Occupational Health And Safety Management Research Articles

The evolution of new and emerging occupational health and safety risks: A qualitative review.

Work itself and occupational health and safety (OHS) have evolved through industrial revolutions and will also continue to evolve in the future. The aim of this qualitative literature review was to examine how the scientific discussion on new and emerging risks (NERs) related to OHS has evolved in recent decades in developed and newly industrialized countries. A search of the Scopus database yielded 34 articles published before 2000 and from 2020 onwards. A review of the articles identified NERs themes related to changes in work patterns, changing workforce and growth in some sectors, climate change, new materials or increased use of materials, new technology and technological development, and viruses. In both article collection periods, possible adverse OHS effects discussed included musculoskeletal disorders, exposure to toxic agents, chemical compounds and hazardous materials, increased stress, increased likelihood of errors and accidents, psychosocial problems, mental fatigue, and increases in work-related illnesses and accidents. The articles published during both periods discussed similar themes. The main differences were regarding specific time-related cases, such as climate change and COVID-19. Based on the findings of this review, points to consider in OHS management and future studies are discussed.

The profession of occupational health and safety technician: Does gender matter?

AbstractWorkers' health and safety, and equality between men and women are two of the main challenges currently facing the labor framework in Spain. Despite the fact that the different risks faced by men and women have been widely studied, the way in which gender can affect the working conditions and career development of occupational health and safety (OHS) technicians has hardly been investigated. To delve into this aspect, a study has been carried out by conducting semistructured interviews with six women who work as OHS technicians and a survey among OHS technicians in the Basque Country (Spain) with 124 responses. The results suggest that there are differences between men and women both in the conditions and in the career development of the OHS technician profession. These differences appear in various thematic blocks such as empowerment, recognition, or aspirations. Women tend to be more skeptical than men on gender equality issues such as the idea of equal promotion opportunities for men and women, or the notion that men's and women's ideas are equally valued, or the way in which having children affects men and women's aspirations. It is very important to reduce these gender differences to achieve a more efficient work environment, which can lead to more efficient OHS management.

Characterization of Swedish Forestry Contractors’ Practices Regarding Occupational Safety and Health Management

Forestry has many dangers, and much effort has been put into supporting accident prevention by developing legislation and certification systems. In Sweden, forestry contractors have an important role in developing and maintaining a good working environment for the employed forestry workers. The objectives of this study were to describe forestry contractors’ current practices regarding occupational safety and health (OSH) management and identify variations in relation to the contractors’ characteristics and finances, as well as to highlight areas that need improvement. In 2023, data were collected through a survey distributed to 1200 limited liability companies registered to perform logging or silvicultural services, with a response rate of 22%. Multi- and univariate analyses were performed to compare contractor groups, and the results show that larger companies had more well-developed and formalized routines and guidelines for their operations. Geographical differences were also identified; for example, employees in the north were more likely to have access to staff facilities when working in the forest. However, no clear connection between OSH management practices and the contractors’ finances could be demonstrated. The study concludes that there is a need for improvements in OSH work within the industry because many companies do not meet all of the formal requirements that exist today.

Occupational health and safety management: managers’ organizational conditions and effect on employee well-being

PurposeKnowledge regarding the importance of the psychosocial work environment for health and well-being in the workplace is extensive. However, more knowledge is needed about how the managers’ organizational conditions are related to what occupational health and safety management (OHSM) is actually conducted and how this relates to the work-related health of employees. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate if managers’ organizational conditions are associated with the conducted OHSM, and if the conducted OHSM is associated with the psychosocial work environment and well-being of the employees.Design/methodology/approachAn electronic questionnaire was sent to managers and their employees working in 10 different organizations in Sweden, resulting in 1,097 valid responses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the results.FindingsThe SEM analysis showed that managers’ conditions were related to employee well-being via OHSM and psychosocial work environment (job demands and job resources).Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature in the field of OHSM by placing explicit focus on the role of organizational conditions for conducting OHSM. By studying not only the link between work environment and health, but also focus on the underlying organizational structures for OHSM, provides additional possibilities for prevention of the increasing work-related illness. As such, this paper contributes to a more holistic perspective in the field of OHSM.

