Sangyo eiseigaku zasshi = Journal of occupational health最新文献

Objectives: This study examined the status of occupational health activities in hospitals certified by the Japan Council for Quality Health Care in the Kanto region. Additionally, it sought to assess hospital preparedness for implementing doctor workstyle reforms, which were enacted in the fiscal year 2024.

Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to occupational health officers in 497 hospitals. The survey collected information on the number of beds, hospital functions, occupational health systems, infection control measures, mental health initiatives, measures against long working hours, and work style reforms.

Results: Responses were obtained from 205 (41%) hospitals. In the occupational health system, some hospitals have assigned their directors or board chairpersons as occupational physicians, thereby raising regulatory concerns. Only 85% of the hospitals held monthly health committee meetings, whereas 98% had a health committee in place. Workplace rounds were conducted more frequently in hospitals with more beds and were conducted regularly in 79% of the hospitals. Hospitals with more beds also received more occupational nurse participation. Infection control measures, including immune screening and vaccination for hepatitis B and rubella/measles, have been widely implemented. All hospitals administered COVID-19 vaccinations to staff members. Many hospitals have established consultation systems for occupational physicians on mental health initiatives; however, return-to-work interviews conducted by occupational physicians were significantly more common in hospitals with more beds, with statistical significance. Regarding doctors' workstyle reforms, hospitals with more beds were less likely to obtain Level A certification and more likely to obtain Level B or C certification. Most hospitals with Levels B and C certifications were general hospitals and better prepared to conduct face-to-face consultations with doctors who work long hours.

Conclusions: Occupational health activities in hospitals showed high implementation rates for legally required measures, such as the appointment of occupational physicians, the establishment of health committees, and infection control measures, regardless of hospital size. However, elements such as workplace rounds, face-to-face consultations with employees working long hours, return-to-work interviews with those recovering from mental illnesses, and doctor work-style reform measures had higher implementation rates in larger hospitals, thus indicating a disparity based on hospital size.

Objective: Since the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, there is an increased opportunity for occupational health professionals to conduct online interviews. However, to the best of our knowledge, research regarding adaptation to online interviewing is limited. Therefore, we developed a checklist as a reference for decision-making regarding the adaptation of online interviews.

Subjects and methods: Through online interview-adaptation group work, we identified considerations for adaptation of online interviews, including promoters and barriers. Based on our findings, a prototype version of a checklist was created. Public comments on the prototype version were collected, and a survey was conducted to verify the validity of the checklist.

Results: Seventy-one volunteers participated in the group work, resulting in a prototype version consisting of eight major categories and 32 sub-categories. We received 15 public comments on the prototype version and 64 responses to the survey. More than 50% of the respondents indicated that online interviews should be avoided or that they would face difficulties if conducted. Based on public comments and additional opinions from the survey, the final version of the checklist was completed.

Discussion and conclusion: The final version of the online interview-adaptation checklist was confirmed as valid by experienced occupational health professionals. The checklist will guide appropriate decision-making regarding adaptation to online interviews.

Objectives: There are few reports of chemical-related illnesses in the Reports of Worker Casualties in Japan. Using these reports from 2020, this study analyzed the relationship between illnesses caused by chemical handling stratified by male or female sex, using the Japan Standard Industrial Classification (JSIC).

Methods: Our study included 244 patients from the Reports of Worker Casualties submitted to the Competent Labor Standards Inspection Office in 2020 with chemical-related illnesses resulting in at least 4 days of absence. Patients were classified into major and minor industrial groups using the JSIC. Simple and cross-tabulations were performed to assess characteristics.

Results: Of the 244 included patients, 236 were absent from work, with a male-to-female ratio of 4:1. The substances or product names of chemicals handled by the case group included one substance in 216 patients (88.5%) and two or more substances in 28 patients (11.5%). Dangerous and harmful materials other than those specified in special regulations accounted for 52.9% of the total. Of the 244 patients, 100% were reclassified into industrial divisions of the JSIC; 94.7% into major industrial groups and 63.9% into minor industrial groups. By industrial division, most workers were in manufacturing (43.9%), followed by construction (18.0%), services, N.E.C (9.0%), and wholesale and retail trade (7.4%). All workers in construction were males. The experience period was less than 1 year in 30.3% of the cases across a wide range of age groups ≤ 70 years old. The most frequently encountered disease sites (expected closure period of ≥ 1 month) were the lower limbs, followed by the upper limbs and the head. The most common diseases were integumentary diseases (67.2%), followed by poisoning (24.6%) and respiratory diseases (7.8%). The most common categories for health hazard classification (globally harmonized system of classification and labelling of chemicals) were specific target organ toxicity (single exposure) (36.5%), specific target organ toxicity (repeated exposure) (25.4%), serious eye damage/irritation (25.4%), skin corrosion/irritation (23.0%), and acute toxicity (21.3%). All eight deaths occurred in workplaces with ≤ 49 employees.

