Occupational Health Provision Research Articles

Impact of European Law on Occupational Health and Safety Provisions

Impact of European Law on Occupational Health and Safety Provisions

Work environment adversity and non-communicable Disease risk among drivers working for application-based-cab-aggregators in an Indian metropolis

BackgroundBengaluru, a metropolis in Southern India, is one of the largest markets for cab aggregator companies. Drivers working for these companies play a vital role in urban transportation but unlike other drivers, their work pattern is stressful, which could increase their proneness to NCD risk factors. Understanding associations between work environment adversity and NCD risk factors among these drivers will help to plan specific health promotion and NCD prevention programs including provision of basic occupational health services.ObjectivesThe study aims to test for an association between work environment adversity and selected Non-communicable Disease (NCD) risk factors among Application Cab Aggregator drivers in Bengaluru city and to estimate the prevalence of selected NCD risk factors among the ABCA drivers.MethodologyThis cross-sectional study was conducted in Bengaluru city among 340 eligible and consenting ABCA drivers with at least one-year experience. Drivers were recruited through a multi-stage sampling procedure and time-period sampling, from transportation and leisure zones in the city. Data was collected through interviews using specifically developed semi-structured tools to assess work environment adversity and NCD risk factors. Prevalence of NCD risk factors is presented per 100 drivers with 95% confidence intervals. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted to quantify the strength of the association between work environment adversity categories and NCD risk factors. Ethical clearance was obtained from the NIMHANS Ethics Committee.ResultsNearly 97% of the 340 drivers reported having one or more NCD risk factors. Working more than 5 days a week, more than 7 + hours a day, staying away from family, and working night shifts were closely associated with higher risk for NCD risk factors among ABCA drivers. Drivers with work environment adversity scores between 5 and 10 were associated with higher odds of Physical Inactivity (OR = 3.1), Unhealthy diets (OR = 1.62), and Tobacco Use (OR = 3.06).ConclusionThe study highlights the association between work environment adversity and NCD risk factors and indicates a dire need for NCD prevention programs, basic occupational health services, and social security provisions for ABCA cab drivers.

Knowledge and Preventive Measures of Occupational Hazards among the Workers Working in Different, Factories, Industries and Health Care Settings: A Review

An occupational health hazard is described as a possible harm to a person’s health after leaving a toxic workplace, which is a serious public health concern. The most frequent risks in their workplace include eye fatigue, eye pain, neck injuries, musculoskeletal issues, stress, professional burnout, anxiety, depression, and some common psychological hazards that might arise during dental treatment. A total eight numbers of relevant original descriptive (cross-sectional) studies of the recent five years restated to knowledge and preventive measures of occupational hazards among the workers working in different, factories, industries, and healthcare settings were selected for this present review. The knowledge of the employees regarding occupational hazards is very important for the provision and establishment of occupational health and safety measures.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and quality of life assessment among garment workers in Tiruppur district, Tamil Nadu

Objectives. The garment industry is a labour-intensive industry, with workers susceptible to musculoskeletal problems, especially those employed in smaller units that lack adequate occupational health provisions. This study aims to determine the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among workers in both large and small garment units and assess their quality of life (QoL). Methods. The study surveyed 746 garment workers, comprising 372 from large units and 374 from small units. Data were collected through the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire, with posture analysis conducted using the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and rapid entire body assessment (REBA) scales. Results. The results showed that 32% of workers in large-scale garment units and 43.9% in small-scale garment units reported musculoskeletal symptoms. The occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) was significantly associated with increasing age, smoking, alcohol consumption, job duration, working in shifts and moonlighting. Conclusion. The workers in the garment industry, particularly of small units, are highly susceptible to WMSDs.

Pengaruh Keselamatan dan Kesehatan Kerja (K3) Terhadap Kinerja Karyawan: Narrative Literature Review

Abstract - Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency, the number of the Indonesian labor force was recorded at 144.01 million people in February 2022. Supported by a large number of potential human resources, an organization or company can certainly operate effectively and efficiently supported by the role of employees. Employees who work also have the right to Occupational Safety and Health which in its implementation is based on legislation. However, in reality, the number of work accidents in Indonesia is still relatively high and tends to increase. This research aims to find out how influential occupational safety and health are on employee performance for the company. The research method this time is a qualitative research method presented in the form of a narrative literature review. It was found that good employee performance in a company can have a positive impact on the company as a whole. The safety and protection factor at work is one of the keys to improving employee performance. So that the company makes various efforts in realizing protection for employees, one of which is through the provision of Occupational Safety and Health.
 
 Kata Kunci: Employee performance, Occupational health, and saf

"Blood lead level among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries: Systematic review and meta-analysis".

IntroductionLead is one of the most health-hazardous causes of acute and chronic poisoning at workplaces. A limited study was conducted on the blood lead concentration among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries. Therefore, this study will improve workplace health and safety conditions of workers in this sector and serve as baseline data for further studies in this segment of the working setup.ObjectiveThis review aims to identify the pooled mean blood lead level among battery factory workers in low and middle-income countries.MethodsThe search methods considered the following electronic bibliographic databases: google scholar, PubMed, and other gray literature. A funnel plot and Begg test were used to see the publication bias. The heterogeneity of studies was checked using I-square statistics with a cut of point 75% and the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality assessment tool was applied to ensure the quality of the included articles. A random-effect model was applied to pool the blood lead level intoxication. The sub-group analysis and Meta-regression analysis were conducted by country and year of publication to control heterogeneity and to show variation. We included the articles published from 2000 to 2021 year in the English language.ResultsThrough the search strategies, 135 articles were identified and 43 full-text articles were selected for evaluation, and finally, eighteen (18) articles fit the inclusion criteria. From the 18 studies included in the meta-analysis, the mean pooled blood lead level of workers was 37.996 μg/dl (95% CI: 30.680–45.312) which is higher than the threshold limit value set by American conference of governmental industrial hygienists (20 μg/dl). In subgroup analysis by year in the random effect model, the pooled mean of blood lead level from 2006 to 2011= 43.20 μg/dL (35.91–50.50), 2012–2015 = 37.78 μg/dl (25.23–50.29), and 2016–2020 = 36.53 μg/dl (19.44–53.62).ConclusionsThis review showed that the pooled mean blood lead level of workers exposed to lead battery factories was (37.996 μg/dl) which is above the threshold limit value (20 μg/dl). Therefore, attention should be given by employers, government, and researchers to improve the health of working populations exposed to lead exposure in low and middle-income countries through the provision of occupational health and safety services like periodical medical checkups, treatments, and provision of training and adequate and appropriate personal protective equipment.Systematic review registration: Identifier: CRD42022322827.

Clinical psychologists’ well-being and experiences of home working during COVID-19

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to explore the well-being and experiences of working from home (WFH) for psychology staff across a range of specialties working within one health board in Scotland during the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 161 clinical psychology professionals took part in an online survey that explored experiences of WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic and assessed well-being during this period.FindingsA number of challenges with WFH were identified, including challenges with carrying out clinical work (e.g. communication difficulties, risk assessment) and fewer opportunities for collaborative working and technical/equipment issues. During the WFH period, 46% experienced fatigue, 45% felt stressed and anxious and 30% felt lonely and isolated, compared to normal. Physical health complaints were also common with 37% experiencing aches/pains in back compared to normal and 40% experiencing headaches or migraines.Practical implicationsRemote therapy should be directed to those with less complex needs or who require straightforward assessments. There should be increased access to occupational health assessments and provision of ergonomic furniture when WFH, and all staff should be supported to access well-being resources available within the health board. Further evaluation should be carried out to support evidence-based practice of remote clinical work.Originality/valueFew studies have explored the experiences of WFH and/or remotely from the perspectives of clinical psychologists in a Scottish health board. It is expected that this way of working will continue, albeit to a smaller extent; therefore, WFH policy will be informed by the findings.

Risk Factors Associated with Occupational Injuries Among Motor Vehicle Repair Workers: A Case Study of Kigandaini Juakali Sector Thika, Kenya

Aim: The study aimed to determine the associated factors for occupational injuries at Kigandaini Juakali sector, Thika town, Kenya
 Method: An occupational injury refers to a physical injury that a worker encounters while working, they include body cuts, burns, body punctures, and body abrasions. An analytical cross-sectional study design was applied. A stratified random sampling method was applied to recruit 260 respondents. Both qualitative and quantitative techniques of data collection were applied, whereby a semi-structured questionnaire, KII, and FGDs were used to collect data. To enhance data quality, Cronbach’s alpha was applied for quantitative data while word cloud was used for qualitative data. Chi-square and logistic regression were applied to determine the degree of association between occupational injuries and associated risk factors.
 Results: The annual prevalence rate of work-related injuries was (43.5%) and (39.8%) for the past two weeks. Body cuts at 78.8% were the most reported injuries. PPEs in suitable working condition (OR=39, 95%CI=12.73-119.66), whether PPEs were worn properly (OR=59, 95%CI=16.94-209.84), provision of occupational health and safety information (OR=2.5, 95%CI=1.23-5.28), Use of PPEs (OR=8.1, 95%CI=0.037-0.42), presence of safety information boards(OR=3, 95%CI=1.08-8.08) reduced the odds of work-related injuries while poor working condition (OR=2.5, 95%CI=0.19-0.85) increased the odds of having a work-related injury.
 Conclusion: The study reported a high prevalence of occupational injuries among motor vehicle repair workers. Poor working conditions increased the odds of having an occupational injury while the provision of occupational safety information, presence of safety boards, proper wearing of protective gears, use of full protective gears, use of protective gears in good working condition, and good perception on mandatory use PPEs reduced the odds of having an occupational injury. There is need to safeguard the necessary safety measure which will result to a safer working environment.

