Working Conditions Research Articles

Menopause and the workplace: consensus recommendations from The Menopause Society.

Menopause is a natural life transition experienced by half the world's population. Women aged 50 years and older are the fastest growing demographic group in many countries, making essential contributions to the workforce. Although menopause is a universal and natural life transition, the symptom experience is highly variable among women. Some women may experience few or no symptoms, whereas others may be bothered by moderate to severe symptoms for a decade or longer, which can adversely affect quality of life, relationships, job satisfaction, and career advancement. Indeed, menopause symptoms, including vasomotor and genitourinary symptoms, as well as sleep and mood disturbances are associated with multiple adverse work outcomes. Studies to date have demonstrated that these adverse work outcomes related to menopause symptoms include a compromised ability to work, reduced work productivity, absenteeism, and even loss of employment or an early exit from the workforce. Further, the relationship between menopause symptoms and work may be bidirectional, with certain aspects of the work environment being linked with a greater menopause symptom burden, such as insufficient restroom facilities, unpredictable or long work hours, the inability to take breaks, and confined or crowded workspaces. Thus, workplace solutions may need to be tailored based on women's individual needs, the work environment, and the type of work.The Menopause Society, in conjunction with an expert panel of medical and legal experts and women's health advocates, has developed a set of consensus recommendations that challenges employers to create a menopause-supportive workplace for their employees. These recommendations include, among other things, suggestions for employers to review policies and healthcare plans and benefits and to consider flexibility and accommodations that may be needed for some women with menopause symptoms. Guidance for women with menopause symptoms that affect them at work in terms of understanding their resources and empowering them to be self-advocates are also provided, as well as recommendations for what occupational health professionals should know and do for women with bothersome menopause symptoms in the workplace.

Research on the Impact of Digital Transformation on Corporate ESG - A Case Study of Jingdong Logistics

The purpose of this research is to analyze the impact that digital transformation has on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) elements of businesses by using Jingdong Logistics as a case study. Jingdong Logistics' environmental, social, and governance (ESG) indicators have been impacted both directly and indirectly by the digital transformation that the company has undergone, as indicated by the study of data changes and measures taken both before and after the transition. This digital transition has led to huge reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, which is good news for the environment; but, it also creates challenges in terms of energy consumption requirements. Although there has been an increase in the number of training hours and a drop in the number of workplace injuries, there has been an increase in the number of full-time employees, while there has been an increase in employee turnover. Even though there was an increase in the number of vendors, anti-corruption incidents decreased. Regarding the governance side of things, improvements were made to data security and transparency. According to the findings of the inquiry, digital transformation had a positive impact on the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) of Jingdong Logistics; nevertheless, it also brought up new challenges that call for continued attention and growth.

Study on circulating cooling water pre-mixing for thermal performance improvement of twin thermal power units sharing one dry cooling tower

For an advanced power plant of twin thermal power units sharing one dry cooling tower, power production is easily impacted by variations in cooling tower performance. Circulating cooling water pre-mixing (CCWPM) was proposed to maximize cooling potential of the tower under varying working conditions, thereby enhancing power generation for the whole power plant. An integrated simulation model was established to capture cooling behaviors of the shared tower and operating characteristics of both power units before and after implementing CCWPM. Simulation results indicated that CCWPM effectively mitigates the uneven distribution of airflow temperature inside the shared tower and reduces the high-temperature area. As power load of one specified unit drops, both units experience a decline in power cycle efficiency, and the implementation of CCWPM further decreases the efficiency of this unit while increasing the efficiency of the adjacent unit. The whole power plant benefits from CCWPM in power generation, particularly when the unit with radiators directly facing the crosswind operates at a low power load. Power generation efficiency achieves an absolute increase of 0.43 % via CCWPM for the upwind unit and its adjacent unit operating at 40 % and 100 % power loads and the shared tower working at 8 m/s crosswind speed.

In Search of Informed Discretion (Revisited): Are Managers Concerned about Appearing Selfish?

ABSTRACT Managers can undertake a costly search to gather additional information about employee performance. Previous management accounting research attributed these actions to inherent social preferences, such as fairness and reciprocity. To further refine this explanation, we conducted a replication and extension of prior experimental work. Our findings suggest that managers’ willingness to gather additional information at their own expense also depends on situational factors, particularly situational factors altering managers’ concerns of being perceived as selfish if they do not gather additional information. These findings align with insights from behavioral economics and social psychology, indicating that situational factors may induce self-interested individuals to exhibit prosocial behavior. The implication of our result is that creating working conditions that increase managers’ concerns about appearing selfish may encourage them to make more informed performance evaluation and compensation decisions. Data Availability: Experimental instrument and software are publicly available on the Open Science Framework platform. Data are available on request. JEL Classifications: C92; D91; M40; M41.

