Risk Of Work-related Injuries Research Articles

Pain and Discomfort Among Mohs Surgeons: An Ergonomic Model of Procedural Dermatologists

Background: Dermatologic surgeons are at risk for work-related injuries and chronic pain. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and characteristics of pain and discomfort among fellowship trained Mohs surgeons across the United States Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted of members of the American College of Mohs Surgery (ACMS).Participants reported the continuous variables of hours spent working, standing versus sitting while operating, typing to the electronic medical record, and exercising per week. Results: 107 male and female respondents participated. 88.7% of respondents reported chronic pain; the most common anatomic locations for pain were the neck (54.2%), upper back (38.2%), and lower back (33.6%). At these anatomic locations, male respondents less frequently complained of upper back pain (odds ratio (OR) 0.349, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.155 to 0.787; P = 0.010) but more frequently complained of lower back pain (OR 2.462, 95% CI 1.606 to 13.320; P = 0.044), than female respondents. Respondents were significantly more likely to report regular pain-relieving medication use when suffering from pain at the neck (OR 4.665, 95% CI 1.450 to 15.007; P = 0.006) or upper back (OR 3.366, 95% CI 1.251 to 9.054; P = 0.013). Respondents regularly using sit-stand stools were less likely to report neck pain (OR 0.326, 95% CI 0.105 to 1.015; P = 0.046). Conclusions: Pain is prevalent among Mohs surgeons. Adopting and training in an ergonomically-friendly environment and incorporating an ergonomically aware mindset early in a surgeon’s career may decrease one’s risk for job-related injury and pain.

Health seeking behavior among Myanmar migrant workers in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand

Background: Numbers of migrant workers have been increasing in Thailand, 69% of low skilled migrant workers are from Myanmar. Migrant workers are at highest risk of work-related injury and illness as compared to immigrants. There is limited study focusing on the magnitude of health seeking behavior and its associated factors among Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand. Objectives: To determine the proportion of the health seeking behavior and its associated factors among Myanmar migrant workers. Methods: This was an analytical cross-sectional study using quantitative data where 423 Myanmar migrant workers were included and the study was carried out in the Khon Kaen province, Thailand. Community people working in a fishing net factory and a construction site were selected by simple random sampling method. Data collection was done via face-to-face interviews. Multiple logistic regression was used for data analysis. The association was described with Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) and its 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) at the statistically significant level of p value < 0.05. Results: A total of 423 participants aged between 18 and 56 years (mean: 30.89 ± 7.95 years) and 61.7% currently married were enrolled in this study. Three-fourths (76.36%) of participants had income of more than 10,000 baths per month. Around 87% respondents were healthy. Overall, 46.81% of participants had appropriate health seeking behavior. Factors significantly associated with appropriate health seeking behavior were fishing net factory workers (AOR:1.80, 95% CI: 1.03-3.13), ability to speak Thai (AOR: 2.58, 95% CI: 1.52-4.39), non-drinkers (AOR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.01-2.53), unhealthy workers (AOR:2.30, 95% CI: 1.21-4.39), injured (AOR: 3.33, 95% CI: 1.67-6.61) and having chronic diseases (AOR: 2.92,95% CI: 1.55-5.52). Conclusion: The proportion of appropriate health seeking behavior of Myanmar migrant workers was unsatisfactory. Occupation, ability to speak Thai, nondrinker, unhealthy, injury and chronic diseases were statistically significantly associated with appropriate health seeking behavior. Language translators should be assigned in the health centres to solve the barrier of health seeking behaviour of Myanmar migrant workers.

Analisis Perbaikan Posisi Kerja di Industri Pencacah Sampah Plastik Dengan Metode Quick Exposure Check (QEC)

The wrong body position of workers while working can cause the risk of work accidents and cause complaints of illness, which will have a direct impact on reducing the worker's work productivity. To anticipate this, companies can improve work processes and activities to reduce risks or musculoskeletal complaints experienced by workers. Through the Quick Exposure Check (QEC) method carried out on workers, especially in the production section, workers' complaints due to incorrect work posture in the musculoskeletal area (back, shoulders, neck, arms and wrists) will be known so that recommendations can be made regarding process improvements. work for production workers and can reduce the risk of work-related injuries from the results of this analysis. From the research results, it was found that the QEC value for workers carrying out grinding/chopping, washing and drying work processes and activities was 65.34%; 60.79% and 64.77%, so there is a need for continued research and changes to workers' work processes and activities. With these changes, workers will be able to do work comfortably and reduce the risk of injury or musculoskeletal complaints in workers when doing work. Keywords: Improvement of work processes, Musculoskeletal, Quick Exposure Check (QEC), Work position

Injury as a Result of Children and Adolescent Labor-An Association with Ethnicity and Peripherality: A Retrospective Cohort Study Based on the Israeli Trauma Registry.

