Safety Institute Research Articles

Self-Management Strategies for Low Back Pain Among Horticulture Workers: Protocol for a Type II Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Study.

Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent and disabling, especially in agriculture sectors. However, there is a gap in LBP prevention and intervention studies in these physically demanding occupations, and to date, no studies have focused on horticulture workers. Given the challenges of implementing interventions for those working in small businesses, self-management offers an attractive and feasible option to address work-related risk factors and manage LBP. This study will (1) investigate the effectiveness of self-management strategies for nursery and landscape workers by comparing within-subject control and intervention periods and (2) determine if adoption and effectiveness differs between participants randomly assigned to review self-management videos only and those who also receive multimodal implementation support. We will also identify contextual factors impacting effectiveness and implementation. A pragmatic, mixed methods, hybrid effectiveness and implementation design will be used to compare back pain with work tasks, disability, medication and substance use, and psychological factors between a baseline control and intervention periods. We aim to recruit 122 English- and Spanish-speaking horticulture workers with back pain, 30 supervisors, and 12 focus group participants. Participants will review short video modules designed to increase awareness of opioid risk and introduce self-management and ergonomic choices and use 1 self-management and 1 ergonomic strategy for 10 weeks. They will be randomly assigned to 2 implementation groups: video modules only or video + multimodal personalized support (checklist guidance, review of video feedback for ergonomic problem-solving, and text message reminders). Questionnaires will be administered at 3-month time points: baseline, pre- and postintervention, and at 3 and 6 months. Qualitative analysis of field notes, open-ended comments, and focus groups will expand understanding of results with comprehensive documentation of the context, barriers and facilitators, and reasons for adoption. The project was funded on September 29, 2023 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety, CDC NIOSH; U54OH011230-07S1), as a core research grant for the Southeast Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety. The design, creation, and editing of English and Spanish videos was completed in June 2024 after comprehensive formative evaluation. Enrollment began in June 2024 with anticipated completion in 2027. We hypothesize that both self-management interventions will result in reductions in work task pain and disability and that the video enhanced with multimodal personalized support will result in greater reductions than the video alone. If self-management is effective, mitigating pain positively impacts quality of life, productivity, and retention, while increasing the use of nonpharmacological alternatives to opioids addresses an important public health issue. Implementation aims will help inform reasons for results, barriers and facilitators, and potential for similar interventions in these and similar industries with physically challenging outdoor work. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06153199; http://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06153199. DERR1-10.2196/64817.

Using the INRS QECPT method for ergonomic assessment and prevention strategies in an Algerian maternity ward

Introduction: Physical workload is a significant challenge in maternity wards, where healthcare workers face intense demands such as patient handling, prolonged postures, and repetitive efforts. This study, conducted in an Algerian maternity ward, uses the INRS (National Institute for Research and Safety) method to evaluate physical workload, identify biomechanical, organizational, and environmental risks, and propose improvement strategies. Methods: This study followed a structured three-step approach. First, risks were identified and prioritized using ergonomic indicators to highlight critical situations. Second, a detailed evaluation of physical workload was conducted based on five dimensions: physical effort, staffing levels, temporal constraints, organizational factors, and environmental conditions. Risks were stratified into moderate and high levels to focus on key areas for intervention. Finally, preventive strategies were proposed to reduce constraints and improve working conditions for healthcare workers. Results: Out of 31 work situations analyzed, 47.2% exhibited moderate to high-risk levels. The gynecology, high-risk pregnancy, and neonatology units concentrated critical constraints, including prolonged postures and intense physical efforts. Conclusion: The study highlights key priorities such as improving ergonomic equipment and reorganizing workflows to reduce physical strain and preserve healthcare workers’ health while ensuring quality patient care. This provides a foundation for targeted preventive strategies.

