Risk Of Occupational Injury Research Articles

Prevalence of occupational injury and its associated factors among emergency department physicians in China: A large sample, cross-sectional study

BackgroundMedical personnel, particularly emergency department (ED) physicians, face a variety of occupational hazards. However, the current state of occupational injuries among ED physicians remains unknown. This study aimed to assess the occupational injury of Chinese ED physicians and to identify its associated factors. MethodsFrom July to August 2018, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in Chinese emergency departments. A structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic characteristics, individual health behaviours, and work-related characteristics was completed by 10,457 ED physicians. Binary logistic regression was used to analyse the factors associated with occupational injuries. ResultsIn this study, 81.13% of ED physicians reported occupational injuries in the previous 12 months. All participants who had experienced occupational injuries had suffered verbal violence. Among physicians who experienced at least one injury, 76.57% and 71.30% reported injuries sustained while moving patients and from falls, slips, and sprains during office visits, respectively. Occupational injuries were significantly associated with gender, education level, drinking behaviour, sleep quality, the frequency of night shifts per month, self-perceived physician shortage, and work-family conflict. Physicians who experienced effort–reward imbalance were at a higher risk of occupational injury. ConclusionIn China, occupational injuries are common among ED physicians. Individual factors as well as work-related factors are independently linked to occupational injuries. To reduce the rate of occupational injuries among ED physicians, health policymakers and healthcare facility managers should consider multi-injury interventions.

Rethinking paramedic occupational injury surveillance: A systems approach to better understanding paramedic work-related injury

Paramedic work occurs in complex, dynamic, uncontrolled, and unpredictable work environments which increase their risk of occupational injury. The complex and multi-factorial nature of paramedic occupational injury requires a holistic systems-based approach to identify and understand contributory factors of paramedic occupational injury. Systems thinking methods are useful for understanding and responding to complex issues, however these have never been applied to the surveillance of paramedic injuries. Through a narrative review of the paramedic occupational injury literature, this paper aims to establish the currently known contributors of paramedic injury, examine the extent to which a systems thinking approach has been applied in this context, and outline how these could be integrated into current paramedic injury surveillance systems. A search of Ovid Medline between the years 2004–2021. In total, 120 literature works were used to develop the systems maps and models presented in this paper. These included: a social-ecological model; an ActorMap; an AcciMap; and a PreventiMap. The findings illustrate the complexity and diversity of the factors contributing to the occurrence of paramedic injury at work. However, systems thinking-based approaches like those presented in this paper are not a substitute for the traditional epidemiological approach to injury surveillance, rather these approaches should be incorporated together to improve risk and protective factor identification, facilitating the development and implementation of targeted interventions.

Physical and Psychosocial Correlates of Occupational Physical Injury in the Global Construction Industry: A Scoping Review.

The construction industry is a diverse sector with exposure to multiple psychosocial and environmental workplace hazards that increase the risk of injury. This scoping review aims to consolidate the existing literature on the physical and psychosocial determinants influencing the risk of occupational physical injuries among construction workers globally. A scoping review was conducted using the PRISMA extension checklist guided. Literature searches were performed between June and October 2023 in electronic academic databases. A total of 77 studies were identified, encompassing various geographical regions, including North America (n = 29), Africa (n = 18), Europe (n = 12), Asia (n = 9), the Middle East (n = 5), and Oceania (n = 4). The review identified physical and psychosocial factors in 3 domains influencing occupational physical injuries: workplace physical environment (eg, exposure to physical hazards, availability and utilization of personal protective equipment, company size, and job type), workplace culture (eg, psychosocial stressors, gender-related barriers, migrant and ethnic disparities, educational background), and physical wellbeing, health and aging (eg, age, obesity, sleep quality, marital stats, and physical health status). Notably, workers from social minority groups (eg, women, ethnic and migrant workers) of young (<25 years old) or older ages (45-55 years old) employed in smaller construction companies are vulnerable to increased injury risk and exposure to physical and psychosocial hazards in the workplace. The review emphasizes a global paucity of research examining the implications of physical and psychosocial factors on injury risk within the construction industry. Future research should prioritize investigating the impact of psychosocial hazards on younger and older workers to detect age-related differences in injury rate, treatment access, and work-related health outcomes.

