Workplace Health & Safety最新文献

Background: Violent deaths represent a serious occupational health and safety concern in healthcare. This study examines the occupations, sociodemographic factors, and circumstances reported for homicides and suicides occurring at work and outside work among decedents in select healthcare industries and occupations.

Methods: Decedents in healthcare sub-industries were identified in CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System, years 2017 to 2022. Workplace and non-workplace deaths were included. Frequencies and proportions of decedent demographics, occupation categories, location of injury, and precipitating circumstances including perpetrator-victim relationship (among homicides), and social, mental health, and substance use factors contributing to death (among suicides) were reported.

Findings: During 2017 to 2022, 91 workplace homicides, 3,889 non-workplace homicides, 97 workplace suicides, and 12,450 non-workplace suicides were reported among healthcare industry workers. Suicides and homicides occurred more frequently among females compared with males. Homicides occurred most frequently among healthcare practitioners and technical occupations and healthcare support occupations, while suicides occurred most frequently among healthcare practitioners and technical occupations. Homicide decedents often knew the suspect through current or previous personal or work relationships. Most suicide decedents had a current mental health problem or symptoms.

Conclusions/application to practice: This analysis supports existing recommendations and national priorities for preventing workplace violence and suicide in healthcare. Findings reinforce previous research and add more context to these violent deaths by presenting circumstances of non-workplace deaths. Contributors to these violent deaths are multifactorial. Further research can investigate underlying mechanisms for homicide and suicide in this healthcare worker population, particularly among certain work settings and less-studied occupation groups.

Background: The operating room involves many physical, chemical, and biological risk factors. Operating room nurses may have to work in long, tense operations and with different teams. Such challenging working environments can cause operating room nurses to experience stress, anxiety and depression. Our aim was to analyze operating room nurses' perceived stress, anxiety, and depression levels according to their experience in the operating room, and to identify associated factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 173 operating room nurses in Turkiye between June and December 2024. The sample was formed by the snowball method of convenience sampling. The data were analyzed using correlation analysis, independent-samples t-test, and linear regression analysis.

Results: Perceived stress and anxiety scores were significantly higher among nurses with 0 to 1 year of experience in the operating room compared to those more than 1 year of experience (p < .05). In the linear regression model, HADS anxiety score, being female, and being single were found to be significant predictors of perceived stress. In addition, being female and having 0 to 1 year of operating room experience were found to be significant predictors of HADS anxiety score. Being female and not working with a fixed team were significant predictors of HADS depression score.

Conclusion/application to practice: Perceived stress and anxiety were higher among nurses working in the operating room for year or less. A comprehensive mental health support system should be established, and nurses' stress, anxiety, and depression levels should be assessed regularly.

Background: Musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS) are among the most common work-related health problems and are highly prevalent in heavy industry. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of MSS and examine associated sociodemographic, occupational, and psychosocial factors, including job stress, among iron foundry workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 among 396 workers in an iron foundry facility in Eskişehir, Türkiye. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and the Job Stress Scale. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to identify independent predictors of MSS.

Findings: Of the 396 workers, 75.8% were male, with a mean age (SD) of 37.6 (8.8) years. Almost three out of four workers reported having pain or discomfort in at least one body part in the last 12 months, and 55.7% reported having pain that interfered with their work. It was found that those aged ≥30, who had low income, did not exercise regularly, work ≥55 hours/week, worked overtime or in shifts, perform mechanically strenuous tasks, have a moderate to heavy physical workload, and experienced high job stress were at higher risk of MSS.

Conclusions/application to practice: MSS are highly prevalent among iron foundry workers, and are linked to both physical and psychosocial workplace factors. Preventive strategies should combine ergonomic interventions, workload management, and job stress reduction measures. Implementation of participatory ergonomics programs, engineering controls, and administrative policies could help reduce the burden of MSS in this occupational group.

Background: During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that began in March 2020, nurses encountered unprecedented challenges, leading to significant physical and psychological distress. This study investigated the factors contributing to posttraumatic growth (PTG) among nurses following the pandemic, focusing on personal, social, and organizational predictors.

Methods: This cross-sectional correlational study used survey data from 307 nurses who provided direct care to COVID-19 patients. Participants completed an online survey that included items on demographic information, trauma experiences, social support from personal and work relationships, occupational factors (e.g., resource availability, job conditions, job satisfaction), and PTG. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the significant predictors of PTG.

Findings: Coworker support was the strongest predictor of PTG, followed by job conditions, job satisfaction, and personal interactions. Resource availability, specifically that of mechanical ventilators, also significantly predicted PTG. However, supervisor support and PPE availability of personal protective equipment did not significantly influence PTG.

Conclusion: This study contributes to the literature on PTG at work by examining the effects of occupational enablers and proposing practical interventions for healthcare organizations.

Application to practice: Our findings suggest that occupational health practices should focus on enhancing peer support, improving working conditions, ensuring adequate resources, and providing comprehensive mental health support. These measures can help promote nurses' PTG and ensure their well-being following a traumatic event.

Background: Teenage workers have unique occupational injury risks, raising the need to evaluate preventive training programs. This study examines the risk of occupational injury for workers under 19 before and after the release of Oregon Young Employee Safety Coalition (O[yes]) online safety awareness training in 2017.

Methods: The Employed Labor Force tool was used to estimate the annual size of the teen workforce from 2013 to 2022 in Oregon. The count and share of first-month injuries (N = 18,694) among all worker compensation claims (N = 166,594) were also examined. General linear models estimated first-month injury risk by age group, controlling for sex, occupation, and insurer.

Findings: Teenage workers' first-month injury risk per 1,000 workers was similar before (2013-2016) and after (2017-2022) the O[yes] training (7.8 vs. 7.6). However, compared with older workers, the share of first-month injuries among all claims for teen workers decreased (RR: 0.88, p < .001), with no significant change for other ages.

Conclusions: After the introduction of O[yes] training, the estimated injury risk did not change. However, the relative proportion of first-month injuries among teenage workers was lower than before. Further research is needed to evaluate training effectiveness and additional contributing factors.