Job Hazards Research Articles

Mental Health and Traumatic Occupational Exposure in Wildland Fire Dispatchers

Wildland fire dispatchers play a key role in wildland fire management and response organization; however, to date, wildland fire studies have largely focused on the physical hazards and, to a lesser extent, mental health hazards of wildland firefighting operational personnel, and dispatcher studies have primarily focused on 911 and police dispatchers. Studies of other dispatchers have provided some limited insight into potential strains impacting this workforce, including work-related fatigue, burnout, and traumatic exposure. However, the specific job hazards that are faced by wildland fire dispatchers are poorly understood. In 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 510 wildland fire dispatchers with questions about their occupational health, general health, and well-being. We used validated screening instruments to measure the rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts and ideation. Here, we also present the results of mental health and trauma exposure questions that were asked as part of a larger survey. We found that demographic factors were significant indicators of anxiety, depression, and binge/restrictive eating. Our data indicate that rates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts and ideation are significantly higher for both the wildland fire dispatching workforce and other emergency responder populations than those of the general United States population.

Job characteristics and employee outcomes: criterion validity of the U.S. Occupational Information Network (O*NET) job analysis database in the Australian context

ABSTRACT Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is a comprehensive job analysis repository, developed and periodically updated in the U.S. The study aims to validate O*NET in the Australian context and illustrate the potential to use O*NET as a source of robust occupational research data internationally. We first link O*NET data at the occupational level with individual-level data in the Australian Workplace Barometer (AWB) database containing a sample of 3,829 individuals working in 209 occupations. We then conceptually replicate the primary hypothesized relationships from nine published studies that used O*NET ratings of four job characteristics (job hazards, emotional labour requirements, job autonomy, and task significance) to predict work-related outcomes. Specifically, we selected the same O*NET job descriptors used in the nine studies and linked them to similar but not identical employee outcomes obtained from the AWB database. Multi-level analyses showed that the hypothesized relationships were predominantly supported at the occupational level, demonstrating the criterion validity of the O*NET job characteristic profiles in the Australian context. Overall, our research highlights the potential to use O*NET in research and policy applications on a broader international scale, predicated on obtaining solid validation evidence.

Enhancing Individual Worker Risk Awareness: A Location-Based Safety Check System for Real-Time Hazard Warnings in Work-Zones

This study focuses on improving pre-emptive risk recognition and safety checks to prevent workplace accidents. It underscores improvements by addressing existing research issues, suggesting potential enhancements through system development. Work approval procedures and workers’ prior risk awareness, through the confirmation of work safety standards in physically separated work areas, are fundamental methods of preventing serious accidents and creating a safe work environment. A key factor concerning worker safety is recognizing the potential accident risk factors (or hazards) in advance through practical job hazard analysis and consequently take risk-reduction measures in case the safety standards are not met. Despite the crucial significance of pre-awareness of work risks at the majority of construction sites, tools to enhance this awareness are currently limited. Furthermore, real-time detection of work risks and the implementation of risk reduction measures are contingent upon a monitoring environment and a robust safety culture. This study proposed construction worker location-tracking technology that recognizes personal identification (ID). A safety check system based on location tracking combining personal quick response code (QR code) recognition and computer vision technology to automatically identify workers’ personal identities and track their physical location was proposed. A real-time safety check system was implemented to classify automatically whether workers have confirmed hazards and to approve a work process in high-risk workplaces by supervisors. Location-tracking technology with ID recognition performed the following two safety management functions. First, if a construction worker does not pre-check the work risk information before entering the work zone, the geofencing technology automatically classifies workers as those who are not aware of job hazards. Secondly, the safety manager or supervisor entering the on-site work zone possesses the authority to halt work if the work environment fails to meet safety standards and can issue warnings regarding risky situations. Essential functions were validated through a case study involving preliminary testing within the development system. To assess the practical application of the system, virtual simulations were conducted using recorded videos from a construction site to replicate the two essential functions of the system. The system was constructed using an Apache server and Python code, and for testing purposes, the names of the workers were randomized.

