Working Conditions Research Articles

Trends in severity of work-related traumatic injury and musculoskeletal disorder, Ontario 2004-2017.

Traumatic injury surveillance can be enhanced by describing injury severity trends. This study reports trends in work-related injury severity for males and females over the period 2004-2017 in Ontario, Canada. A weighted measure of workers' compensation benefit expenditures was used to define injury severity, obtained from the linkage of workers' compensation claims to emergency department (ED) records where the main injury or illness was attributed to work. Denominator counts were obtained from Statistics Canada's Labor Force Survey. Trends in the annual incidence of injury, classified as low, moderate, or high severity, were examined using regression modeling, stratified by age and sex. Over a 14-year observation period, there were 1,636,866 ED records included in the analyses. Overall, 57.6% of occupational injury records were classified as low severity, 29.5% as moderate severity, and 12.8% as high severity conditions. There was an increase in the incidence of high severity injuries among females (annual percent change (APC): 1.52%; 95% CI: 0.77, 2.28), while the incidence of low and moderate severity injuries generally declined for males and females. Among females, injuries attributed to animate mechanical forces and assault increased as causes of low, moderate, and high severity injuries. The incidence of concussion increased for both males (APC: 10.51%; 95% CI: 8.18, 12.88) and females (APC: 16.37%; 95% CI: 13.37, 19.45). The incidence of severe work-related injuries increased among females in Ontario between 2004 and 2017. The methods applied in this surveillance study of traumatic injury severity are plausibly generalizable to applications in other jurisdictions.

Factors Influencing the Mental Health of White-Collar Construction Workers in Developing Economies: Analytical Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

Factors Influencing the Mental Health of White-Collar Construction Workers in Developing Economies: Analytical Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic in India

Implications of the Offshore Oil & Gas Working Environment on Mental Health and Performance of Workers

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the potential effect of the site location on the relationship between the Oil and Gas working environment’s psychosocial hazards, mental health disorders and workers’ Performance. Quantitative methods and deductive approaches have been used. The study’s population was Egyptian Oil & Gas workers, and the study sample included 409 participants. The collected data were statistically analyzed using descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, independent samples t-test, and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results indicated a high levels of psychosocial hazards in the Oil & Gas working environment, where isolation, remoteness and adverse living conditions significantly depicted the highest levels. The presence of mental health disorders was confirmed by screening Depression, Stress and Anxiety among the study sample, where most responses indicated difficulties in their abilities to overcome. Further, the results showed an average level of performance with a noticeably low levels in contextual performance aspects. The study concluded that performance in the offshore Oil & Gas industry is not entirely a functional pattern but can also be influenced by the working environment, where the moderating effect of the site location of the Oil & Gas working environment on workers’ mental health disorders could eventually compromise their performance levels, ultimately harming the interest and sustainability of this vital sector.

Assessment of Ergonomic Risk Factors among Metal Sculpture Workers and Future Scope of AI Applications in Ergonomic Evaluation

Background: Handicraft workers usually carry out daily activities by adopting awkward postures. The most prevailing health issues among handicraft workers are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Objective: The current research aims to assess the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms and investigate risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders among metal sculpture artisans. Subsequently, the study highlighted the future scope of AI applications in ergonomic evaluation. Methods: 144 male metal sculpture workers participated in the study. A modified Nordic questionnaire was adopted to determine the musculoskeletal problems among metal sculpture workers. The probable risk elements for MSD symptoms were identified by applying binary logistic regression. Results: Most workers faced discomfort in various body parts, particularly the wrist, lower back, and shoulders. The outcome of the logistic regression model revealed that job-related factors have significantly contributed to the development of MSD symptoms. Conclusion: This study concedes that awkward working postures for prolonged periods highly affect the health of metal sculpture workers, and there is a need for ergonomic intervention to minimize the risks of musculoskeletal disorders. The study also emphasizes the future scope of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications that can be used in ergonomically assessing working postures.

