Occupational Health Management Research Articles

Occupational health and safety management policies and employee quality of life in developing countries: Insights from Ghana

AbstractThis study explores the formulation and implementation of occupational health and safety management (OHSM) policies by multinational manufacturing firms operating in sub‐Saharan Africa and how they influence employees' quality of life (QOL). We used Afrifoods (pseudonym), a food manufacturing multinational company in Ghana as a case. Gathering qualitative data through interviews, focus group discussions, and archival sources, we found that despite the prevailing institutional deficiencies in sub‐Saharan African countries especially in ensuring the implementation of health and safety policies, food manufacturing multinational companies formulate and implement health and safety policies. And, the high rates of unemployment notwithstanding, employees of manufacturing companies prioritize safe and healthy working environment and consider it the first and most important attribute of their QOL. Employees also consider being able to provide their family needs as well as being recognized for the efforts expended at work as other determinants of their QOL. Multinational firms operating or intending to go into sub‐Saharan Africa should consider health and safety policies as indispensable in their business strategy formulation, if they wish to get the maximum benefit from their employees. Governments must also intensify monitoring to ensure firms' compliance with national health and safety laws at their work sites.

Using wearable technological devices to improve workplace health and safety: An assessment on a sector base with multi-criteria decision-making methods

In occupational health and safety, it is important to use personal protective equipment that reduces or prevents injury to employees during an accident. Advanced sensors and computing technologies that can be worn on the body to create, store and transmit data during daily activities are wearable technology products. These products also make significant contributions to employee health and safety. The use of wearable technologies, which are very important in creating a safe work environment, is seen as a promising solution in contributing to the reduction of accidents and increasing industrial efficiency by increasing employee safety, reducing hazards and risks in sectors where occupational accidents are common.The study, it is aimed to prioritize the use of wearable technology devices in sectors that have potential risks that may cause fatigue, injury, error, and accident of employees due to labor-intensive and challenging tasks. Within the scope of this target, five alternatives and eight criteria were determined in line with the literature research and expert opinions. The criteria weights were determined by the AHP method, and the ranking of the alternatives was made by the AHP and PROMETHEE methods. Alternatives are listed as construction, mining, agriculture, textile, and chemistry. The increase in the use of wearable technology devices in the leading sectors in terms of work accidents and occupational diseases will open a new door to occupational safety and health management in the sectors and will significantly reduce health and safety problems.

Industrial Safety and Occupational Health Strategies: The Case of a Water Treatment Plant in Ecuador

This research aims to establish strategies in Industrial Safety and Occupational Health (SISO) using the case study of a water treatment plant in Ecuador; preventive activities in this area are poorly developed, being relegated to the background for not being considered important for production processes, this reality is worrying because despite the efforts made to implement a series of public policies; the figures of accidents and incidents indicate that it is still required to improve the SISO systems, to ensure the life, health and integrity of workers. The methodology used is descriptive and correlational, applying the inductive, deductive and analytical method, in addition to the integration of elements and sub-elements of an Occupational Safety and Health Management System proposed by the Andean Instruction Regulations, Resolution 957: 2008, and the ISO 45001:2018 standard; the population of interest was considered to be the 59 people working at the Water Treatment Plant in Santa Elena-Ecuador, of which 24 were selected to collect data through a survey. As a result, the proposed strategies are on par with the ISO 45001:2018 standard, which includes all the necessary requirements that an organization must have to ensure the safe provision of its services, minimizing risks or accidents, and providing a safe working environment for people.

