Potential Workplace Research Articles

Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment for Sustainable Shipyard Floating Dock Operations: An Integrated Spherical Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process and Fuzzy CoCoSo Approach

Background: This study investigated the process of selecting sustainable safety protocols for floating dock operations in shipyards by identifying potential workplace risks in emergency situations. Thirteen occupational hazards for shipyard floating dock operations were identified through a literature review and expert discussions. Methods: We incorporated four risk elements (consequence: C, frequency: F, probability: P, and number of people at risk: NP) from the Fine–Kinney and Hazard Rating Number System (HRNS) approaches as the risk assessment criteria. We obtained the importance weights of the risk assessment criteria via the Spherical Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (SF-AHP) and extended the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) method within the fuzzy framework to prioritize occupational hazards. This study demonstrated the practicality and efficiency of the proposed emergency risk assessment model for shipyard floating dock operations through a case example of occupational risk assessment. Results: The analysis results show that H4 is the occupational hazard with the highest priority, with a score of 3.553. H4 represents the hazard associated with insufficient access to the entire pool area. The second and third most important hazards are the inability of cranes to move freely in and out of the berthing dock and the inability to dispatch emergency teams. These hazards, denoted H1 and H12, follow closely behind with scores of 3.391 and 3.344, respectively. H10 is deemed the least concerning hazard, with a score of 1.802. Conclusions: Professionals can handle complex and uncertain risk assessment data more flexibly using the proposed system, which excels in accurately organizing occupational hazards.

Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Goldsmiths of Suha Bazaar, Lahore, Pakistan

Background: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are prevalent across various industries, significantly affecting workers' health and productivity. The intricate and repetitive tasks in goldsmithing, a traditional craft, pose a high risk for the development of MSDs, particularly in regions like Suha Bazaar, Lahore, where ergonomic practices are often overlooked. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence and specific areas of musculoskeletal discomfort among goldsmiths in Suha Bazaar, Lahore, and to identify potential ergonomic and workplace modifications to mitigate these disorders. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted over six months, involving 122 professional goldsmiths selected through non-probability purposive sampling. Participants were aged 20 to 70 years, with at least three years of professional experience. Data were collected using the Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to evaluate musculoskeletal symptoms, with additional demographic and occupational information gathered. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25, focusing on descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Ethical approval was obtained, and all participants provided informed consent. Results: The study found that 40.2% of participants experienced discomfort in the upper back, 38.0% in the neck, and 27.9% in both shoulders. The average age of participants was 39.52 years (SD = 12.16), and the majority (86.9%) worked between 40-45 hours per week. Most participants (35.2%) had over 20 years of experience in the field. Conclusion: The high prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort in critical areas such as the upper back and neck among goldsmiths in Suha Bazaar indicates an urgent need for ergonomic interventions and workplace improvements. Implementing ergonomic solutions and training on proper posture could significantly enhance occupational health and productivity in this traditional craft. Keywords: Musculoskeletal Disorders, Goldsmiths, Ergonomics, Occupational Health, Modified Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, SPSS Analysis, Suha Bazaar, Lahore, Cross-Sectional Study.

Addressing the Issue of Potential Workplace Violence Events for Sonographers and Vascular Technologists

Workplace violence is considered the act or threat of violence, exemplified by verbal threats and or physical threats perpetrated to an employee in the workplace. As part of the ongoing survey research being conducted, workplace violence events (WVEs), specific to sonographers and vascular technologists, were explored. These threats were further categorized based on the four types of WVE proposed by the Injury Prevention Research Center in 2001. Qualitative analysis of this survey data and voluntary comments, provided by study participants, were identified as condescending behavior, and being bullied as major workplace concerns. Further qualitative assessment of the comments resulted in identifying the added risk of Customer/client (Type 2) and Worker-on-worker (Type 3) WVEs, which are considered forms of verbal abuse. This information needs to be considered by each sonographer and vascular technologist and whether it is an issue in their workplace. In addition, a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program is advocated to address workplace incivility and promote worker health, safety, and well-being. Providing annual training is not enough, as workers need to have policies and resources readily available to address WVEs when they occur. These policies and resources should specifically address WVEs perpetrated by patients and co-workers.

