 Construction workers wearing reflective vests, hard hats, and other protective clothing at a work site in New York City. | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
Activity sectors | Construction |
| Description | |
Fields of employment | Construction sites |
Related jobs | Laborer |
A construction worker is a person employed in the physical construction of the built environment and its infrastructure. The term is used to cover a wide range of roles and tasks during all phases of a construction projects.
Definitions
By some definitions, construction workers may be engaged in manual labour as unskilled or semi-skilled workers.[1] These workers begin by attending to general tasks such as digging, cleaning, and unloading equipment. As they gain more experience, they start to specialize in certain areas - for example, roofing, pipefitting, structural work, or carpentry. Over time, some opt to receive certification and undergo formal training to achieve qualifications and promotion.[2] In other words, they may be skilled tradespeople, or they may be supervisory or managerial personnel.
United Kingdom safety legislation has defined construction workers as people "who work for or under the control of a contractor on a construction site."[3] In Canada, this can include people whose work includes ensuring conformance with building codes and regulations and those who supervise other workers.[4]
Demographics
Most construction workers are primarily described by the specific level and type of work they perform. Laborers comprise a large grouping in most national construction industries. In the United States, for example, in May 2023, construction sector businesses employed just over 7.9 million people, of whom 859,000 were laborers, while 3.7 million were construction trades workers (including 603,000 carpenters, 559,000 electricians, 385,000 plumbers, and 321,000 equipment operators).[5] Like most business sectors, there is also substantial white-collar employment in construction - out of 7.9 million US construction business workers, 681,000 were recorded by the United States Department of Labor in May 2023 as in 'office and administrative support occupations', 620,000 in 'management occupations' and 480,000 in 'business and financial operations occupations'.[5]
In 2023, the United States reported that, of the total number of construction workers, 27.7% of workers were Hispanic and around 6.2% were women.[6][7] In some economies, there is also substantial self-employment; in the United Kingdom for example, 1.4 million out of 2.25 million construction workers were classified as self-employed in 2023.[8] In the US in 2015, unincorporated self-employment rates were highest for workers in construction and extraction occupations (14.8 percent).[9]
Construction workers can colloquially be referred to as "hard hat workers" or "hard hats",[10] as they often wear hard hats for safety while working on construction sites.
Safety
The construction industry is a high-hazard sector, encompassing alteration and repair. Workers are exposed to various serious hazards, such as falling debris, unguarded machinery, heavy equipment, electrocutions, silica dust, and asbestos.[11] Thus, construction safety is intended to ensure a safe environment for workers, who are required to be educated on safety at each site.[12] Construction workers must remain vigilant by keeping work areas clear, learning safe lifting techniques, being aware of seasonal hazards, and regularly inspecting all equipment, among other preventive measures.[4]
All companies in the United States require workers to have an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) certification to ensure safety on the worksite. In many cases, OSHA inspectors visit worksites to ensure that all safety protocols are in place to protect workers. Employers are also required by law to have an OSHA job safety poster.[13]
Publications have been issued by authorities to train construction workers on safe working, e.g., when using power tools.[14] In some places such as Hong Kong it is an offence if the use of power tools (such as drills) produces excessive dust or noise and causes pollution.[15]
In India, the Building and Other Construction Workers Act 1996 regulates the employment and conditions of service of building and other construction workers and provides for safety, health and welfare measures.[16]
Examples of poor pay and working conditions for migrant workers
In 2008, a Human Rights Watch report described unsafe and unfair working conditions in China and a failure on the part of the government to enforce labor standards in the construction industry.[17] The International Labour Organization (ILO) estimated that, at the end of 2006, 90% of the 40 million construction workers in China were migrant workers. Many turned to work after their farming communities collapsed into poverty.[17]
In the United States, illegal immigrant labor is prevalent in the industry. Due to workers' questionable legal status, some employers commit crimes such as wage theft and violation of workplace standards, running little risk of consequences.[18] Similar abuse occurred in Qatar during preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup where workers, mostly from poor countries in the Indian subcontinent, worked in desert conditions for as little as €6.20 a day.[19]
See also
References
- ^ "Construction worker definition and meaning". Collins English Dictionary. Retrieved 2018-06-09.
- ^ "Construction Worker Overview". U.S. News & World Report.
- ^ "Are you a construction worker? Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) - What you need to know". Health and Safety Executive. HSE. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b "Construction Worker - General". Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. CCOHS. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ a b "May 2023 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates - Sector 23 - Construction". US Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Department of Labor. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ "Hispanic Employment Dashboard". Data Dashboard. CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "Women in Construction". Data Dashboard. CPWR-The Center for Construction Research and Training. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
- ^ "Construction statistics, Great Britain: 2023". Office for National Statistics. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 3 January 2025.
- ^ Hipple, Steven F; Hammond, Laurel A (March 2016). Self-Employment In The United States (PDF). US Bureau of Labor Statistics. p. 11. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
- ^ "hardhat". Wordnik.com.
- ^ "Construction Industry". U.S. Department of Labor.
- ^ Gambatese, John A.; Hinze, Jimmie W.; Haas, Carl T. (1997-01-01). "Tool to Design for Construction Worker Safety". Journal of Architectural Engineering. 3 (1): 32–41. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)1076-0431(1997)3:1(32). ISSN 1076-0431.
- ^ "Job Safety and Health: It's the Law Workplace Poster". 10 November 2024.
- ^ "Safety Handbook for Construction Site Workers" (PDF). Retrieved 14 Apr 2025.
- ^ "香港逸東酒店裝修工程散發塵埃及噪音滋擾 承辦商被罰4萬元" [Eaton Hotel renovation project in Hong Kong generates dust and noise, contractor fined HK$40,000]. 香港01 (in Traditional Chinese). 11 Oct 2018. Retrieved 14 Apr 2025.
- ^ "THE BUILDING AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORKERS | Chief Labour Commissioner". clc.gov.in. Retrieved 2025-02-07.
- ^ a b Richardson, Sophie, ed. (12 March 2008). One Year of My Blood: Exploitation of Migrant Construction Workers in Beijing (Technical report). Human Rights Watch. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
- ^ "Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly". National Public Radio (NPR). 2013.
- ^ "Qatar construction workers earn 55c an hour". Irish Times. Retrieved 21 December 2014.
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