The Psychophysiological Interrelationship Between Working Conditions and Stress of Harvester and Forwarder Drivers—A Study Protocol

In Mexico, neither the pathological profile nor the health/illness conditions of the cycle rickshaw taxi drivers have been studied. Therefore, the factors that influence the physical and mental health of this labor group are unknown. To describe the characteristics of working and health/illness conditions that influence the stress level of the cycle rickshaw taxi drivers from Mexico City’s Historic Downtown. 90% (n = 110) of the workers participated in a cross-sectional study of a correlational type, in which a survey on working conditions and health was applied. Stress was analyzed using the Aro Symptomatic Scale, and vital signs, somatometry and a blood test were measured to analyze lipids and glucose. 16% of drivers were assessed with a high level of stress. No association was found with conditions related to physical and behavioral health, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, overweight, smoking and alcohol consumption. Therefore, the perception of violence risk (odds ratio [OR]: 1.19), the risks associated with the vehicle (OR: 1.18), having had a work accident (OR:38.2) and musculoskeletal complaints —mainly, in the elbow (OR: 1.20) and wrists (OR: 1.11)— are the factors that most influence the level of stress. The main cause of stress in drivers is related to the risks of their activity and musculoskeletal conditions, so interventions and action protocols are suggested to help preventing and face the risks of workers.

Emergency personnel, such as ambulance crews and firefighters, must perform well both mentally and physically during emergency responses around the clock. The opportunity for recovery and rest is often limited during their shifts. This can lead to an increased risk of fatigue and perceived stress during emergency responses, which also increases the risk of traffic accidents. Stress has been identified as a contributing factor to road crashes due to its negative impact on driving performance [1-3]. Stress increases the crash risk by affecting cognitive abilities, resulting in inadequate information processing and imperfect perception which may, in turn, lead to deterioration of driver performance [4]. Physiological measurements can be used to detect driver stress but there is also a need for subjective ratings scales that are easy to use in a driving setting. Driver sleepiness is often measured with the 9-point one-item Karolinska Sleepiness Scale [5] but there is no equivalent measure of acute driver stress. In this study we investigated if a one-item stress scale could be used to measure acute driver stress in an ambulance simulator. The VTI acute stress scale (VSS) was developed to quantify perceived stress. The 9 verbal anchors are designed to match the verbal anchors of the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). The VSS anchors are: 1 completely relaxed (feeling entirely calm and relaxed), 2 very relaxed, 3 relaxed, 4 rather relaxed, 5 neither relaxed nor stressed, 6 slightly stressed, 7 stressed (feeling some tension and pressure), 8 very stressed, 9 extremely stressed (feeling very tense and under high pressure, on the verge of what I can handle).A simulator trial was conducted with ambulance driving scenarios designed to induce various stress levels in emergency response personnel. Each participant performed three simulator tasks: task A was a low-stress routine drive, task B was a medium-stress urgent callout, task C was a high-stress emergency response. The tasks were counterbalanced between participants. The participants completed a questionnaire with questions about task load (NASA-TLX), stress (9-point VSS scale), and sleepiness (9-point KSS scale) after each drive.Participants (33 men and 16 women) were recruited among ambulance personnel and emergency response personnel in western Sweden. Data collections took place at two different ambulance stations on five different occasions in 2022. The study protocol was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (ref 2021-04352). Forty-eight drivers had VSS ratings from all three drives. The mean ratings were A=3.17 (SD 1.58, range 1-7), B=3.77 (SD 1.59, range 1-6), and C=4.65 (SD 1.77, range 1-7). An ANOVA with task (A, B, C) as a fixed factor and participant as a random factor showed that there was a significant difference in VSS ratings between tasks (F=22.9, p<0.001, η2=0.330). Post-hoc tests (TukeyHSD) showed that task A had significantly lower rating than task B (p=0.021) and task C (p<0.001) and task B had significantly lower ratings than task C (p<0.001). The stress ratings were moderate throughout the trials, with no ratings above 7 on the 9-point scale. This could be due to simulator scenarios not being perceived as equally stressful as real-life emergency driving situations. The VSS was significantly correlated with NASA-TLX subscales mental demand (r=0.606), physical demand (r=0.419), temporal demand (r=0.605), performance (r=0.313), effort (r=0.541), and frustration (r=0.553). These medium correlations show that the VSS acute stress score is related to but not identical to workload. In conclusion, the VSS can be used to measure acute driver stress in moderately stressful driving conditions.This study was funded by a grant from the strategic vehicle research and innovation (FFI) program at Sweden’s Innovation Agency (VINNOVA), grant number 2020-05157, and through the SUAB project financed by the European Social Fund, grant number 2020/00110.1.Mou, L., et al., Driver stress detection via multimodal fusion using attention-based CNN-LSTM. Expert Systems with Applications, 2021. 173: p. 114693.2.Rastgoo, M.N., et al., A critical review of proactive detection of driver stress levels based on multimodal measurements. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 2018. 51(5): p. 1-35.3.Beanland, V., et al., Driver inattention and driver distraction in serious casualty crashes: Data from the Australian National Crash In-depth Study. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2013. 54: p. 99-107.4.Wiberg, H., et al., Physiological responses related to moderate mental load during car driving in field conditions. Biological psychology, 2015. 108: p. 115-125.5.Åkerstedt, T. and M. Gillberg, Subjective and Objective Sleepiness in the Active Individual International Journal of Neuroscience, 1990. 52(1-2): p. 29-37.