Armature Reaction Analysis and Suppression of Voice Coil Actuator Based on an Improved Magnetic Equivalent Circuit Model

The high thrust density voice coil actuator (VCA) is a key component for the deployers to determine the CubeSats' separation velocity in orbit directly. To improve the VCA's thrust density and power consumption, it is essential to analyze the armature reaction under heavy current work conditions. This paper proposes a dynamic splitting method of the magnetic equivalent circuit (MEC) model for analyzing the armature reaction of the VCA. This MEC model can effectively reveal the interaction mechanism between the dynamic winding field and the permanent magnet (PM) field, which provides an approach to readily and quickly analyze the armature reaction. Based on the understanding of the mechanism, we found an effective way to suppress the armature reaction and propose a new VCA with double PM flux circuits. The electromagnetic performances of the new configuration are evaluated by comparing it with the conventional one. Both the theoretical and experimental results show that the new structure achieves lower magnetic saturation, lower armature reaction, and higher thrust density. A research prototype was constructed and experimentally tested to verify the theoretical results of the armature reaction, magnetic field, thrust, separation velocity, and other performances. The new VCA realizes a wide and accurate modulation of separation velocity for the CubeSats.

An Extensive Review of MR Sensors with Design and Characteristic Evaluation of Three-layered TMR Sensor

Abstract: The reliability and efficacy of sensor-based automated systems have improved due to the proliferation of electric vehicles, renewable sources, and integrated systems in power industries extensively. This has been accomplished by increasing the power density and decreasing the volume of the system. Background: Mathematical estimation and comparative analysis of the physical factors result in massive usage of operational matrices measured using sensors. Magnetic field sensors, used in industries and biomedical applications, have a high level of precision in the evaluation of measurements. In order to extract the measured parameters such as sensitivity, accuracy, operating cost, the linear range of operation, and power utilisation, these sensors adhere to the physical constraints during their nominal working conditions. The characteristics of the aforementioned sensors are enumerated in detail in this article. Objective: This objective is highly focused on providing a comprehensive overview of classification and the properties of Hall-Effect, anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR), giant magnetoresistive (GMR), and tunnelling magnetoresistive (TMR) sensors. The dissertation on its properties concludes that TMR is more reliable and sensitive in variable operating conditions. Methods: The methods for selecting the sensors for an application are confined to voltage fluctuations and sensitivity. A three-layered TMR sensor with two magnetic layers and an insulator in between is proposed as a significant advancement compared to the literature. The micromagnetic simulation is carried out at room temperature for a three-layered TMR made up of neodymium alloy, magnesium oxide, and cobalt platinum alloy. Conclusion: Based on the studies executed, it is determined that TMR is more sensitive than both conventional and MR sensors. The proposed schematic claims that the higher free layer thickness offers maximum sensitivity with 77% negative magnetoresistance. The reduced coercivity of 1.9Oe is achieved in this combination at a specified temperature range.

PPE Education to Reduce the Risk of Workplace Accidents in The Furniture Industry

Occupational safety and health is an important aspect in the industrial world, including the furniture industry. If a company implements the Occupational Health and Safety well, it can reduce the risk of work accidents, thereby increasing work productivity. Work accidents can occur due to workers’ negligence or suboptimal implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety System. To reduce the risk of work accidents, a risk analysis is carried out, which is one part of risk management. One of the risk analyses that can be done is by using the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method. Risk identification in the furniture industry is based on field reviews, which then assess the severity (S), occurrence rate (O), and detection level (D). Then the assessment results are sorted to determine the highest Risk Priority Number (RPN) value variable. In the furniture production process, there are various potential hazards, with the highest RPN found in the cutting process, where a machine incident occurred with an RPN value of 120. The severity factor is given a value of 6 because the error leads to torn injuries and equipment damage, so it must be handled immediately, and there is the repair of the damage. One effort to reduce the risk of work accidents is to provide PPE at work.

Identification of Occupational Safety and Health Hazards at Paint and Welding Workshop using the HIRARC Method

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is important for every company to pay attention to. Preventing work accidents can be done by knowing the existing risks, one of which is through the Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Risk Control (HIRARC) method. Body Repair, Paint, and Welding Workshop "Family 99" is a small to medium-sized entrepreneurship that operates in car repair, paint, and welding services. The research aims to analyze the potential dangers found in the Body Repair, Paint and Welding Workshop "Family 99". Hazard identification was conducted in the workshop work area, with research respondents totaling three active workers. The data collection employed observation and interviews with a descriptive approach. According to the research results obtained from a total of 14 work stages analyzed, two stages had the highest risk value, namely the paint peeling stage with a risk value of 12, and the first, second, and third sanding stages with a risk value of 9. Controls that can be carried out to reduce risks include administrative controls and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for workers to work safely and comfortably.