Implementasi Pemanfaatan Sumber Radiasi Pengion pada Ruang CT Scan ditinjau berdasarkan Peraturan BAPETEN No. 4 tahun 2020 di Instalasi Radiologi Rumah Sakit type B di Wilayah Kabupaten Sumedang

Background: Occupational safety and health (OSH) management is the main factor in hospital services, which aims to control and minimize potential dangers due to radiation. One of the evaluations used is the implementation of OSH management requirements based on the Republic of Indonesia Ministry of Health Regulation No. 1014 of 2008 and Bapeten regulation no. 4 of 2020. The aim of this research was to determine the extent of implementation of OSH management in terms of completeness of management requirements, radiation protection, room design and personal protective equipment (PPE) implemented in Radiology Department in hospital type B, Sumedang Regency.Methods: This research was a descriptive qualitative by conducting direct observations, interviews and documentation.Results: The results of the research on the design of the room without ventilation outside the CT Scan room, this aims to minimize the dose of scattered radiation that comes out, decentralization and good air circulation, has warning signs and directions for radiation danger areas, the radiation protection equipment is quite complete. Implementation of radiation management has been carried out, but not completely, there is no health monitoring at the end of the work period and upon termination of work. Radiation safety verification has been carried out periodically, quality control is only carried out externally, so it does not meet standards, internal quality control cannot be carried out because there is no survey meter.Conclusions: This research was conducted in Radiology Department room in August 2023, the results showed that in the CT Scan room there was no air ventilation, there was radiation dose monitoring for staff, overall, Radiology Installation hospital type B in Sumedang Regency area had implemented occupational safety and health.

Perceptions of forest product businesses employees in Turkey regarding occupational health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undeniably brought up the issue of Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) for businesses in Turkey. In this global pandemic, strategies developed to effectively address OHS risks and eliminate them with reliable, high-quality data have gained importance. This study aimed to determine the perceptions of employees in the forest products industry in Turkey regarding the OHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample of the descriptive and analytical study consisted of a total of 371 employees in forest product businesses located in Turkey. The sample of the study was determined by the purpose-based sampling method. Data were collected both online and face-to-face from June 2022 to October 2022. The data were obtained using the Questionnaire of Employee and Business Characteristics and the Scale of Employees' Perceptions on the OHS (S-POHS) adapted by Özden (2022). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS and calculated by descriptive analyses, pairwise comparison tests and multivariate regression analyses. 39.1% of the employees with a mean age of 34.12±8.78 years are high school graduates and 61.5% are workers. Significant differences were found in the S-POHS average scores of the employees in the businesses that produce paper-cardboard, have operated for less than 20 years, have a partnership structure with foreign capital and have an OHS Management System Quality Certificate (p < 0.05). While a positive OHS perception level has already been achieved in the forest products industry in business administrations and by employees, it is clear that this should not be lost and it should be prepared for the next crises by adding new applications.

Application of the Grey TOPSIS Method to Assess and Select a Contractor in Terms of Occupational Safety Management

Abstract The objective of the article is to analyze the possibility of using the gray TOPSIS method to evaluate and select a contractor due to specific criteria regarding occupational health and safety management (OHSM). The choice of contractor is a problem for the decision-maker to make decisions based on many criteria, and most often, these criteria are very diverse, both quantitative and qualitative. The gray TOPSIS method is based on the use of a measure of the relative distance from the best solution, constituting the pattern, and from the worst solution, constituting the anti-pattern, to sort the solutions, using the Grey System Theory. To evaluate and select the contractor, 12 different criteria were used, describing the key areas of OHSM for the decision-maker. The criteria and their weights were selected taking into account the nature of the work planned to be carried out by the company ordering the work. Z-10 annual reports on working conditions in a given year submitted by enterprises to the Central Statistical Office, expert assessments and occupational health and safety procedures provided by five potential contractors were used as sources of information. The research confirmed that the use of gray numbers as part of the TOPSIS method allows the ranking of potential contractors from the point of view of selected criteria and the selection of the company that best meets the assumed occupational health and safety management criteria.

