Job Risk Research Articles

WORK RELATED MUSCULOSKELETAL DISORDERS: A SURVEY OF PHYSIOTHERAPISTS IN TRICITY

Background: Musculoskeletal system disorders are common among health care workers worldwide. They are common causes of severe long-term pain and physical disability. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are defined as “regional impairments of the muscles, tendons, nerves and joints. Physiotherapy can lead to WRMSDs in physiotherapist because of the nature of their profession. Despite of having expert knowledge of musculoskeletal injuries and injury prevention strategies they still report a high incidence of work-related injuries during their professional practice due to their training and continuous professional developmentMethods: A total of 100 Physiotherapists which included 78 females and 22 males in the age group of 21 to 40 years were recruited in the study. The subjects were taken as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria from Tricity.Results: Pearson’s correlation and Chi square analysis was used to determine correlation and the association of prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal symptoms with personal characteristics, job risk factors and coping strategies. The data obtained from this study documents that majority of Physiotherapists have experienced WRMSDs at some time. The prevalence of WRMSDs among Physiotherapists in Tricity is high (91%). The most common risk factors identified in the present study were dealing with an excessive number of patients in one day; continuing to work while injured or hurt; lifting or transferring dependent patients and work scheduling. In present study, the low back and neck regions were the most commonly affected site among physiotherapists (72.5%) each followed by upper back (28.6 %), shoulder (20.9%), wrist and hand (17.6%), knee (12.1%), ankle and foot (12.1%) and hip (7.70%)Conclusions: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders are an important health risk within the physiotherapy profession. The prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the Physiotherapists in Tricity is high that is 91%. Hence, it supports the research hypothesis of the present study. It is also concluded that the low back and neck (72.5% each) are the most common sites susceptible to injury followed by upper back and shoulder

Spotlight on the November 10 Issue

#### Notable in Neurology This issue features an article assessing histologic differences between Parkinson disease and incidental Lewy body disease and another identifying amyloid and vascular markers and their relationships to cognitive decline in subcortical vascular dementia. A third article assesses the importance of MAPT variant p.A152T in the risk of α-synucleinopathies. ### Association between job strain and risk of incident stroke: A meta-analysis Clarification of social risk factors associated with stroke could have major public health implications. The authors showed that high strain jobs were associated with increased risk of stroke. Interventions for work stress (e.g., cognitive behavioral …

Association between job strain and risk of incident stroke: A meta-analysis.

Prospective cohort studies regarding job strain and the risk of stroke are controversial. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between job strain and the risk of stroke. The PubMed, Embase, and PsycINFO databases were searched for prospective cohort studies with data on job strain and the risk of stroke. Studies were included if they reported adjusted relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of stroke from job strain. Subgroup analyses were conducted according to sex and stroke type. Six prospective cohort studies comprising 138,782 participants were included. High strain jobs were associated with increased risk of stroke (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.01-1.47) compared with low strain jobs. The result was more pronounced for ischemic stroke (RR 1.58, 95% CI 1.12-2.23). The risk of stroke was significant in women (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04-1.69) and nonsignificant in men (RR 1.26, 95% CI 0.69-2.27), but the difference in RRs in sex subgroups was not significant. Neither active (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.90-1.28) nor passive (RR 1.01, 95% CI 0.86-1.18) job characteristics were associated with an increased risk of stroke compared with low strain jobs. Exposure to high strain jobs was associated with an increased risk of stroke, especially in women. Further studies are needed to confirm whether interventions to reduce work stress decrease the risk of stroke.

A systematic review including meta-analysis of work environment and depressive symptoms.

BackgroundDepressive symptoms are potential outcomes of poorly functioning work environments. Such symptoms are frequent and cause considerable suffering for the employees as well as financial loss for the employers. Accordingly good prospective studies of psychosocial working conditions and depressive symptoms are valuable. Scientific reviews of such studies have pointed at methodological difficulties but still established a few job risk factors. Those reviews were published some years ago. There is need for an updated systematic review using the GRADE system. In addition, gender related questions have been insufficiently reviewed.MethodInclusion criteria for the studies published 1990 to June 2013: 1. European and English speaking countries. 2. Quantified results describing the relationship between exposure (psychosocial or physical/chemical) and outcome (standardized questionnaire assessment of depressive symptoms or interview-based clinical depression). 3. Prospective or comparable case-control design with at least 100 participants. 4. Assessments of exposure (working conditions) and outcome at baseline and outcome (depressive symptoms) once again after follow-up 1-5 years later. 5. Adjustment for age and adjustment or stratification for gender.Studies filling inclusion criteria were subjected to assessment of 1.) relevance and 2.) quality using predefined criteria. Systematic review of the evidence was made using the GRADE system. When applicable, meta-analysis of the magnitude of associations was made. Consistency of findings was examined for a number of possible confounders and publication bias was discussed.ResultsFifty-nine articles of high or medium high scientific quality were included. Moderately strong evidence (grade three out of four) was found for job strain (high psychological demands and low decision latitude), low decision latitude and bullying having significant impact on development of depressive symptoms. Limited evidence (grade two) was shown for psychological demands, effort reward imbalance, low support, unfavorable social climate, lack of work justice, conflicts, limited skill discretion, job insecurity and long working hours. There was no differential gender effect of adverse job conditions on depressive symptomsConclusionThere is substantial empirical evidence that employees, both men and women, who report lack of decision latitude, job strain and bullying, will experience increasing depressive symptoms over time. These conditions are amenable to organizational interventions.

The moderating effect of control over work scheduling and overtime on the relationship between workload demands and perceived job risk

This study investigated the impact of workload demands on perceived job risk using the Job Demand-Control model as a research framework. The primary objective was to test the hypothesis that employee control over work scheduling and overtime would moderate the relationship between workload demands and perceived job risk. Ninety-six participants working in a variety of industries completed measures of workload demands, and of control over work scheduling and overtime, and a measure of perceived job risk. Workload demands predicted higher perceptions of job risk. However, the results also suggest that control over overtime moderated this relationship, where those with the combination of high workload demands and low control over overtime reported higher levels of perceived risk. The results indicate that the JDC model is applicable to safety research. The results suggest that employee control over workload demands is an important variable to consider in terms of managing workplace safety. The present study also points to important areas for future research to explore in order to further understand the connection between demands and safety.

English

This study presents the results from a study [W1] funded by the Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety, an institutional body that pertains to the Employment Council of the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain) and Ministry of Employment and Labour (Spain). The analysis  focuses mainly on the teachers who work in pre-primary, primary and secondary education in Andalusia. The aim is to discover the current situation of the educational institutions in matters of occupational safety and health, establish mechanisms to orient didactic and organisational intervention to facilitate the teaching-learning process of a prevention culture, and extract basic elements to acquire training in health and safety. To do so, an inferential and descriptive analysis of quantitative data was conducted (research methology).  [W2] All of this made it possible to discover the reality of the job risk prevention culture in the schools. An especially important result in this research, in order to achieve quality education in terms of prevention, safety and health, must receive preparation in their Initial Training and later in the Teacher Centres. They must be able to evaluate the teaching-learning methodology used, the suitability of what is taught for the objective proposed, and the media and/or resources based on criteria of quality, quantity, use or interest in the classroom, as expressed in the Spanish Strategy for Occupational Safety and Health and in the Second Andalusian Plan for Occupational Health and Job Risk Prevention for teachers in public schools dependent on the Education Department of the Regional Government of Andalusia (Spain) . [AB3] Key words: Occupational safety and health, schools, teachers, prevention culture, quantitative research.  [W1]This does not make sense  [W2]Poor English I stopped correcting your English hereon  [AB3]Changed (Reviewer 1) &nbsp

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders in highway sanitary workers

Background: Highway sanitary workers are exposed to various health hazards in the course of duty. This study investigated the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among highway sanitary workers in Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos, Nigeria.Method: Two hundred fifty highway sanitary workers (46 males and 204 females) of LAWMA selected from four Local Government Areas of Lagos State, Nigeria completed a 26-item questionnaire that collected information on WMSDs.Results: The 12-month prevalence of WMSDs among the workers was 24.8%. The most commonly affected body part was the lower back (22.0%). Thirty-seven (59.7%) of the respondents reported gradual onset of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) while 25 (40.3%) reported sudden onset. The mean years of working experience was 3.22 + 0.23 years with 111 (44.4%) of the respondents having worked for 4 years and 7 (2.8%) having worked for 1year. The three major job risk factors identified were: continuing to work when injured (87.2%), working in the same position for long periods (53.6%) and lifting heavy materials (52.4%). Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation Coefficient analysis showed that there were significant relationships between prevalence of WMSDs and age (r = 0.42, p = 0.001*) and years on the job (r = 0.17, p = 0.01*).Conclusion: There was a low prevalence of WMSDs among highway sanitary workers of LAWMA. The most commonly affected body part was the lower back. Increasing age and years of working experience are significant factors that can contribute to the development of WMSDs among these workers.

Human Capital and Employment Risks Diversification

Both educational expenditures and attainment have increased sharply over the last decades, despite rising prices of education, and stagnating income returns to human capital. This paper emphasizes conditional employment risks diversification as additional motivation for education demand. Job risk protection through education is strongly evidenced in the data, yet is absent from the Human Capital (HC) literature, whereas dynamic HC choices by agents are not considered in standard unemployment Search and Matching models. A benchmark HC model is thus modified to allow for lower job displacement risk, and higher re-employment probability, in addition to higher income for the better educated. Numerical solutions for optimal dynamic investment in human capital are consistent with observed patterns, such as unemployment duration dependence (stigma), post-re-employment income loss (scarring), and cyclical co-movements in education expenditures. The effects of permanent shifts affecting human capital returns in employment risks diversification, and income returns are investigated and shown to be consistent with rising educational expenditures and attainment.

Job strain and risk of obesity: systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Job strain, the most widely used indicator of work stress, is a risk factor for obesity-related disorders such as cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. However, the extent to which job strain is related to the development of obesity itself has not been systematically evaluated. We carried out a systematic review (PubMed and Embase until May 2014) and meta-analysis of cohort studies to address this issue. Eight studies that fulfilled inclusion criteria showed no overall association between job strain and the risk of weight gain (pooled odds ratio for job strain compared with no job strain 1.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.99–1.09, NTotal=18 240) or becoming obese (1.00, 95% CI 0.89–1.13, NTotal=42 222). In addition, a reduction in job strain over time was not associated with lower obesity risk (1.13, 95% CI 0.90–1.41, NTotal=6507). These longitudinal findings do not support the hypothesis that job strain is an important risk factor for obesity or a promising target for obesity prevention.

Prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among hairdressers.

This study has investigated the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), the most commonly affected body parts, the risk factors of WMSDs and the coping strategies adopted by hairdressers. The study design was a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. Two hundred and ninety-nine hairdressers (242 females and 57 males) from salons in Surulere and Mushin Local Government Areas of Lagos State completed a 27-item questionnaire. They were selected using a non-probability consecutive sampling technique. The inferential analysis was conducted using the Chi2 test. The level of significance stood at p < 0.05. The 12-month prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders stood at 75.6%. Two hundred and twenty-one (91.3%) participants reported gradual onset of musculoskeletal disorders. One hundred and sixteen (47.9%) participants had the onset of the WMSDs at the age range of 26-35 years. The most commonly affected body parts included the low back (76.3%), shoulder (62.5%) and neck (46.3%). Some of the major job risk factors of the WMSDs that were identified included: working in the same position for long periods and attending to a large number of customers in 1 day. Taking sufficient rest breaks by participants was one of the coping strategies adopted by the participants. The mean number of years of working experience was 7.85±0.4 years. One hundred and twenty-four (41.5%) participants had worked for 1-5 years. The Chi2 analysis showed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders were significantly associated with the age of a participant (Chi2 = 78.78, p = 0.001), years of working experience (Chi2 = 78.03, p = 0.001) and hours spent working in a standing position (Chi2 = 8.77, p = 0.01), respectively. The age of hairdressers, their years of working and the long hours they spent working in a standing position may be significant factors that contribute to the high prevalence of the WMSDs among them. The most commonly affected body parts included the low back, shoulders and neck.

An empirical study of desired versus actual compensation practices in determining intrapreneurial behaviour

Orientation: Past research recognises that human resources management practices may influence innovative behaviour, particularly as compensation systems can be used as a tool to increase intrapreneurial activity.Research purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between actual versus desired compensation practices and elevated intrapreneurial behaviour. This is in line with research that focuses on how to promote business innovation, rather than merely research whether innovation is desirable for businesses or not.Motivation for the study: Recognising that entrepreneurial actions are the bedrock of intrapreneurial behaviour and that these behaviours may be critical to the long-term vitality of a firm and economy, it is important to facilitate the empirical study of them in an underresearched, emerging market environment. Moreover, compensation such as reward preferences and variable pay schemes remain controversial in terms of their costs versus contributions, and these constructs deserve more empirical research.Research approach, design and method: The study employed a quantitative research design, using a cross-sectional and empirical approach with primary data sources. A structured webbased instrument rendered a sample of 209 respondents from a diverse set of businesses. Canonical correlational analysis was carried out to test the hypotheses.Main findings: The results reveal that a gap exists between an employee’s perception of desired compensation practices and the actual compensation practices. The results further highlight that non-outcome-based measures like pay risk, job risk and expectations of success play a role in determining whether employees decide to be intrapreneurial or not.Practical/managerial implications: Due to the potential impact rewards have on intrapreneurial behaviour, it is necessary to design relevant compensation systems as part of organisational architecture in order to foster intrapreneurship.Contribution: In response to calls to unveil innovation practices in developing countries and in acknowledging a contingency relationship between compensation practices and intrapreneurship, this article is one of the first studies to test the relationship between actual versus desired compensation practices and elevated intrapreneurial behaviour in an emerging market context.

Job satisfaction among chairs of surgery from Europe and North America

Strong evidence exists associating job satisfaction and risk of burnout with productivity, efficiency, and creativity in many organizations. However no data are available assessing chairs of surgery. This study assessed job satisfaction and risk for burnout of surgical chairs from Europe and North America and identified contributing factors. A survey among 650 chairs in surgery from 23 European and 2 North American countries was conducted in 2012. Satisfaction at work was analyzed using the validated Global Job Satisfaction (GJS) instrument and the abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory. Additional items targeting personal and environmental factors were included. The rate of chairs reached successfully was 86%, the overall response rate was 29% (188/650), with 1% female. Median age was 58 years. 11% of chairs were dissatisfied with work. Younger age and being fewer years in practice as a chair was associated with higher job satisfaction (P = .054 and P = .003). Surgical specialty with the greatest median GJS score was hepatopancreatobiliary, whereas vascular surgery scored lowest. Chairs desire to devote 20% more of their time on research. Clerical support as well as the ability to be innovative was suggested by 51% and 45%, respectively, to improve job satisfaction. Compared with Europeans, North American chairs were overall more satisfied and would recommend their job to their children. North American chairs seem to be more satisfied at work and at less risk for burnout than European chairs. The overall job satisfaction was greater among chairs compared with previously published reports of young, board-certified surgeons or residents (89% vs 87% and 66%, respectively). The superior satisfaction in chairs is strongest related to career achievements, innovation, and lifestyle.

The Executive Turnover Risk Premium

ABSTRACTWe establish that CEOs of companies experiencing volatile industry conditions are more likely to be dismissed. At the same time, accounting for various other factors, industry risk is unlikely to be associated with CEO compensation other than through dismissal risk. Using this identification strategy, we document that CEO turnover risk is significantly positively associated with compensation. This finding is important because job‐risk‐compensating wage differentials arise naturally in competitive labor markets. By contrast, the evidence rejects an entrenchment model according to which powerful CEOs have lower job risk and at the same time secure higher compensation.

Sleep quality and the risk of work injury: a Swiss case-control study.

Sleep problems are a well-known risk factor for work injuries, but less is known about which vulnerable populations are most at risk. The aims of this study were to investigate the association between sleep quality and the risk of work injury and to identify factors that may modify the association. A case-control study including 180 cases and 551 controls was conducted at the University Hospital in Basel, Switzerland, from 1 December 2009 to 30 June 2011. Data on work injuries and sleep quality were collected. Adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of the association between sleep quality and work injury were estimated in multivariable logistic regression analyses and were stratified by hypothesized effect modifiers (age, gender, job risk, shift work, sleep duration and working hours). Poor sleep quality was associated significantly with work injury of any type (P < 0.05) and with being caught in particular (P < 0.05). The association between poor sleep quality and work injury was significantly higher for workers older than 30 years (odds ratio>30 1.30 versus odds ratio≤30 0.91, P < 0.01), sleeping 7 h or less per night (odds ratio≤7 1.17 versus odds ratio>7 0.79, P < 0.05) and working 50 h or more per week (odds ratio≥50 1.79 versus odd ratio<50 1.10, P < 0.01). Work injury risk increased with increasing severity of sleep problems (P < 0.05). Prior work injury frequency increased with decreasing sleep quality (P < 0.05). Older age, short sleep duration and long working hours may enhance the risk of work injuries associated with sleep quality.

In-Situ Burn Guidance for Safety Officers and Industrial Hygienists

In-situ burning (ISB) of spilled petroleum has been conducted since the late 1950s. Most burns were performed from ground level on upland areas, inland waters, or test basins and the frequency of use has been relatively low. Response to the Deepwater Horizon incident reminded the spill response community of this strategy by illustrating the utility of ISB for spills offshore. Over 400 individual burns were conducted during the summer of 2010 in the Gulf of Mexico. The Deepwater Horizon response resulted in an unprecedented and extensive use of offshore ISB, and media coverage repeatedly demonstrated successful ISB operations. Ensuring responder and community safety and health is a critical aspect for conducting controlled burns of petroleum during an oil spill response. ISB presents unique issues associated with conducting controlled burns whether on land, near shore or offshore requiring relevant guidance for Safety Officers and industrial hygienists (IH). Response personnel conducting ISB must be trained specifically for burn operations. Health concerns related to conducting and monitoring the burns must be evaluated. With the large number of controlled burns conducted in the Gulf of Mexico throughout the Deepwater Horizon response, extensive experience has been obtained which can be used to update guidance and standards documents for conducting safe burn operations. This poster, targeted for the global response community, regulators and industry, covers the health and safety concerns that need to be addressed before, during and after ISB operations by Safety Officers and industrial hygienists. Specifically, the poster will be in two parts, highlighting the research to date. Part one will be a summary of the literature research and an evaluation of safety baseline information for ISB. The second part will demonstrate how to use the information from the first part and develop an ISB site safety plan by conducting a job hazard analysis and risk assessment. The end result will be a better understanding of potential ISB hazards, their associated risks, and the range of control methods available to the response community to mitigate those risks. The goal is ultimately to develop for Safety Officers and industrial hygienists a comprehensive consensus guidance document that aids in their ability to make sound risk based decisions during an emergency.

Job strain, health and sickness absence: results from the Hordaland Health Study.

