International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics最新文献

Objectives: Surgeons, like other healthcare providers, are susceptible to work-related musculoskeletal complaints (WMSCs). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of WMSCs including musculoskeletal injuries among surgeons in Saudi Arabia and identify predisposing factors contributing to these complaints.

Methods: An anonymous online cross-sectional survey was conducted and descriptive statistics, Pearson's χ² test, Fisher's exact test, ϕ coefficient and Cramér's V test were used to analyze the data.

Results: A total of 316 surgeons participated, of whom 63% were aged between 21 and 40 years, 40.2% were female, 61.7% were not married and 82.3% were in full-time practice. Of the surveyed surgeons, 65.5% complained of musculoskeletal symptoms including 15.2% who reported having musculoskeletal injuries. Position, years of experience and duration of daily practice were significantly associated with musculoskeletal injuries. There was no significant difference between male and female surgeons in developing musculoskeletal injuries; however, a higher proportion of females, compared to males, were thinking of retirement because of these symptoms.

Conclusions: A considerable proportion of surgeons reported experiencing WMSCs and injuries that negatively affected their work performance. This may lead some to consider early retirement. Based on the results, suggestions to minimize WMSCs among surgeons are presented.

Hand-held power tools with high levels of vibration can give rise to hand-arm vibration syndrome, involving chronic nerve and vascular damage. The objective of this study was to identify aspects that could affect the implementation and future use of low-vibration tools in four types of industries: construction, quarrying, steelworks and dental laboratories. Field visits including observations and interviews were conducted in six organizations. Results showed a need to increase knowledge and awareness of vibration exposure and risks in the organizations, as well as a need for increased communication on the topic. Aspects affecting implementation were also user acceptance of new tools (to overcome fear of changes in craftsmanship and conservatism), having a clear and consistent leadership for change with great commitment, and manufacturers ensuring availability of low-vibrating tools. Implementation requires well-thought-out change processes with worker involvement. Customer demand for low-vibrating tools is needed for tool development and supply.

In this study, four types of functional knee pads with structure partitions were designed for delivery workers based on leg movement patterns during delivery. By selecting three characteristic points of the knee, experiments were conducted with the subjects to objectively analyze the effects of the knee pads with different fabrics on thermal and pressure comfort. The results showed that the structural partition of the knee pads with different fabrics had a significant effect on temperature; sample 3 had the highest temperature at the end of the experiment, which increased by 0.69 °C. At the same time, in the pressure comfort experiment, at the same test point the pressure on the knee at three bending angles gradually increases with the bending angle. The zonal structural design of knee pads can protect delivery workers' knee joints more effectively, which holds significant value for the design of functional knee pads.

Safety performance, a critical metric directly linked to employees' well-being and property protection, serves as a cornerstone in advancing modern productive forces. Grounded in social interaction theory, this study employed a survey-based method and hierarchical regression analysis to explore the mechanism of how leader and colleague safety consciousness affect employee safety performance. Analyzing survey data from 535 questionnaires, the following research results were obtained: leader and colleague safety consciousness has a positive impact on employee safety performance; safety role identification plays a positive mediating role between leader and colleague safety consciousness and employee safety performance; the leader-member exchange relationship positively moderates the relationship between leader safety consciousness and safety role identification, and positively moderates the mediating role of safety role identification; and the team-member exchange relationship positively moderates the relationship between colleague safety consciousness and safety role identification, and positively moderates the mediating role of safety role identification.

Objectives: This study assessed the association between knowledge of workplace hazards and perceived compliance with occupational health and safety (OHS) regulations among certified refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) technicians.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to December 2021. The study ascertained from 204 technicians their knowledge of workplace hazards and perceived compliance with OHS regulations using a self-administered questionnaire. In addition, the association between the technician's knowledge of workplace hazards and their perceived compliance with OHS was estimated using Poisson regression models with log-link, adjusted for confounding factors. Effect size estimates were expressed as crude (cPR) and adjusted (aPR) prevalence ratios with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results: With a 75% workplace hazards benchmark for RAC technicians, the crude and adjusted model analysis (cPR 1.75; 95% CI [1.39, 2.21]; p < 0.001) and 58% (aPR 1.58; 95% CI [1.23, 2.04]; p < 0.001), respectively, indicated a likelihood of perceiving themselves as compliant with OHS regulations compared to RAC technicians with average and below-average industry knowledge of workplace hazards.

Conclusion: With knowledge of workplace hazards likely influencing certified RAC technicians, its integration into the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) curriculum as a competency may strengthen OHS compliance.

