Workers know the most about how work is done and can contribute a great deal.
The manual was developed during a pilot project with two scaffold-erection companies in the Netherlands, so examples involving scaffold erection are provided throughout the text. But the program can be used for any ergonomic problem in construction. Programs based on worker input are much more likely to succeed, because the solutions are likely to be practicable from a worker's point of view and workers are more likely to enthusiastically support the effort. Worker participation was obtained through questionnaires and group discussions. Changes recommended and tried out by workers at two small companies in 1994 involved materials and procedures.