Improving a process of managing dynamic occupational risks

Purpose. To improve the process of managing dynamic occupational risks, which considers changes in time in hazardous factors of the organization’s environment in the occupational safety and health management system. Methodology. To improve the process of managing occupational risks, we have applied a well-known “Bow-Tie” model (ISO 31010:2018). The model allows assessing occupational risks as the product of the probability of hazardous event occurrence and severity of the consequences, taking into account the influence of hazardous external and internal factors, hazardous actions or dangerous inactions, which, according to the requirements of Clause 4.1 of the ISO 45001:2018 standard, are interconnected and subject to the influence of time. Findings. A model of the connection of hazardous factors of the internal and external environment of an organization, related to their negative influence on the growing probability of hazardous event (incident) occurrence and a degree of severity in time, has been developed. The process of managing occupational risks is proposed, taking into account changes in the time of exposure to hazardous factors, which will allow determining the acceptability or unacceptability of the occupational risk in time. The analysis of changes in occupational risks is proposed to be considered in the following time intervals (specifically in those where there is a corresponding change in risk factors): time of the day, day of the week, month of the year, quarter, half year, year, years etc. All the proposed professional risks were divided into two groups of professional risks considering the changes in their levels in time: static and dynamic ones. To calculate the occupational risk level, it is also proposed to determine all combinations of hazardous factors that can occur simultaneously in time within the corresponding intervals of the time under analysis. Originality. It has been determined that identification of the acceptable level of an occupational risk in the maximum combination of all hazardous factors acting simultaneously at a certain point in time will lead to the fact that all other combinations of hazardous factors will also have an acceptable level of occupational risk. This provision follows from the fact that the level of occupational risk from a smaller number of hazardous factors will not exceed the indicator of occupational risk from the exposure to a larger number of hazardous factors in time. Practical value. The forms for dynamic occupational risk assessment have been developed; a matrix has been proposed for determining the number of combinations of hazardous factors acting simultaneously in time.

Evaluating healthy workplace in geothermal industry

The geothermal industry is located in mountainous areas and far from urban centers that are at risk of danger. Hazard management is one aspect of occupational safety health management, including occupational environmental health. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the healthy workplace in geothermal industry. Observation and measurement technique are used to determine the light intensity, noise, humidity and temperature in all room in the industry. The results state that there are three rooms that did not meet the standard, the noisy still eligible both for offices (65dBA) and PLTP (85 dBA), the humidity is quite high (60%) and the average temperature is 15-20oC. Most of the indicators are still below the limit value based on the company and local regulations. Pengukuran aspek fisik monitoring kesehatan lingkungan kerja sudah memperoleh hasil yang baik. Namun, masih ada beberapa lokasi lingkungan kerja yang perli dilakukan perbaikan lagi dari segi pencahayaan dengan penggantian jenis lampu LED, dan pengaturan suhu dan kelembapan ruang. The assessment of healthy workplace is needed to improve the well-being of the workers in geothermal industry.

System dynamics simulation of occupational health and safety management causal model based on NetLogo

The occupational health and safety management factors of construction enterprises are critical influencing factors in their training management, and their causal principles are topics that warrant profound exploration. Drawing upon the conventional five factors, this study initially posited and authenticated a causal model among them, subsequently employing system dynamics on the NetLogo platform to dynamically simulate the model, and ultimately scrutinizing the interrelations and dynamic influence degree among the factors. The results show that the direct causes of management factors include human factors (weight coefficient of 0.583) and method factors (weight coefficient of 0.405), and environmental factors directly affect human factors (weight coefficient of 0.994), whereas material factors directly affect method factors (weight coefficient of 0.918). At the same time, it can be seen from the dynamic simulation results that the influence of human factors and method factors on management factors increases sharply in the nascent phase of the simulation cycle (the highest slope is .90), gradually decreases in the intermediary phase (the slope of the inflection point is .11), and is relatively stable in the final phase (the slope is less than 0.11). Three main conclusions have been drawn from this. Firstly, management factors are directly and positively affected by human factors and method factors respectively. Secondly, the interplay between diverse factors evinces a confluence of periodicity and exponential attributes. Thirdly, in each management cycle (set at 381 steps), the main focus is on controlling the causal factors in the early stages of management, with pivotal control points in steps 25 and 100, and the principal management factors comprising the management organization, operating procedures, and protective measures.

Occupational resource profiles for an addressee orientation in occupational health management: a segmentation analysis.

