International Journal of Occupational Safety and Ergonomics最新文献

Objectives. Earlier work found gaps with respect to legislative compliance and disparities in perceptions, attitudes and beliefs towards occupational health and safety in the Ontario manufacturing sector. The current follow-up study was undertaken to gain a more thorough understanding of the cause of these gaps and differences in perspectives. Methods. Focus group discussions were held with workers and managers separately. Key questions related to health and safety in general, health and safety training, and health and safety communication were asked of each focus group. The discussions were qualitatively analysed. Results. Overall, 12 worker focus groups (n = 76) and seven manager focus groups (n = 38) were conducted. Individuals who felt safe in their workplace indicated that it was a supportive environment, and that health and safety was a priority. Health and safety training was considered important but improvements in engagement and frequency were suggested. Conclusions. Health and safety communication might be hindered by technical terms and language barriers. Delivering this communication in multiple ways as well as the tone of communication should be taken into consideration. Overall, safety culture was lacking and manufacturing workplaces should be mindful of the gaps identified to improve health and safety performance.

Transient three-dimensional (3D) heat and moisture transfer simulations were conducted to analyze the thermal performances of the entire phase change material (PCM) integrated into firefighters' gloves. PCM was broken down into several segments to cover the back and palm of the hand but to avoid finger joints to keep hand functions. Parametric studies were performed to explore the effects of PCM melting temperatures, PCM locations in the glove and PCM layer thicknesses on the overall thermal performance improvement of firefighters' gloves. The study found that PCM segments could extend the time for hand skin surfaces (areas covered or not covered by PCM) to reach second-degree burn injury (60 °C) by 1.5-2 times compared to conventional firefighters' gloves without PCM. Moreover, PCM segments could help mitigate the temperature increase on hand skin and glove surface after fire exposure.

Objectives: Aberrant driving behaviours among bus drivers cause serious concerns to safety on the road. The present study aimed to measure the effects of driver characteristics on aberrant and positive driving behaviours among bus drivers and to group drivers accordingly. The study was carried out among bus drivers of the government-owned road transport corporation in Kerala, India.

Methods: A total of 1120 drivers took part in the survey, out of which 617 drivers returned the forms with all questions answered (response rate = 55.1%). SPSS version 27.0 was used for analysis.

Results: Structural equation modelling proved the predictive nature of driver characteristics on driving behaviours. K-means cluster analysis revealed clusters such as violating and angry drivers (cluster 1), knowledgeable drivers with positive driving behaviours (cluster 2), healthy and stress-free drivers (cluster 3), erroneous and stressed drivers (cluster 4) and calm drivers with positive driving behaviours (cluster 5).

Conclusion: Positive relationships of anger and stress on aberrant driving behaviours and higher number of drivers in clusters 1 and 4 reveal concerns of safety. The study points towards the necessity of organizational commitment for improving driver characteristics for better driver behaviours and safer roads.

Occupational risk assessment involves examining and ranking the risks and hazards in a production or service facility, focusing on workplace health and safety. This study aims to address the deficiencies of traditional methods by applying a fuzzy logic approach to enhance occupational risk assessment in the metals sector. Unlike the Fine-Kinney method, the fuzzy model allows for intermediate values, reducing input uncertainties and yielding more realistic results. Probability, exposure and consequence serve as inputs, with the risk score as the output. The developed fuzzy Fine-Kinney model was tested for 252 situations and compared to the traditional Fine-Kinney method. Consistent outputs were found when using intermediate values, with risk score definitions in the fuzzy model aligning with those in Fine-Kinney. The fuzzy logic approach demonstrates an improvement in evaluating hazards by providing a more nuanced and accurate risk assessment, thereby contributing to better workplace safety management.