Ecofriendly bleaching method for cotton fabric: Development of titanium dioxide doped single wall carbon nanocomposites by photocatalytic treatment for sustainable textile pre-finishing applications

This study aimed to find an eco-friendly substitute method and chemical for conventional hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) bleaching of cotton fabric. We developed diverse functional groups containing titanium dioxide-doped single-wall carbon nanotubes (TiO2-SWCNTs) particles, designed a photocatalytic system, and examined the effects of working conditions and functional group variations on the degree of fabric whitening. Throughout the many phases of the chemical development process, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy −Attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) and the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests were conducted. In addition, the color spectrum values, the whiteness indexes, the results of the tearing test, SEM and FTIR-ATR findings of 100% cotton textiles were presented that were treated with TiO2-SWCNTs particles using the photocatalytic technique. The test results demonstrated the successful synthesis of various types of TiO2-SWCNTs, leading to a significant enhancement in the whiteness of the cotton fabrics. This increase reached 21.79% using a small amount of nano-chemicals, surpassing the whiteness index value created by the conventional H2O2 bleaching process. Optimal results were achieved by using minimum quantities of substance and working at moderate temperatures. According to this information, it can be concluded that this approach may serve as a substitute for the conventional H2O2 whitening procedure in terms of both the substance utilized and the application method, specifically for treating cotton fabric. Moreover, the statistical analysis revealed that the fabric’s self-cleaning capacity is significantly influenced by the square of temperature and pH.

Smart Wearable Device for Enhancing Safety and Efficiency of Coal Miners

The task of ensuring worker safety in underground coal mines has never been simple. It has always been challenging to ensure worker safety in underground coal mines. Coal miners are seriously injured or killed as a result of numerous fatal and non-fatal accidents all over the world. Accidents occur as a result of lack of monitoring of mining areas and failure to implement proper safety measures. In this review, the coal miner's smart wearable safety device is implemented. A smart wearable safety device that will monitor the miner's health and provides precautionary measures for the miner's safety has been developed with the advent of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Integrating smart wearable safety devices with various health sensors such as a pulse rate sensor, temperature sensor, blood oxygen sensor, gas sensor, and camera, and then connecting it to Node MCU, and the internet enhances the safety of coal miners. Sensors constantly transmit sensor data to the cloud, and if an unusual situation arises, it notifies the responsible person in the control room as well as the miners. Since deep underground mining is especially susceptible to toxic gases, low levels of oxygen, and hazardous gases, the MQ gas sensor family can detect them. The proposed system is primarily used to improve working conditions inside coal mines and to ensure workers' safety.

Perceptions of organization, job attitudes, challenges, and solutions among medical school administrative staff.

Staff is essential to the university's efficient administrative operations, which are critical for education, research, and service. Medical schools, often independent, need specialized administrative elements. This study explores how medical school staff perceives the organization using the Six-Box model and evaluates their perceived organizational support, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment based on the concept of job attitudes. This study employs a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and qualitative data via a convergent parallel design. It simultaneously collects and analyzes data from a survey and consensus workshop for medical school staff. The survey data were statistically analyzed (IBM SPSS ver. 25.0; IBM Corp., USA), and the workshop discussions were subjected to content analysis. The findings combined provide a comprehensive understanding of the medical school administrative system. Quantitative analysis revealed purpose (3.80) as the highest-rated organizational perception and rewards (2.72) as the lowest. Similarly, job satisfaction was highest (3.63) in job attitudes, while perceived organizational support (2.96) was the lowest. Group differences were observed by gender, enrollment capacity, and contract type (p<0.05). In qualitative research, keywords appeared in relation to their experiences within the medical school organization, encompassing doctor training, emotional responses, administrative features, personal attributes, and cultural influences. Overload, faculty issues, and communication gaps are obstacles. Strategies for overcoming these challenges focus on improving staff treatment, resource allocation, training, and communication channels. This study was conducted to explore a broad understanding of the administration of medical schools. Findings suggest challenges with workload, communication, and organizational support. We propose a dedicated medical school administrative system, improved work conditions, and enhanced communication.

