Prevention Of Work-related Injuries Research Articles

An Insight into the Impact of Ergonomics on the Clinical Practice of Dentists in Gujarat: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background and Objective: The role of knowledge, awareness, and practice of the principles of ergonomics in the dental profession needs to be highlighted to the dental fraternity as the prevalence and severity of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are increasing in higher numbers leading to a shortened clinical life span of the dentist. Materials and Methods: A valid close-ended questionnaire was designed and circulated as a Google Form, and 200 dentists all over Gujarat consented to take part in the cross-sectional study. Data were collected and analyzed statistically to understand the relation between understanding and practice of the principles of dental ergonomics. Results: The result revealed approximately 89% of the dentists who had <5 years of clinical experience faced pain in their lower back/shoulder/arm/neck area irrespective of their gender. It was observed that the association between understanding the importance between proper illumination and magnification on a daily routine in a neutral posture was highly statistically significant with 73.8% of dentists aware and practicing it. However, we need a larger sample size to be followed for a longer time to establish and highlight the risk factors for the prevention of work-related injuries. Conclusion: As oral care needs are increasing in the Indian population at an alarming rate, the need for a competent experienced dental fraternity will be a necessity for preventive as well as treatment-based dentistry. An ergonomically established dental setup in line with the practical implementation of the principles of ergonomics and lifestyle changes will lead to a reduction in MSD.

Exploring Certified Hand Therapists roles in workplace injury prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and collaboration with occupational safety professionals.

Certified Hand Therapy is a subset of occupational/physical therapy that is relatively unknown to the common individual. Certified Hand Therapists (CHTs) help those with upper extremity injuries, whether it be those with workplace injuries, those who suffered a traumatic injury or those recovering from major surgery to reach the point where they are able to be independent and back to doing daily life activities. This study aimed to discern the roles that Certified Hand Therapists have in rehabilitating individuals with upper extremity injuries, to assess their participation in work-related injury prevention, to examine with whom CHTs interact during the rehabilitation process, and to gain insight into how the relationships between CHTs and occupational safety professionals can be improved. Structured interviews were conducted with eight occupational therapists who are Certified Hand Therapists or are in the process of being certified. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed to determine themes relative to the study objectives. Content analyses determined trends in job roles, interactions with occupational safety professionals, the importance of patient education in prevention and rehabilitation and barriers to effective treatment of work-related injuries. CHTs shared similar thoughts regarding their profession. CHTs revealed common themes in the eight interviews conducted. Specifically, many CHTs believe education is a vital part of the profession in terms of improving the profession and in the rehabilitation process. In addition, patient compliance and the current workers' compensation system were seen as challenges when rehabilitating patients.

International Management System Standards Related to Occupational Safety and Health: An Updated Literature Survey

The implementation of an international management system (IMS) in any organization (or part thereof) creates an efficient framework regarding the sustainable development and the review of processes required to manage occupational safety and health (OSH) efficaciously. Moreover, Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) standards identify requirements regarding OSH management systems, with the aim of enabling an organization to adopt dynamic policy and objectives that take into consideration lawful requirements relating to OSH risks (e.g., safe and healthy workplaces, prevention of work-related injuries, etc.). This article extends the research and the results of a previous study of ours and comparatively presents (a) the main IMS standards concerning OSHMS and (b) the statistical results and new findings of an updated literature survey for additional time intervals (i.e., the years 1995–2005 and 2018–2020), ultimately covering the entire period of the years 1995–2020. Thus, the main targets of the study were (i) the implementation and comparative presentation of OSHMS standards, (ii) the reinforcement of their application at the worksites of any organization, and (iii) the development of a new ameliorated OSH management system model based on the knowledge from the literature review. On the other hand, some dominant results and findings are the following: (a) The industrial sector and construction sector demonstrate the highest percentage of OSHMS utilization. (b) The OHSAS 18001 standard remains the most frequent OSHMS standard even though, despite the fact that the ISO 45001:2018 is a recently developed OSHMS, it presents a considerable percentage distribution with reference to the total OSHMS articles despite its brief lifespan. (c) An effectual IMS OSHMS must merge various management systems, such as OSH (safety and health), QMS (quality), and EMS (environmental). (d) Organizations and businesses of any kind and any size can certainly develop and implement OSHMS standards. (e) Some substantial barriers to the implementation of an OSHMS standard are the high cost vis à vis implementation and management, the difficulty for the employees to realize its significance in OSH, and the complicatedness of combining different standards. (f) Occupational epidemiology must be one of the main features of an OSHMS standard. (g) Governments, employers, and employees admit day after day that the effectiveness of applying OSHMS standards at the organization level is considerable for decreasing the occupational hazards and risks and also for raising productivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic reduced the trauma incidence and modified its pattern in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates

AimWe aimed to study the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pattern of injury and outcome of hospitalized trauma patients in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates, to use this information in the preparedness for future pandemics.MethodsWe retrospectively compared the trauma registry data of all hospitalised trauma patients, who were treated at the two main trauma centres in Al-Ain City (Al-Ain Hospital and Tawam Hospital); those who were treated over 1 year before the pandemic (n = 2002) and those who were treated at the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1468).ResultsThere was a 26.7% reduction in the overall incidence of trauma admissions in the COVID-19 pandemic period. The mechanism of injury significantly differed between the two periods (p < 0.0001, Fisher’s exact test). There was an absolute increase in the number of injuries, due to machinery and falling objects during the pandemic (39.7% and 54.1% respectively, p < 0.001). In contrast, road traffic collisions and falls were reduced by 33.5% and 31.3%, respectively. Location significantly differed between the two periods (p < 0.0001, Fisher’s exact test). There was an absolute increase of 18.4% in workplace injuries and a reduction of 39.3% in home injuries over the study period. In addition, we observed relatively more workplace injuries and fewer home injuries during the pandemic (11.3% and 42.8% compared with 7.1% and 52.4%, respectively). Mortality was similar between the two periods (1.8% compared with 1.2%, p = 0.16, Fisher’s exact test).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has modified the trauma risk exposure in our population. It reduced trauma hospital admissions by around 27%. Work-related injuries, including falling objects and machinery injuries, were relatively higher during the pandemic. Prevention of work-related injuries should be an important component of preparedness for future pandemics.

Occupational Safety and Health amid the Global Pandemic

Occupational Safety and Health amid the Global Pandemic

Direct Healthcare Costs of Moderate and Severe Work-Related Injuries: Estimates from the National Trauma Center of Qatar.

Work-related injuries (WRIs) are recognized as a leading cause of admission to the national trauma center of Qatar. A retrospective analysis of trauma registry data and electronic medical records was conducted on a cohort of all WRI patients who were admitted to the Hamad Trauma Center (HTC), in Doha, Qatar, between 2011 and 2017. A total of 3757 WRI patients were treated at the HTC over the 7-year study period. The overall cost for treatment was 124,671,431 USD (18 million USD per year), with a median cost of 19,071 USD. There was a strong positive correlation between the overall cost and hospital-stay cost (r2 = 0.949, p = 0.00001) and between the overall cost and procedure cost (r2 = 0.852, p = 0.00001). Motor vehicle crash (MVC) victims who wore seatbelts had significantly lower injury severity, hospital stay and median total costs. A comparison of patients by quartiles of the costs incurred showed that the proportions of MVC victims, pedestrian injuries and mortality were significantly higher in the fourth quartile when compared to other quartiles (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that investments in the primary prevention of work-related injuries from falls and MVCs, through proven interventions, should be priorities for occupational safety and health in Qatar.

Reciprocal associations between depression, anxiety and work-related injury

ObjectiveTo examine the reciprocal longitudinal associations between depression or anxiety with work-related injury (WRI) at a large employer in the southwestern United States.MethodThree administrative datasets (2011–2013) were merged: employee eligibility,...