Persistência de Sintomas um ano após Infeção por SARS-COV-2 em trabalhadores e seu desempenho em atividades e participação em situações de vida

Introduction Although most individuals recover after acute infection by SARS-CoV-2, others may suffer from persistent symptoms with potential medium and long-term consequences on the performance of activities and participation, with possible implications for their fitness for work. Objective To analyze the persistence of symptoms twelve months after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the perception of the performance level in activities and participation in life situations, of workers in a company of the industrial sector in the Aveiro Region. Methodology An observational study, developed in an Occupational Health Service of an industrial company in the region of Aveiro, including workers with positive SARS-COV-2 RT-PCR/TRAg test, between October/2020-January/2022. After signaling the infection, the Occupational Health Team applied a questionnaire collecting sociodemographic variables, a list of common symptoms during the acute phase of infection by SARS-COV-2, and the perceived functionality assessed by the Portuguese version of WHODAS 2.0-PT12 (where ’12 points’ means the most functionality). At twelve months, they filled out another list of persistent symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection and again WHODAS 2.0-PT12. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate linear regression. The analysis was conducted with the software JASP 0.16.3. Results Eighty-five workers were infected with SARS-CoV-2, with a mean age of 36.1±9.8years, 77.7% were male, 36.7% had higher education and 17.7% reported at least one chronic condition. At twelve months, thirty workers (35.3%) reported persistent symptoms, with fatigue (27.7%) and arthralgia (14.4%) being the most mentioned. The mean WHODAS 2.0 in the two evaluation moments was 19.2±8.0 vs 15.7±5.0. Significant associations between WHODAS 2.0 items and persistent symptoms of fatigue, headache, cough, myalgia, arthralgia, and previous chronic disease were found. Conclusions Persistent symptoms twelve months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection have repercussions on workers’ self-perception of performance in some activities and participation in life situations. The occupational health team can implement continuous surveillance of the infected worker’s health, assess the presence of persistent symptoms of this infection, and implement an individualized rehabilitation program, which minimizes the impact of the persistence of symptoms on their work performance, and in activities and participation in life situations. KEYWORDS: Occupational Health, Occupational Medicine; Occupational Health Nursing, SARS-CoV-2, Symptoms, WHODAS 2.0.

Relação entre a exposição ocupacional a Radiação Ionizante em Trabalhadores da Saúde e o desenvolvimento de Cancro de Mama

Introduction Every year more than 2.3 million cases of breast cancer are registered, making it the most common type of cancer among adults. The association between breast cancer and occupational factors is an issue that has been studied in the literature since the beginning of the 18th century. Technological developments have allowed a more in-depth study of the relationship between breast cancer and occupational factors such as exposure to chemicals, pesticides, metals and also sources of exposure to ionising and non-ionising radiation.The aim of the present literature review is to complete an update on the scientific knowledge about the relationship between occupational exposure to ionising radiation in healthcare workers and the development of breast cancer. Methodology A research was carried using Medline with the PubMed search engine and Elsevier with the Science Direct search engine. The search words used were a combination of breast cancer, occupational exposure, ionizing radiation and healthcare workers. A research was also carried out in the Revista Portuguesa de Saúde Ocupacional, using the terms “Breast Cancer” and “Ionizing Radiation”. Discussion/Conclusions Current literature is not unanimous about the specific clinical and pathological features of breast cancer possibly linked to occupational settings. Healthcare professionals such as radiology technicians, nurses, orthopaedic surgeons and interventional cardiologists are especially vulnerable to this type of exposure, particularly to ionising radiation. However, some studies have pointed to a difficulty in establishing a causal relationship between these factors due to the number of variables involved, such as the duration and intensity of exposure and the influence of other risk factors. Changes in equipment, procedures and protective measures have resulted in lower doses in recent years, which means that the risk of breast cancer is low at current levels of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation. Keywords: breast cancer, occupational exposure, ionizing radiation, healthcare workers, occupational medicine and occupational safety.

Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards among Agriculture Laborers: An Evidence-Based Study from Punjab, Pakistan

Laborers from the agriculture sector have often been victims rather than beneficiaries of the green revolution, technological development, and globalization trends that characterized the 20th century. In recent decades, the laborers working in the agriculture sector have been half of the world’s labor force, with an estimated number of 1.3 billion worldwide, and a majority of them found in developing countries. Adequate balance between agricultural growth and protection from occupational & environmental health hazards is very crucial for the future of the world’s food production and for the sustainability of the sector. The study was conducted in three divisions of Punjab, and primary data was collected through multistage simple random sampling techniques. The interview schedule was used as a tool for data collection. The results revealed that the occupational and environmental circumstances of the laborers were not conducive towards their health and well-being. The agricultural laborers have to face many health hazards, whereas the majority of the laborers were exploited only due to their illiteracy and ignorance about Government policies and laws related to them. A huge proportion of the participants reported chronic health, malnutrition, and socio-economic problems significantly associated with their working environment, amenities and available facilities.

Occupational and Environmental Health Hazards among Agriculture Laborers: An Evidence-Based Study from Punjab, Pakistan

Laborers from the agriculture sector have often been victims rather than beneficiaries of the green revolution, technological development, and globalization trends that characterized the 20th century. In recent decades, the laborers working in the agriculture sector have been half of the world’s labor force, with an estimated number of 1.3 billion worldwide, and a majority of them found in developing countries. Adequate balance between agricultural growth and protection from occupational & environmental health hazards is very crucial for the future of the world’s food production and for the sustainability of the sector. The study was conducted in three divisions of Punjab, and primary data was collected through multistage simple random sampling techniques. The interview schedule was used as a tool for data collection. The results revealed that the occupational and environmental circumstances of the laborers were not conducive towards their health and well-being. The agricultural laborers have to face many health hazards, whereas the majority of the laborers were exploited only due to their illiteracy and ignorance about Government policies and laws related to them. A huge proportion of the participants reported chronic health, malnutrition, and socio-economic problems significantly associated with their working environment, amenities and available facilities.

Risk Control of Construction Worker Hazards at Heights

An occupational accident is an unexpected and unplanned occurrence, including acts of violence, arising out of or in connection with work, which results in one or more workers incurring a personal injury, disease, or death. Based on data from the ILO, every year, 2.78 million workers die due to occupational accidents and occupational diseases, of which 2.4 million (86.3%) are related to both occupational accidents and diseases. In comparison, the other 380,000 workers (13.7%) are due to occupational diseases only. The purpose of this study is to determine the risk control of hazards in high-altitude workers. The research method used is descriptive observational research that focuses on events that occur and is described in the form of a narrative. The results of this study indicate that there are still many workers who have not implemented hazard risk control at height and still do not use PPE when working at height. Controls that can be carried out are control through administrative work procedures, work safety analysis, making PPE completeness standards in the project area that are more tightened, and control of using PPE at height.

The Role of Work and Occupational Factors in the Development of Pulmonary Thromboembolism

PTE usually occurs as a complication of DVT. VTE develops through the interaction of individual risk factors and environmental factors. Occupational Diseases are diseases in which a work-specific cause-effect, effect-reaction relationship can be demonstrated. Work-related diseases are diseases in which many causal factors and other risk factors that exist in the workplace play a role. In fact, occupational and environmental risks also play a role in the formation of PTE, but research on this subject is quite limited. In PTE patients, occupational history and work conditions should be learned thoroughly in the anamnesis. People with a history of PTE should be enabled to work without being exposed to the risks that may cause or increase PTE during starting and returning to work. For this reason, while researching, we investigated the work and occupational reasons that may cause PTE and VTE. Relevant literatures were reviewed. Although there is not enough research, the literature we found shows that air pollution and exhaust emissions, working at high altitudes, long-term inactivity of drivers, pilots, and desk workers, chemicals exposed at work, and Covid-19 infection may be work-related reasons that can increase the risk of PTE and DVT. As a result, research and case reports on the subject are few and insufficient. For this, new research and case reports are needed. In cases, occupational exposure history should be well learned and its relationship with PTE or VTE should be thoroughly investigated. In order to prevent new PTE cases that may occur, occupational PTE cases should be reported and necessary precautions should be taken.

Quiet Quitting: The Need to Reframe a Growing Occupational Health Issue.

Quiet Quitting: The Need to Reframe a Growing Occupational Health Issue.

Experimental Study on Corrosion of Stainless Steel in Low Temperature Multi effect Seawater Desalination

Starting from the corrosion mechanism, this paper analyzes the characteristics of various types of stainless steel and selects the best performance composite plate composite plate stainless steel. Analyze and select the most suitable corrosion detection method based on specific practical multi working conditions, discuss the interference factors that affect metal corrosion during experimental simulation, and the advantages of newly developed sheet metal. The new development of composite board panels, with the substrate and composite materials applying their respective capabilities for MED, will bring breakthrough progress to the scientific research and engineering application of composite boards.