Exploring the relationships between safety and maintenance in the cold generation process: insights from the functional resonance analysis method

Industrial refrigeration systems typically use ammonia as a refrigerant gas, which is a toxic gas so leaks can be catastrophic. This study aimed to identify how to improve robustness in a cold generation process using the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM). A case study was conducted through interviews and direct observations to develop three FRAM models: one focusing on operation and maintenance functions; another focusing on functions related to the provision of occupational health and safety (OHS) measures; and a third overlapping the first two models. Results revealed that the management of OHS is restricted to the legislation applied to piping under pressure, and the company did not consider a more comprehensive safety approach for the ammonia storage stage. This study also highlighted the need for action, such as non-destructive and penetrating liquid tests, in one of the process steps considered critical for operation and maintenance, but not for OHS.

Contribution of ICOH to Address the Different OSH Needs among Countries: Results of a Survey.

The aim of this study is to map the coverage of occupational safety and health (OSH) rules and provisions and their enforcement at a country level worldwide. Members’ participation in the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) activities was also investigated. We used a questionnaire-based survey to collect data. An online questionnaire was administered from February 14 to March 18, 2018 to all ICOH members for the triennium 2015 to 2017 (n = 1929). We received 384 completed questionnaires from 79 countries, with a 20% response rate. To synthesize information about the coverage of OSH rules and provisions and their level of enforcement, a synthetic coverage index was calculated and combined with country, gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and the human development index (HDI). We used multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to analyze the members’ participation in ICOH activities. More than 90.0% of the sample declared that in their own country there is a set of rules and provisions regulating OSH in the workplace, and training procedures and tools to improve workers’ awareness. However, these rules and training procedures are mainly “partially” enforced and utilized (39.0% and 45.4%). There was no statistically significant association between country and GDP per capita and the synthetic coverage index, whilst controlling for HDI. The level of engagement in ICOH activities is higher in senior members (aged 65 years or older), coming from high-income countries, having held a position within ICOH, with a higher level of education and a researcher position. An integrated and multidisciplinary approach, which includes research, education and training, is needed to address OSH issues and their impact both at global and country level.

The Role of Occupational Health Services in Psychosocial Risk Management and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-Being at Work.

The development and enhancement of occupational health services (OHS) at the national level is central to ensuring the sustainable health, well-being and work engagement of the working population. However, due to differences in national health, social security and occupational safety and health systems, the content, capacity, coverage and provisions of OHS vary considerably across national contexts. Obtaining a better understanding in terms of such similarities and variations internationally is essential as such comparative information can help inform evidenced-based decision-making on OHS at both policy and practice levels. This paper therefore reviews and analyses the key policies, standards and approaches in OH systems and services, using both academic and grey literature, across 12 industrialised countries (Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, United Kingdom and the United States of America). It provides a detailed overview and categorization of OHS in these selected countries in terms of the legal and policy context, organisation and financing and coverage and staffing while specifically discussing variations aimed at psychosocial risk management and the promotion of mental health and well-being at work. It draws conclusions on key development needs of OHS internationally to ensure psychosocial risk management and mental health promotion are prioritised effectively in a preventive manner.

Childhood care and abuse in firefighters assessed for mental ill-health following the Fort McMurray fire of May 2016.