Using Syndromic Surveillance to Classify and Capture Non-Fatal Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

ObjectivesTo evaluate the use of a real-time surveillance tool to track a variety of occupationally-related emergency room visits through the state based syndromic surveillance system, EpiCenter.IntroductionThis study uses data from the New Jersey syndromic surveillance system (EpiCenter) as a data source to enhance surveillance of current non-fatal occupational injuries, illnesses, and poisonings. EpiCenter was originally developed for early detection and monitoring of the health of communities using chief complaints from people seeking acute care in hospital emergency rooms to identify health trends. Currently, syndromic surveillance has not been widely applied to identify occupational injuries and illnesses. Incorporating syndromic surveillance data from EpiCenter, along with hospital discharge data, will enhance the classification and capture of work-related non-fatal injuries with possible improved efforts at prevention.MethodsEpiCenter Emergency Department data from January to December 2014 was evaluated, using work-related keywords and ICD-9 codes, to determine its ability to capture non-fatal work-related injuries. A collection of keywords and phrases specific to work-related injuries was developed by manually assessing the free text chief complaint data field’s. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV), along with descriptive statistics was used to evaluate and summarize the occupational injuries identified in EpiCenter.ResultsOverall, 11,919 (0.3%) possible work-related injuries were identified via EpiCenter. Of these visits 956 (8%) indicated Workman’s Compensation as payer. Events that resulted in the greatest number of ED visits were falls, slips, trips (1,679, 14%). Nature of injury included cuts, lacerations (1,041, 9%), burns (255, 2%), and sprains, strains, tears (185, 2). The part of the body most affected were the back (1,414, 12%). This work-related classifier achieved a sensitivity of 5.4%, a specificity of 99.8%, and a PPV of 2.8%.ConclusionsEvaluating the ability and performance of a new and existing surveillance data source to capture work-related injuries can lead to enhancements in current data collection methods. This evaluation successfully demonstrated that the chief complaint reporting system can yield real-time knowledge of incidents and local conditions for use in identifying opportunities for prevention of work-related injuries.

Prevalence, severity and characteristics of work-related musculoskeletal disorders amongst obstetrics and gynaecology professionals

Background: Backache is a common cause of morbidity among doctors and 50% of the obstetricians and gynaecologists suffering from this attribute it to working posture. Occupational injuries are poorly analyzed amongst these professionals. Work related injuries have adverse effect on health and work performance due to discomfort caused by pain. Awareness of ergonomics, correct posture and strategical assessment of risk factors is needed for the prevention of work related musculoskeletal injuries amongst obstetricians and gynaecologists.Methods: A survey based study was performed. Informed consent was taken for participation. The questionnaire included 16 questions categorised into: demographics; injury data; impact of injury; and general mental health. Hard copy of the questionnaire and online forms of the questionnaire were used to complete the data collection.Results: The response rate for the survey was 85% of the doctors who reported to have experienced pain in the last year. The most common site was back, which was followed by the neck and knees. 71.4% of doctors reported injuries attributed to work.Conclusions: The result demonstrates the prevalence of work related musculoskeletal injuries and their effects. These injuries are highly underreported. Ergonomics and work related injury prevention in this profession is a suggestion for solution as more data is needed regarding the analysis and risk factor assessment.

Occupational Injuries of Aquaculture Workers: Washington State

ABSTRACTObjective: To characterize occupational injuries of aquaculture workers in Washington State.Methods: We reviewed accepted Washington State workers’ compensation claims from January 1, 2006 to December 31, 2014. Trends in employment, worker demographics (including age, sex, and body mass index), claim rate, and injury characteristics were summarized for accepted claims in the Washington State risk classes that include aquaculture workers.Results: During the nine-year study period, there were 1,180 accepted claims, 836 (65.1%) were medical-aid only and 344 (26.8%) were compensable. Most commonly reported injury types included being struck by/against an object (n = 420) and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (n = 310). Over the study period, there was no statistically significant change in claim rates in aquaculture (p = 0.77), though they were elevated compared to claim rates for all WA industries combined. A significant upward trend (p = 0.003) in aquaculture employment was observed during our study period.Conclusions: Given the growth in aquaculture production, and that aquaculture workers in Washington are experiencing higher occupational injury rates compared to other workers in the state, our study suggests that the industry should devote greater attention to prevention of work-related injuries, especially those resulting in being struck by/against objects or work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Enhanced occupational safety and health programs for this industry could help reduce injuries, as well as the cost of workers’ compensation claims.

Missed Opportunities to Prevent Workplace Injuries and Fatalities.