The specific risks encountered at workplaces in the mines of the Jiu Valley and their correlation with the levels of danger

In order to ensure an appropriate level of security and health in underground mining works, it is necessary to apply some methods of diagnosing the situation of the work system/workplace, from the aspect of work security, which involves: -knowing the risk factors of occupational injury and illness; -the ranking of risk factors in relation to the potential seriousness of the consequences on the executor; -identification and ranking of preventive measures to be applied. The assessment of the risk level is a systematic examination of all aspects of the work process, undertaken in order to eliminate the sources that could cause bodily harm, which constitute the basis for the substantiation of measures to prevent and combat risks. For this reason, all those involved in the work process must be consulted in the risk assessment process. Specific risk monitoring aims to carry out a pre-accident type assessment of the risk of occupational injury and illness using assessment criteria that are based on quantitative risk assessment.

Practitioner Safety and the Application of Learning Theory related to injury risk in Equine Physiotherapy: a Worldwide Survey

In the equine physiotherapy profession, similarly to the equine veterinary profession, there may be a high risk of occupational injury and preventive strategies, such as the application of learning theory (LT), may mitigate workplace injury frequency. The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency of occupational injury among equine physiotherapists and investigate the relationship between injury rate and knowledge of LT. An online survey was distributed, receiving 64 valid responses: of these, 51 were qualified veterinary physiotherapists working with equines and their data were taken forward for analysis. The mean injury frequency was 0.59±1 per year, with 36 respondents reporting at least one injury during their career. There was a moderate negative correlation (r=-0.34, 95%CI[-0.56,-0.07], p<0.05) between career length (in years) and injury frequency. The most common site of injury for practitioners was the lower limb (n=22) and the most common type of injury was bruising (n=32). Of the respondents who claimed the work activity they were performing significantly contributed to their most severe injury, six were carrying out equine hindlimb treatment at the time of injury. Knowledge of LT was poor: only 21 of respondents scored 3/9 or higher when tested on practical application of LT and 24 achieved a grade of 6/10 or higher on theoretical knowledge, with one respondent achieving 0/10. There was a moderate positive correlation (r=0.37, 95%CI[0.10,0.58], p<0.01) between veterinary physiotherapists’ theoretical knowledge scores and their self-evaluation of LT terminology scores. There was no significant correlation between scenario-based and theoretical LT scores and injury frequency. However, there was a weak negative correlation (r=-0.31, 95%CI[-0.54,-0.04], p<0.05) between self-evaluation of LT terminology scores and injury frequency. Due to the small number of responses, results from the present study are not representative of the target population. However, results nonetheless highlight a trend of high injury rates and low levels of understanding of equine learning. This is comparable to other equine-related professions, indicating the urgent need of research into better prevention and safety-enhancing strategies, which could reduce the rates of occupational injury and safeguard the welfare of both practitioners and equines.

Review of Emerging Technologies for Reducing Ergonomic Hazards in Construction Workplaces

In the era of Industry 4.0, marked by the integration of digitization, automation, and data synthesis, emerging technologies play a vital role in mitigating ergonomic hazards within construction work environments. This study investigates the research trends encompassing the adoption of three categories of emerging technologies—(1) wearable sensors; (2) extended reality, which combines virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR); and (3) exoskeletons and robotics—as the means to mitigate the risk of occupational nonfatal injuries in the construction industry. Employing bibliometric and scientometric analyses, a quantitative examination of the relationship in the literature is performed. From the Scopus database, 347 papers were selected from a pool of 1603 publications from 2018 to 2022. The conducted scientometric analyses encompass annual publication trends, keyword co-occurrence analysis, journal-source analysis, author analysis, and country analysis using VOSviewer (version 1.6.19) and bibliometrix software (version 4.1.3). The findings highlight the crucial role of advanced technologies in enhancing safety and health management in the construction industry. Wearable sensors, for example, offer promising capabilities for real-time monitoring, potentially reducing the risk of onsite injuries by alerting workers to hazards. Extended reality, especially VR, can enhance the effectiveness of safety-training education by simulating realistic scenarios while minimizing exposures to hazardous conditions that workers may face onsite challenges. Furthermore, the integration of exoskeletons and robotics has the potential to reduce physical strain and injury risks among workers, particularly in physically demanding tasks. The review paper identifies current research trends in applying emerging technologies to occupational safety and health within the construction industry, while also suggesting future research directions in this dynamic field.