In order to make sustainable decisions in precision prevention and health promotion, it is important to adequately assess people's demands and resources at work. To reach them in an addressee-oriented way, a segmentation of employers and employees based on occupational resources is a promising option. We identified profiles based on personal and perceived organizational resources. Furthermore, we used job demands for profile descriptions to obtain a deeper understanding of the profiles, characterizing people with similar occupational resources. Personal occupational resources (occupational health literacy and self-efficacy) and perceived organizational resources (job decision latitude and participation in health at work) were assessed among employers and employees (n = 828) in small- and medium-sized enterprises in Germany. Job demands, socioeconomic status, and hierarchy levels in the company were used for further profile descriptions. A six-profile solution fitted best to the data based on cluster and profile analyses. One profile was characterized by above-average occupational resources, and another profile was characterized by below-average resources. The other four profiles showed that the individual and perceived organizational resources contrasted. Either organizational resources such as job decision latitude existed and personal resources were not highly developed or people had high individual motivation but few possibilities to participate in health at work. People with medium or high job demands as well as people with low socioeconomic status were most frequently in below-average resource profiles. Employers with high hierarchy levels were overrepresented in the above-average profiles with high organizational resources. Following the segmentation of the addressees, organizations might be supported in identifying needs and areas for prevention and health promotion. Interventions can be optimally developed, tailored, and coordinated through a deeper understanding of job demands and resources. Especially employees with low socioeconomic status and high job demands might profit from an addressee-orientated approach based on resource profiles. For example, employees obtain an overview of their occupational resource profile to recognize the development potential for safe and healthy behavior at work. Follow-up research should be used to examine how this feedback to employers and employees is implemented and how it affects the sustainability of tailored interventions.

Period pain presenteeism: investigating associations of working while experiencing dysmenorrhea

Although menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) is common and can have detrimental effects on work and social functioning, little is known about how people manage it in their professional life. Existing evidence indicates that people with dysmenorrhea often engage in presenteeism, meaning they work despite experiencing symptoms and report perceptions of social stigma around menstruation. In this study, we investigated individual health-related factors, psychosocial factors, and work factors associated with period pain presenteeism in a cross-sectional survey study including N = 668 employed people with experiences of dysmenorrhea. Our results show that symptom severity, disclosure of menstrual pain to the leader, and remote work are directly associated with period pain presenteeism. We further found that the presence of medical diagnosis moderates the association between symptom severity and presenteeism. Disclosure to the leader was associated with leader gender, leader-member exchange (LMX), and the absence of a medical diagnosis, indicating a potential mediating effect. We did not, however, find the perceptions of public beliefs regarding the concealment of menstruation to be related to presenteeism or disclosure. Our findings have important implications for research on menstrual health and occupational health management practice.

Psychometric properties of the recovery experience scale in Peruvian salaried workers

After facing a health crisis, it is important for workers to develop recovery experiences; therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the recovery experience scale in Peruvian salaried workers. A cross-sectional study of 462 salaried workers of both sexes, between 20 and 66 years of age, from the three regions of Peru, who participated voluntarily. The participants were recruited from companies in the financial, tourism, education, health and telecommunications sectors. The survey instrument was the recovery experience scale, which had been previously validated for Peruvian teachers. The internal structure was analyzed by confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha (?) coefficient and convergent validity through Pearson's correlation coefficient. The confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit for the original four-factor structure (x2= 141.782, p < 0.001, CFI = 0.981, RMSEA = 0.065 and SRMR = 0.035). The resulting factor loadings were between 0.71 and 0.90 and the internal consistency ? between 0.81 and 0.92. With respect to convergent validity, direct and significant correlations were found between the recovery experience dimensions and the general well-being scale (r= 0.126 to r=0.287). The recovery experience scale demonstrates validity, based on internal structure, reliability and convergent validity, and can be used in the occupational health management of Peruvian salaried workers.

Risk Analysis of Occupational Hazards Using HIRADC Approach in the Implementation of Occupational Safety and Health Management System

The high construction intensity can increase the risk of construction work accidents if not supported by good work method planning, risk management, and supervision. Indonesian National Social Security Agency for Employment (BPJS) noted that in 2017 the number of work accidents reported reached 123,041 cases, while throughout 2018, it reached 173,105 cases. Furthermore, in 2019 it was 114,000 cases and experienced an increase in claims by 55.2% to 177,000 cases in 2020. Then, from January to September 2021, there were 82,000 work accidents and 179 occupational diseases, 65 percent of which were caused by Covid-19 [1]. One approach to risk management is Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Determining Control (HIRADC) to identify hazards, assess whether the risks on the job fall into the category of danger or very dangerous, and control the hazards that will happen. The study's objectives include identifying jobs at risk of occupational accidents during construction, analyzing the level of risk of occupational accidents to implement the occupational safety and health management system during construction, and providing control measures to reduce the risk of accidents. The results of the study stated that from a total of 49 hazard identification in the project construction work, there are 142 accident risks, with a percentage of 14% of the risks included in the high-level risk criteria, 86% included in the medium-level risk criteria, and there are no risks in the low-level risk criteria.