Prevention efforts, especially in high-income countries, have reduced work-related death and injury. Despite this, the global incidence of workplace fatalities remains unacceptably high with approximately 317 million incidents occurring on the job annually. Of particular concern is the occurrence and re-occurrence of incidents with a similar cause and circumstance, such as fatalities occurring in agriculture and transport industries. Efforts to reduce workplace fatalities include surveillance and reporting, investigation, and regulation. Challenges remain in all three domains, limiting the prevention of work-related injuries and deaths. In this commentary, the nature of these challenges and recommendations on how to overcome them are described. Examples of incidents of workplace injury and death, as well as injury prevention efforts are provided to ensure contextual understanding. Reflecting on the present enhances key stakeholders, policy and decision-makers' understanding of the opportunities to reducing harm and the associated human, and economic and legal costs.

Strategies of prevention of the work-related injuries in physiotherapists

This manuscript presents the author's attempt to review current knowledge on the prevention of work-related injuries in physiotherapists. The author analyzed the literature data concerning the results of studies published until first half of 2015. The aim of the paper is to present and analyze strategies for prevention of work-related injuries in physiotherapists, based on the literature review. The majority of components of discussed strategies still require to be confirmed by future studies. Med Pr 2016;67(5):673-679.

An Investigation of Health and Safety Measures in a Hydroelectric Power Plant.

BackgroundOccupational risk management is known as a catalyst in generating superior returns for all stakeholders on a sustainable basis. A number of companies in Ghana implemented health and safety measures adopted from international companies to ensure the safety of their employees. However, there exist great threats to employees' safety in these companies. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the level of compliance of Occupational Health and Safety management systems and standards set by international and local legislation in power producing companies in Ghana.MethodsThe methodology is conducted by administering questionnaires and in-depth interviews as measuring instruments. A random sampling technique was applied to 60 respondents; only 50 respondents returned their responses. The questionnaire was developed from a literature review and contained questions and items relevant to the initial research problem. A factor analysis was also carried out to investigate the influence of some variables on safety in general.ResultsResults showed that the significant factors that influence the safety of employees at the hydroelectric power plant stations are: lack of training and supervision, non-observance of safe work procedures, lack of management commitment, and lack of periodical check on machine operations. The study pointed out the safety loopholes and therefore helped improve the health and safety measures of employees in the selected company by providing effective recommendations.ConclusionThe implementation of the proposed recommendations in this paper, would lead to the prevention of work-related injuries and illnesses of employees as well as property damage and incidents in hydroelectric power plants. The recommendations may equally be considered as benchmark for the Safety and Health Management System with international standards.

Empowering employers in work-related injuries prevention: A pragmatic trial

ObjectivesInterest in work-related injury prevention is increasing, but evaluating workplace safety interventions poses a critical challenge on methodological approaches. The hypothesis has been made that safety training programmes targeting management executives could improve worksite safety. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between a training programme for employers and the rate of occupational injuries in a sample of wood processing industries. MethodsOne hundred forty worksites were randomly assigned to the intervention or the control arms of the study. The intervention consisted in a 6h training course for employers focusing on the benefits, feasibility, and cost-saving connected to safety in the workplace. The primary outcome was the rate of injuries assessed by means of the incidence rate difference (point estimates and 95% confidence interval) in the two arms of the study at the end of the follow-up period. ResultsThe rate of work-related injuries decreased in both groups, with an incidence rate after intervention of 3.35 and 3.91 (×10,000 working hours), respectively, in the study and control arms, for a difference of −0.56 (95% CI −1.56–0.45). The reduction in injuries from baseline to the end of the follow-up was comparable to that noted in other geographical areas. ConclusionsThe intervention programme did not appear to have any effect on the decrease in the rate of work-related injuries. We can hypothesize that the training course did not modify employers’ behavior to affect the incidence of occupational injuries.

Insurance of Work-related Injuries in the Conditions of the Czech Republic

Abstract Work-related injuries can have serious consequences for employees, often long-term. Currently, in the Czech Republic is the current issue of the future shape of financial instrument to deal with the consequences of work-related injuries. Insurance required by law, which is at present in connection with claims of work-related injuries is not relevant, from an economic perspective and from the perspective of prevention of work-related injuries. Therefore, it is considered for solving two basic solutions: inclusion in social insurance or use of commercial principles (compulsory contractual insurance). This article analyzes the various possible solutions, also in the context of the experience of other countries.

Fall prevention research and practice: a total worker safety approach.

Slips, trips, and falls (STF) represent a serious hazard to workers and occupants in many industries, homes, and communities. Often, the cause of a STF incident is multifactorial, encompassing human, environmental, and task risk factors. A STF-related disability can greatly diminish the occupational capability and quality of life of individuals in both the workplace and the home. Countering STF hazards and risks both on and off the job and on all aspects of control measures is a “total worker safety” matter, a challenging yet tangible undertaking. As the federal organization responsible for conducting research for the prevention of work-related injuries in the United States, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has been conducting research on STF controls for some decades. Many NIOSH research outcomes have been utilized for STF prevention in workplaces, with potential for prevention in homes as well. This paper summarizes the concept of total worker safety for STF control, NIOSH priority research goals, major activities, and accomplishments, and some emerging issues on STF. The strategic planning process for the NIOSH research goals and some identified research focuses are applicable to the development and implementation of global STF research goals.

Riesgo biologico en el personal de enfermeria: una revisión práctica

Introducción: El riesgo biológico es el principal factor contribuyente a la accidentalidad laboral en el personal de enfermería, quienes están continuamente expuestas en el cumplimiento de sus actividades laborales, generando esto, alta probabilidad de contagio con microorganismos patógenos como HIV, Hepatitis B y Hepatitis C, entre otros. Objetivo: Revisión de literatura en accidentes de trabajo de riesgo biológico en el personal de enfermería, con el fin de identificar aspectos relevantes, importantes en los programas de prevención laboral. Materiales y Métodos: Descripción de hallazgos encontrados en la literatura sobre el riesgo biológico en el personal de enfermería. Resultados: Se evidencia el alto riesgo que tiene el personal de enfermería durante su ejercicio profesional para accidentarse con exposición biológica, así como los factores de riesgo asociados a la accidentalidad laboral de riesgo biológico. Discusión y Conclusiones: La extracción de sangre venosa, aplicación de inyecciones y apoyar procedimientos como la realización de suturas son procedimientos de riesgo a tener en cuenta en la prevención de la accidentalidad laboral. (Rev Cuid 2011; 2(2): 216-24).Palabras clave: Personal de Enfermería, Accidentes , Riesgo. (Fuente: DeCS BIREME).

The impact of occupational injury research and the US research agenda

In the US, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is the federal organisation responsible for conducting research for the prevention of work related injuries. To evaluate the...

Effects of safety climate on safety norm violations: exploring the mediating role of attitudinal ambivalence toward personal protective equipment

Problem Research on the role of organizational and psychosocial factors in influencing risk behaviors and the likelihood of injury at work showed that safety climate also has great impact on workers’ behavior. However, the mechanisms through which this impact operates are still partially unclear. Method In order to explore the role that attitudinal ambivalence toward wearing PPE might play in mediating the impact of safety climate on safety norm violations, a questionnaire was administered to 345 Italian workers. Results Three dimensions of safety climate (i.e., company safety concern, senior managers’ safety concern, supervisors’ attitudes towards safety) were found to be positively associated with the individual ambivalence level, whereas the fourth one (i.e., work pressure) was negatively correlated with it. In turn, low levels of ambivalence were associated with a lower tendency to break the safety norms, even though the perception of a good safety climate also maintained a direct effect on unsafe behaviors. Impact on industry Designers of training program for the prevention of work related injuries must pay great attention to the psycho-social factors (such as the effects of the safety climate perception by employees on their attitudes and behaviors), and include specific contents into the prevention programs in order to improve workers compliance with safety norms.

Assessment of perceived injury risks and priorities among truck drivers and trucking companies in Washington State

Problem The trucking industry experiences one of the highest work-related injury rates. Little work has been conducted previously in the United States to assess the hazards, needs, and injury prevention priorities in trucking. Method: Two separate industry-wide surveys of 359 trucking companies and 397 commercial truck drivers were conducted in Washington State. Results: Trucking companies and drivers both ranked musculoskeletal and slip, trip, fall injuries as the top two priorities. Controlling heavy lifting, using appropriate equipment, and addressing slippery surfaces were frequently listed as solutions. There appears to be a gap in safety climate perception between workers and employers. However, driver and company priorities agreed with industry workers' compensation claims. There is room for safety program management improvement in the industry. The study findings detail opportunities for prioritizing and reducing injuries. Impact on Industry: This information can be used to focus and design interventions for the prevention of work-related injuries while improving industry competitiveness.