Analysis and application research of mobile robot navigation related technologies

With social progress and technological development, mobile robots have played an important role in industries, medical care, safety, home and other fields due to their advantages of saving labor costs, reducing personnel work intensity, and avoiding potential job hazards. Especially in indoor environments, such as industrial indoor operations, warehousing and logistics distribution, indoor safety patrols, and other application scenarios, mobile robots have highlighted inestimable application value. Intelligent mobile robot is an important tool in the field of service and automation, and robot navigation technology is an important technology for intelligent mobile robot to achieve self-positioning, robot mapping and path planning. This paper expounds three technologies of mobile robot navigation mapping: visual mapping and positioning, lidar mapping and positioning, and sensor fusion mapping and positioning. After that, the method of path planning of the mobile robot is analyzed. Finally, the application of intelligent mobile robots in factory automation and supermarket guidance is pointed out, and the development trend of intelligent mobile robots is prospected.

Peer Support Programs to Reduce Organizational Stress and Trauma for Public Safety Workers: A Scoping Review.

Public safety workers (PSWs), including correctional officers (COs), law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical service, and military personnel, are at risk of organizational stress and burnout. Exposure to traumatic events, job hazards, injuries, fatalities, and work-related stressors such as work overload, irregular shift assignments, and lack of administrative support can negatively impact PSWs' mental health. Peer support programs (PSPs) have been cited as an intervention to address the mental health of PSWs. The purpose of this review is to explore the use, including facilitators and barriers, of PSPs to reduce organizational stress and trauma for PSWs. Implications for COs will be discussed. A scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley methodology. A search was conducted for articles published between 1996 and 2021 using six databases. Selected articles described, implemented, or evaluated peer support as an intervention to reduce PSW organizational stress and trauma. Thirteen articles met eligibility criteria. Organizational support, including policies, practices, and peer leadership training, contributed to the sustainability of PSPs. Confidentiality, trust, and shared lived experience were also essential to PSP. Stigma was identified as the primary barrier to participation. Public safety workers found PSP helpful in normalizing experiences, increasing hope, and decreasing stigma. Peer support programs also serve to bridge the gap in mental health services use. Peer support programs are a potential mental health intervention to reduce organizational stress and trauma for COs. Awareness of the facilitators and barriers to PSPs is the first step in developing such programs.

Perceptions of Job Hazards and Requests for Accommodation Among Pregnant Women in a Large Urban Hospital System.

Many pregnant women remain uninformed about job accommodation options or have not been empowered to ask their employers. A cross-sectional survey of a sample base of pregnant women from late first through third trimester was conducted. Associations between job perception variables, work characteristics, race/ethnicity, and income were assessed using binary logistic regression. Workers in service/support occupations were twice as likely as those in management to perceive need for job duty change and to request job accommodation. Perception of needed job change was higher when jobs had high physical demands and low substantive complexity. We found positive relationships between highly physical work, perception of harm, and need for job change in pregnancy. Further research could explore worker/employer characteristics explaining why these perceptions did not translate into requesting and receiving job accommodation during pregnancy.

Determinants of Home Economics Lecturers’ Psychological Work Hazards in Southeast Nigerian Universities

Nigerian schools are diverse, resulting in psychological hazards for most workers, particularly teachers. It is common for teachers to suffer from psychosocial work hazards in Nigeria, yet no research has been conducted to examine how teachers' demographics influence such hazards. Therefore, this study investigated the psychological hazards faced by Home Economics lecturers based on their age and location. The researcher employed an ex-post fact design and a quantitative approach to study 62 Home Economics lecturers in southeast Nigerian universities. In the study, researchers devised a 28-item questionnaire to collect data about work deviant behavior. A reliability index of 0.76 was estimated for the items of the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance. The findings revealed a high prevalence of Psychological job hazards among Home Economics lecturers in Southeast Universities. Psychological job hazards of Home Economics lecturers were not significantly influenced by their age or location. This implies that psychosocial job risks are not greatly influenced by the age and location of Home Economics lecturers. In conclusion, it was recommended that secondary school authorities consider teacher age and location when assessing psychosocial work hazards.

Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Well-Being: Empirical Study on Saudi Aramco

This study addresses how employee well-being and knowledge sharing behavior can be managed within challenging work factors in the workplace environment. Besides identifying antecedents to well-being, it also seeks to examine the impact of well-being (psychological, physical, and social) on knowledge sharing behavior (tacit and explicit). The methodology of research in the present study is quantitative. The survey technique was used in data collection, it was conducted among 362 Saudi Aramco employees using the judgmental sampling method. Smart PLS was used for analyzing data. The findings illustrated that 1. Job hazards were found to affect the physical well-being of employees significantly. 2. As a result of improvement in physical and social well-being, better knowledge-sharing behavior in both tacit and explicit dimensions was demonstrated. In specific, tacit knowledge-sharing behavior is motivated more by physical well-being while explicit knowledge-sharing behavior is by social well-being. 3. Workplace conflict is found positively related to social well-being, contradicting hypothesized relationship. This seems to indicate Saudi Aramco employees embrace differences in view, beliefs, and feelings at work, and open discussion of conflicts enhances their social well-being. This study provides ideas to human resource management on strategies to enhance employee well-being for improved knowledge sharing behavior. Also, managers are encouraged to use open debates of differing views to resolve work matters professionally. This study deviates from current employee well-being studies by recognizing three different types of employees well beings (psychological, physical, and social) that contribute differently to knowledge sharing behavior. Also, it identifies factors that determine employee well beings.

Assessment of Hazard and Risk Related Activities at Npdc-Ogini Oil Field Flow Station, Okpaile in Isoko North, Delta State, Nigeria

The activities of oil, Gas and energy contains numerous hazards which could lead to multiple disasters such as loss of capital, damage to reputation, and also degrading the environment. The Essence of job hazards analysis and risk assessment is to design a safe working environment and to control and reduced potential hazards. Both primary and secondary data sources were employed in this study. Topographic statistics were also obtained from goggle earth and STRM (30M x 30M resolution) download from the United State Geological Survey. Questionnaires were administered to 100 people from 3 different department at NPDC-Ogini flow station in a confidential manner. A descriptive statistics such as mean, mode, median and standard deviation were used through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.2 and Microsoft Excel 2007 software to analyze the data generated. Inferential statistics were used to test the hypothesis. The hypothesis were tested using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The study has identified associated hazards and the risk level attached to the confirmed activities of Ogini field flow station. The analysis show that the F. calculated value was 0.759 and the F-table value was 0.471. Since the F- table value is less than the F-calculated value .The result of the hypothesis has also shown that there is no significant relationship between job hazards analysis and risk assessment of the flow station activities. Companies in this sector should have a proactive thinking and attitude towards all activities and also have a reasonable level of preparedness and preparedness plans in place in case of any incidence. If these hazards are properly managed and controlled with all measures in place and also adhering to all regulatory agencies both locally and internationally, the companies will achieve a zero goal in incidence and accidents.

Injury severity and influence factors in surface mines: A correspondence analysis

In this study, injury data from surface mines in Ghana was analysed using correspondence analysis. The overall objective of the study was to investigate the association between five injury levels, namely fatality, permanent disability, temporary disability, days away from work and restricted work injury, and four accident factors, namely job title, location, time and cause. The four accident factors exemplify the well-known accident classification scheme of who, where, when and why. 206 accidents resulting in a minimum of restricted work injury were analysed. Preliminary analysis showed that days away from work was the dominant injury, and most of the accidents occurred after 6 h of work. With respect to location, job title and cause; fixed workshop, mechanic/repairmen and moving components/parts respectively accounted for most of the injuries. Results of the correspondence analysis showed that locations, job titles and hazards related to actual mining operations precipitate high consequence accidents such as fatalities and disabling injuries than the other job titles, locations and hazards. From the correspondence analysis, it was observed that “involvement in actual mining operations”, “night shift”, and “after 6 h of work” are hidden causes of high consequence accidents, and priority areas for accident reduction. These results offer opportunities for developing injury prevention strategies and their practical implications have been discussed. Specifically, the study was able to identify some hidden causes of accident, which are important prerequisite for accident prevention. For instance, “6 h of work” was identified as a hidden cause of accident, suggesting that safety measures are required to protect workers who work more than 6 h in a day, and are involved in actual mining operation, since they have a higher risk of injury than other workers.