Employability Learning and Teaching Research: A Twenty Year Structured Narrative Review

Employability is a set of key personal attributes and transferable and discipline-specific skills considered essential for effective workplace performance; however, there are numerous perspectives about employability and how to develop it in higher education. Definitions and measurements of employability are influenced by factors such as government policy, requirements of employers, discipline norms and structural barriers. In the context of the Special Issue: 20-year JUTLP Review, this structured narrative review aimed to explore and understand employability to inform higher education learning and teaching practice. Forty-six articles published in the Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice were included, set in the context of 45 review articles on employability sourced from Scopus and ERIC databases and other selected literature. Several definitions of employability drew on existing employability frameworks and researchers’ evolving conceptions of employability within their disciplinary contexts. We propose a composite definition of employability based on the findings from this review: Employability is lifelong, evolving and complex, requiring adaptability and capabilities including knowledge, skills and attributes to obtain sustainable employment and resolve work ambiguities in challenging globalised, sociocultural and economic contexts. Higher education teaching practices, curriculum and assessment develop employability by developing discipline-specific alongside transferable knowledge, skills, attitudes, literacies, competencies, capacities and capabilities relevant to potential workplaces and aligned with employability attributes. Student-centred experiential learning models such as work-integrated learning, internships, industry experience, problem-based learning and reflection promote employability. Higher education also should promote career development competencies to enable students to showcase their skills, experiences, and attributes to employers through e-portfolios.

Unsafe Conditions Identification Using Social Networks in Power Plant Safety Reports

Power plants in Indonesia grapple with significant challenges in managing occupational health and safety. Power generation companies urgently need to reduce workplace accidents every year and need an application for reporting every potential workplace hazard. The huge reporting data in applications such as IZAT requires thorough analysis to find out the pattern and distribution. This research aims to facilitate the company in hazard mitigation by identifying reported unsafe conditions and building a semantic association network to understand the nature of unsafe conditions between Paiton and Indramayu generating units. The research method uses social network analysis, which is carried out by preprocessing the data using programming to remove noise and then converting the data into a readable format. Then, semantic relationships between words were analyzed, and the data was visualized using the ForceAtlas2 algorithm. The findings revealed a different focus between the two units, where 6.597 reports from the Paiton generating unit mainly highlighted team response and accident-prone workplace conditions, while 5.840 reports from the Indramayu unit emphasized specific conditions, locations, and equipment that pose accident risks

“I'm so stressed!”: The relational consequences of stress bragging

AbstractFeeling stressed is an unfortunately common experience among employees—and one with significant consequences for personal and professional well‐being. Yet, in addition to trying to manage high stress levels, some employees are actively bragging about it to others at work. Given the general negativity of stress, however, the idea of bragging about stress and its relational implications are unclear. To investigate this phenomenon, we introduce the concept of stress bragging and draw on person‐perception theorizing to examine its potential workplace consequences for both braggarts and their coworkers. In a combination of a lab experiment (Study 1) and a multi‐source field study (Study 2), we show that stress bragging has resoundingly negative implications for braggarts as they are evaluated as less competent and less warm by coworkers, reducing their receipt of citizenship behaviors. Additionally, in Study 2, we find that coworkers of stress braggarts also suffer by experiencing higher levels of burnout due to enhanced stress crossover effects. This research on stress bragging integrates and extends the literatures on stress and self‐promotion, while also providing insight into the relational ramifications of this unconventional behavior.

Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic among Healthcare Personnel in United Arab Emirates

Given the magnitude of the COVID-19 pandemic, adverse psychological outcomes are expected to occur among healthcare personnel (HCPs). However, little is known about these outcomes within Ras al Khaimah, UAE. This study aims to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare personnel from different hospitals and clinics in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), UAE. An online questionnaire was distributed to healthcare personnel within Ras al Khaimah, UAE, through an institutional email that enabled them to enroll in the study after giving informed consent. Likert scale was used to calculate the relation between demographic factors and 13 variables of psychological distress. An unpaired t-test was applied. This study shows that 31.7% of HCPs in RAK report moderate to high levels of anxiety due to concerns of potential workplace exposure, 41.6% are afraid of infecting their families and 13.1% find themselves feeling isolated from their families. Those who were younger than 45 years old, unmarried people and having more than two children were more likely to experience psychological distress than their counterparts. While the adverse psychological impact within this population is not as severe as what was noted in different populations in other countries, they must be addressed. It is important to ensure that HCPs have the appropriate physical and mental resources to persevere through similar stressful periods in the future.