Occupational Health and Safety (K3) is aimed as an effort to create a workplace that is safe, healthy, free from environmental pollution, so that it can reduce and or be free from work accidents and occupational diseases and can have an impact on increasing work efficiency and productivity. The need for implementation and Monitoring of the Occupational Health and Safety Management System at PT. Mujur Lestari must have a good corporate culture and be able to contribute to SMK3. For that PT. Mujur Lestari makes implementation and Monitoring to minimize the risk of work accidents for employees. The sample used in this study were employees of PT. Mujur Lestari, totaling 81 people. The data collection method used a questionnaire while the analytical method used was multivariate analysis. The results showed that there was an influence between knowledge on the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SMK3) at PT. Mujur Lestari with a tcount greater than ttable, the effect of applying the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SMK3) with a tcount greater than ttable, the effect of Monitoring on the Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SMK3) with a greater tcount from ttable and there is no relationship between the implementation and Monitoring of the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (SMK3). The conclusion shows that the knowledge variable has a positive and significant effect on the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (SMK3), the application variable has a positive and significant impact on the Occupational Safety and Health Management System (SMK3) and the Monitoring variable has a positive and significant effect on the Occupational Safety and Health Management System. (SMK3). Keywords: Occupational Health and Safety (K3), Occupational Health and Safety Management System (SMK3).

Introduction: Occupational health and safety issues have consistently been of particular importance in workplaces. Creating healthy and safe workplaces not only preserves employee wellbeing, but also enhances their productivity and job satisfaction. In this regard, organizational culture serves as a significant influence on employee behavior and enhancement of working conditions. This study investigated the effect of organizational culture in the workplace on occupational health and safety of employees in the healthcare network of Yazd City and analyzes the mediating role of job satisfaction in this regard. Materials and Methods: The present study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method, and structural equation analysis was used to examine the relationships among variables. The data collection tool was a standard questionnaire with verified validity and reliability, and the data analysis was performed using SMART-PLS software. Results: The results of the study indicated that the organizational culture of the workplace positively and significantly impacts employees’ occupational health and safety, while job satisfaction as a mediator enhances the connection between organizational culture and occupational safety. The path coefficient between organizational culture at the workplace to occupational safety stood 0.534, with a t statistic of 7.283, indicating the favorable effect of this variable on the occupational safety of employees. Conclusion: The results of the study show the significant effect of organizational culture on the job satisfaction of employees and the effect of job satisfaction on improving the occupational safety situation. This study generally emphasizes that improving organizational culture and paying attention to the job satisfaction of employees can create significant improvements in occupational health and safety.