• All of the firefighters reporting sexual abuse had at least one mental disorder. • A same-age childhood confidant was protective for anxiety, depression and PTSD. • Parents’ use of physical punishment related to substance use disorders and PTSD. • PTSD related to both childhood experiences and events during and since the fire. • Treatment of mental disorders in firefighters should address this complex etiology. We aimed to determine the relationship between childhood abuse and mental ill-health in firefighters deployed to a devastating fire that engulfed Fort McMurray A stratified sample of 282 firefighters was selected from a cohort of 1234 for assessment by Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) for DSM-5 diagnostic criteria and the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse questionnaire (CECA-Q). Diagnoses were grouped as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, depressive disorders and substance use disorders. Scales extracted from the CECA-Q included parental loss, antipathy, neglect, physical punishment, sexual abuse and support from a same-age confidant. The relation to diagnostic group was examined by multivariable logistic regression 192 SCID interviews and 188 CECA-Qs were completed: 124 met DSM-5 criteria for diagnoses including anxiety disorder (56), depressive disorder (54), PTSD (77) and substance use disorder (43). Childhood sexual abuse was reported by 24 firefighters all of whom met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Sexual abuse and a childhood confidant differentiated diagnoses in an initial multivariable model of those with psychiatric disorders. Compared to those without a psychiatric diagnosis, father's antipathy was related to anxiety and substance use, physical punishment to PTSD and substance use. A childhood same-age confidant protected against anxiety, depression and PTSD. Fire exposures related only to PTSD. The comparison group without mental disorders was small. Childhood abuse information was collected retrospectively and may be biased by current state. Firefighters’ mental health is a function of both work-role traumas and childhood events. Occupational health provision must address this complexity.

Die betriebsärztliche Betreuung von Erwerbstätigen – Ergebnisse der repräsentativen lidA-Studie

Occupational health provision among workers in Germany: results of the representative lidA study Introduction: There is an ongoing debate in Germany as to whether there is a sufficient number of active occupational health physicians (OHPs) to meet the need for occupational health surveillance. In this contribution, the frequency of OHP contact with employees is investigated based on data of a representative sample of older workers in Germany. Methods: The data come from the third wave (2018) of the German lidA study (www.lida-studie.de), a longitudinal study investigating work, age, health and employment among workers born in 1959 or 1965. Data analysis was restricted to those in full-time or part-time employment at the time of the interview (n=3039). The analysis of data is descriptive and specification by occupation required at least 25 cases per occupational group. Results: 62.1 % of all respondents (n=1888) reported that their enterprise had an OHP. 52.1 % of all employees had already had personal contact with him, half of them in the past 12 months. It was not possible to identify a statistically significant correlation with the extent of physical strain at work. Members of the engineering and medical professions and academics reported high OHP contact rates, while low rates were reported by some manual and service professions (e.g. construction and cleaning jobs), administrative professions and retail workers. Discussion: The findings do not point directly to a shortage of OHPs in Germany. However, they do suggest an imbalance in the distribution of OHP resources: some occupations report OHP contacts on a smaller scale than would be expected, whilst the opposite applies to others. Conclusions: There is a need for an in-depth scientific analysis of the current organisation, practice and quality of occupational health surveillance in Germany. Keywords: occupational health surveillance – contact with occupational health physician – lack of occupational health physicians – employees – professional groups – empirical survey

Occupational health in mental health services: a qualitative study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore occupational health (OH) clinicians’ perspectives on employee mental health in the mental health workplace in the English National Health Service. Design/methodology/approach Thematic analysis of data from seven semi-structured interviews is performed in this paper. Findings Three themes emerged under the core theme of “Situating OH services”: “the Uniqueness of the mental health service setting”, “the Limitations of OH services” and “the Meaning of mental health at work”. An important finding came from the first theme that management referrals in mental health may be due to disputes about workers’ fitness to face violence and aggression, a common feature of their working environment. Research limitations/implications This was a small scale study of a previously unresearched population. Practical implications These findings should be used to refine and standardise OH provision for mental healthcare workers, with a particular focus on exposure to violence and workers’ potential “lived experience” of mental illness as features of the mental health care workplace. Originality/value This is the first study to explore OH clinicians’ perspectives on the mental health service working environment.

An Integrated Automated Method for Analyzing Occupational Health and Medical Provision under the Extreme Conditions of Industrial Activity

The paper presents an automated integrated analytical method developed for the assessment of medical information at a large industrial company organized into divisions and operating in different climatogeographic and ecological conditions, including unfriendly environments. The use of automatic means for data acquisition, aggregation, and analysis allows us to expand a set of indicators and increase the efficiency of decision making on optimization of processes and resource provision aiming to attain strategic goals of a medical provision system. We have developed a methodology for the organization and analysis of integrated indicators in a multilevel hierarchy, in which we proposed to use synthetic indicators characterizing different aspects of this medical provision system at each level of abstraction. The software package allows us to calculate and visualize integrated indicators characterizing employees’ health state and evaluate the quality of the medical provision system, whereas the use of geoinformation technologies makes it possible to represent the data with a spatial reference and solve logistics optimization tasks.