Working children and adolescents face a heightened risk of work-related injuries. This research aimed to assess the rate of hospitalizations resulting from work-related injuries among children and adolescents in Israel, with a specific focus on disadvantaged populations. This nationwide retrospective cohort study utilized The Israeli National Trauma Registry (INTR). It included 642 children and adolescents aged 13-17 hospitalized due to work-related injuries from 2015-2022. Arab children had over five times the risk of hospitalization due to work-related injuries compared to Jewish (RR = 5.5, 95% CI: 4.7-7.4). Despite the 2018 law prohibiting young people from entering this type of work, the most common type of work leading to hospitalization was construction, accounting for 40.2% of Arab and 11.9% of Jewish injuries (p < 0.001). After adjustment, road traffic accidents and falls presented the highest odds of at least severe injury. Arabs had three times significantly higher odds of at least moderate injury compared to Jews. Prioritizing the creation of safe job opportunities for Arab teenagers is imperative. Strict enforcement measures, particularly within the construction industry, especially among Arab youth and during night shifts, are essential. These initiatives should focus on establishing secure and sustainable employment opportunities for children and young individuals, effectively reducing the risks associated with hazardous labor practices. In addition, the implementation of educational programs in the school curriculum covering essential aspects of youth employment is vital.

Ergonomic Assessment of Cashew nut Kernel Peeling Activity in Women Workers Using REBA

Women are the major work force in cashew nut processing industries in south Maharashtra. Various processes carried out to obtain final edible cashew nut in these industries are, sun drying, roasting, kernel peeling etc. Peeling of outer hard shell called kernel peeling (Shelling) is very time consuming and cumbersome operation and requires labor work force. The women carrying out this activity are at high ergonomic risk which develops musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). This research paper presents an ergonomic assessment of cashew nut kernel peeling activity among 25 women workers using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method. Twenty five women workers were randomly selected for the study from Malvan in District Sindhudurg, Maharashtra. Prolonged and repetitive manual peeling activities can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The REBA method was applied to evaluate the ergonomic risks associated with cashew nut peeling and to propose potential interventions to improve the working conditions. The study found that the peeling activity poses significant ergonomic challenges and recommends modifications to reduce the risk of work-related injuries among cashew nut peelers. During the survey, it was found that about 85% of the employees were women. Intensity of body pain, postural deviation, joint discomfort and musculoskeletal problems were recorded during survey. Analysis of MSDs reveal that 95% of workers are has low back pain more predominant followed by neck 83% and shoulder pain of about 75%. Further Rapid entire body assessment (REBA) analysis reveals that 25% of the workers are facing sever discomfort in low back pain and 46 % of worker had severed discomfort in neck pain. This study clearly shows that postural behavior in cashew nut processing industries may be the reason for the MSDs in women workers. Thus for human-wellbeing and to sustain human progress, there is urgent need to solve these problems of workers.

Baseline Assessment of Marine Resources Caught by Fishermen in Selected Coastal Barangays of Cawayan, Masbate, Philippines

