatment systems.


Designers and contractors identified prefabrication, effective site layout and alternative products as methods to prevent injuries that specifically relate the hazards of each sustainable element. Specifying low-VOC materials reduces health-related risks for construction workers who perform work in enclosed environments.

The study also revealed feasible prevention methods through design techniques, technologies and controls, and management strategies that can be implemented to mitigate these risks. The results of the study were packaged into a first-generation decision support tool that provides designers and construction managers with safety suggestions for their LEED projects.

The study was conducted by lead author Matthew R. Hallowell, assistant professor at the University of Colorado-Boulder’s Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, along with Katherine S. Dewlaney, Bernard R. Fortunato III and Michael Behm. Click here to purchase a copy of the study.

Sources: Center for Construction Research and Training, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Links

  • Follow PM on Twitter!
  • American Society of Civil Engineers
  • Center for Construction Research and Training

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
  • March 2024 Women in Plumbing hero image of woman engineer overlayed by circle of hexagon shapes with numbers from 1 to 10

    Celebrating 10 Influential Women in the Plumbing Industry

    Celebrating Women's History Month and Women in...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
Manage My Account
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
    Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

    The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

Popular Stories

Bath & Kitchen Pro 2025 Cover 900x550 hero image

eBook | Fifth annual Bath & Kitchen Pro

Integrate a heat pump with a boiler mounted on a brick wall.

How to integrate a heat pump with a boiler for dual temperature hydronic heating and cooling

Plumber using the DEWALT 20V MAX* Plastic Tubing Cutter to cut a white tube.

Making tough jobs easier: Most-used tools by plumbers in 2025

Nominations for Plumbing & Mechanical's NextGen ALL-Stars are now open. Submit your nomination TODAY!

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

2025 Bath & Kitchen Pro eBook

Related Articles

  • Higher safety risk for green construction workers

    See More
  • Higher safety risk for workers on "

    See More
  • New Web Site Features Risk Management Information For Construction Industry

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • The ACCA Job Safety (1).jpg

    The ACCA On-The-Job Safety Handbook (Pack of 5)

  • greening steam.jpg

    Greening Steam: How to Bring 19th-Century Heating Systems into the 21st Century (and save lots of green!)

  • M:\General Shared\__AEC Store Katie Z\AEC Store\Images\Plumbing\new sites\edr.gif

    E.D.R. - Ratings for Every Darn Radiator (and convector) you'll probably ever see

See More Products
×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing