Physical Safety Research Articles

A confirmatory factor analysis of a job satisfaction scale for healthcare providers in emergency departments

ABSTRACT Objective Performance of health care providers in a hospital’s emergency department is crucial as they are the first liners in the hospital. This study used a confirmatory factor analysis to verify the validity and reliability of a newly developed multi-dimensional job satisfaction scale for healthcare providers in emergency departments. Method A convenience sampling method used to collect data from emergency departments of Jordan Middle District hospitals. A total of 286 healthcare providers from 11 hospitals participated in the study. The job satisfaction questionnaire was distributed in these hospitals from the beginning of June 2020 until the end of August 2020. Data analysis was performed using AMOS 21 after data entry into SPSS 25. Result A model of four-factor with 16 items yielded adequate goodness-of-fit values with good convergent and discriminant validity after model re-specification. Four confirmed factors in this study were the most common dimensions used in measuring job satisfaction. Namely; physical environment and workplace safety, supervisor support, promotion and compensation, and staff communication and relationship domains. Conclusion The job satisfaction scale was proven to provide a valid measurement model and reliable constructs measuring accurately job satisfaction of healthcare providers in emergency departments and exploring ways to improve their performance.

A comprehensive approach to physical recycling of hazardous waste HDPE industrial drums: Overcoming challenges in safety and foam interference

The regeneration of hazardous waste plastics are prerequisites for the sustainable development, and treatment of waste high density polyethylene (HDPE) industrial drums poses a significant challenge in the field of waste plastic recycling. In this study, a multi-step collaborative system was established for the decontamination and classification process of hazardous waste industrial drums. The yield of recycled HDPE particles exceeds 80 wt%. Through multiple experimental verifications, the optimal addition amount of antifoaming agent is 0.6 wt%, achieving the best balance between antifoaming effect and consumption. The motion process of antifoaming agent microdroplets in a static mixer was simulated. And also, through large-scale statistical analysis, the stability and reliability of physical properties and environmental safety of recycled HDPE particles were verified, supporting their reuse in various fields. In sum, this study proposes a feasible physical recycling strategy for hazardous waste HDPE industrial drums, and provides basic data from industrial practice and technical insights.

Exploring the effect of human-drone communication modality on safety and balance control in virtual construction environments

This study examines the impact of Human-Drone Interaction (HDI) modalities on construction workers’ safety and balance control within virtual environments. Utilising virtual reality (VR) simulations, the study explored how gesture and speech-based communications influence workers’ physical postures and balance, contrasting these modalities with a non-interactive control group. One hundred participants were recruited, and their movements and balance control were tracked using motion sensors while they interacted with virtual drones through either gesture, speech, or without communication. Results showed that interactive modalities significantly improved balance control and reduced the risk of falls, suggesting that advanced HDI can enhance safety on construction sites. However, speech-based interaction increased cognitive workload, highlighting a trade-off between physical safety and mental strain. These findings underscore the potential of integrating intuitive communication methods into construction operations, although further research is needed to optimise these interactions for long-term use and in diverse noise environments.

"How do You Take that Much Time for One Person's Life?" Experiences of Dementia Caregivers Who are Not Immediate Family.

One in three people with Alzheimer's or other dementias lives alone, without a spouse/partner or nearby children (i.e., is aging solo), yet most dementia caregiving research has focused solely on spouses or children. This study examined the experiences of friends, neighbors, siblings, and others providing unpaid care for someone with dementia. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 caregivers (100% female; age 54-85, mean 71; 93% white, 7% black; 29% friend, 29% sibling or in-law, 21% neighbor, 21% church congregant). Participants balanced three priorities: the person living with dementia's quality of life, the person's safety and well-being, and the caregiver's resources. Caregivers described tensions when these priorities conflicted, such as the person with dementia's goal to live alone versus risks to their physical safety. These findings and future research can inform policies and programs to support non-family dementia caregiving.