Marine resources have been essential for human consumption and livelihood activities, particularly for small-scale fishermen in the fishing industry. This study employed a descriptive research design, utilizing interviews and structured survey questionnaires for data collection. The findings revealed the presence of 28 fish species caught by the fishermen in Cawayan, including Asian seabass, bisugo, dolphin fish, giant trevally, gold band goatfish, grouper, lattice monocle bream, mackerel tuna, mullet, needlefish, narrow barred, octopus, oxeye scad, pink shrimp, pin spotted spinefoot, pony fish, sardines, sailfish, shark, short mackerel, slip mouth fish, squid, stingray, threadfin emperor, whiting, and yellow stripe scad. The study also identified five shellfish species, namely baler shell, fierce shell, mother-of-pearl shell, scallop, and ark shell. Seaweed species, including sea moss and sea grapes, as well as the presence of blue crab, contributed to the diverse marine ecosystem. Age emerged as a significant factor in fishing, as older fishermen exhibited extensive knowledge and expertise in identifying the caught fish species. Younger individuals, on the other hand, demonstrated physical strength and minimized the risk of work-related injuries. Notably, a significant portion of fishermen (32%) operated boats they did not own, with motorboats being the preferred choice for the majority (93%). Additionally, 72% of respondents indicated that their fishing income covered only their daily expenses, while 57% lacked alternative sources of income during unfavorable weather conditions. The researchers recommend educating and equipping fishermen with the latest fishing knowledge and skills, facilitated by collaborative efforts among the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), local government units (LGUs), community extensionists, and extension workers. Sharing sustainable and advanced fishing practices will contribute to the well-being and long-term prosperity of fishing communities.

“Injury risk, concussions, race, and pay in the NFL”

We make two main contributions to the literature on work-related injury risk and economic outcomes in the context of American professional football. One is to examine an increasingly important specific injury, concussions, and compare its subsequent economic effects to those of other types of football injuries. Our other contribution is to study the role of race in understanding injury risk and severity and their resulting economic consequences, which has been overlooked in previous sports injury research. Using a specific position, tight ends, which allows conditioning on fine-grained relevant measures of player demographics, playing time, and performance, we find that whether a player continues to play NFL football from year to year is affected by type of injury and the player’s race. We calculate that the average ex post loss in annual compensation from a concussion is about 7%. Moreover, the effect of games missed due to concussion on continued employment is triple that of other injuries. Being white positively affects length of playing career independent of the measured productivity of the players involved. The racial gap in career length is approximately equal to the effect of an additional game missed from concussion. With respect to heterogeneity in the effects of injuries, both concussions and other injury types affect ex post economic outcomes equally for white and nonwhite players. Both injuries and race affect compensation solely through their effects on career length.

Heat and worker health

Extreme heat negatively impacts cognition, learning, and task performance. With increasing global temperatures, workers may therefore be at increased risk of work-related injuries and illness. This study estimates the effects of temperature on worker health using records spanning 1985–2020 from an Australian mandatory insurance scheme. High temperatures are found to cause significantly more claims, particularly among manual workers in outdoor-based industries. These adverse effects have not diminished across time, with the largest effect observed for the 2015–2020 period, indicating increasing vulnerability to heat. Within occupations, the workers most adversely affected by heat are female, older-aged and higher-earning. Finally, results from firm-level panel analyses show that the percentage increase in claims on hot days is largest at "safer" firms.

COMMunity of Practice And Safety Support for Navigating Pain (COMPASS-NP): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial with home care workers

BackgroundChronicpain is a prevalent and costly problem that often has occupational origins. Home care workers (HCWs) are at high risk for work-related injuries, pain, and disability. Current treatments for chronic pain emphasize medications, which are an inadequate stand-alone treatment and can produce significant adverse effects.MethodsIn this translational study, we will adapt an established work-based injury prevention and health promotion program (COMmunity of Practice And Safety Support: COMPASS) to address the needs of HCWs experiencing chronic pain. COMPASS employs peer-led, scripted group meetings that include educational content, activities, goal setting, and structured social support. The translated intervention, named COMPASS for Navigating Pain (COMPASS-NP), will be delivered in an online group format. Safety protections will be strengthened through an ergonomic self-assessment and vouchers for purchasing ergonomic tools. Educational content will integrate a self-management approach to chronic pain using proven cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) principles. We will use a mixed-methods hybrid type 2 evaluation approach to assess effectiveness and implementation. A cluster-randomized waitlist control design will involve 14 groups of 10 HCWs (n = 140) recruited from Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Half of the groups will be randomly selected to complete the intervention during the first 10 weeks, while the waitlist groups serve as controls. During weeks 10–20, the waitlist groups will complete the intervention while the original intervention groups complete a follow-up period without further intervention. Our primary hypothesis is that COMPASS-NP will reduce pain interference with work and life. Secondary outcomes include injury and pain prevention behaviors, pain severity, changes in medication use, risk for opioid misuse, well-being, physical activity, and sleep. Qualitative data, including phone interviews with group facilitators and organizational partners, will evaluate the implementation and guide dissemination.DiscussionThe results will advance the use and knowledge of secondary prevention interventions such as ergonomic tools and cognitive behavior therapy, to reduce injury, pain, and disability and to encourage appropriate uses of analgesic medications among HCWs.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05492903. Registered on 08 August 2022

The risk of injuries during work and its association with precipitation: New insight from a sentinel-based surveillance and a case-crossover design.