Navigating the unseen peril: safeguarding medical imaging in the age of AI

In response to the increasing significance of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, there has been increased attention – including a Presidential executive order to create an AI Safety Institute – to the potential threats posed by AI. While much attention has been given to the conventional risks AI poses to cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure, here we provide an overview of some unique challenges of AI for the medical community. Above and beyond obvious concerns about vetting algorithms that impact patient care, there are additional subtle yet equally important things to consider: the potential harm AI poses to its own integrity and the broader medical information ecosystem. Recognizing the role of healthcare professionals as both consumers and contributors to AI training data, this article advocates for a proactive approach in understanding and shaping the data that underpins AI systems, emphasizing the need for informed engagement to maximize the benefits of AI while mitigating the risks.

Study of working conditions, lighting and noise in a local commercial company

Possible actions to improve performance and job security in organizations emerge from work environment studies. The objective of this study was to generate prevention and/or control actions to reduce risk factors associated with lighting and noise. For its development, a questionnaire from the National Institute of Safety and Hygiene at Work (INSHT) was applied to establish the risk perception that workers have in relation to the lighting conditions in their workplace. Following this, Standards NOM025-STPS-2008 and NOM-011-STPS-2001 were applied, both related to Lighting and Noise Conditions in work centers respectively. As results, the levels of noise and lighting in different areas of the company were obtained, these levels were compared with what was stipulated in the Regulations and actions were generated with an orientation towards improving health, quality of life and increasing the efficiency of the workers.

THE INSTITUTIONAL COMPETENCIES OF THE STATE PUBLIC SAFETY AGENCIES OF GOIÁS AND THEIR PROPENSION TO RESPOND TO DISASTERS

This article seeks, based on a review of the institutional competencies of state public safety agencies, to relate these competencies to the propensity of each agency to be activated in the event of disasters. A survey of the legislation was carried out, especially of the public safety agencies of the State of Goiás, outlining their competencies from the provisions of the Federal Constitution, in addition to a brief bibliographic review on disaster response. In the treatment of the four state public safety institutions provided for in the Brazilian Constitution, it was evident that, due to its institutional competencies, the Military Fire Department is the agency most likely to be activated in response to disasters. Thus, it is possible to take a look at the institutions, including in the sense of formulating organizational policies aimed at providing care to professionals.

Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Landscape and Groundskeepers.

Excessive noise exposure within the working population is a health concern that has received increased attention in recent years. Levels have been established by national organizations that reflect safe exposure, but many kinds of equipment used in the landscaping and groundskeeper industries still exceed them. While noise risks are often long-term in nature and occur with cumulative exposure, prevention and exposure methods can still be used by employers to protect their workers' long-term health. Recalling the hierarchy of controls established by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), various strategies can be implemented without creating excessive supervisory burden and with minimal costs. Occupational health nurses can further help reduce excessive noise exposure by encouraging the use of an easy-to-use noise-level assessment app created by NIOSH.

Public vs Private Bodies: Who Should Run Advanced AI Evaluations and Audits? A Three-Step Logic Based on Case Studies of High-Risk Industries

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Safety Institutes and governments worldwide are deciding whether they evaluate and audit advanced AI themselves, support a private auditor ecosystem or do both. Auditing regimes have been established in a wide range of industry contexts to monitor and evaluate firms’ compliance with regulation. Auditing is a necessary governance tool to understand and manage the risks of a technology. This paper draws from nine such regimes to inform (i) who should audit which parts of advanced AI; and (ii) how much resources, competence and access public bodies may need to audit advanced AI effectively. First, the effective responsibility distribution between public and private auditors depends heavily on specific industry and audit conditions. On the basis of advanced AI’s risk profile, the sensitivity of information involved in the auditing process, and the high costs of verifying safety and benefit claims of AI Labs, we recommend that public bodies become directly involved in safety critical, especially gray- and white-box, AI model audits. Governance and security audits, which are well-established in other industry contexts, as well as black-box model audits, may be more efficiently provided by a private market of auditors under public oversight. Secondly, to effectively fulfill their role in advanced AI audits, public bodies need extensive access to models and facilities. Public bodies’ capacity should scale with the industry's risk level, size and market concentration, potentially requiring 100s of employees for auditing in large jurisdictions like the EU or US, like in nuclear safety and life sciences.