A study on the identification of factors related to depression in a population with an increasing number of chronic diseases in the short term in China based on a health ecology model

BackgroundThe rapid increase in the number of patients with chronic diseases and depression, as well as the rapid spread of their effects, have led to these two health problems gradually developing into major public health issues in China and around the world. Currently, many individuals with chronic diseases are experiencing depressive symptoms one after another. Therefore, it is imperative to conduct research on how to prevent depression in this growing population of individuals with chronic diseases in a timely manner. MethodsBased on the data of the 2015 and 2018 national follow-up surveys of the China Health and Elderly Care Longitudinal Survey, a total of 7641 patients with short-term increase in the number of chronic diseases were selected as the study objects, and a binary logistic regression model was constructed according to the five dimensions of the health ecology model. The neural network model was used to explore the main (first two) factors affecting the increase in the number of chronic diseases in China in the short term, and the random forest and extreme value gradient lifting algorithm were used to verify them, and effective suggestions were put forward. ResultsThe detection rate of depression in the population with increasing number of chronic diseases from 2015 to 2018 was 42.13 %. The model was established based on five dimensions of the health ecology model: Model 1 (Personal trait layer), Model 2 (Personal trait layer plus Behavioral feature layer), Model 3 (Personal trait layer plus Behavioral feature layer plus Living and working conditions layer), Model 4 (Personal trait layer plus Behavioral feature layer plus Living and working conditions layer plus Networking layer) and Model 5 (Personal trait layer plus Behavioral feature layer plus Living and working conditions layer plus Networking layer plus Policy environment layer).The prediction accuracy of the five models was 66.4 %, 68.3 %, 70.7 %, 71.6 % and 71.6 %, respectively, and Model 5 showed that the P values of gender, self-rated health, night's sleep time (h), disability, life satisfaction, child satisfaction, place of residence and highest level of education were all <0.05, life satisfaction and self-rated health importance were 0.249 (100 %) and 0.226 (90.8 %). ConclusionGender, self-rated health, night sleep duration, disability, satisfaction with life, satisfaction with children, place of residence and highest level of education were the main influencing factors for the increase of depressive symptoms in the population with chronic diseases in the short term, among which life satisfaction and self-rated health have the greatest impact on depressive symptoms, and there is an interaction between the two.

Psycho-semantic analysis of job advertisements as a communicative tool of educational marketing

Introduction. The relevance of the study of job advertisements for teachers and psychologists is associated with the need to find tools for regulating communication within the modern educational environment with dynamic, constantly changing working conditions. The publication of employer requirements sets the direction for changing the criteria for the success of the specialist, which changes the entire educational environment. The purpose of the study: to identify the categorical semantic structure of job advertisements for teachers (using the example of the "Infrastructure of Scientific Research Data" platform). Materials and methods. The object of the study was a corpus of teacher job vacancies from the "Infrastructure of Scientific Research Data" platform, published in 2023 in 83 regions of Russia (5561 vacancies). The job postings included descriptions of candidate requirements, information about the offered salary, and the region in which the vacancy was available. As a comparison group, a corpus of psychologist job vacancies (2076 vacancies) was considered. The following methods were used in the study: 1) Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) method for identifying and analyzing the structure of requirements presented in teacher and psychologist job vacancies; 2) Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) method for categorical semantic analysis of the structure of teacher and psychologist job vacancies and description of the semantic framework (frame) of the job description; 3) Descriptive statistical methods for analyzing the needs of professionals in helping professions in different regions of Russia and the conditions offered to them. The results of the study. The regions of the Russian Federation with the greatest need for teachers and psychologists have been identified. Based on the statistical significance in the collection of text documents, the most demanded skills of teachers by employers are identified: methodological development and design of an individual educational route (0.167), work with children with disabilities (0.144), organization of the educational process (0.089). For vacancies of psychologists, the most significant were: work on investigative actions (0.319), methodical work in an educational organization (0.187), psychological and pedagogical support for successful development and training (0.129). The main meanings governing professional pedagogical activity are more focused on meta-skills based on the values of inclusion and continuous improvement of education, as well as on flexible skills (Soft skills) that increase competitiveness in various fields of pedagogical activity. In the vacancies of psychologists, professional skills (Hard skills) are relevant, applicable in specific areas, which somewhat narrows the scope of professional implementation. Conclusion. The results of the empirical study allow for considering job vacancy advertisements as one of the communicative tools of educational marketing. Analyzing the significant professional skills from the employer's perspective will enable the development of recommendations for the development of professional communication for teachers, which can be considered in the system of continuous professional education, as well as in regulating interaction within the educational environment. Automated analysis of job vacancies can become a successful interactive diagnostic tool for educational marketing, necessary for the development of the educational space and the improvement of the competitiveness of educational institutions.