Injuries during work are often exogenous and can be easily influenced by environmental factors, especially weather conditions. Precipitation, a crucial weather factor, has been linked to unintentional injuries, yet evidence of its effect on work-related injuries is limited. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the impact of precipitation on injuries during work as well as its variation across numerous vulnerability features. Records on the work-related injury during 2016-2020 were obtained from four sentinel hospitals in Guangzhou, China, and were matched with the daily weather data during the same period. We applied a time-stratified case-crossover design followed by a conditional logistic regression to evaluate the association between precipitation and work-related injuries. Covariates included wind speed, sunlight, temperature, SO 2, NO 2, and PM 2.5. Results were also stratified by multiple factors to identify the most vulnerable subgroups. Daily precipitation was a positive predictor of work-related injuries, with each 10 mm increase in precipitation being associated with an increase of 1.57% in the rate of injuries on the same day and 1.47-1.14% increase of injuries on subsequent 3 days. The results revealed that precipitation had a higher effect on work-related injuries in winter (4.92%; 95%CI: 1.77-8.17%). The elderly (2.07%; 95%CI: 0.64-3.51%), male (1.81%; 95%CI: 0.96-2.66%) workers or those with lower educational levels (2.58%; 95%CI: 1.59-3.54%) were more likely to suffer from injuries on rainy days. There was a higher risk for work-related injuries caused by falls (2.63%; 95%CI: 0.78-4.52%) or the use of glass products (1.75%; 95%CI: 0.49-3.02%) on rainy days. Precipitation was a prominent risk factor for work-related injury, and its adverse effect might endure for 3 days. Certain sub-groups of workers were more vulnerable to injuries in the rain.

Systemic barriers to reporting work injuries and illnesses in contexts of language barriers

Workers who experience language barriers are at increased risk of work-related injuries and illnesses and face difficulties reporting these health problems to their employer and workers' compensation. In the existing occupational health and safety literature, however, such challenges are often framed in individual-level terms. We identify systemic barriers to reporting among injured workers who experience language barriers within the varying contexts of Ontario and Quebec, Canada. This study merges data from two qualitative studies that investigated experiences with workers' compensation and return-to-work, respectively, for injured workers who experience language barriers. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 workers and 70 stakeholders in Ontario and Quebec. Audio recordings were transcribed and coded using NVivo software. The data was analysed thematically and iteratively. Almost all workers (34/39) had filed a claim, though most had initially delayed reporting their injuries or illnesses to their employer or to workers' compensation. Workers faced several obstacles to reporting, including confusion surrounding the cause and severity of injuries and illnesses; lack of information, misinformation, and disinformation about workers' compensation; difficulties accessing and interacting with care providers; fear and insecurity linked to precarity; claim suppression by employers; negative perceptions of, and experiences with, workers' compensation; and lack of supports. Language barriers amplified each of these difficulties, resulting in significant negative impacts in economic, health, and claim areas. Improving the linguistic and cultural competence of organizations and their representatives is insufficient to address under-reporting among workers who experience language barriers. Efforts to improve timely reporting must tackle the policies and practices that motivate and enable under-reporting for workers, physicians, and employers.

