Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals.

BACKGROUND: Prior to any infectious disease emergence as a public health concern, early occupational preparedness is crucial for protecting employees from novel pathogens- coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no different. AIMS: This study ascertains how occupational safety and health (OSH)/Human Resource (HR) professionals in the Republic of Ireland had managed to prepare their workplaces prior to the advent of COVID-19. METHODS: As part of a larger COVID-19 workplace study, online focus groups were conducted with OSH/HR professionals. Collected data were transcribed verbatim and entered into NVivo for thematic analysis incorporating intercoder reliability testing. RESULTS: Fifteen focus groups were conducted with OSH/HR professionals (n = 60) from various occupational settings. Three levels of organizational preparedness were identified: 'early awareness and preparation'; 'unaware and not ready' and 'aware, but not ready'. Most organizations were aware of the COVID-19 severity, but not fully prepared for the pandemic, especially stand-alone enterprises that may not have sufficient resources to cope with an unanticipated crisis. The experiences shared by OSH professionals illustrate their agility in applying risk management and control skills to unanticipated public/occupational health crises that arise. CONCLUSIONS: General pandemic preparedness such as the availability of work-from-home policies, emergency scenario planning and prior experience in workplace outbreaks of infectious diseases were helpful for workplace-associated COVID-19 prevention. This is the first study conducted with OSH/HR professionals in Ireland regarding COVID-19 preparedness in workplaces, which provides valuable insights into research literature, as well as empirical experience for the preparation of future public health emergencies.

Educational influences on early retirement through disability in Ireland.

BACKGROUND: Studies suggest a higher prevalence of early retirement through disability among older people with lower educational attainment. There have been no national studies in Ireland on the factors that affect early withdrawal from the labour force through disability or long-term illness. AIMS: To identify and analyse potential impacts of education on early retirement through disability in the over 50 age cohort of the Irish Labour force. METHODS: We analysed the educational attainment of participants using The Irish Longitudinal Study of Ageing (TILDA). The group of interest were those aged 50-75 who had retired early. The sample was dichotomized on disability. Examination of interviewer-recorded information on background influences determining early retirement decisions included the following factors: age, gender, education, family and socio-economic circumstances, including parental education. RESULTS: A total of 334 of 1179 study subjects (28%) retired early through disability. Comparison of those retired early with and without disability showed a significantly higher frequency of lower educational attainment both personally and for parents. Men with lower educational attainment and from a non-professional background were more likely to retire early through disability. Non-professional disabled respondents with less well-educated parents had lower educational attainment than non-disabled respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Among TILDA participants, educational attainment appears to influence early retirement through disability. The sector of previous employment was also a significant factor. Behaviour, lifestyle and employment choice are influenced by educational level, which may affect cognitive ability to process health information. Factors affecting the education-disability relationship could include parental education, employment status and socio-economic characteristics.