Mental health nurses' encounters with occupational health services.

Staff well-being is vital to the functioning of the UK National Health Service (NHS). Mental health nurses (MHNs) with personal experience of mental illness can offer a professionally and personally informed insight into the occupational health (OH) service offered by their employer. To investigate MHNs' views of OH provision in the NHS, based on their personal experience. A qualitative interview study using a purposive sample of MHNs with personal experience of mental illness. Twenty-seven MHNs met the inclusion criteria. Thematic analysis identified three themes: comparisons of 'relative expertise' between the mental health nurse and the OH clinician; concerns about 'being treated' by a service at their work; and 'returning to work'. OH provision in mental health settings must take account of the expertise of its staff. Further research, looking at NHS OH provision from the provider perspective is warranted.

Selection of safety officers in an indian construction organization by using grey relational analysis

Stakeholders are responsible for implementing the occupational health and safety provisions in an organization. Irrespective of organization, the role of safety department is purely advisory as it coordinates with all the departments, and this is crucial to improve the performance. Selection of safety officer is vital job for any organization; it should not only be based on qualifications of the applicant, the incumbent should also have sufficient exposure in implementing proactive measures. The process of selection is complex and choosing the right safety professional is a vital decision. The safety performance of an organization relies on the systems being implemented by the safety officer. Application of multi criteria decision-making tools is helpful as a selection process. The present study proposes the grey relational analysis(GRA) for selection of the safety officers in an Indian construction organization. This selection method considers fourteen criteria appropriate to the organization and has ranked the results. The data was also analyzed by using technique for order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal solution (TOPSIS) and results of both the methods are strongly correlated

Optimizing Health and Safety Inspections in Canada

Background: Each year, the Canadian government assigns inspectors to visit firms and ensure compliance to the occupational health and safety provisions of the Canada Labour Code. This paper presents evidence supporting the hypothesis that assignments reduce the number of disabling injuries. It also presents a mathematical technique improving the performance of how firms are chosen for inspection.
 Methods: By combining two administrative databases covering worksites under federal jurisdiction, the impact of assignments on injuries is estimated using instrumental variables. The instruments are the exogenous part of the government’s assignment rule for inspectors.
 Results: The impact of one assignment on injuries is estimated to be -0.33 in the year following the assignment. Furthermore, by introducing a measure of diminishing marginal returns of assignments by sector, a more efficient assignment rule to help further minimize the number of injuries resulting from non-compliance with the Labour Code is suggested. This improved rule includes a reallocation of assignments across industries compared to the current allocation. In particular, assignments are transferred from the sectors of Air Transport and Road Transport to the sectors of Banking, Postal Contractors and Crown Corporations.
 Conclusions: A counterfactual experiment with the new allocation of assignments suggests an 18% decrease in the number of injuries for the same yearly average number of assignments. Based on available estimates of the cost of injuries, the suggested change in the targeting tool would lead to annual savings of 72 million dollars in workers’ compensation claims.

Occupational Health and Safety legislative compliance in the construction sites in Windhoek, Namibia

Non compliances towards occupational health and safety legislations has been on increase globally which leads to higher incidence of occupational accidents, injuries and diseases. The aim of the study is to determine the presence of occupational hazards in the construction industry and to investigate the occupational health and safety provision and compliance among construction sites in Windhoek. A quantitative, cross-sectional, descriptive design was used to conduct the study. Census sampling was used to include ten construction sites with project running during data collection time and whose site managers agreed to participate in the study. Data was collected in ten construction sites with the site inspection checklist to assess the occupational hazards and OHS compliance in participated construction sites. Data was analysed with SPSS software. The study findings indicated that occupational hazards are prevalent in the construction industry, but there is poor mechanism to control hazards and to prevent hazard exposures. Furthermore, most construction sites are non compliant towards OHS legislations. It is recommended that OHS legislations should be enforced to promote the OHS in the construction industry.

Occupational health and safety provision awareness among construction workers on the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia

The purpose of this study is to discuss the awareness on the provision of occupational health and safety (OHS) among construction workers in the construction industry of Windhoek, Namibia. A quantitative, descriptive, cross sectional design was applied. Interviewer- led questionnaires were used to collect the data among 549 participants. The study results showed that most construction workers express poor awareness on construction industry OHS provision. The interventions such as OHS training enforcement is needed in order to increase construction workers OHS awareness through training. The employees need to establish OHS programs on the construction sites which include the development of the OHS policies which shows organisation commitment towards occupational health and safety of its workers.