Understanding Work-Related Injury Risk Among Rural Rehabilitation Clinicians

Background: Rehabilitation clinicians have a high risk of occupational injury. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the most frequent injuries for rehabilitation clinicians due to repeated heavy lifting and other forceful tasks. The primary objective of this study was to identify factors that caused or contributed to WMSDs for clinicians specifically working in rehabilitation settings (e.g., acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, long-term care, outpatient therapy). Methods: An, in person, proctored questionnaire was conducted of physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs) and therapy assistants working at a rural community hospital. Information on general workload, work-related pain or discomfort, patient handling, and clinical experience were gathered using both a scripted interview questionnaire and a semi-scripted post-interview discussion. The questionnaire was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods to determine the 1-year prevalence of WMSDs and factors associated with WMSDs and use of safe patient handling techniques. Results: Respondents (n=27) included 18 PTs, 6 OTs and 3 therapy assistants. On average, rehabilitation clinicians spent over eight hours per day delivering “hands-on” care to patients. During a typical workday, therapists spent more than 20% performing heavy lifting, physically fatiguing tasks, or were in a static or awkward posture. Bending or twisting, repetitive tasks, and kneeling or squatting were each performed 30% or more of a typical workday, especially bending or twisting (38%). More than half (63%) suffered musculoskeletal pain/discomfort during the past year. Inadequate lifting devices were reported to be available in the working environment. A negative association was observed between the availability of multiple lifting devices and WMSDS (p-values&lt;0.05). Less than a third of clinicians (31.5%) reported complete confidence to use mechanical lifting devices during rehabilitation activities. Conclusion: Rehabilitation clinicians are at higher risk for WMSDs due to patient handling tasks. More ongoing training must be provided to ensure clinicians have confidence to use the technologies available for rehabilitation tasks. However, additional research is still needed to understand the causal factors of WMSDs related to patient handling, particularly for rural care settings that lack access to technology and adequate staffing.

A literature review on the relationship between questionnaires for assessing minor health complaints and health status indices among Japanese people

Objectives Minor health complaints related to stress, mental health, sleep, and fatigue are closely associated with each other, and their deterioration may cause lifestyle diseases. The health status of people can be predicted through a questionnaire by exploring the relationship between their state of minor health complaints and objective health status indices. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of the relationship between a questionnaire on the state of minor health complaints and health status indices among Japanese people who have a high level of stress, which they experience on a daily basis, using epidemiological literature. Additionally, we considered items for the questionnaire which were necessary for an index development.Methods The PubMed database was searched for papers on "autonomic nervous system," "sleep disorders," "mental health and stress," and "fatigue," using keywords mentioned in previous studies on minor health complaints. The extracted research papers were screened according to the following inclusion criteria: 1) the participants were healthy Japanese people; 2) descriptions included characteristics of the target population; 3) use of analytic epidemiological study design, intervention studies, and systematic reviews; 4) minor health complaints assessed by a questionnaire; 5) evaluation of the relationship between the questionnaires for minor health complaints and the health index; and 6) written in Japanese or English. Based on this, ten papers were adopted.Results Of the 10 papers collected, one was a cohort study, three were case-control studies, and six were cross-sectional studies. The participants in five of them were working adults. Reports on three out of six questionnaires on stress, four out of seven on sleep, and all two on comprehensive health status showed significant associations between minor health complaints assessed by the questionnaires and the index for health status. The increase in responses about work-related stress from the questionnaire was associated with an increase in the "risk of developing depression" [odds ratio 2.96 (confidence interval: 1.04-8.42)]. Poor sleep quality was associated with an increase in "changes in autonomic index," "number of comorbidities and the rate of depression," and the "risk of work-related injuries." Moreover, the health score was associated with the "autonomic nervous system index".Conclusion These results suggest that a questionnaire evaluating minor health complaints should include questions about "stress," "sleep quality," and "comprehensive health status." Since studies that appropriately adopted for risk of bias were limited, it is necessary to further examine these relationships by applying prospective studies such as cohort studies and intervention studies.

Role of cleaners in establishing and maintaining essential environmental conditions in healthcare facilities in Malawi

Abstract Healthcare facility (HCF) cleaners play an important role in preventing healthcare-acquired infections and promoting a safe and clean healthcare environment. There is little evidence describing cleaner roles in HCFs in low-income countries and factors facilitating and constraining their roles and responsibilities. We analyzed qualitative and quantitative data from 57 in-depth interviews with cleaners in 44 government-run HCFs in Malawi. Cleaner constraints included inadequate training on infection prevention and control (IPC), personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene, and waste management; insufficient PPE and hand hygiene resources; assignment of tasks that are unrelated to core responsibilities and their job description; risk of work-related injuries; and disrespect and stigma from medical staff, patients, and guardians. Facilitators included the positive collaboration and communication with medical staff, high job satisfaction, and a positive working attitude. We recommend the provision of more robust IPC, PPE, hand hygiene, and waste management training (including orientation and refresher). PPE resources must be made available to ensure HCF cleanliness and to keep cleaners, staff, patients, and guardians safe. Clearly defined job descriptions for cleaners will clarify their roles, describe bounds of their work, and ensure cleaners are viewed as essential frontline workers who ensure the safety of staff and patients.