Features of the introduction of the concept of zero injuries in an industrial enterprise

The article discusses the concept of "zero injury" as an approach to the organization of prevention, combining three areas — safety, occupational health and well-being of workers at all levels of production. The article also addresses the issues of risk assessment and the organization of the occupational health and safety management system in companies. The author draws attention to the importance of the active involvement of ordinary workers in the process of risk assessment and the development of rules for safe work.

SISTEM PAKAR PENGENALAN KESEHATAN KESELAMATAN KERJA UNTUK MEMDETEKSI RESIKO BAHAYA KERJA DI PT WASCO ENGGINERING MENGGUNAKAN METODE CERTAITY FACTOR

PT WACO ENGINERING INDONESIA is one of the major Asian OIL &amp; GAS companies engaged in the fabrication and construction of offshore supporting industrial buildings such as FPSO Topsides Modules, E-Houses, Sub-Stations, Compressor Packages and Process Equipment Integrator Modules, which are in KM 5, Tanjung Uncang – Batam. Which includes thousands of employees, both staff/officer workers and non-staff workers or field workers. Workers as one of the resources that are a supporting factor in advancing a company have the right to welfare, health, and work safety. The large number of workers who have direct contact with production machines, heavy work tools, solid materials such as steel and the surrounding work area has the potential for work accidents that can threaten the health and safety of employees. Thus, it is important for companies to implement a K3 (Occupational Health and Safety) management system to reduce the risk of work accidents. Researchers made this research to minimize occupational risks and hazards and increase workers' awareness of Occupational Health and Safety. In this study, the Certainty Factor method will be applied in the framework of making an expert system application that can process uncertainty data from facts and symptoms by presenting large data and calculation needs. The application of this method is expected to identify work risks and hazards at work area points and increase workers' awareness of the risks and hazards that can befall each worker.

The Role of Women in Occupational Health and Safety Management: A Gender Perspective

This article reviews and analyses literature on the role of women in occupational health and safety (OHS) management and proposes strategies for involving women in safety and health management at work. This is based on the fact that ensuring a safe and secure workplace for all, regardless of gender or any form of discrimination is an important part of OHS management. This is due to the many reported incidents of discrimination and bias against women at work places. Based on the view of that safety for women is paramount in the production of goods and services in work places, I argue that the safety and health of women in work places is a critical enabling factor for not only inclusivity but also wholesome production of good and services. Therefore, ensuring safety and health of women in work places requires a holistic approach that encompasses a thorough grounding in knowledge about the basics of safety and health in general. Based on these arguments, I make the point that providing training and education opportunities for women in health and safety management can help to build their skills and knowledge and increase their confidence and competence in the field. More so, creating a culture of diversity and inclusion can help to promote equal opportunities for women in health and safety management, as well as eliminate bias and discrimination.

Occupational Safety and Health Management in Selected Industrial Sectors in Sudan

Introduction: Since Heinrich's early studies, work has been recognized as a substantial contributor to psychological and physical illness. Fast technological, economic, and social advancements have increased the number of occupational fatalities and illnesses in developing nations. Nonetheless, it is demonstrated that the creation, application, and enforcement of Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (OSHMS) reduce accidents and enhance employees' well-being. This study aims to understand Sudan's current occupational safety and health situation and identify any challenges or gaps in the current system. Methods: A mixed methods approach deploying a literature review and secondary data was adopted to answer the research question about the status of occupational health and safety in Sudan. Results: A comparison of the artisanal and organized gold mining sectors over the years 2018-2020 shows an increase in the number of accidents in the artisanal sector but a sharp decrease in both the number and severity of accidents in the organized sector. The frequency rate declined in the organized sector but fluctuated in the artisanal sector. It was also found that many OSH incidents of different types and levels of severity occurred. In 2020, the Fatal Accident Rate (FAR) was 66.48 in artisanal gold mining, 0.55 in organized gold mining, and 0.01 in oil and gas. However, calculating and comparing other sectors' performance indicators to evaluate OSH's status was not possible for many reasons. Conclusion: Findings were constrained, possibly due to the limited occupational health and safety data. There is an urgent need to strengthen and improve the governance of occupational safety and health in Sudan. A more comprehensive study needs to be undertaken to assess the status of the OSH in formal and non-formal sectors and investigate the correlation of OSH to workers’ well-being and the Sudanese economy.