Unleashing the Potential: Investigating the Empowering Effects of Field Trips on Autonomous English Learners’ Learning

Field trips have long been recognized as a significant component of educational endeavours. While students at the primary and secondary levels commonly engage in such activities, the integration of field trips into tertiary education remains infrequent. University studend who attend the English classes are seldom afforded the opportunity to directly observe authentic professional environments or explore potential workplaces related to their future careers, experiences that can be facilitated through field trips. Additionally, given the increasing emphasis on the internship program held by Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology, a gap arises as students are limited in their exposure to real-world work environments. The objective of this research endeavour was to investigate university students' perceptions of field trip activities and assess how these experiences contribute to the development of students' autonomous learning skills. Qualitative data for this study were collected through two questionnaires, a preparation and a reflection Google sheet. The participants consisted of 27 students enrolled in the International Relations Study Program at UPN Veteran Jakarta. The findings of the study revealed that field trips offer numerous benefits to English for Professional Purposes students, including enhancing their understanding of academic concepts, providing a deeper real-world context for learning, and fostering social interaction. The questionnaire results demonstrated a predominantly positive perception among the students. Furthermore, a majority of the participants reported engaging in autonomous learning activities during the field trip, facilitated by the opportunity to interact with industry professionals and seek their guidance through questioning.

Identifying employee, workplace and population characteristics associated with COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplace: a population-based study

ObjectivesTo identify risk factors that contribute to outbreaks of COVID-19 in the workplace and quantify their effect on outbreak risk.MethodsWe identified outbreaks of COVID-19 cases in the workplace and investigated...

Influence of materials and nozzle geometry on spray and placement behavior of wet-mix shotcrete

Shotcrete finds extensive applications in civil engineering, from repair and rehabilitation to new constructions. Nevertheless, shotcrete construction frequently suffers from placement issues, such as rebound and overshooting. These challenges can result in reduced operational efficiency, increased material wastage, diminished construction quality, and potential workplace hazards. It is worth noting that these placement issues are intrinsically linked to the spray characteristics of shotcrete. These characteristics are contingent upon various factors, including the material's flowability and viscosity, as well as the nozzle geometry. This research experimentally characterized the spray behavior of wet-mix shotcrete. High-speed cameras and image analysis techniques were utilized to capture and characterize wet-mix shotcrete on a full-scale spraying setup. The study experimentally determined the key placement performance parameters such as placement, rebound, and final build-up thickness and correlates the placement performance of shotcrete with the spray characteristics. The findings reveal that wider spray opening angles, smaller droplet sizes, and higher velocities contribute to improved material deposition, reduced rebound, and increased build-up thickness. The study also assesses the impact of nozzle geometry and rheology of the shotcrete mixture. Increased flowability led to slightly better spray behavior and placement. Higher material viscosity produced a more consistent spray which enhanced shotcrete performance. Multi-air jet guns, where compressed air directly contacts droplets, can enhance shotcrete spray efficiency.

Factors associated with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 and evaluation of a recruitment protocol among healthcare personnel in a COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness study.

The objective of this study was to determine factors associated with testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare personnel. Secondary objectives were to assess representativeness of recruited participants and the effectiveness of a multiple-contact protocol for recruiting healthcare personnel in this COVID-19 study. Survey study, conducted as part of an observational test-negative study of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness. University of Utah Health system, including both inpatient and outpatient facilities. Clinical and non-clinical healthcare personnel at University of Utah Health. 1456 were contacted and 503 (34.5%) completed the survey. Cases were all eligible employees testing positive for COVID-19, with 3:1 randomly selected, matched controls (test negative) selected weekly. Online survey. Significant differences in the demographics of participants and the source population were observed; e.g., nursing staff comprised 31.6% of participants but only 23.3% of the source population. The multiple-contact recruitment protocol increased participation by ten percentage points and ensured equal representation of controls. Potential exposure to illness outside of work was strongly predictive of testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 (OR = 3.74; 95% CI: 2.29, 6.11) whereas potential exposure at work was protective against testing positive (OR: 0.51, 95% CI: 0.29, 0.88). Carefully designed recruitment protocols increase participation and representation of controls, but bias in participant demographics still exists. The negative association between potential workplace exposure and positive test suggests testing bias in the test-negative design. Healthcare personnel's potential exposures to COVID-19 outside of the workplace are important predictors of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity.