Three-Dimensional Direct-Implicit Particle-in-Cell Model Using Trilinear Anisotropic Immersed-Finite-Element for Plasma Propulsion

Efficiently and accurately calculating the plasma transport process is one of the difficulties in aerospace plasma application simulation, especially in the magnetic sail spacecraft applications that have a huge size. This paper develops a three-dimensional trilinear anisotropic immersed-finite-element direct-implicit particle-in-cell (IFE-DIPIC) model to solve the problem of large-scale, long-term evolution plasma with complex interfaces. The model uses the DIPIC method to track the motion of particles in the plasma while simulating the anisotropic electric field containing an interface by using a modified trilinear anisotropic IFE method. Compared to the previous models, the developed model in this paper allows for the use of larger spatial and time steps in the Cartesian meshes without inducing numerical divergence. Using an interface-independent mesh avoids redundant interpolation in the PIC method, further improving efficiency. These advantages significantly improve the efficiency in solving actual complex three-dimensional plasma physics problems. The accuracy, efficiency, stability, and applicability of the proposed model are proved through numerical examples and the application in magnetic sail. The simulation results indicate that the developed model can efficiently simulate the actual working conditions of magnetic sails. The performance is significantly influenced by both the direction and magnitude of the magnetic moment.

Radiography students' knowledge, attitude and practice relating to infection prevention and control in the use of contrast media injectors in computed tomography.

Radiography students complete professional placements in various clinical settings and must adhere to distinct infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols. The aim of this study was to explore radiography students' training, knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP) relating to IPC in the use of contrast media injectors in computed tomography (CT). An online survey study was undertaken with radiography students enrolled at two Australian universities. Survey questions related to contrast media training and KAP regarding IPC in CT. Data was summarised using descriptive statistics, with comparisons between experience in public and private practice. One free-text response question focused on non-adherence to IPC best practice, analysed using content analysis. In total, 40 students completed the survey (9% response rate). Reports of IPC and contrast media equipment training was high, with disposition for further training. Regarding IPC knowledge, 65% of students responded correctly to all 'knowledge' items (individual scores range: 60-100%). Low consensus was observed regarding whether gloves replace the need for hand hygiene and if CT contrast tubing poses risk to healthcare workers (85% each). Mean scores ranged from 41% to 100% regarding identification of sterile syringe and tubing components. Responses to the open-ended question were categorised into four themes: 'High non-adherence risk working conditions', 'attitudes and practice', 'knowledge', and 'prioritise good IPC practice'. Radiography students demonstrate varied comprehension of IPC regarding contrast media equipment, and results suggest need for collaborative efforts between academic institutions and clinical training sites to integrate IPC protocols into curricula and on-site training.

Joint modeling and dynamic analysis of the microenvironment and life support performance of extravehicular spacesuits

The ability to maintain the microenvironment and life-support systems of an extravehicular spacesuit is an important factor in determining the duration of extravehicular activity (EVA). This paper introduces a joint human-spacesuit microenvironment dynamic model. The paper presents novel simplified human body models and analyzes expendable substances. These models can reasonably predict spacesuit safety performance, correctly respond to changes in loads, and aid in the optimization of the intensity of EVAs. According to the simulations, an 8-h EVA consumes approximately 1 kg of LiOH and 2.7 kg of water under the designed working conditions. Liquid cooling systems are the primary thermal management devices in microenvironments. Activity intensity and liquid cooling system flow rate are two important factors that influence the spacesuit microenvironment and life support material consumption. Activity intensity has a significant impact on LiOH consumption, with a threefold increase in metabolic heat increases LiOH consumption by about 2.5 times. Activity intensity plays an important role in the life-support performance of a spacesuit, and proper scheduling is critical to the efficiency and safety of EVAs. The material consumption model can estimate material consumption during the mission scheduling phase, resulting in efficient and dependable operation of the life support system.