Prevalence of recent occupational injury and its associated factors among food industry workers in Selangor.

Malaysia's gross domestic product is heavily influenced by the food and beverage sector and the contribution of the industry to the national economy is expected to increase in the coming years. Thus, the need for employees in the food industry will continue to rise as this sector grows. Nevertheless, employees in the food industry are exposed to various occupational hazards that can lead to occupational injuries, mainly related to kitchen work. Given the increasing number of employees in the food industry and the rising trend of occupational injuries, this study was conducted to determine the prevalence of recent occupational injuries and their associated factors and predictors among food industry workers. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among food industry workers in Selangor, Malaysia. The respondents were sampled using a multistage random sampling method. Data were collected via online self-administered questionnaires and analysed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models in the SPSS software, version 25. A total of 250 responses were received from 342 samples, with an overall response rate of 73.0%. The prevalence of recent occupational injuries among food industry workers was 44.8%. Statistically, significant associations were present between occupational injuries and alcohol consumption (p = 0.001), poor knowledge (p = 0.031), poor compliance (p = 0.021), poor safety management (p = 0.021), poor safety training (p = 0.002), poor safety culture (p = 0.003), physical exposure (p < 0.001), and ergonomic exposure (p = 0.009). The predictors for recent occupational injuries among food industry workers were Malay (adjusted Odds Ratio; aOR = 2.60, p = 0.027, 95% Confidence Interval; CI = 1.116, 6.035), alcohol consumption (aOR = 5.31, p = 0.001, 95% CI = 2.042, 13.779), poor knowledge (aOR = 1.98, p = 0.032, 95% CI = 1.059, 3.691), poor safety culture (aOR = 2.44, p = 0.002, 95% CI = 1.372, 4.342), and exposure to physical hazards (aOR = 8.88, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 3.031, 26.014). This study has found a high prevalence of occupational injuries among food industry workers, thereby highlighting the importance of addressing alcohol consumption, improving worker knowledge, enhancing work safety culture, and better control measures on exposure to physical hazards, especially among Malay workers. By prioritising these factors, employers can create safer work environments and minimise the risk of occupational injuries.

Non-fatal injuries among police officers during use-of-force encounters.

Occupational injuries are common in police work due to routine exposure to conflict, violence, accidents, and other hazards. However, little is known about the factors associated with non-fatal job-related injuries among police officers. To study the factors associated with non-fatal job-related injuries among Tucson, AZ, police officers during encounters involving the use of force. Data were analysed on all use-of-force cases involving Tucson police officers from January 2018 through June 2020. Logistic regression models were used to assess the factors that influence the likelihood of officer injuries. Overall, about 11% of officers involved in a use-of-force encounter were injured. Multivariate analyses reveal that defensive physical resistance by the suspect increases injury risk among officers. When suspects assault officers or others during the encounter, the risk of officer injury also increases significantly. Certain types of force used by police, such as hands-on tactics and TASER use are also associated with increased risk of injury among officers. The age and race of the suspect are not associated with the likelihood of injury among officers. Certain suspect behaviours and use-of-force modalities increase the risk of injury among officers. Understanding these risk factors can help employers put in place appropriate measures to reduce the risk of occupational injuries among police officers.

