Outdoor environment, worker wellbeing, and productivity: a Lean Construction view

Worker health directly influences construction project performance by affecting productivity, reliability, and workflow continuity. Motivated by this, the present study frames environmental exposure and workload conditions as sources of variability that impact production system stability, a core principle of Lean Construction. These factors are assessed through workers’ perceived well-being, in construction projects in Peru. The methodology consisted of three steps: (1) a review of Peruvian regulations to identify gaps related to comfort and well-being; (2) a survey of workers across building, infrastructure, and electromechanical projects to assess perceptions of health risks, working conditions, and productivity impacts; and (3) an analysis correlating workers’ perceptions with demographic variables. The results revealed variations across regions and project types, allowing for a structured interpretation. Impacts on productivity, inactivity, and fatigue-related behaviors were found to be greater under higher temperatures. Perceptions of health risks were lowest, and well-being highest, in electromechanical projects. The findings highlight the importance of integrating comfort and well-being considerations into sectoral standards to manage environmental exposure and workload, thereby enhancing workflow reliability.