Screening for mental disorders in health workers

Introduction: mental health is presented as an essential element in work capacity and productivity, and, similarly, psychosocial risks at work can generate detrimental effects on mental health. Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and panic disorders among healthcare professionals at the Regional Hospital of Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Methods: quantitative, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional and analytical study, with stratified probabilistic sampling. Sample of 299 health workers. For data collection, the instrument for detecting anxiety, depression and panic disorders, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-4+PHQ-TP), was used; and for the analysis the statistical program SPSS version 27.Results: it is shown that 59,5 % of the participants are women, 76,3 % work in the morning shift, and 51.8% are single. With 66.9% the nursing job category predominates, 76,6 % have an academic level greater than a bachelor's degree. A quarter of them work two jobs and suffer from chronic illnesses. 25,8 % have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety and/or panic, predominating in the morning shift and in the female gender. Most are assigned to emergency services. The risk of panic predominates at 39,5 % and 53,4 % correspond to nursing staff. Cases of anxiety and depression occur in 47,8 % and 55,7 % respectively in resident doctors. Conclusion: the study shows a high prevalence of mental disorders in health workers in Culiacán, Sinaloa, with significant differences depending on the shift and job category. These findings are consistent with international literature, highlighting the urgent need to implement psychological support programs and improve working conditions.

Causes and Countermeasure of Job Burnout of Funeral Workers from the Perspective of Public Management in Anhui Province, China

Background and Aim: The purposes of this study were 1) to study the causes of job burnout of funeral workers from the perspective of public management in Anhui Province.2) to study the countermeasures of job burnout of funeral workers from the perspective of public management in Anhui Province and 3) to study the recommendations of job burnout of funeral workers from the perspective of public management in Anhui Province. In this study, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 8 funeral practitioners from 4 funeral institutions in Anhui province (taking 4 funeral institutions in Hefei, Anhui Province as examples). Materials and Methods: Through interviews with key informants who represented a range of roles within the funeral industry and a focus on four funeral agencies, the study carefully investigated the funeral industry in Anhui Province. Eight people—funeral directors, cremators, embalming surgeons, funeral attendants, and people who handle remains—provided insights between 2023 and 2023, offering a thorough picture of the dynamics and practices of the industry in the area. Results: (1) The causes of job burnout of funeral workers from the perspective of public management in Anhui Province on the whole are under great pressure. The social prejudice against the funeral profession and the oppressive working environment. (2) In terms of personal characteristics, funeral workers have significant differences in their work stress responses due to differences in gender, age, working hours, and specific work content; In terms of education level, marital status, and position, there is no significant difference in work stress response of funeral workers. (3) From the analysis of various dimensions of work stress sources for funeral workers, the five dimensions of workload, colleague relationship, work environment, family relationship, and social 2influence have significant predictive effects on the overall work stress response. Conclusion: Funeral workers in Anhui Province experience severe job burnout as a result of social prejudice, oppressive working conditions, and a variety of personal issues. Workload, colleague relationships, the work environment, family dynamics, and social influence all have a significant impact on work stress, and reactions vary by gender, age, and job type.

Public opinion and the teaching profession

Negative public perception of schools nationally impacts the teaching profession in direct and indirect ways. This perception has depressed the number of students in teacher preparation programs at universities. Indirectly, public perception affects teacher working conditions, compensation, and morale. Education advocates and researchers talk about the historical roots of perception of teachers, how and why negative perceptions persist, and how teachers can change the narrative.

Exploring the multifaceted vulnerabilities of female street child labor in the capital city of Bangladesh

Numerous children experience vulnerability due to their families' profound economic and socio-economic hardships. Among this demographic, females face heightened susceptibility, particularly those engaged in child labor. Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, hosts a substantial population of female child laborers, compounding their precarious circumstances. Hence this study utilizes a qualitative phenomenological approach to investigate the vulnerabilities affecting these female child laborers thoroughly. A total of 25 in-depth interviews were conducted with female child laborers in Dhaka city, following a semi-structured format. NVivo 14 software was instrumental in the systematic coding and analysis of the extensive text data, enhancing the reliability and validity of the findings. This study, therefore, explores various vulnerabilities faced by female child laborers in Dhaka city, including risky health behavior, abusive behavior, sexual harassment, school dropout, unhygienic dietary habits, hazardous work conditions, and substandard living environments. Their socio-economic conditions make them susceptible to physical and mental setbacks, exploitation, and loss of dignity. The study emphasizes the necessity for comprehensive support and breaking the cycle through educational, health, and social initiatives. It offers a detailed portrayal of the living conditions of female child laborers in Dhaka city, providing valuable insights and evidence-based policy prescriptions for policymakers and Non-Government Organizations to formulate effective policies and measures to safeguard this vulnerable community.

