Job Hazard Research Articles

Improvement in the occupational health program in a Finnish construction company by means of systematic workplace investigation of job load and hazard analysis.

The aim of the present study was to improve an occupational health program by means of systematic workplace investigations. The 8-month study was done at three building sites of one construction firm. The method for workplace investigations was a simple job hazard analysis of chemical hazards, physical hazards, physical work load, mental stress, and risk of injury, each factor being rated on a three-point scale. Information was gathered by observations, interviews, and a worker questionnaire. Occupational health and safety personnel and worker representatives dealt with problems cooperatively. Together they assessed occupational loads and hazards, whereafter the occupational health and safety personnel devised an occupational health care program and proposed preventive measures. The workplace investigation method proved to function well. It improved the occupational health care program, produced an overall analysis of occupational hazards, and dramatically increased the number and quality of proposed preventive measures. The new method was evaluated to be clearly superior to previous practices and was implemented at moderate cost. The study showed that attention to issues of environmental and occupational health can effectively prevent health impairment even in difficult setting such as construction work. More research is needed for effective utilization of information accumulated by systematic workplace investigations.

Job load and hazard analysis: A method for the analysis of workplace conditions for occupational health care

Job load and hazard analysis: A method for the analysis of workplace conditions for occupational health care

Job load and hazard analysis: a method for the analysis of workplace conditions for occupational health care.

One requirement for successful occupational health care is reliable information on occupational hazards. The aim of this study was to develop a simple, standardised method for workplace investigations for use in occupational health care. The theoretical framework of the method comprises the stress-strain model, the hazard-danger model, and risk behaviour theory. The new method, termed job load and hazard analysis, includes four stages: identification of hazards, their evaluation, conclusions and proposals, and follow up. Different methods are available for hazard identification. The identification starts with a rough analysis of five factors, chemical hazards, physical hazards, physical load, mental stress, and accident risk. Hazards and stress factors are assessed with an ordinal scale. Specialised methods are used if all hazards cannot otherwise be identified. The analytical procedure comprises: detection of hazards through observations and interviews at the workplace and with a questionnaire; assessment of findings as teamwork; and evaluation of the results of these assessments to yield conclusions and proposals made by occupational health care personnel. A data processing system has been developed for data storage and future use. The method has functioned in practice, improving the contents of the occupational health care programme and generating preventive measures. The method offers many new possibilities for controlling occupational hazards and studying relations between working conditions and workers' health.

How nurses react to patient assault.

Violence directed toward nurses by their patients may range from abusive language to serious physical assault. For many psychiatric nurses, assault by patients is a job hazard that until recently has been given little attention.

Risk Analysis—An Approach to Accident Reduction

ABSTRACT A risk assessment approach is described and used to quantify hazard potential of agricultural jobs and workers. Assessed risk is based on job and worker hazard ratings plus exposure. Analysis of risk and actual accident characteristics provides complementary information for determining corrective actions to decrease accidents and injuries.