Autoethnography in workplace safety: Revealing the suffering of unintentional first responders in the Canadian trucking industry and beyond

The author presents evocative and analytical autoethnography as a promising qualitative research methodology for application in occupational health and safety (OHS) practice and research, where it is not currently a commonly used technique. Through an autoethnography, the author discusses OHS in the Canadian trucking industry and trauma as a result of witnessing and responding to collisions as a trucker or other unintentional first responder. Using a personal and traumatic experience of witnessing and then providing assistance at a collision involving a freight train and small car, the author attempts to show the reader what a trucker goes through in such a situation for the purpose of revealing these experiences and humanizing OHS data. The use of autoethnography in this way is presented as an additional and relatively new tool for OHS researchers and practitioners as a way to address, with their OHS management systems, the psychosocial hazards staff may face that may be unknown to the employer for cultural reasons within the trucking industry. The role of employers in addressing psychosocial hazards is explored and autoethnography is positioned as a tool employers may use in expanding their safety management systems into the area of psychosocial hazard mitigation, all within a Canadian trucking OHS context but with applications beyond the trucking industry.

3 Integration of ISO 45001:2018 Clausula with OHS Criteria and Gap Analysis Criteria 1.1 – 1.2 OHS In PT. X Pasuruan

Introduction: Based on ILO data, 2018 shows that every year 13.7% workers die as a result of accidents or diseases, even though employee is one of the most important human capital assets in company. Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Factors managed with applicable regulations. ISO 45001 is an International Standard that regulates the requirements for the OHS Management System. In Indonesia we called it OHS. All sub-systems OHS aim to prevent any unwanted incidents. Objective: To determine integration between ISO 45001:2018 and OHS clauses and determine analysis regarding application of OHS on criteria 1.1 and 1.2 at PT. X. Method: Research method uses qualitative research with a gap analysis approach. Result and Discussion: The research results show that ISO 45001:2018 clause that most relevant to the OHS criteria is clause 8 with 16 equal clauses, while least relevant clause is clause 4 with 1 equal clause. As for the results of gap analysis for application of criterion 1.1 at PT.X 60% do not require CAPA while the application of criteria 1.2 80% does not require CAPA. Conclusion: Not all clauses of ISO 45001:2018 and OHS criteria can be integrated. Application of OHS criteria 1.1 and 1.2 at PT. X is good.

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.

Implementation of risk management in indonesia’s hospitality industry using OHS (occupational, health and safety) system

In the industrial world, it is necessary to understand risk management to run a company well. Likewise, with the hospitality industry because there are many people in it. For some people, OHS is something other than essential and results in many workplace accidents. Research method used Relevant data is obtained with a qualitative descriptive method and assisted by documentation from many sources like internet, papers and case study. The goal of this research is to show the data of casualties and make the company realized the important of OHS management to prevent any casualties that may occurred In the future. By providing general training, companies can prevent work casualties. However, its implementation takes time because the workers are used to the old working method. OHS Training is an effort made by the company to be even better at maintaining the safety and security of the work environment. In the future, companies that provide OHS management will show zero casualties and good mental health of their workers because of the training and will effect to company good’s name.

Occupational safety and health and temporary agency work in multiemployer restaurants.

Current occupational safety and health (OSH) literature calls for sociotechnical, system-level approaches that increase understanding of the underlying reasons for insufficient OSH performance in nonstandard employment that is associated with lower labour and social security protection when compared with traditional forms of work. This study focused on temporary agency work (TAW) which is a central form of nonstandard employment. The objective was to explore OSH issues in temporary agency work (TAW) in small and medium-sized multiemployer restaurants in Finland and discuss the issues from the perspectives of the agency worker, user company and agency. A directed content analysis method was used to examine the data obtained from semi-structured interviews (n = 20) with agency workers, restaurant managers and experts representing the temporary work agencies, a pension insurer, and a labour union. The balanced work system theory was used as a framework for this qualitative analysis. A variety of OSH risks and hazards in TAW were identified. In addition, the complexity of OSH management was highlighted in this triangular employment relationship between the agency worker, the user company, and the agency. This study reveals problems related to OSH in TAW. Restaurants are entities separate from agencies, so establishing and adhering to a common process of OSH management is not simple.