Risk of work-related injury in workers with obstructive sleep apnea: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective of this study is to elucidate the relationship between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and the risk of work-related injuries (WRIs), synthesize the latest clinical evidence and conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA 2020). Observational studies published before April 2020 in PubMed, Cochrane library, PsycINFO, Scopus, Google Scholar and Web of Science were included. Random-effects Mantel-Haenszel meta-analysis was performed. A total of 15 studies with 21,507 participants were included. Prespecified subgroup analyses based on study design and the characteristics of the enrollees were conducted. Overall, workers with OSA had 1.64-fold increased odds of being involved in WRIs compared to their counterparts (OR=1.64, 95% CI=1.24-2.16, p=0.0005). In addition to the professional drivers that have been studied in the past, such a trend also existed in the general working population (OR=1.68, 95% CI=1.14-2.49, p=0.01). We also found that workers with excessive daytime sleepiness (Epworth Sleepiness Scale score >10) had a 1.68-fold increased risk of WRIs compared to those with lower ESS scores (OR=1.68, 95% CI=1.22-2.30, p=0.002). This study verified that OSA workers had a higher risk of WRIs, and such correlations do not show obvious differences in subgroups with different sample sizes, OSA diagnosis methods, job types or definitions of WRI. Based on the association between OSA and WRIs identified in our study, further studies investigating the protective effects of early identification and management of OSA on WRIs are warranted.

MetaInjury: Meta-learning framework for reusing the risk knowledge of different construction accidents

In recent years, many scholars have used data mining algorithms to discover the laws related to the prevention of occupational injuries in the construction industry. Using accident injury records to model occupational risk is a promising direction (for example, predict injury risk from accident frequency and severity). However, the records of specific accident injury data are relatively limited, bringing great difficulties for people to obtain risk knowledge and establish an effective accident consequence prediction model. This article proposes a meta-learning framework called MetaInjury, which can help safety managers share risk knowledge and predict the risk of work-related injuries in various construction industry accidents. When facing small sample data of a new accident type, we first calculate the document vector of the accident description and compare its center vector with vectors in the Meta-knowledge database to find the type of accident most similar. Then, we correspond the meta-features with the best machine learning algorithms on the data set to implement the recommendation of accident prediction algorithms. Through finding the most similar cases and the recommended algorithm, important accident risk factors and accident assessment rules can be shared by safety managers to realize effective risk management. Moreover, specific small sample accident consequences can be predicted by the recommended algorithm. Finally, we verify the method's effectiveness in four different small sample accident data. The results show that the MetaInjury framework can provide theoretical support for preventing small sample accidents and injury reduction in the construction industry.

Prevalence of work-related occupational injuries and its risk factors among brickfield workers in West Bengal, India

The manual brick making process is a physically demanding job with a high risk of work-related injuries. Prevalence of work-related injuries (17.55%) occurs frequently in manual brick making activities due to inherently hazardous nature. This study analyzes 451 recordable incidents that occurred over a period of 7 years (2011–2017) among 220 male and 180 female workers in a different brickfield of West Bengal, India. The leading cause of brickfield injury was fall from heights, struck by objects, overexertion, lack of awareness, slippage of spade while mud collection etc. Carrying bricks and spading are two activities, in which the injuries occurred most among female and male brickfield workers respectively. Risk factors like MMH, prolonged working time, repetitiveness, awkward posture, lack of rotational task, overcrowded work, Lack of personal protective device, and lastly sleep disturbance and poor income are the key factor for work-related injuries. Sprain and strain, cut or laceration, abrasion, avulsion, and snake or insect bite are the main injuries among both groups of brickfield workers. Lower back and toes are the most affected parts of the body followed by ankle, feet, and hand. From this study, it was also observed that female brickfield workers are much more affected than male agricultural workers. The incident rate among male and female brickfield workers was 18.7 per 1000 workers per year and 21.2 per 1000 workers per year, respectively. So due to injuries in both groups of brickfield workers, their health, productivity and work performance were consequently affected.

