Falls from heights in residential construction continue to be a leading cause of fatalities andsevere injuries. Field studies are difficult to implement in residential construction, becausecompanies are hesitant to allow observers on site to collect data while tasks are being conducted.Use of scaled world models has been recommended for experimental contexts that require highlevels of ecological validity as well as internal (control) validity . In this project, we exploredseveral attributes to design a scaled world model of residential roofing that would supportcontrolled trials to evaluate usability and to conduct load testing, in a realistic setting. Features ofthe scaled world model were selected to support validity and ease-of-measurement whileparticipants conducted roofing tasks. Several validity constraints were explored, includingecological, structural, psychological and process validity. Possible in-lab roofing task attributeswere discussed and heuristic guidelines for scaled world models were provided. Lastly, anexample of a scaled-world model was assembled to test the fall arrest system. The design teamcontinues to develop the model, which will be reviewed by residential roofing experts for realismand accuracy.
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