Methodical framework for selecting occupational safety management priorities in underground coal mining on the basis of integrated occupational illness and injury risk dynamics analysis

Methodical framework for selecting occupational safety management priorities in underground coal mining on the basis of integrated occupational illness and injury risk dynamics analysis

Influence of Pre-Crash Vehicle Maneuvers on Front Passenger Safety Performance Response

&lt;div&gt;Pre-crash vehicle maneuvers are known to affect occupant posture and kinematics, which consequently may influence injury risks during a collision. In this study, the influence of pre-crash vehicle maneuvers on the injury risks of front-seated occupants during a frontal crash was numerically evaluated. A generic buck vehicle model was developed based on a publicly available FE model, which included the vehicle interior and the front passenger airbag (PAB). The pre-crash phase was simulated using specific rigid-body human models with active joints (GHBMCsi-pre models) developed based on exterior shapes of the simplified deformable human model (GHBMCsi) representing a 50th male subject. Two pre-crash maneuvers representing (1) a generic 1g braking and (2) turning-and-braking scenarios were simulated. Then, the kinematics data of belted GHBMCsi-pre models were transferred using a developed switch algorithm to the corresponding GHBMCsi models, which can predict occupant injury risks. Finally, an FMVSS 208 pulse (NCAP pulse with delta V of 56 km/h) was applied to simulate the in-crash phase. Injury metrics were recorded for the belted GHBMCsi model to evaluate the passenger injury risks. Overall, it was concluded that pre-crash braking decreased the severity of injury sustained by the passenger. The success of the methodology used in this study, to simulate reasonable and computationally efficient pre-crash and in-crash phases, suggests using it for more advanced studies where additional parameters (e.g., BMI, age, etc.) could also be taken into consideration.&lt;/div&gt;

Assessment of finite element human body and ATD models in estimating injury risk in far-side impacts using field-based injury risk

The objective of this study was to assess the ability of finite element human body models (FEHBMs) and Anthropometric Test Device (ATD) models to estimate occupant injury risk by comparing it with field-based injury risk in far-side impacts. The study used the Global Human Body Models Consortium midsize male (M50-OS+B) and small female (F05-OS+B) simplified occupant models with a modular detailed brain, and the ES-2Re and SID-IIs ATD models in the simulated far-side crashes. A design of experiments (DOE) with a total of 252 simulations was conducted by varying lateral ΔV (10-50kph; 5kph increments), the principal direction of force (PDOF 50°, 60°, 65°, 70°, 75°, 80°, 90°), and occupant models. Models were gravity-settled and belted into a simplified vehicle model (SVM) modified for far-side impact simulations. Acceleration pulses and vehicle intrusion profiles used for the DOE were generated by impacting a 2012 Camry vehicle model with a mobile deformable barrier model across the 7 PDOFs and 9 lateral ΔV’s in the DOE for a total of 63 additional simulations. Injury risks were estimated for the head, chest, lower extremity, pelvis (AIS 2+; AIS 3+), and abdomen (AIS 3+) using logistic regression models. Combined AIS 3+ injury risk for each occupant was calculated using AIS 3+ injury risk estimations for the head, chest, abdomen, and lower extremities. The injury risk calculated using computational models was compared with field-based injury risk derived from NASS-CDS by calculating their correlation coefficient. The field-based injury risk was calculated using risk curves that were created based on real-world crash data in a previous study (Hostetler et al., 2020). Occupant age (40 years), seatbelt use (belted occupant), collision deformation classification, lateral ΔV, and PDOF of the crash event were used in these curves to estimate field injury risk. Large differences in the kinematics were observed between HBM and ATD models. ATD models tended to overestimate risk in almost every case whereas HBMs yielded better risk estimates overall. Chest and lower extremity risks were the least correlated with field injury risk estimates. The overall risk of AIS 3+ injury risk was the strongest comparison to the field data-based risk curves. The HBMs were still not able to capture all the variance but future studies can be carried out that are focused on investigating their shortfalls and improving them to estimate injury risk closer to field injury risk in far-side crashes.

