Functional impairment and quality of life in retired workers of the construction trades.

This cross-sectional study compared the quality of life and physical health of retirees from the construction industry to that of retirees from more sedentary occupations. The feasibility of cooperation from the unions and their retirees for a larger health study was also examined. The mailed health survey assessed current physical functioning, role limitations as a result of poor health, pain, and past and current problems with falls and injuries.

An ergonomic education and evaluation program for apprentice carpenters.

Eighteen new apprentice carpenters received sixteen hours of ergonomics awareness education as a part of their regular apprenticeship training during 1994 and 1995. An equal number of apprentices received no training but served as controls. The training took place in the Southwest Ohio District Council of Carpenter's Joint Apprenticeship and Training School.

Nested case-control study of hand and wrist work-related musculoskeletal disorders in carpenters.

Unionized carpenters (n = 522) participated in a telephone interview regarding their jobs and musculoskeletal symptoms. From this group, a nested case-control study was conducted on 25 symptomatic carpenters who met a hand or wrist work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WMD) case definition and on 35 asymptomatic carpenters who were of similar age, sex, height, and weight. The purpose of the study was to determine if questionnaire symptom data could be used to estimate the prevalence of hand/wrist WMDs.