26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction - Chennai, India - 2018

https://doi.org/10.24928/2018/0256

Respect for People’S Well-Being: Meditation for Construction Workers

João Bosco Pinheiro Dantas Filho1, José de Paula Barros Neto2, Alexandre Mourão3, Andréa Benício da Rocha4, Andre Vieira Luccas5 & Angela Saggin6

1Architect, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Ceará, Researcher of GERCON, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil, [email protected]
2Full Professor, Department of Structural Engineering and Civil Construction, Leader of the GERCON, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil, [email protected]
3Civil Engineer, Technical Director of C. RolimEngenharia Ltda., Brazil, [email protected]
4Yoga and meditationinstructor, Ayurveda therapist, Espaço Tenda, Fortaleza, Brazil,[email protected]
5Civil Engineer, Researcher of GERCON, Fortaleza, Brazil,[email protected]
6Civil Engineer, Lean & Green Coordinator of C. RolimEngenharia Ltda., Brazil, [email protected]

Abstract

Stressful environments are often found in construction industry which makes important to study the relation between stress and work. Alcohol or illicit drugs were reported to be common short-term alternatives to reduce anxiety in male-dominated industries and have long-term implications for health and well-being. "What countermeasures can be used by construction workers?" A set of emotion-focused coping strategies is identified, such as physical exercise, recreational activities and meditation. According to the Brazilian Ministry of Health, meditation is an instrument of physical, emotional, mental, social and cognitive strengthening that promotes concentration, stimulates well-being, relaxation, reduces stress, hyperactivity and depressive symptoms. "But would construction workers be willing to meditate?" The purpose of this paper is to assess the initial perceptions of construction workers under meditation training. This research has a qualitative approach and its strategy is a unique case study. Four meditation sessions were applied at the construction site during lunch break. Multiple sources of evidence were used: interviews and videos. The data analysis was qualitative. The results indicate: (1) construction workers consider that meditation values them and (2) they also recommend its implementation. This research gives some information that there is viability for meditation in construction.

Keywords

Lean Construction, Safety, meditation, workers’ health, well-being

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Reference

Filho, J. B. P. D. , Neto, J. P. B. , Mourão, A. , Rocha, A. B. , Luccas, A. V. & Saggin, A. 2018. Respect for People’S Well-Being: Meditation for Construction Workers, 26th Annual Conference of the International Group for Lean Construction , 1160-1169. doi.org/10.24928/2018/0256

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Founded in 1993, the IGLC is an international network of researchers from practice and academia in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) who feel that the practice, education, and research of the AEC industry have to be radically renewed in order to respond to the global challenges ahead.

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