A comparative investigation on the effects of reinforcement phase addition methods on laser melting deposited WC/Co coatings

To unravel the fundamental mechanisms underlying the influence of ceramic phase addition methods on the formation quality and performance enhancement of coatings, the WC/Co-based composite coatings were manufactured on 42CrMo substrate utilizing laser melting deposition technology with different reinforcement phase addition methods grounded in the variable-process alternated overlapping strategy. A comparative analysis was conducted to examine the phase transformations, surface fluctuations, pore defects, microhardness, wear resistance and corrosion behavior. The findings revealed that the in-situ formation of tungsten-carbide phase fell short of the anticipated level due to the physical properties and size constraints of W particles. Notably, the 40 wt% WC particles addition significantly hindered the molten pool fluidity and impeded gas release, leading to pronounced a surface fluctuation of 180.14 μm and a porosity of 31.06 %. In contrast, the direct addition WC particles imparted support, pinning, and strengthening effects, resulting in the optimal microhardness and wear resistance compared to other addition methods, which are 1.46 times and 3.75 times higher than the 42CrMo substrate, respectively. However, an increase in WC particles destabilized the passivation film and promoted the formation of corrosion channels, ultimately exacerbating the corrosion behavior of the WC/Co-based coatings. These insights provide vital theoretical guidance and technical foundations for the adaptive selection of ceramic phase addition methods tailored to the actual working conditions and desired strengthening effects of reinforced coatings for key components.

VR-Based Technologies: Improving Safety Training Effectiveness for a Heterogeneous Workforce from a Physiological Perspective

VR-Based Technologies: Improving Safety Training Effectiveness for a Heterogeneous Workforce from a Physiological Perspective

Food safety profile of university food handlers in Bangladesh: A multicenter cross-sectional study

The current study aimed to explore the food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices of university food handlers in Bangladesh. To achieve this goal, a cross-sectional study was formulated to be carried out among food handlers at different public universities. Data collection was conducted through face-to-face interviews utilizing a structured questionnaire. A total of 788 food handlers participated in the study and were considered for performing all the statistical analyses (descriptive statistics, MannWhitney U test, KruskalWallis H test, multiple logistic regression, and Spearman rankorder correlation). According to the study findings, almost 20.7 % of food handlers lacked formal education, and only 22.8 % had participated in food safety training. Approximately 31.5 % and 28.4 % of the food handlers had good knowledge and good practices, respectively. The majority of the food handlers had poor knowledge about foodborne diseases and foodborne pathogens. Most food handlers had poor hand hygiene practices. Almost all food handlers did not wear caps, gloves, aprons, or masks while handling food. However, despite of having poor knowledge and practices, food handlers (69.8 %) had comparatively good attitudes toward food safety practices, which indicates that adequate support and motivation from food safety authorities can significantly improve preventive practices among them. Therefore, it is recommended that food safety authorities accelerate their activities and arrange hand-based training and educational programs for food handlers to enhance food safety knowledge and practices.

PREDICTING RISK OF EMPLOYEE INJURY IN A PEDIATRIC HOSPITAL

PURPOSEHealthcare has one of the highest rates of non-fatal occupational injury as compared to other industries. Yet, evaluation of risk determinants and prediction algorithms in hospital settings remains limited. METHODSThis study examines risk factors for employee injuries in a large pediatric hospital and evaluates prediction algorithms using hospital surveillance data, incident reports, and work unit measures such as patient density and employee workload. We employed multiple statistical models and machine learning tools, including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), penalized logistic regression (PLR), Naïve Bayes, neural network (NN), XGBoost (XG), and mixed-effects logistic regression (GLMER) to predict employee injury risk for specific time periods. We used cross-validation and receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses to assess model performance. RESULTSGLMER, LR, and PLR were superior to other models, with higher AUC values (∼0.76), indicating good discrimination ability, though accuracy and specificity varied across models. RF showed high accuracy and specificity and comparable AUC with the top performing models. Further analyses using GLMER revealed variability in employee injury risk across months, days, and hospital units, identifying peaks on Tuesdays and Saturdays and in April and July, with lows in March and June. CONCLUSIONOur findings highlight the significance of monitoring specific risk factors within pediatric hospital settings and pairing them with appropriate predictive algorithms to effectively predict and mitigate employee injuries. These insights indicate that continuous monitoring may help enhance employee safety. Future work should evaluate additional predictors that may be obtained from individual hospital units, which may inform targeted prevention strategies.