Impact of COVID-19 on occupational injuries and illnesses among nursing care facility workers: Analysis of California workers' compensation data, 2019-2021.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic greatly affected healthcare workers, both physically and psychologically, by increasing their workload and stress. This may also have increased their risk of occupational injuries. This study analyzed workers' compensation (WC) claims among California nursing care facility workers during 2019-2021, to assess the impact of the pandemic on occupational injury risk. This study used data from the California Workers' Compensation Information System. WC claims in prepandemic and pandemic periods were described and compared between nursing care facilities and other settings. Nursing facility cases were described by demographic, job, and injury characteristics. In 2019-2021, we identified 41,134 claims as nursing facility cases in California. Annual claims increased by 64.6% from 2019 to 2020 and then decreased in 2021, returning to levels similar to pre-COVID. In contrast, non-healthcare settings had decreases in claims during the pandemic. COVID-related claims accounted for 50.5% of claims in nursing facilities in 2020-2021; this proportion was much higher compared with other healthcare (35.7%) or nonhealthcare settings (14.3%). Non-COVID claims decreased during the pandemic but mental disorder or stress claims increased in nursing facilities, particularly in 2020 (+42.5%). Our findings show that nursing care facilities were more severely affected by the pandemic than other settings. We did not find evidence of an increased risk of occupational injuries during the pandemic, except for increased claims for stress or mental disorders. Our findings indicate a clear need to address psychological stress and mental health among nursing facility workers during a pandemic.

Analisis Factor-Faktor Penyebab Kecelakaan Kerja Penggunaan Benda Tajam Atau Mesin pada Pemanen Sawit

Indonesia is a country with vast agricultural areas and the fertility of its soil is undisputed. This makes Indonesia a rich country in terms of agricultural products, especially oil palm plantations. Oil palm plantations have many advantages, especially since oil palm is a raw material that plays a strategic role in the country's economic development. However, this also avoids the risk of occupational injuries that threaten plantation workers, especially in the area of palm oil harvesting. Workplace accidents can be caused by activities involving the use of sharp tools and machinery such as dodos, egereks, ganks, axes and axes. The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors leading to occupational injuries associated with the use of sharp tools and machinery in oil palm harvesters. The results of this study indicate that there are several risk factors for workplace injury when sharps and machinery are used in oil palm harvesters, including worker knowledge level, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and adherence to standards. indicates that there is Having it suggests that there is merit. Instruction manual (SOP)

Adaptive restraint design for a diverse population through machine learning.

Using population-based simulations and machine-learning algorithms to develop an adaptive restraint system that accounts for occupant anthropometry variations to further enhance safety balance throughout the whole population. Two thousand MADYMO full frontal impact crash simulations at 35 mph using two validated vehicle/restraint models representing a sedan and an SUV along with a parametric occupant model were conducted based on the maximal projection design of experiments, which considers varying occupant covariates (sex, stature, and body mass index) and vehicle restraint design variables (three for airbag, three for safety belt, and one for knee bolster). A Gaussian-process-based surrogate model was trained to rapidly predict occupant injury risks and the associated uncertainties. An optimization framework was formulated to seek the optimal adaptive restraint design policy that minimizes the population injury risk across a wide range of occupant sizes and shapes while maintaining a low difference in injury risks among different occupant subgroups. The effectiveness of the proposed method was tested by comparing the population-wise injury risks under the adaptive design policy and the traditional state-of-the-art design. Compared to the traditional state-of-the-art design for midsize males, the optimal design policy shows the potential to further reduce the joint injury risk (combining head, chest, and lower extremity injury risks) among the whole population in the sedan and SUV models. Specifically, the two subgroups of vulnerable occupants including tall obese males and short obese females had higher reductions in injury risks. This study lays out a method to adaptively adjust vehicle restraint systems to improve safety balance. This is the first study where population-based crash simulations and machine-learning methods are used to optimize adaptive restraint designs for a diverse population. Nevertheless, this study shows the high injury risks associated with obese and female occupants, which can be mitigated via restraint adaptability.

A Novel Endovascular Robotic System for Treatment of Lower Extremity Peripheral Arterial Disease: First-in-Human Experience.