Ensuring effectiveness and safety in emergency department triage.

Triage is the first stage of a patient's journey through the emergency department and is used to determine patient acuity. There is no single quantifiable metric for determining acuity, which amalgamates different factors that are more or less relevant depending on the patient's presentation. This article explains the aim and process of triage and how nurses can ensure the process is effective and safe. The author discusses strategies nurses can use to mitigate uncertainty and to make their acuity assessments rapid, targeted and comprehensive. The author also highlights triage safety considerations, including infection prevention and control and the physical and emotional safety of patients and staff.

Current status and progress of detection methods for common clinical toxicants

With the progress of science and technology and the development of society, more and more chemical substances have been discovered and countless chemicals have been artificially synthesized, and the risk of exposure to some toxic chemicals by human beings has been greatly increased, resulting in the increasing incidence of acute poisoning, which has seriously endangered the public's physical health and life safety. As the poisoned patients are unconscious or refuse treatment when they are admitted to the hospital, it is difficult to understand the drug exposure history by asking the medical history, so the toxicity detection has become the key to the clinical diagnosis and treatment, and this paper briefly introduces some common toxicity detection methods in the clinic in the hope that it will bring help to the clinical doctors.

'Safer, Not Safe': Service Users' Experiences of Psychological Safety in Inpatient Mental Health Wards in the United Kingdom.

Research on patient safety in mental health settings is limited compared to physical healthcare settings. Recent qualitative studies have highlighted that patient safety is more than just physical safety but includes psychological safety. Traditionally, psychological safety has been defined as the belief that it is safe to take interpersonal risks, such as speaking up, without a fear of negative consequences. However, to date, it is not clear what constitutes psychological safety for service users of inpatient mental health settings. To understand this, we conducted 12 interviews with former inpatient mental health service users. Interviews were analysed with Reflexive Thematic Analysis, and five themes were developed. All themes had subthemes. Overall, we found that participants were more readily able to draw on situations where they felt psychologically unsafe, rather than safe. Psychological safety in service users was influenced by (1) healthcare staff attitudes and behaviours towards them, (2) their relationships with other service users, (3) whether they felt they had any control over their environment and medical decision-making regarding their care, (4) their experiences of physically safety, feeling listened to and believed and (5) access to meaningful occupation on the wards. These findings suggest that changes are needed to enhance inpatient mental health service users' general experiences of psychological safety. Further research will need to (1) further develop understanding of the concept of psychological safety for service users and (2) identify interventions, and such interventions should be co-designed with service users.

Safety in Housing for Older Adults-A Qualitative Case Study.

Housing solutions for older adults aim at providing a safe environment to live in. The construction is heavily based on aspects of physical safety, often disregarding the social aspects of feeling safe. The older adults themselves are looking for a living environment that supports their individual capacities and social networks. The living environment can contribute to their physical, social, and emotional safety by providing accessible housing and spaces for community building. Interviews with older adults who had recently lived through a building fire highlighted the importance of the community in daily life, in emergency as well as in recovery from hazards. The results show that community building is related to access to common-use spaces and daily interaction with neighbors. The shared spaces in the immediate surroundings can enhance community cohesion and generate peer support. The common-use spaces and public facilities in urban environment have a significant role in emergencies and in the process of recovery from adversities.

Relevance and Premises of Values-Based Practice for Decision Making in Brain Health.

Brain health is a complex concept, shaped by a plethora of determinants related to physical health, healthy environments, safety and security, learning and social connection, as well as access to quality healthcare services. Decision-making in this complex field is characterized by diverse values, potentially conflicting interests, and asymmetrically influential stakeholders. Values-based practice (VBP) is a toolkit for balancing values in a democratic and inclusive way, so that every stakeholder feels a sense of ownership over the decision made. In VBP, the emphasis is on good process rather than on pre-determined 'correct' outcomes. Based on two case vignettes, we highlight the relevance of the ten principles of VBP for balancing different values to the satisfaction of those directly concerned, in a given decision-making process. In addition, we argue that the successful implementation of VBP in the complex area of brain health, as well as in other fields, is premised on higher order values (meta-values), beyond mutual respect and the legal, regulatory, and bioethical framework. These include mutual regard, reciprocity, autonomy, and an egalitarian attitude towards VBP procedures and involved stakeholders.

“Plaster solutions” – Providing support for children residing in emergency housing motels in Hamilton, Aotearoa New Zealand

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, motels have become increasingly used as sites for emergency accommodation in Aotearoa New Zealand. Consequently, children now reside in motel rooms intended for seven day emergency stays for much longer periods of time. Ten key-informant interviews were conducted with service providers supporting children residing in motels in the Waikato region. Thematic analysis generated five themes relating to child wellbeing: 1.) Living conditions, 2.) Physical and psychological safety, 3.) Inappropriateness of existing service models, 4.) Disjointed collaboration between service providers, and 5.) Imagining emergency motels as a “site to build strengths”. The findings suggest the motel environment restricted children’s access to nutrition, safe physical activity and health care. In addition, proximity to adult residents could increase exposure to adverse experiences. Participants suggested creative ways to collaborate and use motel facilities to build family strengths. However ultimately, long stays in emergency housing motels create an environment where systemic barriers to child health, development and education are likely to be entrenched rather than alleviated. Initiatives that significantly reduce the time children spend in motels, and appropriate support for children in these contexts are urgently required to prevent widening health inequities for the “motel generation”.

Challenges of Fieldwork Courses for Undergraduate Students in the Plantation Management Program at UiTM

Fieldwork is crucial in Plantation Management programs, bridging theory and practice. This study identifies various challenges of fieldwork courses and their impacts on undergraduate students' learning experiences in the Plantation Management Program at UiTM. Quantitative research via Google Forms surveyed 131 students. SPSS 28 analyzed data using descriptive, correlation, and regression methods. Findings highlight physical activity (µ=3.83), academic support (µ=3.90), and safety concerns (µ=3.89) as primary challenges. Correlation shows physical activity relates positively to career readiness (r (129) =.378, p=.001). This research informs administrators about challenges, aiding in solutions exploration. Future studies should focus on mitigating fieldwork challenges.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceptions (KAP) Of Parents Regarding Risks For Unintentional Childhood Injuries

Background: Unintentional Injuries in childhood can have long-term and short-term impacts on the child and family. As their nature is to be curious about their environment, children tend to have falls and accidents. Parents, being the main caregivers, are responsible for their physical safety. From a research point of view, in a low economic setting such as India, there is knowledge of the prevalence and type of injuries but not the parental perspective. This study attempts to understand the knowledge, perception, and attitude of parents toward the risks of unintentional injuries. Methodology: 191 mothers and 149 fathers completed a survey questionnaire; followed by a demographic and percentage analysis. Results: The current study found that the majority of fathers and mothers agree on similar components of Knowledge and Attitude. However, there was a significant difference in the perception of risk and hazard concerning the severity. Conclusion: This forms the basis for outlining customized programs to equip parents in assisting with the safety aspect of their children. The strengths and limitations are mentioned. The findings have domestic, social, and healthcare policy-level implications.

Positive Youth Development Approach to School Safety: A Comprehensive Conceptual Framework.

Youth violence, victimization, and bullying are pervasive in schools across the United States and are detrimental for learning and healthy development. K-12 school safety is an increasingly urgent issue to research and understand from multiple perspectives. Physical and psychological safety in school is linked to better student and school outcomes and is fundamental to fostering well-being and prosocial behavior. Despite research demonstrating positive outcomes associated with school safety, there is no comprehensive conceptual model in the literature that considers precursors, strategies, mechanisms, and outcomes of school safety together. The current paper presents an equity-centered comprehensive model of school safety, which is intended as a holistic representation of the multiple factors and pathways that contribute to school safety and positive youth development. This model can guide research and practice through an equity-centered and comprehensive approach. This model can enable practitioners, researchers, and policymakers to make informed decisions and reach consensus regarding planning and decisions related to reducing violence and establishing supportive school environments. Our model suggests that a comprehensive approach can ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff. By thinking ecologically, schools, communities, and stakeholders can ensure that all aspects of the school context are included in school safety.

A Novel “Well Baby Clinic Service” Mobile Application: User Requirement Assessment and App Development

Abstract Background Utilization of under 5 year old child health care services in Egypt is considered low, the highest proportion of well-baby visits is mainly for immunization in the first two years of age. Parents may rely upon the internet and mobile applications (apps) for support in handling day to day parenting situations. mHealth (Mobile Health) interventions have the potential to be a useful and low-cost way to disseminate information about proper nutrition, can be used to monitor children’s growth using the official charts of World Health Organization, also can help in accessing vaccine-related information and recommended immunization schedules. Objectives To assess needs and requirements for a new comprehensive well-baby clinic mobile app. Also, to develop a mobile app prototype covering all well baby clinic service components which are: Physical growth, Developmental milestones, Immunizations, Nutrition and Safety & emergency measures. Methods This work is done over two phases. In Exploratory phase, we assessed the need for the new app by performing bibliographic review of previous mHealth interventions in child-care field, market search of the available related apps and an online survey to assess the need and expectations of the new app. In preparatory phase, we developed the novel well baby clinic app that constituted all well baby clinic services for children’s health monitoring which are: Physical growth, Developmental milestones, Immunizations, Nutrition and Safety & emergency measures relying on evidence-based information and honoring data safety. Results 13 Arabic apps were downloaded and extracted for review. All of these apps (100%∼13/13) were in the form of written articles that offered no interactive features for parents. All offered general health education not tailored according to the status of the child. None of them were developed by a university or a certified health organization. Almost all of them (92.3%∼12/13) were commercial apps as they included ads. Our online survey on 374 mothers showed that almost all of them (97.5%) reported the need of a new app to regularly follow their children’s health. They also reported the need of nutrition, developmental milestones and physical growth services in the app. We developed “Sehhat Tefly” app constituting caregiver information, child sociodemographic characteristics and the 6 previously mentioned services, it also included health education videos and a conclusive report section. Conclusion After vigorous review of literature, market search and user requirement assessment, apps reviewed didn’t provide any comprehensive approach to well-baby clinic services on a scientific basis. Upon market requirement for child m-health, we developed “Sehhat Tefly” app. The full potential of this app is yet to be defined. Further studies are needed to assess accessibility and usability of the app and to explore difficulties and barriers faced by users in different services.

One of the Boys: On Researching the Far Right as a Woman

Although the far right has become more heterogenous in recent years, it remains predominantly a male-dominated environment, and a masculinist one. Indeed, it stands out from other political milieus with its explicit commitment to traditional gender roles, misogynistic rhetoric and/or anti-feminist views. What happens then when women researchers engage in close-up research to study this male-dominated environment? While issues related to gender relations and sexism during fieldwork concern all researchers identifying and presenting as women, male-dominated milieus, such as the far right, exacerbate this phenomenon. Drawing on 17 interviews with women researchers with experience of close-up research on the far right, this article investigates the challenges they face to ensure their emotional and physical safety and highlights the lack of guidance, support, and resources from institutions.

Evaluation of lithium tetra borate glass-ceramics: Structural, physical and radiation safety properties using experimental and theoretical methods

By using the standard melt quenching method, samples of lithium borate glass-ceramics with a composition of 40Li2B4O7 + xLi2O +(50-x)NiO+5Gd2O3 + 5BaTiO3 (x = 10 (C1), 20 (C2), 30 (C3), 40 (C4) and 50 (C5) wt%) have been manufactured. The structural and physical characteristics of the prepared C1–C5 samples have been investigated. Using an Ultra Ge detector and a 133Ba (3 Ci) radioisotope source as well as theoretically using EpiXS software, the radiation shielding competence of the C1–C5 samples were examined. The XRD analysis showed large crystal particle sizes were formed in the C1 sample, where the amount of NiO in its structure was maximum and the amount of Li2O was minimum. The change in the NiO/Li2O ratio caused the crystal particle size in the structure to decrease. Additionally, it was observed that the particle size increased in the C4 structure. In addition, the C3 and C5 structures became completely amorphous. This doping in the structure caused the crystal structure of C3 and C5 to deteriorate. While increasing the amount of NiO in the structure gave positive results up to a certain value, increasing the Li2O structure disrupted the crystal structure. A range of 2.91–4.51 g/cm3 was observed in the density of the synthesized C1, C2, C3, C4, and C5 samples. The dense C1 sample proved to have the largest mass-attenuation coefficient (MAC). The results obtained from experiments agree with the theoretical ones. There are no differences in the trends of the MAC and linear attenuation (LAC) coefficient. For each given energy, the half-value layer (HVL) organized as (HVL)C5 > (HVL)C4 > (HVL)C3 > (HVL)C2 > (HVL)C1. Results revealed that glass-ceramics are one source of materials that can be used for radiation shielding.

Child Abuse in Schools from the Perspective of Physical Education and Sports Teachers

The aim of this study is to reveal child abuse in schools from the perspectives of physical education and sports teachers and to provide suggestions for preventing abuse. Case study approach, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. The participants of the study consisted of 7 physical education and sports teachers. In this study, semi-structured interview was used as a data collection tool and the data obtained were analysed by content analysis method. As a result of the research, the opinions of physical education and sport teachers were grouped under four categories: types of abuse, signs of abuse, areas open to abuse and suggestions for preventing abuse. Types of abuse were divided into 4 subcategories as physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. The types of abuse were determined as hitting by the teacher, performance pressure, nicknaming the student, secretly watching, making fun of each other's bodies, ignoring the students' desire to participate in competitions, and neglecting their nutritional needs in tournaments. Symptoms of abuse include quitting the branch, temper tantrums, unkempt appearance, need for love and attention, withdrawal and desire to be alone. Areas open to abuse were identified as changing rooms, out-of-school activities, toilets, areas not seen by the camera, basements and empty classrooms. Suggestions for preventing abuse include educational programmes, physical environment safety and ensuring safety in sports activities. Teachers emphasised that university level courses should be added to increase child protection awareness in the field of sport and in-service trainings should be organised for existing educators.

Development and application of health-preserving training methods for ball exercises for young gymnasts aged 8-9

Background and Study Aim. In the context of modern requirements for rhythmic gymnastics training, special attention is given to the development of methodologies for mastering ball exercise techniques with consideration for the health of young gymnasts. The goal of this research is to create specialized exercise complexes that contribute to safe and effective training in ball handling techniques among girls aged 8-9 years, with a focus on their physical health safety." Materials and Methods. The study involved 20 young gymnasts aged 8-9 years, who were part of basic training groups. Over the course of five months (from January to May 2023), the gymnasts performed specially designed exercise complexes aimed at maintaining and improving their technique and physical condition. The girls executed the proposed exercise complexes twice a week (a total of 40 sessions). The effectiveness of the methodologies was assessed through pedagogical testing of the performance of key ball exercises. The following were selected as control exercises: a large roll-over across the hands and chest forward, a large roll-over across the hands and back, an 'eight' forward with a wheeling hand movement, a high throw and catch. All control exercises were performed with both the right and left hand and were evaluated on a 5-point scale. Results. The analysis of the results showed that the proposed methodologies significantly improve the performance of complex elements, such as rolls and ball throws. Progress in performing these elements with the left hand was especially notable. It was found that the greatest difficulties occur when performing sets of exercises with the ball, in particular, large rolls and high throws. The most significant improvement was observed in the scores for the "large roll-over forward with the left hand" test (at p<0.002) and the "figure eight" test with the left hand (at p<0.01). This confirms the effectiveness of specialized exercises in improving the technical preparation of gymnasts. Conclusions. The study confirmed the significance and effectiveness of the application of the developed exercise complexes in rhythmic gymnastics training. It is particularly noteworthy that the implementation of such methods contributes not only to the technical perfection of gymnasts but also to the strengthening of their health. This is an important aspect in the preparation of young gymnasts.

Optimalisasi Kuliah Perdana Dalam Upaya Pencegahan Perundungan Di Pendidikan Tinggi

Bullying in the Higher Education environment, also known as campus, has become an increasingly pressing issue in recent years. This phenomenon not only includes verbal and physical bullying but also reaches the digital dimension through cyberbullying. Students who are victims of bullying face a range of serious harms, including negative impacts on their emotional and mental well-being. These impacts can include increased levels of stress, anxiety and depression, which in turn can impair their academic performance and threaten long-term psychological health. In addition, bullying can also lead to significant social isolation and even jeopardise the physical safety of the victim in certain cases. The importance of creating a safe, supportive, and inclusive campus environment is crucial in effectively and preventively addressing this bullying issue. This socialisation was held in the inaugural lecture at Stifera Semarang online. Overall, the inaugural lecture on anti-bullying prevention is an important first step in shaping mindsets and practices that support a campus culture free from bullying. The inaugural lecture can be a platform to build a safe campus culture, where every member of the community is prepared to recognise, report, and prevent bullying.

Data Set and Benchmark (MedGPTEval) to Evaluate Responses From Large Language Models in Medicine: Evaluation Development and Validation.

Large language models (LLMs) have achieved great progress in natural language processing tasks and demonstrated the potential for use in clinical applications. Despite their capabilities, LLMs in the medical domain are prone to generating hallucinations (not fully reliable responses). Hallucinations in LLMs' responses create substantial risks, potentially threatening patients' physical safety. Thus, to perceive and prevent this safety risk, it is essential to evaluate LLMs in the medical domain and build a systematic evaluation. We developed a comprehensive evaluation system, MedGPTEval, composed of criteria, medical data sets in Chinese, and publicly available benchmarks. First, a set of evaluation criteria was designed based on a comprehensive literature review. Second, existing candidate criteria were optimized by using a Delphi method with 5 experts in medicine and engineering. Third, 3 clinical experts designed medical data sets to interact with LLMs. Finally, benchmarking experiments were conducted on the data sets. The responses generated by chatbots based on LLMs were recorded for blind evaluations by 5 licensed medical experts. The evaluation criteria that were obtained covered medical professional capabilities, social comprehensive capabilities, contextual capabilities, and computational robustness, with 16 detailed indicators. The medical data sets include 27 medical dialogues and 7 case reports in Chinese. Three chatbots were evaluated: ChatGPT by OpenAI; ERNIE Bot by Baidu, Inc; and Doctor PuJiang (Dr PJ) by Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. Dr PJ outperformed ChatGPT and ERNIE Bot in the multiple-turn medical dialogues and case report scenarios. Dr PJ also outperformed ChatGPT in the semantic consistency rate and complete error rate category, indicating better robustness. However, Dr PJ had slightly lower scores in medical professional capabilities compared with ChatGPT in the multiple-turn dialogue scenario. MedGPTEval provides comprehensive criteria to evaluate chatbots by LLMs in the medical domain, open-source data sets, and benchmarks assessing 3 LLMs. Experimental results demonstrate that Dr PJ outperforms ChatGPT and ERNIE Bot in social and professional contexts. Therefore, such an assessment system can be easily adopted by researchers in this community to augment an open-source data set.