Reversed causality--a need to revisit systems modeling of work-stress-health relationships

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze the influence of the Work Environment and Work Safety and to determine the most dominant variable influencing the Work Environment and Work Safety on the Risk of Accidents at the Oil Palm Plantation Company PT. Niagamas Gemilang, in Sungai Payang Village, Loa Kulu District, Kutai Kartanegara Regency. The analytical tool used is multiple linear regression with a sample of 91 people. The results showed that the variables of the Work Environment and Work Safety had a simultaneous effect on the Risk of Accidents at Work. Work Environment and Work Safety variables have a partial effect on the Risk of Work Accidents at PT. Brilliant Niagamas. Besides that, the work safety variable has a dominant effect on the risk of work accidents at PT. Brilliant Niagamas. Keywords: Work Accident and Occupational Safety, Risk of Work Accident

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a critical aspect of industrial production processes, particularly at PT. ABC, which operates high-risk machinery such as the slitter machine. This machine plays an essential role in the process of cutting cardboard, but its use poses significant risks of workplace accidents. This study aims to analyze the occupational health and safety controls for slitter machine operators at PT. ABC using the Job Safety Analysis (JSA) method. The slitter machine is crucial in the cardboard production process but carries a high risk of accidents. This study identifies potential hazards, evaluates risks, and recommends control measures to minimize the risk of accidents. The results show that there are various levels of risk, from low to high, involving serious injuries such as bone fractures and amputations. Suggested improvements include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and support tools like handlifts to enhance workplace safety. The implementation of JSA is expected to reduce workplace accident risks and improve the company's operational efficiency. Keywords: Job Safety Analysis, Occupational Safety, Slitter Machine

This research uses a qualitative descriptive approach through case studies in conducting accident risk analysis in the pharamaceutical industry and to fully and deeply understand the procedures for implementing Occupational Health and Safety at PT X. the technique used in this research is through a questionnaire distributed to respondents. Nased on the results of questionnaires from employees, it was concluded that PT X had implemented Occupational Safety and Health (K3) procedures well. This is proven by the existence of socialization and training in Occupational Safety and Health procedures as an effort to protect all employees from the risk of accidents. The company also equips all employees with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect employees from the risk of work accidents. Apart from that regular monitoring and evaluation is also carried out, to ensure that the procedure is still suitable to be implemented. The work environment plays a role in the safety and health of workers. Worker attitudes and work procedures that have been implemented by all employees have a very important role in Occupational Safety and Health as an effort to minimize accidents.
 

BackgroundSeveral empirical studies have shown that professional drivers are a vulnerable occupational group, usually exposed to environmental stressors and adverse work conditions. Furthermore, recent studies have associated work-related stress with negative job performances and adverse health outcomes within this occupational group, including cardiovascular diseases and unsafe vehicle operation.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the working conditions and the health status of this occupational group, and to evaluate the association between the Demand–Control model of job stress and their self-reported health and safety outcomes.MethodsA pooled sample of 3,665 Colombian professional drivers was drawn from five different studies. The Job Content Questionnaire and the General Health Questionnaire were used to measure work stress and self-reported mental health, respectively. Additionally, professional drivers self-reported health problems (hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and overweight) and health-related risky behaviors (smoking and sedentary behavior).ResultsRegarding the Job Demands–Control (JDC) model, it was found that approximately a third part of Colombian professional drivers suffer from high job strain (29.1%). Correlational and multivariate analyses suggest that de JDC model of stress is associated with the professional drivers’ mental health, traffic accidents and fines, but not with other physical and behavioral health-related outcomes, which are highly prevalent among this occupational group, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, overweight, smoking and sedentary behavior.ConclusionThe results of this study suggest that (a) stressful working conditions are associated with health and lifestyle-related outcomes among professional drivers, and (b) that evidence-based interventions are needed in order to reduce hazardous working conditions, job stress rates and their negative impact on the health of this occupational group.