To assess the feasibility and first-in-human experience of a novel endovascular robotic system for treatment of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Between November 2021 and January 2022, consecutive patients with obstructive lower extremity PAD and claudication (Rutherford 2-5) with >50% stenosis demonstrated on angiography were enrolled in this study. Lower extremity peripheral arterial intervention was performed using the endovascular robotic system, which consisted of a bedside unit and an interventional console. The primary endpoints were technical success, defined as the successful manipulation of the lower extremity peripheral arterial devices using the robotic system, and safety. The secondary endpoints were clinical success, defined as 50% residual stenosis at the completion of the robot-assisted procedure without major adverse cardiac events and radiation exposure. In total, 5 patients with PAD were enrolled in this study (69.2±6.0 years; 80% men). The novel endovascular robotic system successfully completed the entire procedure of endovascular treatment of lower extremity PAD. Conversion to manual operation, including advancement, retracement, rotation of the guidewires, catheters, sheaths, deployment, and release of the balloons and stent grafts, was not necessary. We achieved the criteria for clinical procedural and technical success in all patients. No deaths, myocardial infarctions, or ruptures occurred in the period up to 30 days after the procedure, and no device-related complications were observed. The robotic system operator had 97.6% less radiation exposure than that at the procedure table, with a mean of 1.40±0.49 μGy. This study demonstrated the safety and feasibility of the robotic system. The procedure reached technical and clinical performance metrics and resulted in significantly lower radiation exposure to the operators at the console compared with that at the procedure table. There were some reports about several robotic systems used in the peripheral arterial disease, but no robotic system was able to perform entire procedure of endovascular treatment of lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD).To solve this problem, we designed a remote-control novel endovascular robotic system. It was the first robotic system that can perform entire procedure of endovascular treatment of PAD worldwide. A novelty retrieval report about this is provided in the supplementary materials.The robotic system is compatible with all commercial endovascular surgical devices currently available in the market, including guidewires, catheters and stent delivery systems. It can perform all types of motion, such as forward, backward, and rotation to meet the requirements of all types of endovascular procedures. During the operation, the robotic system can perform these operations in a fine-tuned manner, so it is easy to cross the lesions, which is the key factor influencing the success rate of the operation. In addition, the robotic system can effectively reduce the exposure time to radiation, thereby reducing the risk of occupational injury.

Evaluating the Risk of Injury for Aircraft Attendants using Virtual Reality and Advanced Motion Tracking System Integrated with Ergonomics Analysis

Aircraft attendants are at a high risk of occupational injuries and illnesses, leading to substantial compensation costs and staff shortages in the aviation industry. To address this issue, this study introduces an innovative virtual reality technique and advanced motion tracking system integrated with ergonomics tools to effectively evaluate the risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among aircraft attendants during their routine tasks. The study involved twenty-two participants who performed two common tasks: opening/closing the passenger door,and lifting luggage from the floor and placing it into the overhead compartment. The inappropriate postures were identified, which resulted in excessive strain on the participants’ lower back. By analyzing the impact of biomechanical variables, such as object weight, body height, and trunk motion, on the lower back, the study provides valuable insights that can inform the development of safety training programs and real-time monitoring approaches for injury prevention. Additionally, this innovative technology can be applied to other occupational fields.

Региональные риски производственных травм и гибели личного состава Федеральной противопожарной службы МЧС России (2006–2020 гг.)