A Study Investigating How the Characteristics of High Reliability Organisations Can Be Measured in the Construction Industry in Australia.

Construction activities involve a lot of risk as workers are exposed to a wide range of job hazards, such as working at height, moving vehicles, toxic substances, and confined spaces. The hazards related to a construction project are mostly unpredictable because construction projects move quickly due to project deadlines, and changing work environments. As a result of this, the industry accounts for one of the highest numbers of work-related claims, and the fourth highest incidence rate of serious claims in Australia. This research investigates how key safety management factors can measure the characteristics of high reliability organisations (HROs) in the construction industry in New South Wales Australia. To address the problem, a model is presented that can predict characteristics of HRO in construction (CHC). Using structural equation modeling (SEM), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), the model and measurement instruments are tested and validated from data collected from construction workers. The results identified the factors that effectively measure CHC, and the findings can also be used as a safety management strategy and will contribute to the body of knowledge in research.

Older adults’ accounts of the relationships between retirement timing and health: a descriptive qualitative analysis in Chile

AbstractRetirement timing can have important health implications. Little is known, however, about older adults’ views on this issue and whether they consider it better to retire later, earlier, on time or anytime. This knowledge gap about older adults’ views is particularly true outside North America and Europe. This qualitative study aims to examine older Chileans’ ideas about the relationship between retirement timing and health and to explore gender and class patterns in qualitative themes identified, knowledge which may strengthen quantitative population-based approaches. Framework analysis was conducted on qualitative accounts from a purposive, non-random sample of 40 older Chileans in six focus groups, stratified by gender and class as marked by lifetime occupation. Transcriptions were coded by two independent reviewers (inter-coder reliability = 81%) according to four deductive categories of retirement timing as well as inductive coding of emergent themes. The content and sequence of codes were visually represented in MAXQDA's document portraits and illustrated with descriptive quotes. Results indicate that participants’ views about when to retire in order to maximise health did not highlight retirement age or timing (later, earlier, on time, anytime). Instead, these older Chileans emphasised that the optimal retirement age depends on other conditions, such as employment quality, retirement income and gender. These views were patterned: lower occupational-class participants emphasised income and job hazards, higher-class males emphasised job satisfaction and higher-class females emphasised gendered patterns. Women and lower-class participants were relatively more favourable to earlier retirements than men and higher-class participants. Overall, qualitative analyses of lay perspectives from understudied country contexts complement and extend population-based models focused on timing or retirement age, suggest specific characteristics of retirement transitions that may moderate health consequences, and highlight class and gender differences in views of retirement timing. More research is needed using mixed-methods approaches and leveraging both purposive and random samples.

Developing a Job Exposure Matrix of Work Organization Hazards in the United States: A Review on Methodological Issues and Research Protocol.

BackgroundMost job exposure matrices (JEMs) have been developed for chemical and physical hazards in the United States (US). In addition, the overall validity of most JEMs of work organization hazards using self-reported data in the literature remains to be further tested due to several methodological weaknesses.MethodsThis paper aims to review important methodological issues with regard to a JEM of work organization hazards using self-report data and to present a research protocol for developing a four-axis (job titles, hazards, sex, and time) JEM of major work organization hazards using the US General Social Survey-Quality of Work-Life (GSS-QWL) data (2002–2018; N = 7,100 workers).ResultsFive methodological weaknesses in existing JEMs of work organization hazards using self-report data were identified: having only two axes (hazard and occupation), using psychometrically weak items and scales, including scales having little interoccupational variability, unresolved optimal minimum numbers of subjects per occupation, and low accessibility. The methodological weaknesses were successfully addressed in the proposed research protocol.ConclusionThe work organization JEM to be developed will significantly facilitate and strengthen occupational epidemiological studies on work organization hazards and major health outcomes, improve national and occupational surveillance of work organization hazards, and promote interventions for a healthy work environment in the US.

