Participatory Occupational Health Research Articles

Congruence Rules! Increased Self-efficacy after Occupational Health Interventions—if Leaders and Teams Agree on the Participative Safety Climate

To succeed with participatory occupational health and safety (OHS) interventions it is not sufficient to consider only the employees’ perspective, as perceptual distance between leaders and teams is known to have an effect on outcomes. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of leaders’ and teams’ perceptions of a non-threatening interpersonal atmosphere of trust and support (i.e., a participative safety climate) on employees’ changes in confidence in their ability at work to 1) interact socially (social self-efficacy), 2) manage emotions (emotional self-efficacy), and 3) solve tasks (cognitive self-efficacy) following a participatory OHS intervention. Thirty leaders and 348 employees in 28 teams from 5 organizations completed surveys before and after the intervention. Polynomial regression with response surface analyses revealed that agreement between leaders and teams regarding participative safety before the intervention related positively to all three self-efficacy dimensions after the intervention. These results exemplify how leaders’ and their teams’ different perceptions of the climate before implementing an intervention may affect changes in intervention-relevant outcomes. The findings contribute to the emergent understanding of how interventions are dependent on the organizational context where they are implemented. It also points to the need to consider non-linear relations in intervention research. The findings suggest that in practice, organizations conducting participatory OHS interventions should assess and address pre-intervention climate factors to succeed. Congruence matters.

Study on self-evaluation of effect of participatory occupational health and safety training

目的 研究深圳市劳务工对参与式培训效果的自我评价,探讨参与式培训的适用性.方法 2008年6月至2010年11月在深圳市开展随机对照试验,对60家企业的3479名工人进行参与式和集中授课式职业健康安全培训,培训后进行问卷调查,分析工人对培训内容、培训形式、知识的提高和行为的改善,对工人和工厂之间沟通等方面的自评.结果 85％的受训工人认为工作环境、机械安全、工作岗位的改善,个人防护用品的佩戴演示和伸展运动5项培训内容对他们的健康和安全有益.培训后1年,38.4％的干预组工人、45％的对照组工人分别认为个人防护用品的佩戴演示、讲课最有效.培训后3个月,85％以上的工人认为他们的各项知识和行为得到提高和改善；相比于对照组,更多的干预组工人认为他们的各项知识和行为得到提高或改善.培训后3个月、培训后1年,80％以上的工人对工厂和工人在职业健康安全方面加强沟通、工厂职业健康安全的改善、接受更多培训的看法上持肯定态度；相比于对照组工人,干预组工人持肯定态度率更高,其中,培训后1年,干预组工人对工厂和工人在职业健康安全方面的沟通上的持肯定态度率明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05),培训后3个月、培训后1年,干预组工人对工厂是否采取了更多的促进职业健康安全的活动上的持肯定态度率明显高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 参与式职业健康安全培训得到了工人的认可,值得推广,培训应以职业健康安全防护知识的传播为主。

Analysis of indoor air pollutants checklist using environmetric technique for health risk assessment of sick building complaint in nonindustrial workplace

PurposeTo analyze and characterize a multidisciplinary, integrated indoor air quality checklist for evaluating the health risk of building occupants in a nonindustrial workplace setting.DesignA cross-sectional study based on a participatory occupational health program conducted by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Malaysia) and Universiti Putra Malaysia.MethodA modified version of the indoor environmental checklist published by the Department of Occupational Health and Safety, based on the literature and discussion with occupational health and safety professionals, was used in the evaluation process. Summated scores were given according to the cluster analysis and principal component analysis in the characterization of risk. Environmetric techniques was used to classify the risk of variables in the checklist. Identification of the possible source of item pollutants was also evaluated from a semiquantitative approach.ResultHierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis resulted in the grouping of factorial components into three clusters (high complaint, moderate-high complaint, moderate complaint), which were further analyzed by discriminant analysis. From this, 15 major variables that influence indoor air quality were determined. Principal component analysis of each cluster revealed that the main factors influencing the high complaint group were fungal-related problems, chemical indoor dispersion, detergent, renovation, thermal comfort, and location of fresh air intake. The moderate-high complaint group showed significant high loading on ventilation, air filters, and smoking-related activities. The moderate complaint group showed high loading on dampness, odor, and thermal comfort.ConclusionThis semiquantitative assessment, which graded risk from low to high based on the intensity of the problem, shows promising and reliable results. It should be used as an important tool in the preliminary assessment of indoor air quality and as a categorizing method for further IAQ investigations and complaints procedures.

A study on health status of women engaged in a home-based "Papad-making" industry in a slum area of Kolkata

Background:The ‘papad-making’ industries of India have provided ample opportunity of employment for the women workers of low socio-economic class although their problems are not much explored. In this study an attempt had been made for the same.Aims:1. To find out the health status of the women. 2. To find out the factors, in the working conditions, influencing their health status. 3. To assess their felt needs.Settings:A slum area of Kolkata.Design:A cross-sectional, descriptive type of observational study.Methods and Materials:The slum was chosen by random sampling method. Following this, complete enumeration method was adopted. Data were collected by interview and clinical examination of the women engaged in this occupation with a predesigned and pretested schedule.Statistical Analysis:Proportions and Chi-square test.Results:77.5% were in the reproductive age group and none were below 14 years. Most of them belonged to poor socioeconomic status. Sixty per cent were in this occupation for more than 10 years and they spent 5 hours for this work daily over and above their household job. Musculoskeletal problem was their commonest health problem. Pallor, angular stomatitis, pedal edema, chronic energy deficiency were found on examination. Personal hygienic measures taken were far from satisfactory. A focus group discussion revealed their health and family problems, dissatisfaction about their working conditions and wage. Other needs identified were home visits for their health care, free medicines and health education.Conclusion:Need exists for a participatory occupational health programme for this working population.

Advances in Participatory Occupational Health Aimed at Good Practices in Small Enterprises and the Informal Sector

Participatory programmes for occupational risk reduction are gaining importance particularly in small workplaces in both industrially developing and developed countries. To discuss the types of effective support, participatory steps commonly seen in our "work improvement-Asia" network are reviewed. The review covered training programmes for small enterprises, farmers, home workers and trade union members. Participatory steps commonly focusing on low-cost good practices locally achieved have led to concrete improvements in multiple technical areas including materials handling, workstation ergonomics, physical environment and work organization. These steps take advantage of positive features of small workplaces in two distinct ways. First, local key persons are ready to accept local good practices conveyed through personal, informal approaches. Second, workers and farmers are capable of understanding technical problems affecting routine work and taking flexible actions leading to solving them. This process is facilitated by the use of locally adjusted training tools such as local good examples, action checklists and group work methods. It is suggested that participatory occupational health programmes can work in small workplaces when they utilize low-cost good practices in a flexible manner. Networking of these positive experiences is essential.