Introduction. A high level of tension of physical and psychophysiological reserves of an organism which firefighters are exposed to probably contributes to the occurrence of erroneous actions and injuries. Occupational injuries are an indicator of the safety of activity, it cannot be excluded completely, injuries can only be minimized. The purpose of this article is to carry out a qualitative assessment of the occupational risks of injuries and death of personnel, employees with special ranks, and workers of the Federal Firefighting Service (FFS) of the Emercom of Russia in federal districts and regions of Russia. Methods. Over the 15 years (2006–2020) 3,758 injuries in the performance of official duties were recorded considering the personnel of the Federal Firefighting Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, 224 of them were fatal. The risk of occupational injuries was calculated per 10 thousand (10 –4 ) people, the risk of death was calculated per 100 thousand (10 –5 ). Optimal risk was considered to be those indicators that were 1/3 less than the average for the FFS of the EMERCOM of Russia, increased — more than 1/3, acceptable — with intermediate values. Resu lts and discussion. The average annual risk of occupational injuries of the personnel of the FFS of the EMERCOM of Russia was (14.66 ± 2.01) ∙ 10 –4 injuries/(person per year). The optimal risk of injuries was in the Siberian Federal District and in 24 regions of Russia, increased — in the Far Eastern, North Caucasus Federal District and in 23 regions, acceptable — in other federal districts and regions. The average annual risk of death of the personnel of the FFS of the EMERCOM of Russia was (8.53 ± 1.00) ∙ 10 –5 deaths/(person ∙ year). The optimal risk of death was in the Siberian Federal District and in 35 regions of Russia, elevated — in the North Caucasus Federal District and in 19 regions, acceptable — in other federal districts and regions. Co nclusions. It is necessary to take into account and analyze all cases of occupational injuries with the participation of chiefs, occupational safety specialists, engineers, firefighters and doctors in order to develop measures to prevent them.

Development and refinement of a corner-based injury prevention programme for Latino day labourers.

Latino day labourers (LDLs) in the USA are at increased risk for non-fatal and fatal occupational injuries, which are compounded by stressors that include wage theft, job insecurity and discrimination. This paper describes the development and refinement of Vales+Tú (You are Worthy of More), an injury prevention programme currently being evaluated as part of a cluster randomised trial in which health promotion is taken directly to the 'corners' (e.g. street corners, home improvement store parking lots, and public parks) where workers gather to seek employment. Vales+Tú comprises two corner-based intervention approaches, group problem-solving (small group discussions) and brief motivational interviewing (one-on-one dialogue), that aim to activate LDL agency to control their safety and that of their peers. Corners in Houston, Texas, where LDLs seek employment. Intervention Mapping informed the refinement of Vales+Tú for the current trial. We provide a narrative review of the development process based on needs assessment and formative development activities (surveys, focus group discussions and pilot tests). In addition to documenting the need for LDL injury prevention, with 20.2%-41.6% of Houston-based LDLs surveyed between 2013-2014 and 2019 reporting a severe work-related injury in the past year, we describe key facets of the Vales+Tú corner-based intervention approaches - including their theoretical basis and LDL-centred activities, as well as enhancements made informed by formative evaluation. The community-engaged development process of Vales+Tú resulted in two practical intervention approaches that can be adopted by worker centres and other organisations to promote LDL worker safety.

Development and psychometric evaluation of an occupational health and safety performance tool for manufacturing companies

BackgroundThe occupational health and safety (OHS) performance of organizations maybe affected by internal and external factors. According to a literature review, standardized tools for studying these factors are limited. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to examine psychometric properties of a tool for evaluating OHS performance. The tool was used to investigate the relationship between the identified OHS performance influencing factors and occupational injury. MethodsThe questionnaire developed through conducting a literature review about the OHS performance and constructing a question pool. The number of items was reduced to 93 after performing a screening process. Sixteen OHS scholars offered feedback on the tool's phrasing and applicability to check face and content validity. Test-retest reliability was examined through intraclass correlation coefficients. 850 questionnaires were distributed at 12 manufacturing companies in the West Azerbaijan province in Iran, 600 valid questionnaires were returned. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted to assess construct validity. Criterion validity was investigated by measuring agreement between its OHS performance scores and occupational injury. A set of regression analyses examined the variables associated with OHS influencing factors. ResultsValidity analysis revealed that 93 items had an excellent content validity ratio (>0.79) and content validity index (>0.47). The exploratory factor analysis resulted in eleven OHS performance factors. Thirty-three items were removed because of inadequate reliability. The result of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the OHS performance model is satisfactory. The final 60-item scale's reliability score was 0.96. The safety system was identified as the main influencing factor (3.54 ± 0.65). Participants with more safety training reported more injuries. Safety training and injury experiences, company size, and occupational health and safety management system (OHSMS) adoption affected OHS performance influencing factors. Occupational injuries were linked to company size (OR = 1.39, CI = 1.06–1.82), whereas the absence of OHSMS was connected with an increased risk of occupational injury (OR = 0.09, CI = 0.02–0.55). ConclusionsThe developed tool had satisfactory psychometric properties for assessing OHS performance in manufacturing companies. OHS performance could be improved by implementing safety systems and focusing more on incentive programs. Implementing the requirements of an OHSMS may improve the OHS performance and decrease occupational injuries.