Work Schedule Irregularity and the Risk of Work-Related Injury among Korean Manual Workers.

Work schedules comprise various variables and generate health and safety outcomes, including work-related injury, which causes socioeconomic problems, such as productivity loss and damage to worker health. We investigated the association between work schedule irregularity and the incidence of work-related injury among South Korean manual workers using data from the 5th Korean Working Conditions Survey. In total, 18,330 manual workers were included. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to understand the association between work schedule and work-related injury and the influence of sufficient safety information and work schedule on work-related injury. We calculated the influence of an irregular work schedule on occupational injury after controlling for personal and work environment-related factors. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for work-related injury was 1.66 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32–2.09) for an irregular work schedule. The interaction had an additive effect when the work schedule was irregular, even when sufficient safety information was provided. Manual workers had a higher incidence of injury (2.1%). Even in adjusted analyses, work schedule irregularity conferred greater risks of work injury, particularly when not working the same number of days weekly (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.21–1.90). Policymakers and health professionals need to consider the impact of work schedule irregularity on worker safety and health.

Understanding Work-Related Injury Risk Among Montana Rehabilitation Clinicians

Background: Rehabilitation clinicians face a high risk of occupational injury. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are one of the most frequent injuries for these rehabilitation clinicians due to repeated heavy lifting and other forceful tasks. The objective of this study was to identify factors which caused or contributed to WMSDs for clinicians specifically working in rehabilitation settings (e.g., acute care, inpatient rehabilitation, long-term care, skilled nursing, outpatient therapy). Methods: A multifaceted pilot survey was conducted of Montana physical and occupational therapists working at a rural, Montana community hospital. Information on general workload, work-related pain or discomfort, patient handling and clinical experience were gathered using both a scripted interview questionnaire and a semi-scripted post-interview discussion. The survey contained five different categories and took approximately 20 minutes to complete. Six therapists from a local community hospital participated in the pilot survey. Results: Subjects (n=6) were all female and had an average age of 43 with standard deviation of 10. On average, these acute care rehabilitation therapists spent five to eight hours per day delivering “hands on” care to patients. During a typical workday, therapists spent 32% of the time heavy lifting, 37% kneeling/squatting, and 39% bending/twisting. Around half suffered musculoskeletal pain or discomfort but continued to work during the past year. Most pain was caused by transferring and repositioning patients. The clinicians’ necks, middle backs and wrists/hands suffered the most severe pain or discomfort. Adequate mobile floor and overhead lifting equipment as well as a shortage of therapeutic lifting device were reported from the survey. Non-mechanical lifting aids like sit-to-stand aids, friction reducing device and multi-handled gait belts was reflected inadequate for clinicians. Discussion: Physical therapists and occupational therapists are at higher risk for WMSDs due to patient handling tasks. There is limited inpatient therapy resources throughout Montana. More user-friendly and therapeutic patient handling equipment and therapeutic training are required. Application: This study highly followed the principle of core competencies for public health professionals to provide evidence-based results and systematic design to assess the risk of patient handling. Future Research: To study causal factors of WMSDs related to patient handling, additional interviews will be collected across Southwest Montana’s health system.

Can Workplace Rest Breaks Prevent Work-Related Injuries Related to Long Working Hours?

This study examined the relationship between long working hours, rest breaks, and work-related injuries. A total of 25,439 employees were examined from the 4th Korean Working Conditions Survey. Rest breaks were divided into two groups and working hours were divided into four groups. Multiple logistic regression was conducted to estimate the relationship between long working hours, rest breaks, and work-related injuries. Work-related injuries were significantly associated with long working hours. Stratified by rest breaks, the risk of work-related injuries increased with increasing working hours in a dose-response pattern among those with insufficient rest breaks, while the risk was not significant among those with sufficient rest breaks. It is important to provide sufficient rest breaks to prevent work-related injuries among workers with long working hours.