Pneumoconiosis and Silicosis: Recent Trend and Public Health Responses

Pneumoconiosis, a collective term for lung diseases resulting from the inhalation of specific dusts, presents significant global public health and economic challenges1. This is particularly prevalent in traditional sectors like mining and metal industries, and emerging industries such as nuclear fuel processing. Notably, nations like China and India have over 20 million workers at risk. While awareness around pneumoconiosis has been prevalent for decades, its status as a leading occupational disease, especially in regions like China, indicates a deficiency in current mitigation policies. This essay delves into the present diagnostic and treatment measures for pneumoconiosis, its prevention strategies, worldwide trends, and the existing policies from governmental and private entities, highlighting areas for enhancement. The global resurgence of pneumoconiosis underscores the pressing need for a thorough reassessment of workplace regulations and the creation of novel standards tailored to emergent industries. Comprehensive research aimed at identifying air pollutants and associated risks in new industry workspaces is imperative. Collaborative endeavors from governmental and private sectors should focus on enhanced protective gear, workplace safety education, and comprehensive medical insurance. Innovative strategies, like forecasting potential workplace pollutants, can bridge the gap between policy enforcement and safety measures, aiming to reduce the influence of this incapacitating ailment.

Workplace Stressors, Employee Welfare, and Productivity

This study was about the delicate balance between employee well-being and organizational productivity. On the one hand, if work demand was too high, employees would be too stressed, and organizational productivity would be affected. On the other hand, if a workplace is too relaxed, the business may not survive. An optimal combination of employee well-being and organizational productivity had to be addressed in equal terms. The method used to identify potential workplace stressors was qualitative in as much as it made use of observations and interviews with informants. The method used to determine levels of workplace stressor experience of employees was descriptive-quantitative. This study made use of employee work stressor experience as leverage to highlight its dynamics with employee welfare and organizational productivity. Work stressors in the context of a fast-food establishment were identified. Employees were given survey questionnaires to determine the levels of workplace stressor experience. One-way ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the difference between workplace stressors, and subsequently, areas of intervention were identified. The conclusions were the following. Role conflict, role ambiguity, work overload, working conditions, and workplace relationships were identified as potential workplace stressors based on fast-food operations and settings. Identified workplace stressors were experienced by employees at varying levels. There was a significant difference between workplace stressors. Interventions were to include all identified stressors beginning with the most prevalent, work overload. Areas of intervention included social and organizational support, employee stress-coping attitudes and skills, work performance abilities, and work-life balance.

Drawing as thinking through: students’ use of collaborative drawing to examine ‘problemical’ situations

ABSTRACT Collaborative drawing is a multimodal approach to examining problems within small groups of individuals when the perspectives of multiple stakeholders should be considered. Collaborative drawing can be useful for helping students visualize and analyze a challenging problem from different world views and provide opportunities to confront, discuss, and identify potential resolutions. Rich Pictures (RPs), the artifacts created through collaborative drawing, were used in two fourth-year undergraduate internship classes (n = 48) to prompt student discussion about potential workplace dilemmas and provide a site for reflecting on professional challenges. Students used graphic objects, icons, and stick figures or ‘actors’ playing distinct roles, to map out a problematic workplace scenario. The RPs created by the students illustrated the emotional complexities inherent in complex problems through spatial organization, commonly used symbols and emojis, and narrative vignettes. The RPs provided a space for students to surface their emotional responses to the problem scenarios, examine the inherent power dispositions, and illustrate the nuanced and complex perspectives to consider in professional environments. The findings contribute insight on multimodal strategies for facilitating opportunities for students to develop their professional identities, and present innovative methodologies for researchers in Higher Education to study that development.