The composition of nosologies and occupational injury risks in officers of the Federal Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia (2012–2021).

Relevance. Professional firefighters are exposed to high levels of physical and emotional stress which impacts their functional reserves and makes the susceptible to erroneous actions and occupational traumas. The objective is to assess the decade-long (2012 to 2021) risk of occupational injuries and to establish its correlation with nosologies of external causes under Chapter XIX of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10).Methods. We analyzed occupational injuries across different categories among Federal Fire Service (FFS) officers of the EMERCOM of Russia (emergency response squads, prevention, technical and administrative workforce), their causes (technical, organizational, psychophysiological and hazardous fire-related factors), and performed occupational activities (firefighting, training, sport or daily activities). Based on the ICD-10, injury risks and exposure of particular body areas to external factors were calculated per 10,000 people according (×10–4).Results and Discussion. Over a 10 year’s timespan, 1,769 occupational injuries have been registered among Federal Fire Service officers EMERCOM of Russia. The occupational injury rate for firefighters was (9.19 ± 0.54)•10–4 injuries/(person•year), which was statistically significantly lower (p &lt; 0.001) than for male workforce employed in Russian economy sectors – (16.50 ± 1.09)•10–4. The overall average diagnose per injury rate was 1.5, including 1.7 in firefighting and other emergency response activities, 1.4 in combat training activities, and 1.5 in routine activities. The weighted average risk of body injuries was (11.96 ± 0.89)•10–4 injuries/(person•year); in particular, cumulative injury risk rate was (10.01 ± 0.83)•10–4 responsible for 83.6% of the total value, with burns (1.39 ± 0.23)•10–4 (equal to 11.6%), poisoning by combustion products (0.39 ± 0.09)•10–4 (equal to 3.3%), heat fainting (0.18 ± 0.04)•10–4 (equal to 1.5%) respectively. The congruent risk trends for occupational injuries, industrial head and body injuries, including burns, are positive and statistically significant, which suggests the trends are driven by identical (unidirectional) parameters. For determination coefficients of different significance, the polynomial trend of body injuries risk shows a downward trend of data reduction; the risk of burns resembles an inverted U-curve; while the risk of poisoning by combustion products demonstrates an increase in indicator values. Risks of injuries to the head (S00–S09 in ICD-10) showed rank 1 of significance among occupational body lesions in the entire cohort of firefighters, reaching the level of (2,49 ± 0,32)•10–4 injuries/(person•year) equal to 20.8 % of all occupational injuries; knee and shin injuries were assigned rank 2 (S80-S89) – (1.87 ± 0.24)•10–4 equal to 15.6 %; ankle and foot area were assigned rank 3 (S90–S99) – (1.11 ± 0.15)•10–4 equal to 9,3 %; rank 4 injuries were injuries of the thorax (S20–S29) – (0.91 ± 0.13)•10–4 equal to 7.6 %; wrist and hand injuries were assigned rank 5 (S40–S49) – (0.88 ± 0.07)•10–4 equal to 7.4 % respectively. Overall, these body traumas amounted to 60.7 % of all occupational injuries of external causes. In the genesis of damages of body areas of firefighters during occupational injury, the leading place is given to head injuries, which contribute to loss of balance and create conditions for falling, as a result of which other areas of the body are injured. The analysis of occupational injuries and nosologies across different workforce categories was effectively performed taking account of injury causes and types of activity.Conclusion. The analysis of cause-and-effect relations of all injuries among heads of subdivisions, occupational safety officers, fire engineers, firefighters and doctors allows to improve prevention of occupational injuries among officers of the Federal Fire Service of EMERCOM of Russia.