Workplace socioeconomic characteristics and coronary heart disease: a nationwide follow-up study

ObjectivesImportant gaps in previous research include a lack of studies on the association between socioeconomic characteristics of the workplace and coronary heart disease (CHD).We aimed to examine two contextual factors...

PECULIARITIES OF IMPLEMENTING A RISK-BASED APPROACH IN THE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN UKRAINE

Abstract. The paper examines the peculiarities of implementing a risk-oriented approach to the occupational health and safety management system at Ukrainian enterprises.&#x0D; The purpose of the conducted research is to determine approaches to the creation of an occupational health and safety management system based on the results of scientific research in the field of industrial (professional) risks in occupational health and safety. Methodology. The research used a comprehensive approach, including the analysis of research on the problem under study and data processing.&#x0D; Conclusions. The use of risk assessment in the creation of an enterprise labor protection management system is an urgent task for study and requires the application of relevant scientific achievements in order to reduce the level of injuries at the enterprise. For this, it is necessary to adapt the legislation in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the Nationwide Program for the Adaptation of the Legislation of Ukraine to the Legislation of the European Union". An integral part of this Program is the list of acts of Ukrainian legislation and acts of the European Union in priority areas.&#x0D; Consequences of research. To create safe working conditions at Ukrainian enterprises, it is recommended to implement a risk-oriented approach and apply the developed measures, in accordance with the hierarchy.Practical value and consequences. The application of a risk-oriented approach at Ukrainian enterprises will have positive results for achieving an acceptable level of risk, which will lead to the minimization of threats to the life and health of workers. The results of the conducted research can be used to analyze the real state of implementation of the risk-oriented approach in UkraineOriginality and significance of the obtained results. The results of the research will allow to improve the methods of analysis and identification of the most effective methods developed by scientists and the adaptation of relevant developments in Ukraine, which will give an opportunity to choose the best practices.

Analysis of Occupational Safety and Health Risk in Emergency Installations with Hospital X Yogyakarta Using The Failure Mode Effect and Analysis (FMEA) Method

Background: Risk management of occupational safety and health in hospital can be used to limit, minimize, and eliminate hazards in hospitals. While the emergency department is the major service for emergency patients, there is a significant risk of five hospital components, including health professionals, patients, patient families, visitors, and the environment, because of X Hospital Yogyakarta has developed a risk management program. The goal of this study was to analyze the risk of occupational safety and health in X hospital Yogyakarta emergency department. Method: This research employs a qualitative approach using form Failure Mode Effect and Analysis (FMEA). Direct observation and conducting in depth interviews with informants are two methods for gathering data. The research carried out in and covered all work activities at X Hospital emergency department. Result: There are 21 work activities with recognized OSH concerns, with 4 work activities having a high risk level, 8 work activities having a potential risk , and 9 work activities having a torelable risk. Taking anamnesis, blood sampling, patient examination, patient admission, and medical acts using sharp instruments are the most common sources of danger; there have been incidents in the emergency department cause medical action with sharp tools resulted in cases of like needle stick injuries to health workers hit by broken glass ampoules and so on. Conclusion: The implementation occupational health and safety culture, can influence worker behavior in order to reduce the number of errors and infractions, as well as the likelihood of work accidents occurring again.