The PPOu Framework: A Structured Approach for Assessing the Likelihood of Malicious Use of Advanced AI Systems

The diffusion of increasingly capable AI systems has produced concern that bad actors could intentionally misuse current or future AI systems for harm. Governments have begun to create new entities—such as AI Safety Institutes—tasked with assessing these risks. However, approaches for risk assessment are currently fragmented and would benefit from broader disciplinary expertise. As it stands, it is often unclear whether concerns about malicious use misestimate the likelihood and severity of the risks. This article advances a conceptual framework to review and structure investigation into the likelihood of an AI system (X) being applied to a malicious use (Y). We introduce a three-stage framework of (1) Plausibility (can X be used to do Y at all?), (2) Performance (how well does X do Y?), and (3) Observed use (do actors use X to do Y in practice?). At each stage, we outline key research questions, methodologies, benefits and limitations, and the types of uncertainty addressed. We also offer ideas for directions to improve risk assessment moving forward.

Activity Concentration of Natural Radionuclides in Surface Sediments of Major River Watersheds in Korea and Assessment of Radiological Hazards

The assessment of potential radiation hazards in accumulated sediments in aquatic ecosystems is vital for the management and disposal of sediments. Furthermore, preemptive management of radionuclides in terrestrial ecosystems is critical for marine ecosystem conservation. We analyzed the activity concentrations of natural radionuclides (226Ra,232Th, 238U, and 40K) in the surface sediments of major river watersheds in Korea and evaluated the radiation hazards stemming from these activity concentrations. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra and 238U were lower than the global average, whereas those of 232Th and 40K were higher. The mean values of radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, and internal hazard index calculated from these activity concentrations did not exceed the recommended maximum values. The mean values of absorbed gamma dose rate in air and annual outdoor effective dose rate (AEDRout) were higher than the global average by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) but remarkably lower than the recommended and background values by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS). The contribution of 40K and 232Th to the AEDRout mean value was predominant. In conclusion, the surface sediments of major river watersheds in Korea are associated with negligible radiation hazards. These findings provide fundamental data for the management and treatment of sediments in terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

A-187 Program for Recognition of Patient Safety Cores in Diagnostic Services

Abstract Background Health services are complex and challenging structures, including diagnostic services. Therefore, it is everyone's responsibility to ensure patient safety. The scope of this study is to present the challenges and opportunities in structuring the Quality Management and Patient Safety System (QM&PS) of a large diagnostic service that culminated in the first laboratory to receive the Patient Safety Core Recognition Seal (NSP), a program established by the partnership of QGA (Quality Global Assurance) and IBSP (Brazilian Institute for Patient Safety). Methods The restructuring of the QM&PS began in 2018 and since then, 6 NSPs have been established, distributed across 6 regions of the Brazil, with procedures, regulations, confidentiality agreements, and responsibilities clearly defined. The NSP are multidisciplinary and discuss 13 safety indicators monthly, namely: adverse events, contrast extravasation, falls and faints, reactions to medications, contrasts, and vaccines, immunization errors - vaccine application and exchange, loss of noble samples, technovigilance, and pharmacovigilance. With an engaged and participative Medical Board, the Patient Safety Committee was created in 2020, with the participation of top management and representatives of strategic leaderships to discuss cases of serious adverse events and deaths with systemic outputs and plans. In 2022, we conducted the first Patient Safety Perception Survey, from which we extracted insights to further develop the safety culture. Six working groups were organized focusing on interaction between company committees and programs, institutional communication for sharing information and Patient Safety initiatives in the organization, identification, prevention, and monitoring of incidents, risk management tool for analysis of clarity, application, and relevance of use as support for management and continuing education. Results The working groups involved 58 professionals and resulted in 65 implemented actions. Among the main results achieved, we can highlight the implementation of the rapid response flow to SAE (serious adverse event), Just Culture Policy, Disclosure Protocol, Second Victim Care Flow, Safety Rite in Customer Service Units, Patient Safety Trail, Institutional Communication, and the Patient Safety Core Recognition Seal. Conclusions Patient Quality and Safety must be part of the institutional pillar, composing the Strategic Objectives to be achieved. It is necessary to engage the organization and rely on the involvement of leadership and physicians. As a large service, our biggest challenges are demonstrating the effectiveness of implemented improvement actions in the face of identified risk modifications, defining strategies to reduce underreporting, and being able to involve all collaborators and operational teams in the safety culture.