It is very important to pay attention to factors that can affect employee performance, such as work stress experienced by employees or occupational safety and health. This research was conducted at PT. Akas Mila Sejahtera Probolinggo with the objectives (1) To determine the simultaneous effect of work stress and K3 (Occupational Health and Safety) on employee performance. (2) To determine the partial effect of work stress and K3 (Occupational Health and Safety) on employee performance. (3) To determine the dominant influence between work stress and K3 (Occupational Health and Safety) on employee performance. The population of this research is the employees of PT. Akas Mila Sejahtera City of Probolinggo, amounting to 90 people. The sample taken by the Slovin method is as many as 73 people, with the criteria of employees who work as drivers, kondiktur, kernet and workshops with incidental data collection techniques. The approach used is quantitative with analysis using SPSS software. The results showed that work stress and K3 (Occupational Health and Safety) had a significant effect on employee performance.

This study aims to identify the influence of job satisfaction, occupational health and safety (OHS), and work stress on turnover intention among employees of PT. Daya Surya Sejahtera Ponorogo. The high turnover rate is a phenomenon that has the potential to hamper the smooth operation of the company and increase the costs of recruiting and training new employees. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence the intention to leave the company is important in order to maintain workforce stability and productivity. This study uses a quantitative approach with a survey method through distributing questionnaires to respondents. The sampling technique used is simple random sampling, with the Slovin formula, resulting in 72 respondents from a total population of 250 employees. The data obtained were then analyzed using multiple linear regression methods with the help of SPSS version 25 software. The results of the analysis show that the three independent variables, namely job satisfaction, OHS, and work stress, simultaneously have a significant effect on turnover intention. Partially, job satisfaction and OHS have a negative effect on turnover intention, meaning that the higher the job satisfaction and good OHS implementation, the lower the employee's intention to leave the company. Conversely, job stress showed a positive effect, meaning that the higher the level of job stress, the greater the employee's intention to resign. This finding indicates the importance of management attention to working conditions, employee well-being, and stress management in the workplace. Companies are advised to consider providing competitive compensation, creating a healthy and safe work environment, and providing career development paths as strategies to sustainably reduce employee turnover intentions.

Background: Work stress afflicts individual health and well-being. The digital transformation of the economy implies profound changes of working conditions, making it even more important to regularly monitor employees’ stress. This study investigates whether the computer mouse can be used for continuous monitoring and early detection of work stress in the field. Method: We hypothesized that stress is associated with a speed-accuracy tradeoff in computer mouse movements (CMMs). To test this hypothesis, we conducted a longitudinal field study at a large business organization, where CMMs from regular work activities were monitored over seven weeks (70 subjects, n=1,829 observations). A Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression model was used to estimate whether self-reported acute work stress is associated with a speed-accuracy tradeoff in CMMs. Findings: Work stress was reported for slightly more than 10 % of observations (185 out of 1,829 self-reports). There was a negative association between stress and the two-way interaction term of mouse speed and accuracy (mean = −0.36, lower = −0.66, upper = −0.08), which means that stress was associated with a speed-accuracy tradeoff. The estimated effect was not sensitive to different criteria for excluding subjects and their recordings. Further, it remained negative after controlling for the demographics, health, and personality traits of subjects. Interpretation: Self-reported acute stress can be inferred from CMMs, specifically in the form of a speed-accuracy tradeoff. This finding suggests to use regular analysis of CMMs for the early and scalable detection of work stress on the job and thus promises more timely and effective stress management. Funding Statement: The study was funded by the Basic Research Fund at the University of St. Gallen. Declaration of Interests: NB and SF acknowledge funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation outside of this study. GB is a cofounder of Corporate Health Solutions, a university spinoff company that develops and disseminates digital solutions for employee health. This spinoff is not involved in the present study and does not apply computer mouse movements in its solutions. EF and TK are affiliated with the Center for Digital Health Interventions (www.c4dhi.org), a joint initiative of the Department of Management, Technology and Economics at ETH Zurich and the Institute of Technology Management at the University of St. Gallen, which is funded in part by the Swiss health insurer CSS. EF and TK are also cofounders of Pathmate Technologies, a university spinoff company that creates and delivers digital clinical pathways. However, Pathmate Technologies is not involved in the study described in this paper. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the ethics board of the University of St. Gallen, Switzerland.