Analyses of Critical Success Factors and Barriers to the Implementation of Indonesian Mining Safety Management System: Case Study of a Nickel Mine &amp; Processing Company

A very high level of work risk makes the implementation of an occupational health and safety management system imperative, particularly for mining businesses. Because it has an impact on the business's performance, sustainability, and reputation, mining safety is an issue of critical importance. The Republic of Indonesia's government has enacted regulations requiring the Mineral and Coal Mining Safety Management System (SMKP MINERBA) to be applied, as detailed in MEMR Regulation No. 26 of 2018 and its derivatives, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR). The implementation of SMKP MINERBA, however, is still insufficient as shown by the rise in mining accidents that result in harm, lost productivity, and even fatalities. The study came to the conclusion that the existing CSFs could be categorized using the seven factors: SMKP good governance; strong organizational safety culture; organizing and resource availability; Specific - Measurable - Attainable - Relevant - Time Bound (SMART) planning and periodic monitoring; management commitment and strategy; effective Occupational Health &amp; Industrial Hygiene (OH-IH) management; and compliance and safety leadership. In the meantime, the barriers may be classified as follows: low SMKP management commitment, inadequate safety leadership, and poor OHS strategy and execution. Rankings of CSFs and Barriers were also established using the Relative Importance Index (RII), and the ratings might be used by Management to enhance the organization further. As a consequence, the findings of this study and the solutions offered are beneficial to the industry since they may increase practitioners' knowledge and support them in expanding their acceptance in organizations

FORMATION OF A NEW CONCEPT OF A HEALTHY AND SAFE WORKPLACE IN UKRAINE

A new concept of management of occupational health and safety management systems (hereinafter referred to as OHSMS) of the enterprise based on international standards ISO 45000 is proposed in order to develop a domestic concept of a healthy and safe workplace. To achieve the goal, a generalized heuristic method was applied, the essence of which consists in setting and solving problems of technical creativity through the use of common information bases, information processing procedures and the order of their execution based on the use of a linear sequence of prescriptions intended for information processing. It is established that the growth of the ISO 45000 series of standards "is closely related to the sustainable development of humanity and its global goals planned by the United Nations until 2030. In particular, the greatest attention was paid to "ensuring a healthy lifestyle and well-being of people of any age", as well as "promoting continuous, comprehensive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all", as well as the EU OHSMS framework strategy on 2021-2027. It is shown that in order to achieve the global goals planned by the UN until 2030 for the sustainable development of the world, and the framework strategy of the EU on OHSMS for 2021-2027, the standards of the ISO 45000 series provide tools for enterprises to plan strategic goals, which allow you to project them on the tactical, and especially on the operational level of the organization's activities with a special emphasis on ensuring and supporting the welfare of employees, which encourages the formation of a conscious attitude to their professional obligations. It was determined that for the synergy of the key goals-directions of the EU OHSMS Framework Strategy 2021-2027, a new model is proposed for the sustainable development of the organization, where there is an interrelationship of three components: economic, occupational safety and ecology, more typical for the organization, where the implementation tools are standards of the ISO 45000 series. The concept of a healthy and safe workplace in Ukraine has been developed with the corresponding standards of the ISO 45000 series, which includes not only a traditional safe physical environment, but also a healthy psychosocial environment, a safe epidemic environment, a safe infectious environment and a healthy lifestyle employee.

Risk-Based Approach in the Implementation of Integrated Management Systems: A Systematic Literature Review

The risk-based approach is one of the keys used in the implementation of management systems using requirements from the management standards. If the management systems are implemented separately, the risks are evaluated from only one perspective, but when two or more systems are integrated, the approach must take into account the synergetic effects of the risks due to system integration. The paper aims to highlight the specific risks encountered when implementing management systems in organizations, underlining the risks associated with systems management and integrated management systems. In this work, a synthesis was presented including an analysis of the risks that occurred during the implementation of management systems and those that occurred during their integration, the need and opportunity of risk management, the advantages, and barriers in the approach of risk management in the industrial sector. The review of the literature comprises the assessment of 190 papers, 11 books, and 5 standards. The content of the paper highlights a synthesis of risk-based thinking and the risks that can manifest in the implementation of quality, environmental, and occupational safety and health management systems in industrial organizations, as well as those which can manifest in the implementation of integrated management systems. In addition, the benefits and barriers in risk management and risk management strategies, with an emphasis on the presentation of the Deming approach to risk management, were evidenced. Some recommendations and proposals for future research were made.