Evaluation of an Occupational Safety and Health Training for Cannabis Cultivation Workers

As the commercial cannabis industry grows, there is an increased need to characterize potentially hazardous workplace exposures and provide training to workers to mitigate these exposures with the goal of reducing accidents and injuries from cannabis cultivation, processing, and manufacturing. Public health and safety stakeholders in Colorado developed a worker-focused training designed to improve hazard awareness, recognition, and controls related to commercial cannabis cultivation. This paper describes the evaluation of this training. The training was a full day, in-person educational experience directed to workers in the cannabis cultivation industry. Training topics included an overview of occupational safety and health hazards, chemical exposures, slip, trips, and falls, repetitive motion, the application of the hierarchy of control including lockout/tagout, machine guarding, personal protective equipment, among others. Evaluation surveys assessed attendee demographics, perceived job hazards, confidence to change workplace practices, knowledge, training relevancy and quality, intent to change behavior, as well as barriers and resources. A total of 208 people attended the safety trainings. One hundred and thirty-four participants (64%) completed the pre-training survey and 107 (51%) completed the post-training survey. Respondents provided high ratings for the quality and relevance of the training, with 91.3% of respondents rating the training very good or excellent. Before the training, the attendees listed their most concerning safety and health issues as exposure to pesticides and other chemicals (65.7%), absorbing chemicals through the skin (56.7%), slips, trips, and falls (52.2%), and respiratory hazards (50.7%). After the training, they reported the most concerning hazards to be slips, trips, and fall hazards (65.4%), ergonomic problems (64.5%), and respiratory issues (61.7%). There was a statistically non-significant increase in knowledge scores from 67.1% correct to 76.0% correct. Finally, 88.5% of respondents felt extremely or very confident that they could change their own health and safety practices at work. The training successfully reached cannabis employees in cultivation, compliance, and management. Survey respondents felt that the training was of high quality and addressed gaps in their knowledge related to safety and health hazards in the cannabis industry. The workplace safety and health concerns shifted from pre- to post-training. There was a statistically non-significant increase in knowledge. Additional follow-up of training attendees would be beneficial to measure sustained impact of training.

When Labor Enforcement and Immigration Enforcement Collide: Deterring Worker Complaints Worsens Workplace Safety

Regulatory agencies overseeing the labor market often rely on worker complaints to target their enforcement resources. This system might be counterproductive if the workers at risk of poor working conditions also face high barriers to complain. We examine the implications of complaint-based enforcement in the context of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We provide descriptive evidence that Hispanic workers face higher barriers to complain: workplaces with large shares of Hispanic workers have higher injury rates but issue fewer complaints to OSHA. We show that workers' willingness to complain causally affects the job hazards they face. At workplaces with large shares of Hispanic workers, counties’ participation in an immigration enforcement program reduced complaints to OSHA, but increased injuries. Our results highlight that using complaints to direct regulatory enforcement can exacerbate existing inequalities when workers face differential barriers to complain.

Job hazards and respiratory symptoms in Hispanic female domestic cleaners

The occupational hazards and respiratory symptoms of domestic cleaners in USA are largely unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 56 Hispanic female domestic cleaner on their health status and frequency of cleaning products used and tasks performed. While women used multi-use products (60.0%) and toilet bowl cleaners (51.8%) most days of the week, many (39.3%) reported not using personal protective equipment while cleaning. Itchy/watery eyes (61.8%) and itchy nose (56.4%) were the most frequently reported symptoms. A history of physician-diagnosed asthma was reported by 14.3% while 33.9% had symptoms of bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR). In conclusion, this vulnerable population has high prevalence of physician-diagnosis asthma and BHR symptoms and is potentially exposed to myriad occupational hazards. Further research exploring associations between products use, cleaning tasks and respiratory symptoms is warranted.

