Somik Ghosh

Headache symptoms and indoor environmental parameters: Results from the EPA BASE study.

Objective: The objective of this investigation was to determine the prevalence of migraine and headache symptoms in a national sample of US office employees. Also, we explored the association of headache symptoms with indoor environmental parameters of the work place. Background: Sick building syndrome (SBS), which includes headache, is a common global phenomenon, but the underlying environmental cause is uncertain. Materials and Methods: We used data from the 1994–1998 US Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) Building Assessment and Survey Evaluation, a cross-sectional study of workers employed in 100 public and private office buildings across 25 states. The study used a self-administered questionnaire to assess headache frequency and prevalence of self-reported physician-diagnosed (SRPD) migraine. Indoor environmental parameters (IEP) were collected per EPA protocol from each building over a 1-week period and included carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter, volatile organic compound, illuminance, and sound level. The standards of American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers were used to categorize IEP as either within- or out-of-comfort range for human dwelling. These limits delineate whether a parameter value is safe for human dwelling. Out-of-comfort range IEPs are associated with SBS and other human diseases. SRPD migraine and headache frequency were the primary outcome measures of the study. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed for the purpose of assessing the association between the outcome variable and IEPs. Results: Of the 4326 participants, 66% were females and 60% were between 30 and 49 years. Headache frequency during the last 4 weeks was as follows: None in 31%, 1–3 days in 38%, 1–3 days per week in 18%, and every or almost every workday in 8%. Females had higher SRPD migraine prevalence compared to males (27% vs. 11%, P<0.001) and were more likely to report any headache in the last month compared to males (75% vs. 53%, P<0.001). Odds of SRPD migraine were higher (P<0.05) for those exposed to IEP out-of-comfort range, and odds of exposure to out-of-comfort range IEPs were higher in groups who reported higher headache frequencies. Conclusions: Migraine diagnosis and elevated headache frequency are associated with an uncomfortable indoor environment. Periodic assessments and adjustments of IEP may have a beneficial impact on employees who are vulnerable to SBS.

Analyzing the Empire State Building Project from the Perspective of Lean Delivery System—A Descriptive Case Study

The Empire State Building held the distinction for being the tallest building in the world for over 40 years since it was officially opened on May 1, 1931. In 20 months the building was designed, engineered, and constructed. In order to complete the Empire State Building under the schedule, the designers and the contractors in collaboration with other stakeholders of the project had employed a delivery method that bear close resemblances with lean delivery system. Interestingly, the Empire State Building was constructed at a time when the concept of “lean delivery systems” did not yet exist. The current article presents a descriptive case study of the delivery method of the Empire State Building project based on archival records and historical accounts. In the case study the authors have attempted to compare the delivery method with that of the lean delivery system and recognized similarities between the two. The current case study illustrates the ingenuity of the stakeholders of the Empire State Building project and should encourage practitioners to devise better production system to accomplish project goal.

Effect of the Last Planner System® on Social Interactions among Project Participants

ABSTRACT Construction is one of the oldest and most established project-based industries, bringing together a diverse collection of professionals for short periods of time. Within the temporary organization of projects, interaction among the participants ensures a smooth transmission of vital information that impacts the process of production planning. While involvement of participants in the planning process increases cohesiveness among them, the Last Planner System® (LPS) identifies detailed specification of the steps to be followed and the constraints to be removed for reliable execution of the project. To accomplish the goal of this study to understand the effect of LPS on the social interactions of the participants, a critical case study method was adopted. In-depth analyses of the interactions among the participants of two projects, one following LPS and another following traditional project planning, have been undertaken to illustrate the role of social interaction in each one of them. Weekly subcontractor coordination meeting was selected as the unit of analysis. Data has been collected using direct observation, and Interaction Process Analysis has been used to analyze the social interaction data. The findings provide a project-level understanding of the role of social interaction among project participants during LPS in comparison to that of traditional project planning. LPS increased the participants’ understanding and control of the work assignments, thereby creating a social system with more information and higher level of trust. Participants using the LPS exhibited more cooperation than those using traditional project planning, working within the social network of the project.

Does Formal Daily Huddle Meetings Improve Safety Awareness

Injury and fatality rates of the construction industry prove it to be one of the most dangerous industries in which to work. Along with the inherent complexity of the construction tasks, lack of coordination and interaction among the project participants contribute to the current state of safety and health of the construction industry. One way to improve project performance is to increase participants’ involvement and augment interactions. Formal Daily Huddle Meeting (FDHM) is one such tool that increases participants’ interaction. The workers also get an opportunity to express their thoughts and concerns relevant to the scope of work for that day. The goal of the study was to explore the efficacy of FDHM in construction environment. Multiple case study method was employed to collect interaction data among project participants during Daily Huddle Meetings. Based on the analysis of the interaction data collected from 40 FDHMs and content analyses of open-ended interviews of project participants, it was evident that the FDHMs were instrumental in improving the interaction and safety awareness among the participants.