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 health and safety rights of hospital workers in relation to needle stick injuries exposure in Pakistan

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the determinants of needle stick injuries (NSIs) suffering in terms of occupational health and safety (OHS) coverage critically for health-care workers’ rights in Pakistan. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative study involving the designing of a questionnaire followed by the World Health Organization’s NSI prevention assessment tool and nationally published reports covering health-care workers’ OHS rights protection. A total of 17 public and private hospitals were surveyed with a two-stage sampling method. Descriptive and inferential statistics (one-way analysis of variance with multiple comparison tests) were applied and significant results were discussed (p = 0.05 &amp; p = 0.01). The results were discussed critically in the context of the OHS rights of health-care workers. Findings Analysis revealed the following significant relationships: job type and safety behavior; age group of health-care workers and safety management; injection usage per day and safety behavior; past year’s needle sticks injuries cases with safety behavior and occupational exposure; work shift and work experience with safety knowledge, safety awareness and work experience with safety management. It was also found there is no specific OHS law in the country for health-care workers. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in terms of sampling size and quantification of NSI burden among health-care workers. Practical implications Improved OHS management practices among health-care workers can control NSIs that ultimately ensure their workplace OHS rights. Health-care workers need OHS coverage in terms of awareness about potential workplace hazards and job training accordingly. Findings from extensive studies of a similar kind can give useful policy directions for workplace health management in health-care setup at the national level. Originality/value This study highlights the importance of OHS coverage for health-care workers in hospitals. It reports different determinants of NSIs suffering causing health-care worker’s rights violations at the workplace in Pakistan.

Rigidity in crisis: The impact of OHSAS 18001 certification on production repurposing during COVID‐19

AbstractIt is important for firms to repurpose production responsively during a crisis such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, to seize the market opportunity and create social value. However, occupational health and safety (OHS) can also be a concern in a crisis, and adherence to OHS management systems can undermine a firm's responsiveness in repurposing decision making. We adopt the “capability–rigidity” lens to construct a connection between OHS management standards (i.e., OHSAS 18001) and firms’ adaptation responsiveness. After sampling 734 listed Chinese manufacturing firms, our match‐based analysis reveals that firms certified with OHSAS 18001 were less responsive during COVID‐19 in terms of production repurposing than those without the certification. Yet, certain experience, namely, prepandemic manufacturing of related products, experience of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, and being geographically located close to firms that produced medical supplies, could attenuate this effect. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of and adding to the literature on safety management, certified management standards, and organizational adaptation and learning.

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN SLOVENIA

While considering a two-level approach, in the article we discuss systemic issues related to occupational safety and health (OSH) data. On the individual level, we focus on OSH incidents that indicate the status of occupational health. On the company level, we examine OSH management data that reveal the monitoring system. Our analysis shows that the Slovenian OSH data collection system depends on employers’ reporting rather than on professionals monitoring workers’ health. The OSH system is oriented to legal compliance more than the regular monitoring of OSH activities. The introduction of systemic measures that integrate the various OSH stakeholders and reintegrate occupational medicine into the health system is recommended. Keywords: occupational medicine, occupational health, occupational safety, occupational diseases, occupational injuries, Slovenia

Identifying occupational health and safety risks among environmental health officers in Australia and New Zealand through an online survey.

To identify the occupational health and safety (OHS) risks among environmental health officers (EHOs) in Australia and New Zealand. The objectives were to profile and compare OHS experiences from different countries and regions to gain a regional perspective on OHS hazards that impact EHOs. An online hazard exposure survey was conducted among 339 EHOs (Australia: n = 301, 88.8%; New Zealand: n = 38, 11.2%). The Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare 2 ordinal data groups, the Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for more than 2 ordinal groups, and the independent samples t test was used to compare the means of 2 independent groups where the dependent variables were normally distributed. Multiple regression techniques were used to analyze workplace incidents and age groups. A high degree of similarity in the types of workplace exposures and risk perceptions as well as concerns with organizational OHS management commitment were observed among EHOs from the 2 countries. Workplace violence and physical and psychosocial demands were the most commonly reported OHS hazards. Employer type, sex, and age group were significantly related to workplace exposure and OHS experience among EHOs in both countries. This study provides a profile of workplace exposure in the environmental health profession in the 2 countries and offers recommendations for the implementation of preventive action.

