Identifier

etd-03292012-193752

Degree

Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (MSIE)

Department

Construction Management

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The construction industry records the highest number of work-related injuries and fatalities in the United States according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Workers’ exposure to risk may be affected by implementing Lean concepts. This study describes the effects on worker’s safety environment after a Kaizen event, a Lean tool, conducted in three workstations within a modular home manufacturer: base-framing, sheet-rock hanging, and painting. The effects of Lean on safety hazards at each of the three workstations were determined by conducting a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) before and after each Kaizen. Based on the JSAs a risk assessment tool (questionnaire) was developed to determine the workers’ exposure to risk before and after each Kaizen. This study also focused on determining the reliability of the risk assessment tool. Twelve students with prior knowledge of safety and four certified safety experts completed the questionnaire by rating probability and severity of a list of hazards potentially present in each workstation. According to students there was a significant reduction in risk values for base-framing station and sheet-rock hanging station. Whereas, according to safety experts significant reduction in risk values was confined to base-framing station. Based on the reliability analysis the risk assessment tool was reliable in measuring risk at each of the three work station as per safety experts, and as per students the reliability was confined to only sheet-rock hanging station. As per the reliability analysis the finding of safety experts should be supported. The safety experts supported the finding that Lean showed significant reduction in risk values in base-framing station. Thus, it could be concluded from the study that Kaizen could occasionally reduce or eliminate specific safety hazards.

Date

2012

Document Availability at the Time of Submission

Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Committee Chair

Ikuma, Laura

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_theses.1269

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