Occupational health and safety (OHS) policies in healthcare institutions must be well managed, because healthcare practice involves many physical, biological, ergonomic, chemical, and psychosocial hazards that can affect the health of healthcare workers. In addition, their work performance may be affected by the so-called organisational myopia. In this context, the aim of our study was to determine how organisational myopia affects OHS practices in healthcare institutions and whether it increases the risk of occupational accidents. The study population consisted of a convenience sample of 420 healthcare professionals working throughout Turkey who completed a questionnaire addressing these three domains: organisational myopia, OHS practices, and risk of occupational accidents. Their responses were analysed with exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, and Spearman's correlation to assess the adequacy of measurement tools and identify relationships between variables, followed by mediation analysis. We found that OHS practices mitigate organisational myopia and the risk of occupational accidents. We also found no significant effect of organisational myopia on the risk of occupational accidents. Our findings underscore the importance of OHS practices in healthcare institutions and that organisational myopia should be evaluated in special contexts such as working time, experience, or routinisation.

Today, developing and implementing an efficient occupational health and safety system is an essential component of the management paradigm that ensures the preservation of personnel life, health, and working capacity in performing their work duties. Innovative activities in this area synergise modern information solutions to improve personnel training methods and introduce analytical control, technological monitoring systems, and a range of the latest digitalised personal protective equipment. The article analyses innovative approaches and technologies in occupational health and safety. It establishes that the occupational health and safety management system cannot be static. It must constantly adapt to changes in the production environment and the legislative field, which requires prompt response to new challenges and forecasting possible scenarios of variability in working conditions. The study examines the current capabilities of innovative approaches to occupational safety and the potential of the latest technological solutions to improve the occupational health and safety system. The study identifies related challenges and issues and ways to mitigate them. It proves that modern innovative technologies and tools of the occupational safety system rely on attracting new approaches to analysing informative data on the risks of accidents and injuries at work, with the further development of preventive measures to minimise production hazards. Innovative solutions for the occupational health and safety concept include a management paradigm aimed at improving the employee training system using training and computer technologies, implementing systems for effective analytical control over technological processes, and providing personnel with tracking devices and the latest digitalised personal protective equipment. The authors have identified priority preventive measures, among which are promising technologies for teaching safe labour practices and improving safety culture in general. The practical significance of the research results is in the possibility of their application in modern production conditions to strengthen existing safety approaches. Keywords: technological solutions, simulators, trainings, occupational health and safety, industrial hazards.

Chemical education laboratories have a higher risk of work accidents than laboratories for industrial activities. Many work accidents occur in chemical laboratories. Two factors that cause work accidents are unsafe behavior and unsafe conditions. Occupational safety and health in the laboratory are crucial to creating a comfortable, safe work environment to prevent or minimize workplace accidents. This study aims to produce a handbook of occupational safety and health in chemical laboratories as a guiding supplement for chemistry practicum to create occupational safety and health in chemical laboratories. This research is a research and development (r&d) with a 4-d development model consisting of 4 main stages: define, design, develop and disseminate. Research is limited to the development stage, which ends with a practicality test. Based on expert judgment, it was found that the occupational safety and health handbook in the chemical laboratory are very valid in terms of content (3.9), language (4.0), and media (4.0), from a maximum score of 4. From the readability test, all respondents obtained students understand the content or information presented in the chemical laboratory's occupational health and safety handbook. Furthermore, through the practicality test, it was obtained that lecturers, laboratory assistants, and students gave an assessment that the occupational safety and health handbook in the chemical laboratory each scored 4.0 and 3.9, which means it is very practical. This research concludes that the chemical laboratory's occupational safety and health guidebook as a guiding supplement for chemistry practicum is valid to be implemented from the aspect of content, language, media, and readability and is very practical in its use.