Laboratory safety is a critical priority in educational institutions, particularly in microbiology laboratories where infectious disease diagnosis requires strict protocols. Contaminated personnel can unknowingly transmit pathogens beyond the laboratory, posing public health risks. This study explores strategies to enhance safety in a microbiology laboratory at an Egyptian university. A multidisciplinary team of microbiology and design experts collaborated to redesign the laboratory, addressing contamination risks and improving safety and comfort. The process included identifying hazards, redesigning the layout with appropriate materials and testing effectiveness through microbiological culturing. Results showed that epoxy surfaces had superior resistance to bacterial colonization compared to traditional marble surfaces. These findings suggest that material selection plays a crucial role in laboratory safety. Incorporating epoxy surfaces can significantly reduce contamination risks, contributing to a safer environment for students and staff. This study underscores the importance of evidence-based design in optimizing microbiology laboratory safety.

This article attempts to extend the mindful safety practices adopted by pilots in the aviation industry. There is still a lack of discussion about how these factors (individual, group and organizational levels) influence the adoption of mindful safety practices among commercial pilots in the aviation industry. Data were collected from a sample of commercial pilots in China within 8 months. Results show that all the identified factors contributing to the adoption of mindful safety practices are significantly and positively interrelated. The results also reveal that safety knowledge and motivation positively mediate the relationships between safety climate (group level and organization level) and pilots' mindful safety practice adoption in the aviation industry. It is of interest that group-level safety climate exerts more impact on pilots' safety knowledge and motivation gains. Furthermore, leader-member exchange (LMX) strengthens relationships between two dimensions of safety climate and pilots' safety knowledge and motivation acquisitions.

Objectives. Many industries globally strive to ensure the safety of their workforce in order to achieve the goal of economic advancement. As such, employers prioritize workers' safety skills, making this study essential in examining the impact of safety management practices on technicians' safety behaviour, with safety orientation as a mediator. Methods. Using a correlational research design, a sample of 821 electrical installation and maintenance work (EIMW) technicians was selected through stratified sampling from the Nigerian Association of Technologists in Engineering. Data were collected using instruments adapted from existing literature on safety management practices (management commitment, safety training, technician's involvement, safety communication and feedback, safety rules and procedures), safety orientation and safety performance. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using SPSS version 25 and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS SPSS version 23 for analysing the hypotheses. Results. Management commitment, safety training, safety communication and feedback positively influenced safety compliance, while technicians' involvement and safety promotion policies positively impacted safety participation. Safety orientation did not mediate the relationship between management commitment and safety compliance. Conclusion. The study recommends that management in industries should engage in a safety leadership walk where there is a regular tour to address safety concerns in real time.

Objectives. This study aimed to identify occupational, personal and psychosocial risk factors associated with musculoskeletal and depressive symptoms in a cohort of Brazilian healthcare workers (HEROES). Methods. The prospective cohort study included 125 healthcare workers from the Brazilian Healthcare System (SUS). Data were collected via e-surveys using a sociodemographic questionnaire, Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire and Pittsburgh sleep quality index. The follow-up response was 64, 52, 50 and 49% at 3, 6, 9 and 12-month follow-up, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression identified the main risk factors for musculoskeletal and depressive symptoms. Results. At 3 months, sleep quality, burnout, age, stress, quantitative demands, skill development and emotional demands were associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and recognition was associated with depressive symptoms. At 6 months, justice, stress and age were associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and recognition was associated with musculoskeletal and depressive symptoms. At 9 months, burnout, stress, sleep quality and emotional demands were associated with musculoskeletal symptoms. At 12 months, sleep quality was associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and recognition was associated with depression symptoms. Conclusion. Personal and psychosocial risk factors were significantly associated with musculoskeletal and depressive symptoms. Future intervention studies should emphasize these factors, with larger samples.

This study identifies and analyses the primary elements contributing to accidents in scrap-based steelmaking plants in the Punjab state of India as a typical case study. The collected data for 2017-2022 from different scrap-based steelmaking plants were analysed utilizing Boston square matrix, Pareto chart, Ishikawa diagram and Poisson-distribution-based control chart analysis. The results revealed that fatal accidents contributed to around 13% of total accidents. The least fatal accidents are observed in the summer, around 17% of total accidents compared to the monsoon and winter seasons. The maximum contribution in non-fatal accidents is from lost-time injury, at around 85% of total non-fatal accidents. Moreover, compared to 2017, this study demonstrated a 78 and 45% decrease in non-fatal and fatal accidents in 2022. This decrease may be attributed to the efficacy and influence of regulatory measures, the acquisition of knowledge from past accidents and employee awareness in these scrap-based steelmaking facilities.