Fuel performance code BERKUT-U to simulate the in-pile behavior of a single oxide or nitride fuel rod for fast reactors

This paper describes the fuel performance code BERKUT-U, which the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE RAN) designed as part of the "Codes of The New Generation" subproject of the Proryv Project. The code aims to model oxide or nitride single fuel rod behavior with a gas or liquid metal sublayer under normal and accident conditions of a liquid metal-cooled fast reactor operation. The BERKUT-U code's models, incorporating the MFPR/R code, are grounded in the contemporary understanding of mechanisms governing the fundamental processes in fuel rods under irradiation, which substantially enhances the code's predictive ability in comparison with the engineering analogs. Simulations of the nitride and oxide fuel rod behavior in BN-600 and BOR-60 fast reactors have demonstrated good agreement with the post-irradiation examination data. Further validation is foreseen as the corresponding data are available.

Occupant complacency in workplace fire evacuations

This study explored occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations. It is targeted at those responsible for fire safety management and fire safety practitioners with a contribution to prevent or mitigate the risk of injury or death arising out of a delayed evacuation at work. It seeks to define occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations, identify its antecedents and explore effective measures to mitigate or control the antecedents of occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations. Research was conducted using a survey instrument by contacting safety, health and fire safety professionals globally through convenience sampling and several international safety, health and fire safety-related institutions. This included demographics of the respondents, the confirmation of a definition of complacency, and means of dealing with complacency as defined by the questionnaire including priority strategies. The research team then sought to identify the antecedents of occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations using raw data from a previous study. This study addresses the hypothesis that if there is a clear definition of occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations and control measures are developed, tested and implemented, the risks of injury and death related to occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations could be prevented or mitigated. Analysis of survey findings clarified a number of key strategies to avoid evacuation complacency including but not limited to underscoring the importance of leadership involvement within a safety culture; training and education, awareness raising and communications to avoid occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations; evacuation drills; procedures, and the role of fire wardens. Based on information from a published report that explored individual attitudes, perceptions and experiences as well as perceived vulnerability that shape antecedents of occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations and individual behaviours when an evacuation alarm is initiated, the authors identified and filled a gap in the report, by suggesting a working definition of occupant complacency during workplace fire evacuations and control measures to prevent or mitigate this behaviour.

One Health Priorities: Advancing Veterinary Public Health in Latin America and the Caribbean.

One Health (OH) is an integrative approach to human, animal, and environmental health and can be used as a comprehensive indicator for comparative purposes. Although an OH index has been proposed for comparing cities, states, and countries, to date, no practical study has compared countries using this approach. Accordingly, this study aimed to assess OH initiatives using a survey with a veterinary public health focus. The questionnaire contained 104 quantitative questions and was sent to representatives of governmental institutions of 32 countries in the Americas. After exclusion criteria were considered, a total of 35 questionnaires from 17 countries were analyzed, with country names remaining undisclosed during the statistical analyses to protect potentially sensitive information. Principal component analysis (PCA) of health parameters in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as a function of country perception (self-vector) showed that food safety was ranked higher than public policies (p = 0.009), and that both (p = 0.003) were ranked higher than institutional routines related to zoonosis programs. National policies in accordance with international standards, regulations, recommendations, and guidelines was considered the standout topic for public policy, with higher-ranking topics including standard. Meanwhile, challenging topics included tools, preparedness, governance, and research. Food safety showed both strengths and challenges in the coordination of its activities with other sectors. Food safety communication was scored as a strength, while foodborne diseases prevention was ranked as a challenge. Institutional routines for zoonosis maintained both strong and challenging topics in the execution and implementation of attributions and daily routine. Thus, the survey showed that topics such as access to and compliance with international guidelines and intercountry integration were ranked higher than in-country articulation, particularly among food safety, zoonoses, and environmental institutions.

