Previous Workplace Research Articles

When Do Customer Contact Employees Satisfy Customers?

Previous service workplace research has indicated the impact of supportive supervisors, teams, other departments, and technology on employee satisfaction and organizational commitment. These variables in turn have been shown to influence customer contact employee behavior and customer satisfaction. In this article, the authors explore how these variables relate to employees’ capacity to satisfy customers. Using a structural equation modeling methodology, the authors found that in terms of direct effects on employees’ capacity to satisfy customers, some variables (e.g., other department support) were more important than others (e.g., technology). Some variables (e.g., other department support) had a direct effect on employees’ capacity to satisfy customers, some had a mediated effect (e.g., supervisor support), and some had both a direct and mediated effect (e.g., technology). The capacity of employees to satisfy customers is strongly dependent on a set of mutually supportive variables.

Non-fatal work related injuries in a cohort of Brazilian steelworkers

OBJECTIVESWorkers in the steel industry are exposed to various severe hazards. This study investigated risk factors for non-fatal injury occurring in the workplace and during travel to and from work...

Occupational allergic contact dermatitis from 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate in a modified acrylic structural adhesive

Acrylates have a broad area of application in various products including glues, sealants and adhesives. Whereas anaerobic acrylic sealants are well-known sensitizers, acrylate glues that cure in air have only seldom been reported as allergens. Here a patient sensitized to such a glue, and developing hand dermatitis that spread to the lower arms, chest, neck and face, is presented. Her glue was analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and contained 24.6% 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA) and 0.4% ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA). These 2 acrylate compounds, as well as her glue, provoked an allergic patch test reaction. Also many other acrylate compounds, e.g., tetrahydrofurfuryl methacrylate, gave an allergic reaction indicating cross-allergy. The patient could not continue in her previous workplace because of severely relapsing skin symptoms.

Thorium Lung Burdens of Mineral Sands Workers

Thorium lung burdens have been measured in workers in the dry separation plants operated by the mineral sands industry in Western Australia. The data have been compared with historical employment records of the worker's exposure to thorium-bearing airborne dusts in order to assess the reliability of personal air sampling and with the predictions of the new Task Group lung model. The thoron exhaled in the breath of 62 workers was measured using a double filter tube. Six of the workers also underwent in-vivo gamma counting to determine their thorium lung burden. A thoron exhalation rate of 4.7% was obtained from a comparison of the two data sets. The estimated thorium lung burdens from the thoron-in-breath measurements had a geometric mean value of 10 Bq. The workers had a geometric mean employment period in the industry of 9.2 y and a geometric mean total inhaled alpha activity of 9,000 Bq, estimated from contemporary personal air sampling data and a retrospective assessment of previous workplace conditions. This exposure corresponds to a mean daily intake of 232Th of 0.45 Bq. Predictions from the new Task Group lung model indicate that, for the 45 workers with a thorium lung burden in excess of the minimum detectable level (6 Bq), the daily intake of 232Th is a factor of 1.6 higher than expected. This result suggests that previous intake of radioactive dust was higher than generally assumed for some workers. The application of the new Task Group lung models to the bioassay data results in an estimated mean annual committed effective dose for the workers of 8 mSv. Two workers (3%) were found to have been exposed for many years in excess of the 50 mSv y-1 annual limit for occupational exposure, while eight workers (13%) exceeded the ICRP's proposed new occupational standard of an average of 20 mSv y-1. All eight had been employed for more than 6 y and the majority of their exposure was attributed to early employment years, prior to extensive workplace improvements in dust control.

Analysis and improvement of work postures in the building industry: application of the computerised OWAS method

Awkward work posture is associated with the development of musculo-skeletal disorders. Previous workplace investigations in new building construction have shown that physical work affects workers' health in 46% of jobs. There is, however, a need for detailed analysis of jobs having physical workload and ergonomics problems. OWAS (Ovako Working Posture Analysing System) is a simple observation method for postural analysis, but there has been no study of its use in the building construction industry. The work described here examined (a) the use of the OWAS method to analyse work postures in building construction, (b) the development of a portable computer system for the OWAS method, (c) improvement of work postures identified as poor, and (d) use of the results as part of the ergonomics training programme of the company. Suggestions for work redesign measures are given.

Respiratory health status of 3098 Canadian grain workers studied longitudinally

Analyses of data on 3098 male individuals surveyed twice by the Labour Canada Medical Surveillance Program for the Grain Industry are presented. The program collects information on respiratory symptoms, job description, and smoking habits of these workers. In addition, each worker performs pulmonary function tests obtainable through spirometry. Chronic sputum production and chronic wheezing were more prevalent during the latest testing period (rising to 17 percent and 13%, respectively), while the prevalence of chronic cough (16%) and dyspnea (10%) did not change significantly. Eighty-two percent of these workers, in each time cycle, had normal pulmonary function despite an additional 3 years of work exposure. In each cycle, obstructive dysfunction (less than or equal to 12% of workers) was more prevalent than restrictive dysfunction (less than or equal to 5%) or combined obstructive/restrictive dysfunction (less than or equal to 2.4%). It is unknown unknown whether this demonstrated dysfunction is due to previous workplace exposure, as Labour Canada and the Canadian grain industry have cooperated in lowering the grain dust levels found in grain elevators and terminals. In addition, the prevalence of current cigarette smoking has declined. (decreases 5%) among these grain handlers, and there is suggestive evidence that those continuing to smoke have reduced their consumption (mean pack-years changed only from 15.3 to 17.4). Knowledge of environmental dangers and educational programs have contributed to these encouraging results.

Transport changes generated by decentralized offices

Daniels P. W. (1972) Transport changes generated by decentralized offices, Reg. Studies 6, 273–289. Changes in the journey-to-work represent one of the most tangible consequences of office relocation from Central London. A sample of decentralized offices from throughout the United Kingdom is used to examine, in the first instance, the role of transport factors and potential staff travel problems in office location. This is followed by an examination of the spatial attributes of the changes in travel mode for the present compared with the previous journey-to-work of employees and these are related to socio-economic factors such as occupation, car ownership and previous workplace. The relationship between the distance moved by offices and the ratio of private to public transport trips at individual offices is also considered along with the influence of trip length and a measure of trip-making efficiency, the friction coefficient, on modal choice. The need to evaluate the findings in terms of community costs versus social benefits is stressed. Only then will it be possible to properly assess the value of office decentralization.