ObjectivesWhile it is generally accepted that high job strain is associated with adverse occupational outcomes, the nature of this relationship and the causal pathways involved are not well elucidated. We aimed to assess the association between job strain and long-term sickness absence (LTSA), and investigate whether any associations could be explained by validated health measures.MethodsData from participants (n = 7346) of the Hordaland Health Study (HUSK), aged 40–47 at baseline, were analyzed using multivariate Cox regression to evaluate the association between job strain and LTSA over one year. Further analyses examined whether mental and physical health mediated any association between job strain and sickness absence.ResultsA positive association was found between job strain and risk of a LTSA episode, even controlling for confounding factors (HR = 1.64 (1.36–1.98); high job strain exposure accounted for a small proportion of LTSA episodes (population attributable risk 0.068). Further adjustments for physical health and mental health individually attenuated, but could not fully explain the association. In the fully adjusted model, the association between high job strain and LTSA remained significant (HR = 1.30 (1.07–1.59)).ConclusionHigh job strain increases the risk of LTSA. While our results suggest that one in 15 cases of LTSA could be avoided if high job strain were eliminated, we also provide evidence against simplistic causal models. The impact of job strain on future LTSA could not be fully explained by impaired health at baseline, which suggests that factors besides ill health are important in explaining the link between job strain and sickness absence.

Psychosocial job strain and risk of congenital malformations in offspring—a Danish National cohort study

To investigate if maternal exposure to psychosocial job strain at work (high demands and low control) measured by questionnaire early in pregnancy (median week 15) is associated with malformations in the offspring. Population-based cohort study. The Danish National Birth Cohort. A cohort of 60,386 singleton children with full information on mother's occupational status, exposure to psychosocial job strain and all covariates during pregnancy. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds of congenital malformations as a function of job strain with adjustment for maternal age, body mass index, parity, smoking, alcohol use, manual versus nonmanual work, maternal serious disease and gestational age at interview. Circulatory malformation, musculoskeletal malformation or any malformation. Logistic regression analyses, both crude and adjusted, indicated no associations between working under high strain and giving birth to a child with circulatory malformation (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.04, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.75-1.44), musculoskeletal malformation (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.71-1.10) or any malformation (aOR 0.99, 95% CI 0.85-1.15). Supplementary analyses including restriction to first-borns and a stratified analysis with respect to manual and nonmanual work did not change the results. Association between exposure to high job strain during pregnancy and elevated risk of circulatory, muscle and any malformations is not supported by this study.

A longitudinal general population-based study of job strain and risk for coronary heart disease and stroke in Swedish men

ObjectivesThe aim was to investigate whether psychosocial stress based on the job-demand-control (JDC) model increased the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.SettingSwedish men.ParticipantsThe Primary Prevention Study (PPS) comprises...

Maximum acceptable effort for connector assembly in automotive manufacturing

The manual assembly of connectors has job risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders including force, posture and repetitiveness. A variety of laboratory simulated connector assembly tasks, based on pilot work conducted at an automotive manufacturing plant, were studied using adapted psychophysical methods. The maximum acceptable frequency of connector assembly for six grip types was determined for various combinations of force and distances. In studies with a three-day acclimation and trials scheduled for 8-h days, 4-h trial lengths are sufficient. Distance did not influence acceptable frequency for hand/arm motions between 7 and 16 mm. There might be differences in maximum acceptable frequency for grip type, and force might affect acceptable frequency. Force × Cycle Rate (FCR) or time-weighted average percent maximum acceptable effort (TWA-%MAE) for these short duration tasks can be used for guidance. Relevance to industryThe current study addressed industrial tasks that require high finger exertions for very brief periods. The force and frequency may provide less reliable design guidance than using the force exertion as a percent of maximum voluntary effort adjusted for duty cycle or using a time-weighted average of %MAE.

SUSTAINABLE CORPORATE ENTREPRENEURSHIP INITIATIVES: A RISK AND REWARD ANALYSIS

Earlier studies recognize the importance of corporate entrepreneurship towards achieving a sustainable competitive advantage. This study proposes that the likelihood of individual participation in corporate entrepreneurship initiatives is contingent upon individual perceptions of rewards and risks. The research presents different scenarios, and tests several attributes that influence the decision to participate. Conjoint analysis utilisation simulates a real life situation where scenario analyses in varying combinations in terms of their intensity levels take place. The results indicate the most important attribute influencing the decision to participate is the probability of venture success followed closely by financial reward. As expected, job risk, pay risk and required effort are deterrents to participation; and individuals with past entrepreneurial experience are less concerned about job risk and have a higher positive perception regarding the probability of corporate venture success.