Gestión de factores de riesgo psicosocial: estudio de caso en una mediana empresa salvadoreña

Psychosocial risk factors are anything in the design or management of work that increases the risk of work-related stress. Their assessment is legally required in Salvadoran companies, nevertheless, the legislation itself lacks a specific methodology to comply with such requirements. In 2020, the Spanish National Institute of Health and Safety at Work (INSST) published a methodology to assist Micro and Small Enterprises in managing these factors that can also be used for larger companies. This article presents a case study in a medium-sized advertising Salvadoran company, where this methodology was applied in positions of its production department. The information required for its application was obtained through consultation with workers along with the review of their job descriptors and direct observation of work. The results indicate that all the jobs analyzed have psychosocial factors in adverse conditions. The most predominant ones were associated with autonomy, work pace, time and emotional demands, all with a medium level of importance. It was identified that taking on orders with short delivery deadlines modified the planning and extension of working hours, contributing to the situation observed. Based on this information, various measures were suggested, such as conducting capability and workload studies along with improving planning visibility. Given that the methodology facilitated the management of psychosocial factors, was easy to use and had a participatory approach, the experience of this research suggests that it can be an alternative for other micro, small and medium-sized Salvadoran companies to respond to regulatory requirements, ensuring the welfare of workers. Realidad Empresarial No. 18, 2024: 76-95.

Shifting police strategies: US aid and repression by public safety institutions in Latin America

This article studies the international determinants of extrajudicial police killings in Latin America. Human rights violations by security forces are a problem that has plagued Latin American countries, despite broad democratization efforts in the region. Addressing the problem requires a better understanding of the processes that underlie it. Although existing literature has explored the determinants of police repression in Latin America through country-specific studies, there has been a lack of cross-national analyses. In this article we use original data on human rights violations by security forces in Latin America between 1998 and 2018 to argue that, beyond domestic factors, foreign aid provided by the United States in the War on Drugs era has influenced police repression both by encouraging heavy-handed policies and by driving a substitution dynamic between violations by different security forces.

The suicides among the Romanian police and public safety personnel in the period 2016-2021

"There is an important concern of public and professional organizations in the police and public safety sector to identify the best practices for suicide risk management, especially in USA. The suicide phenomenon from 2016 to 2021 at the level of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Romania2, captured through the annual suicide rates, varied positively or negatively compared with the annual suicide rates from Romania and with those at the level of institutions with a similar activity profile from the international level, from the USA and Italy. Based on the socio-demographic data available, the self-murderers’ profiles at the level of MIA were created, but in their use, the particular aspects of the suicidal phenomenon must be considered. The self-murderers from the Romanian police and public safety institutions used firearms in 45.7% of the cases during the analyzed period. The algorithm used to predict the annual suicide numbers in the period 2022-2025 at the MIA level revealed that they will follow an increasing trend. In the period 2016-2021, the annual number of suicides among Romanian police and public safety personnel was higher than the number of deaths among the same personnel caused by accidents during service and assaults. Keywords: suicide, police and public safety institutions, suicide prevention"

An experimental study of the thermal-hydraulics of a spent nuclear fuel pool under loss-of-cooling accident conditions. Part I: The MIDI facility and its main experimental results

Motivated by the 2011 accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, the French Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) launched in 2014 the DENOPI project. This research program, supported by the French Government and carried out in collaboration with national and international partners, dealt with the open issues of spent fuel pool accidents. As part of this project, a test facility named MIDI was designed and built at the IRSN’s research unit of Cadarache, France. The MIDI facility is an experimental tool which aims at reproducing the thermal–hydraulic phenomena that may occur at an integral scale in a spent fuel pool undergoing a loss-of-cooling accident, before the stored fuels get uncovered. This paper first describes the MIDI facility and its instrumentation and the test matrix achieved to date. An overview of its main results is then provided. In the framework of the DENOPI project, nine tests were achieved and allowed investigating the phenomenology of this type of accident. The highlighted phenomenology is characterized by three competing liquid vaporization modes: the evaporation at the pool free surface, the nucleate boiling within the fuel bundles and the gravity-driven flashing of superheated water on top of the storage racks. The existence of the latter vaporization mode, uncertain at the launch of the DENOPI project, is now confirmed in the configuration of a spent fuel pool.