Application of Non-Fuel Power Generation Technology in Steel Industry

Through continuous equipment technology transformation and full utilization of Ma Steel's abundant gas, the boiler no longer relies on fuel oil for stable combustion during boiler startup, sliding parameter shutdown, and RB, thus achieving safe and stable operation of the boiler under any abnormal working conditions, and achieving good economic and social benefits.

In Silico Prediction of Skin Sensitization for Compounds via Flexible Evidence Combination Based on Machine Learning and Dempster-Shafer Theory.

Skin sensitization is increasingly becoming a significant concern in the development of drugs and cosmetics due to consumer safety and occupational health problems. In silico methods have emerged as alternatives to traditional in vivo animal testing due to ethical and economic considerations. In this study, machine learning methods were used to build quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models on five skin sensitization data sets (GPMT, LLNA, DPRA, KeratinoSens, and h-CLAT), achieving effective predictive accuracies (correct classification rates of 0.688-0.764 on test sets). To address the complex mechanisms of human skin sensitization, the Dempster-Shafer theory was applied to merge multiple QSAR models, resulting in an evidence-based integrated decision model. Various evidence combinations and combination rules were explored, with the self-defined Q3 rule showing superior balance. The combination of evidence such as GPMT and KeratinoSens and h-CLAT achieved a correct classification rate (CCR) of 0.880 and coverage of 0.893 while maintaining the competitiveness of other combinations. Additionally, the Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) method was used to interpret important features and substructures related to skin sensitization. A comparative analysis of an external human test set demonstrated the superior performance of the proposed method. Finally, to enhance accessibility, the workflow was implemented into a user-friendly software named HSkinSensDS.

Teaching children pedestrian safety in virtual reality via smartphone: a noninferiority randomized clinical trial.

To evaluate whether child pedestrian safety training in a smartphone-based virtual reality (VR) environment is not inferior to training in a large, semi-immersive VR environment with demonstrated effectiveness. Five hundred 7- and 8-year-old children participated; 479 were randomized to one of two conditions: Learning to cross streets in a smartphone-based VR or learning in a semi-immersive kiosk VR. The systems used identical virtual environments and scenarios. At baseline, children's pedestrian skills were assessed in both VR systems and through a vehicle approach estimation task (judging speed/distance of oncoming traffic on monitor). Training in both conditions comprised at least six 30-min sessions in the randomly assigned VR platform and continued for up to 25 visits until adult-level proficiency was obtained. Following training and again 6months later, children completed pedestrian safety assessments identical to baseline. Three outcomes were considered from assessments in each VR platform: Unsafe crossings (collisions plus close calls), time to contact (shortest time between child and oncoming simulated traffic), and missed opportunities (unselected safe opportunities to cross). Participants achieved adult-level street-crossing skill through VR training. Training in a smartphone-based VR system was generally not inferior to training in a large semi-immersive VR system. There were no adverse effects. Seven- and 8-year-old children can learn pedestrian safety through VR-based training, including training in a smartphone-based VR system. Combined with recent meta-analytic results, the present findings support broad implementation and dissemination of child pedestrian safety training through VR, including smartphone-based VR systems.

Analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic on preferences of transport modes

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected the entire world and changed many aspects of daily life, including transportation behaviour and preferences. This study examines the situation of transportation behaviour and preferences before and after the Covid-19 pandemic process through a survey study. A total of 471 people participated in the survey, and 30 questions were posed to participants regarding transportation modes preference, daily usage habits, public transportation usage rate, income status, perceived risk level of transportation systems, preferences before and after the pandemic process, and more. The answers were classified, evaluated and statistically analysed. The results showed that users were significantly affected by the Covid-19 process and changed their transportation mode preferences. The use of buses in urban journeys decreased, and the use of private vehicles significantly increased after the Covid-19 process. Hygiene was the key factor in travel, followed by the vehicle occupancy rate, ventilation, fare and travel time factors. The perceived risk levels of public transportation systems were ranked as metrobus, minibus (paratransit), bus, metro, tram and ferry. The study suggests that future transportation system designs should consider user preferences, as well as changes in education and working conditions, and pandemic conditions.