Conclusions: To reduce the number of sick people and the expected period of absence from work, it is necessary to regularly check chemical safety after starting work, taking into account employee's years of experience and selecting appropriate protective equipment for the integumentary system (especially the upper limbs, lower limbs, and head [eyes]) based on chemical risk assessment; additionally, support should be provided for chemical management in small businesses.

Objectives: This study aimed to identify aspects of resilience in male middle managers working for Company A and to explore occupational health activities and nursing support to improve workers' mental health.

Methods: An inductive approach was applied for qualitative data analysis. Semi-structured interviews with ten male middle managers working for Company A with at least one year of managerial experience. The data were analyzed using the Modified Grounded Theory Approach.

Results: Participating male middle managers displayed "manifestations of distress" related to "workplace difficulties", and obtained relief from distress by securing "support for themselves at work" and developing "self-care strategies". In their process to establish "positivity regarding their service as a manager", including achieving impacts they can be proud of and acquiring and demonstrating resilience, participating managers acquired skills to "work well in their own way" through and , and developed skills/qualities allowing them to be "a good manager".

Conclusions: The development of resilience in male middle managers is a process that involves 1) experiencing temporary physical or mental challenges related to workplace difficulties, recovering and developing through intrinsic strengths and support from people around them, 2) adapting their working style as they acquire new skills in the process, and 3) enhancing managerial competence, ultimately fostering a positive view of their managerial role. This study identified four categories: "facing difficulties in the workplace, meeting personal needs, developing an effective individual managerial style", and "evolving into a good manager". These categories reveal a process of recovery and adaptation leading to "establishment of a positive view of one's role as a manager", supported by "meeting personal needs in the workplace" and synergistically influenced by multiple factors. The findings show that the "establishment of a positive view of one's role as a manager" is a series of processes through which male middle managers develop their managerial potential to contribute to organizational resilience and energy. To promote resilience, our findings suggest the importance of addressing individual and organizational concerns, such as systematically building an educational framework that integrates career support with self-care for managers responsible for line care, and recommending improvements to workplace environments.

Objectives: Assessing the risk of employee health problems according to firm characteristics (e.g., industry) can be used by companies to identify groups of workers with health problems and develop health-related policies. Previous studies have examined differences in the prevalence of diseases across industries; however, studies using sickness absences, which reduce productivity, are scarce. The purpose of this study was to identify differences in sickness absence rates across industries.

Methods: With permission for secondary use of archived data from the Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training (JILPT), we obtained data from private companies with 50 or more regular employees nationwide. Negative binomial regression was conducted using the number of sickness absences attributed to mental health, cancer, lifestyle-related diseases (e.g., diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease), and intractable diseases as the objective variables. The results were confirmed by an ordinal logistic regression. Firm characteristics other than industry were adjusted for firm size, age structure, medical examinations, labor unions, and flexible work systems.

Results: The incidence of sickness absences due to mental health was high in the information and communications, medical care/welfare, and education/learning support industries because of lifestyle-related diseases, and heart disease was high in the transportation/postal industry. Cancer was high in the medical care/welfare industry. While older worker age groups had a lower incidence of mental health issues, a higher incidence of physical illnesses, excluding intractable diseases, was observed. The presence of a labor union was associated with sickness absences due to mental health, cancer, and cerebrovascular disease, and the availability of a flexible work system was associated with sickness absences due to mental health and heart disease.

Conclusions: The three industries with a high incidence of mental health leave had a high percentage of professional/technical workers and a common background of heavy workloads. In addition, role ambiguity, particularly in the education and medical industries, could lead to stress. The association between the transportation/postal industry and sickness absences due to lifestyle-related diseases and heart disease was probably influenced by work style and lifestyle, whereas the association between the medical care/welfare industry and sickness absences due to cancer was probably influenced by the high percentage of women in this industry. This study could not be adjusted for several variables examined in other studies, such as sex, and caution should be exercised when interpreting the results, especially regarding absences due to cancer.