Healthcare Workers Around the Globe Face Increased Stress and Burnout

Background: Estimates are that the world will face a nursing shortage of 13 million nurses by 2030. Stress, burnout, and the recent global pandemic have worsened a growing crisis of physical and psychological strain among healthcare workers worldwide. Current research has not identified organizational or verified self-care interventions to improve this situation long term; however, healthcare leaders and organizations are urged to provide individualized resources to support healthcare workers across the globe while more rigorous studies are developed and implemented. Objectives: Previous studies have reported some benefits of stress reduction with the use of relaxation spaces, mindfulness-based stress reduction, yoga, Tai Chi, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, as well as other interventions when individualized to match the unique healthcare worker and the severity of their symptoms. Approach: The National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety in the United States and the World Health Organization have developed resources and guidelines for healthcare organizations to utilize while awaiting further research. Conclusion: This perspective essay aims to increase awareness of the current crisis and promote future research studies and funding for appropriate interventions to support the healthcare workforce globally.

Occupational Stress Related to Workplace Violence among Emergency Medical Workers Working in Emergency Medical Centers in Alborz Province

Background and Objectives Health system workers, especially those like emergency medical personnel who are in direct contact with patients, are highly susceptible to workplace violence. A significant consequence of such violence is occupational stress. This study aims to explore the prevalence of workplace violence and its association with occupational stress among emergency medical workers in Alborz province in the year 2022. Subjects and Methods This descriptive correlational study was conducted with 124 emergency medical workers at road and urban bases in Alborz province. The research tools included a Persian-adapted standard workplace violence questionnaire and the occupational stress questionnaire from the Health and Safety Institute of England. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics via SPSS software, version 26. Results The findings revealed that 62.1% of participants experienced physical violence, and 90% faced psychological violence. The highest incidence of physical (47.4%) and psychological (41.4%) violence occurred during the evening shift, while the morning shift saw the lowest rates. The average occupational stress levels for workers at road and urban bases were significantly high, measured at 120.5 ± 11.49 and 110.8 ± 16.76, respectively. Occupational stress was found to correlate negatively with the age and work experience of the employees, indicating lower stress levels with increasing age and experience. Conclusion Emergency medical workers often face highly stressful and anxious situations involving patients and their families. The nature of their work frequently exposes them to violence from patients or their companions, leading to heightened occupational stress.

Customizable Presentation Attack Detection for Improved Resilience of Biometric Applications Using Near-Infrared Skin Detection.

Due to their user-friendliness and reliability, biometric systems have taken a central role in everyday digital identity management for all kinds of private, financial and governmental applications with increasing security requirements. A central security aspect of unsupervised biometric authentication systems is the presentation attack detection (PAD) mechanism, which defines the robustness to fake or altered biometric features. Artifacts like photos, artificial fingers, face masks and fake iris contact lenses are a general security threat for all biometric modalities. The Biometric Evaluation Center of the Institute of Safety and Security Research (ISF) at the University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg has specialized in the development of a near-infrared (NIR)-based contact-less detection technology that can distinguish between human skin and most artifact materials. This technology is highly adaptable and has already been successfully integrated into fingerprint scanners, face recognition devices and hand vein scanners. In this work, we introduce a cutting-edge, miniaturized near-infrared presentation attack detection (NIR-PAD) device. It includes an innovative signal processing chain and an integrated distance measurement feature to boost both reliability and resilience. We detail the device's modular configuration and conceptual decisions, highlighting its suitability as a versatile platform for sensor fusion and seamless integration into future biometric systems. This paper elucidates the technological foundations and conceptual framework of the NIR-PAD reference platform, alongside an exploration of its potential applications and prospective enhancements.