Mothers' Willingness to Use Workplace Lactation Supports: Evidence from Formally Employed Mothers in Central Kenya

BackgroundFormally employed mothers are vulnerable to early cessation of exclusive breastfeeding. Kenyan national policy requires employer-provided maternity benefits and workplace lactation supports. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to evaluate willingness to use nationally mandated workplace lactation supports among formally employed women in Kenya. MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey among 304 mothers of children ages ≤12 mo in Naivasha, Kenya, who were currently formally employed and employed before delivery of the most recent child to assess availability of and willingness to use current and potential future workplace lactation supports. ResultsThe most available reported workplace lactation supports were schedule flexibility to arrive late or leave early (87.8%) or visit a child to nurse during lunch (24.7%), followed by company-funded community-based daycare (7.6%). Few (<4.0%) reported the availability of lactation rooms, on-site daycares, transportation to breastfeed during lunch, refrigerators for expressed milk, or manual or electric breastmilk pumps. If made available, >80% of mothers reported moderate or strong willingness to use flexible schedules to arrive late or leave early, break during lunch, and transportation to visit a child to nurse. A moderate proportion reported strong willingness to use on-site daycares (63.8%), company-funded community-based daycare (56.9%), on-site lactation rooms (60.5%), refrigeration for expressed milk (49.3%), manual (40.5%), and electric pumps (27.6%). Mothers expressed fear of missing production targets and reported more willingness to use on-site compared with off-site daycare to save transportation time but noted concerns about chemical exposures and early arrival times with young infants. Hesitations regarding the use of on-site lactation rooms included concerns about privacy, milk identification and storage, and use and sharing of pumps. ConclusionsFlexible schedules were the workplace lactation supports in highest demand among formally employed mothers. Maternal willingness to use lactation rooms, refrigeration, and pumping equipment was moderate to low, suggesting sensitization may help to increase demand as the implementation of Kenyan policies moves forward.

Differences in Child Language Assessment Practices Between School-Based and Non-School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists: Results From a Nationwide Survey.

The purpose of this study was to compare child language assessment practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) working in school and nonschool settings to determine if their place of employment impacts the diagnostic decision-making process. School-based SLPs (e.g., direct service providers employed in preschool and/or K-12 schools; n = 382) and non-school-based SLPs (e.g., direct service providers employed in private practices, university clinics, and/or medical settings; n = 147) completed a web-based questionnaire. The questionnaire examined the types, frequency, and perceived importance of specific assessment tools and potential workplace factors that may impact their diagnostic decision-making process. Both school-based and non-school-based SLPs reported using a combination of assessment tools when evaluating children with potential language disorders. School-based SLPs tended to rank the frequency of use and importance of most assessment tools similarly, while non-school-based SLPs ranked interviews as the most frequently used and most important assessment tool. Statistically significant group differences indicated that school-based SLPs ranked the frequency of use and importance of standardized testing higher compared to their non-school-based counterparts. Also, school-based SLPs rated employment-based factors impacting diagnostic decision making higher compared to non-school-based SLPs. SLPs practicing in school-based settings seem to handle more employment-based factors that impact independent diagnostic decision making than SLPs working in different employment settings when assessing children for potential language disorders. Clinical recommendations are provided, and implications for implementation-based assessment research in child language are discussed.

Acute myocardial infarctions identified in the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System: A linkage of worker's compensation and provincial health data.

The purpose of this study was to identify jobs and industries that may be associated with increased or decreased risk of myocardial infarction. We linked provincial health care data with Workers Compensation Board (WCB) of Manitoba claims data to create the Manitoba Occupational Disease Surveillance System (MODSS). Workers were eligible for inclusion in this study if their WCB claim listed an occupation, their claim could be linked to health data, they had an accepted non-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compensation time loss claim and were free of a recent (<1 year) AMI diagnosis at the start of disease follow-up. AMI cases were identified as the most-responsible diagnosis in the hospitalization file (ICD-9 410 or ICD-10 I20). Cases were included if they occurred after the WCB record injury date until end of coverage, either through moving out of province, reaching age 65, death, or the end of the study period (March 1, 2020). We identified 1880 incident AMIs amongst 150,022 claims recorded in the MODSS (1.25%). A number of industries and occupations were found to have higher and lower AMI rates. Care providers and educational, legal, and public protection support occupations had a lower hazard ratio (HR; 0.64; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.44-0.92) compared to the overall cohort. Female chefs and cooks, and male butchers and bakers had elevated AMI HRs. Both male and female transport and heavy equipment operators and related maintenance occupations had increased HRs (1.48; 95% CI: 1.30-1.67). Often male and female workers employed in the same occupations had congruent AMI risks, but this was not always the case. The linkage of a WCB data set with provincial health claims data led to the identification of a number of occupations with elevated risks of AMI in Manitoba. This was most notable in the transportation industry. Identifying work areas with increased risk of AMIs could lead to targeted educational efforts and potential workplace modifications to lower this risk.