Objectives. The purpose of this study is to determine the causal relationships among positive and negative cyberloafing dimensions, safety behaviors and occupational incidents among hospital employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. Data were obtained from 210 healthcare employees working in public hospitals in Turkey. The data were analyzed using Bayesian network analysis. This study examines the factors that have the most significant impact on occupational incidents through Bayesian belief updating. Results. The findings demonstrated that 28.7% of the sample experienced occupational incidents. Safety behaviors had the strongest impact on occupational incidents. When recovery (66.2%) and developmental cyberloafing (53.1%) are high, and deviant (64.3%) and addictive cyberloafing (35.6%) are low, the probability of safety behaviors increases (79.6%) and occupational incidents decrease. The development dimension of positive cyberloafing and the deviance dimension of negative cyberloafing had the greatest impact on hospital employees' safety behaviors and occupational incidents. Conclusions. Minor/positive cyberloafing behaviors have a high impact on safety behaviors and occupational incidents, whereas major/negative cyberloafing behaviors have a low impact. Therefore, the hospital administration should specifically control deviant and addictive cyberloafing behaviors. Furthermore, the analysis results recommend that managers consider allowing some positive cyberloafing behaviors to reduce occupational incidents.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is worn in a range of industrial environments by women and men alike. However, the majority of PPE is designed around male anthropometrics and the impacts of this on women are largely undocumented. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to develop themes from in-depth interviews with 30 women working in diverse roles in industrial environments, around their experiences of wearing PPE. Four themes developed: 'There's nothing here for me'; 'Collateral damage'; 'Organisational culture and the burden of responsibility'; and 'Personally protective women'. The findings significantly expand upon previous literature concerning: the reduced range of PPE available for women when compared with men; considerable fit and comfort issues; and physical, day-to-day and health-related consequences. This work evidences the increased PPE-related burden on women, and demonstrates fundamental links between women wearing ill-fitting or inappropriate PPE and their reduced sense of belonging, confidence and morale.

This study analyzes the influence of air curtain diameter and internal duct structure on the uniformity of an air curtain using Fluent numerical simulation combined with an experimental method after actual measurement of relevant parameters at the construction site, and simulates the best dust insulation parameters of a uniform air curtain. As the diameter of the air curtain supply duct increases and the internal air duct structure is reasonably designed, the axial static pressure of the air curtain generator and the air velocity at the curtain outlet are more uniform, which forms a higher strength of the air curtain. The best dust separation parameter of the uniform air curtain is the vertical downward generated air curtain with an outlet air velocity of 12 m/s and an outlet strip slit width of 80 mm, in which the dust separation efficiency could reach about 79.5%.

Moving is an integral part of everyday life and applies to accessing the workplace, attending a health centre or meeting friends. Determination of the source of sound may be important when a visually impaired person is moving around. This allows to navigate, but also provides important information about potential danger. Sound exercises have been prepared to support the ability to recognize the direction of sound and to learn about the problems associated with it. The research version of the app was prepared covering 12 situations related to three static and nine dynamic sources of sounds. All 10 participants in the exercises had a significant degree of visual impairment. An extended dataset obtained from three subjects without disabilities was also included. As a result, six exercises qualified for the final set of sound exercises, which allow to gain benefits from their implementation.

In wildland firefighting, the air gap (AG) between clothing and the human body can effectively decrease heat transferred to skin but has a negative impact on thermal aging of clothing. Heat transfer to skin from a fire source can led to burn injuries and heat is transmitted between adjacent AGs parallel to the skin surface. An open AG simulator was developed to explore the dual effects of the AG on fabric thermal aging and skin thermal protection. Results indicated that thermal aging of fabrics was affected by the size and boundary form of the AG. Open and closed AGs increased second-degree burn times by 37.2-232.9 and 32.4-160.3%, respectively. The 12-mm and 18-mm open AGs decreased thermal aging of the fabric while maintaining good thermal protection compared to other AG conditions. The findings indicate that an appropriate AG design can balance thermal aging and thermal protection of firefighter suits.

Objectives. The mental health of healthcare professionals, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, is a critical concern. This study investigates the prevalence of burnout and professional fulfillment, depression and the relationship between physical activity and adherence to the Mediterranean diet with depression, burnout and professional fulfillment among healthcare professionals. Methods. Data were collected through a web-based survey of 567 healthcare professionals. Logistic regression analysis with age and sex adjustment was employed to analyze the results. Results. The prevalence of depression was 44%, burnout stood at 66% and professional fulfillment was reported at 28%. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was linked to a reduced risk of depression (odds ratio [OR] 0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.41, 0.96], p = 0.033) and physical activity was also associated with a lower risk of depression (OR 0.49, 95% CI [0.32, 0.75], p = 0.001). Furthermore, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of burnout (OR 0.49, 95% CI [0.25, 0.98], p = 0.045). Conclusion. This study highlights the positive impact of physical activity and the Mediterranean diet as lifestyle factors on depression and burnout. These findings have implications for screening, follow-up and timely interventions to support the mental well-being of healthcare professionals.