Socioeconomic status, gender and dementia: The influence of work environment exposures and their interactions with APOE ɛ4

It is a well-established fact that unfavourable social and economic conditions have a negative impact on health and longevity. Recent findings suggest that this is also true of age-related dementias. Yet most common indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) say very little about the actual mechanisms at play in disease development. The present paper explores five work exposure characteristics, all of which have a clear social gradient, that could potentially shed further light on the relationship between SES and dementia. Specifically, it investigates whether these exposures could moderate the impact of a well-known genetic risk factor: the APOE ɛ4 allele. The empirical analyses are based on data from a Swedish population study (n = 1019). Main occupation was linked to The Job Exposure Matrix to estimate the individuals’ exposure to the following work environment factors: work control, support, psychological demands, physical demands and job hazards. All analyses were conducted using binary logistic regression and focused specifically on gene-work exposure interactions. A significant main effect of work control on dementia risk was detected for males (OR = 0.68; p< 0.05), but not for females. However, control was found to significantly moderate the effect of APOE ɛ4 in both genders, albeit in different ways. These findings do not only underscore the importance of considering interactions between social and genetic risk factors to better understanding multifactorial diseases such as dementia. They also propose that gender- and class-based inequities interact, and hence must be considered simultaneously, also in relation to this particular disease.

Effects of occupational stress factors on the function of thyroid and liver among petroleum refining and petrochemical workers

Objective: To investigate the association between occupational stress factors and the level of thyroid function and liver function in petroleum refining and petrochemical workers. Methods: A total of 353 petroleum refining workers were investigated by occupational stress indicator question-naire (OSI-R) , and their level of thyroid and liver function were measured. Results: With the incre-ase of task control, decision control, environmental control, resource control and technology utilization score, the TT(4) concentration level decreased (P<0.05) . The TT(4) concentration level increased with the increase of the quantiontive load, load changes, job hazards, job prospects, promation opportunities and participaction decision rating (P<0.05) . The total protein concentration level decreased with the increase of task control, decision control, environmental control, resource control, quantitative load, load change, promotion opportunity and participation decision value (P<0.05) , increased with the use degree of technology, work risk, job monotonous, work prospects score rised (P<0.05) . And there were statistically significant differences in the job requirements and job control scores between the low, middle and high levels of occupational factors (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Occupational stress factors of petroleum refining workers have certain influence on the level of thyroid and liver function index.

Fitness-for-Duty Assessments of Industrial Firefighters: Guidance for Occupational Medicine Physicians.

: Industrial firefighters share many characteristics with municipal firefighters; however, employers frequently have not addressed or characterized the unique job duties, hazards, and specific physical/mental demands associated with industrial firefighting. In addition, gaps exist in the medical literature with regard to industrial firefighter demographics, behavioral risk factors, and chronic diseases. Finally, the proper methodologies for fitness-for-duty assessment of employees acting in this capacity are lacking. To address these gaps, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) convened a Task Force in 2014, to develop fitness-for-duty guidance for industrial firefighters. This document highlights these gaps and suggests research opportunities to enhance the health and safety of this population. While an extensive literature review found a lack of studies for this population-thus excluding the development of an evidence-based document-sufficient materials were available from which to draw preliminary conclusions, considerations for best practices, and recommendations for future studies.

Self-reported musculoskeletal disorder pain: The role of job hazards and work-life interaction.

Previous research identified an association between work-family conflict and musculoskeletal pain. This study explores how the work-life interface might affect pain experienced by residential aged care staff. A cross-sectional survey of 426 employees in residential aged care was analyzed to assess the impacts of workplace hazards, work-family conflict, and work-life balance on self-reported musculoskeletal pain. Work-family conflict acts as a mediator of the relationships between workplace hazards and the total number of body regions at which musculoskeletal pain was experienced. Work-life balance only acts as a mediator for particular hazards and only if work-family conflict is not taken into account. Addressing work-life interaction, and in particular work-family conflict, warrants further investigation as a legitimate means through which musculoskeletal disorder risk can be reduced. Policies and practices to improve work-life interaction and reduce work-family conflict should be considered as integral components of musculoskeletal disorder risk management strategies.