3.3.2. Barriers to Intervention Implementation

Based on key informant interviews on the intervention sites, while indicating it was good to have the ergonomics inspections and topics at the forefront of the workers' and subcontractors' activities, workers mentioned a number of barriers to fully implementing the intervention.

Fissured workplace issues: A key barrier was the capability of subcontractor companies to make changes in working conditions. While the program trained the foreman of the subcontractors with a focus on pre-task planning, the subcontractors did not have the systems in place or the available tools to assist in changing the working conditions.

Production pressures and unpredictable schedules: The site that conducted no ergonomics inspections had large production pressures as the construction schedule was delayed significantly due to unusual winter weather. For example, one safety manager observed that production pressures could be a driving factor: "I think it's the schedules ... Because they rush around, it's hard for them to take a step back and really evaluate how they're doing things. They're just trying to do it as quickly as possible."

Management support and worker buy-in: Focus group participants and key informants reported that programs needed buy-in and support from upper management for interventions to be successful. This is especially true with respect to training and data collection which, by necessity, must be conducted on the worksite during working hours. For instance, general contractors could allow for extra training related to the ARM program and build it into the contracts of the subcontractors. That way, the time needed for training purposes and intervention delivery would be agreed to ahead of time and budgeted into the contracts signed by both parties. To illustrate this point, one safety manager noted: "A health and safety program would have a lot more buy-in and success on a site if it was written into the contract... An owner or GC [general contractor] would have to financially support the program running on their site."