A systematic review of the application of immersive technologies for safety and health management in the construction sector

Introduction: The construction industry employs about 7% of global manpower and contributes about 6% to the global economy. However, statistics have depicted that the construction industry contributes significantly to workplace fatalities and injuries despite multiple interventions (including technological applications) implemented by governments and construction companies. Recently, immersive technologies as part of a suite of industry 4.0 technologies, have also strongly emerged as a viable pathway to help address poor construction occupational safety and health (OSH) performance. Method: With the aim of gaining a broad view of different construction OSH issues addressed using immersive technologies, a review on the application of immersive technologies for construction OSH management is conducted using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) approach and bibliometric analysis of literature. This resulted in the evaluation of 117 relevant papers collected from three online databases (Scopus, Web of Science, and Engineering Village). Results: The review revealed that literature have focused on the application of various immersive technologies for hazard identification and visualization, safety training, design for safety, risk perception, and assessment in various construction works. The review identified several limitations regarding the use of immersive technologies, which include the low level of adoption of the developed immersive technologies for OSH management by the construction industry, very limited research on the application of immersive technologies for health hazards, and limited focus on the comparison of the effectiveness of various immersive technologies for construction OSH management. Conclusions and Practical Applications: For future research, it is recommended to identify possible reasons for the low transition level from research to industry practice and proffer solutions to the identified issues. Another recommendation is the study of the effectiveness of the use of immersive technologies for addressing health hazards in comparison to the conventional methods.

Reconciling occupational safety and health (OSH) Master’s of Science curricula with employer demands

This study concurrently investigated the characteristics of 20 distance learning United States OSH M.S. programs and 101 OSH employment postings preferring or requiring candidates with an advanced degree. The goal was to determine if there was consensus in the required curricula and employer demands. Such agreement is one of the requirements for achieving occupational closure, an important step for OSH being considered a profession. The results demonstrated there is both diversity in OSH M.S. courses being offered and in knowledge, skills, and abilities being sought by employers. A Pareto comparison analysis illustrated that more OSH M.S. programs should offer courses in project management, auditing, leadership, training, and environmental, health and safety (EHS) management. Less emphasis should be given to research methods, capstone or thesis projects, and OSH management. At the OSH M.S. hiring level, there appeared to be more of an emphasis on management and soft skills than technical skills. It also appeared that many employers were hiring OSH individuals that have environmental responsibilities (not well represented in current curricula), supporting an EHS versus OSH paradigm. The most common job requirement sought by employers was regulatory knowledge, a course required in most OSH M.S. curricula. Specific recommendations are provided based on the study results to further promote the goal of OSH occupational closure.

Integration of occupational health and safety management, social responsibility of business, and sustainability: A stakeholder-based qualitative study on China’s electric power industry

Improving working conditions and promoting the health, safety and well-being of workers are highly relevant to the social responsibility of business and the sustainability of enterprises. This empirical study investigates the successes and barriers of the integration of occupational health and safety management (OHSM), corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainability in China’s electric power industry, with the combined theoretical framework of New St. Gallen Management Model and stakeholder theory. Semi-structured interviews were carried out among the internal, external and distal stakeholders (n=90), supplemented with on-the-spot observations. Through statistical and discourse analysis, it is found that the integration of OHSM, CSR, and sustainability has been achieved at the structural, operational, and organizational levels in China’s electric power industry, due to the fast development of technology and the legal system ensuring a good environmental sphere, with people-centered philosophy being highlighted. However, some deficiencies such as law reenforcement and the coherence between internal and external stakeholder management systems must be improved, particularly with respect to frontline workforce training. The communication of OHSM, CSR, and sustainability outside of the industry should also be enhanced for a better environmental sphere and public support.