Relationship Between Physician Burnout and Workplace Specific Stressors: The Loss of Positive Perception

To evaluate relationships between physician-reported workplace burnout and ratings of potential workplace stressors. A voluntary survey on workplace burnout was conducted by physicians at a university-affiliated tertiary care medical center including the work-related domain of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, no/little burnout (considered non-burnout): <50 points and moderate-to-severe burnout: >50 points, General Self-Efficacy Scale: (0-40 points), Insomnia Severity Index (0-28), Perceived Stress Scale (0-40), and questionnaire of 19 potential workplace stressors by 5-point Likert scale from strongly negative to very positive. Analysis was performed with the χ2 and Student t-test. Ninety (78%) respondents completed all components. Workplace burnout occurred in 54 (60%) respondents. General Self-Efficacy Scale was lower in those with burnout (31.3 vs 33.5; P = .008), whereas Insomnia Severity Index and Perceived Stress Scale were higher (9.8 vs 5.7; P < .001, 21.9 vs 20.3; P = .024, respectively). Electronic medical records (EMRs), billing, and delays were viewed as negative stressors for all-comers (burnout vs non-burnout): EMR (81% vs 64%; P = .19), billing (61% vs 47%; P = .25), and delays (86% vs 76%; P = .32), respectively. The ability to complete work was also a negative stressor but significantly more prevalent with concomitant burnout (55% vs 22%; P = .005). Positive factors identified by both groups included clinical decision-making (80% vs 83%; P = .053) and patient interaction (57% vs 69%; P = .06). Staff/peer relationships (P = .029) and team communication (P = .014) were viewed as positive factors by both, but significantly more in those without burnout (Table). Both groups rated clinical work volume (P = .40), adequate staff (P = .66), hospital mandates (P = .75), and insurers (P = .82) in top 5 workplace stressors. Physicians possess high self-efficacy. Still, workplace burnout is common and associated with higher stress levels, sleep dissatisfaction, and lower self-efficacy. Billing, delays, EMR, support staff, and hospital mandates are negative stressors regardless of burnout status. Physician perception regarding inability to complete work may indicate progression toward burnout. Otherwise, burnout is characterized by subtle loss of positivity particularly relationships and communication rather than overt pessimism and may go unrecognized. This underscores the need for early detection and intervention to prevent burnout and promote physician well-being.TableDifferences in perception of workplace factors by burnout statusVery negativeNegativeNeutralPositiveVery positiveP valueNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutNon-burnoutBurnoutStaff/Peer relations3661519295341199.029Team communication0261119285355224.014Scheduling procedures03108376423153010.029Hospital discharge381825495924662.026Completing work3231932392731989.005Patient unit proximity069643653715118.042Data are presented as percentage.Boldface P values represent significance P < .05. Open table in a new tab

103 ‘Remote Workplaces’ – How Wirelessly Connected Wearable Monitoring Devices Provide Insight and Context to the Occupational Hygienist on Potential Workplace Exposures

Abstract Over the past decade wearable devices have been popular amongst the wider population, particularly within the domestic fitness market. Manufacturers of occupational hygiene monitoring equipment have recently released wirelessly enabled wearable instruments designed for the industrial workforce that can provide data in real-time from local or remote workplaces. These instruments include portable gas detectors, heat stress monitors, noise dosimeters and hand arm vibration monitors. Occupational hygienists may be responsible for a company that has multiple sites often widely scattered, nationally and internationally. In their role they may be required to fly offshore to visit platforms in the oil and gas sector or drive long distances to reach isolated mine sites. The costs and additional travel risks can be considerable. Additionally, any interruptions in monitoring personal exposures on site may render the trip unsuccessful. Wearable instruments allow the occupational hygienist to detect change in a remote workplace in real-time, alerting the wearer and hygienist to an issue that needs to be addressed, enabling mitigation to take place in a timely manner. Furthermore, receiving instant access to sensor data allows determination of the correct response to unique, uncommon or unplanned maintenance activities that would be difficult to capture. This paper will review some of these monitoring devices, associated software and data outputs. Other technology currently available to the occupational hygienists to monitor for workplace hazards at remote worksites will also be addressed including: Their suitability for exposure assessments, use to evaluate controls, their limitations, and their long-term viability as a tool in the hygienist’s toolbox.

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.