Airport security personnel's working hour characteristics and associations with sickness absence-a retrospective cohort study in 2016-2019.

We aimed to investigate the associations of working hour characteristics based on the international and local definitions with sickness absence (SA) among airport security personnel. The payroll-based registry data of daily working hours for 2016-2019 at one airport was limited to those with ≥30 work shifts in a year (n=377-687 employees). The conditional Poisson model for incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was used for analyses. Based on the international definitions, only a few associations were found: each one-unit increase in weekly working hours and the number of consecutive working days were associated with a lower likelihood of SA. The local definitions were more consistently associated with SA: Each one-unit increase in shift length and time between shifts, higher variation in shift length, and the number of consecutive evening and night shifts were associated with a higher likelihood of SA. To conclude, especially the local definitions of working hour characteristics seem to be important limits for short SA. Thus, high variability of shift lengths and prolonged shifts could be avoided to reduce the risk of SA. Overall, keeping the working hours within any of the recommendations among airport security personnel could support well-being and health.

Factors facilitating and hindering the implementation of digital sleep coaching for bus drivers.

Improving fatigue management is critical to the occupational safety of professional drivers. We aimed to identify the factors that facilitated or hindered the implementation of digital sleep coaching in bus companies and to explore bus drivers' experiences with it. Two bus companies implemented coaching for bus drivers. Using a mixed methods design, we collected data through two workshops (n = 30 and n = 27) attended by key personnel from the organisations and through questionnaires to the drivers (n = 30). Implementation was facilitated by, for example, the flexible participation and multichannel information of coaching, and hindered by restrictions on social support due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and lack of interest and inspiring examples. On average, the drivers rated the appropriateness and the feasibility of coaching as good. However, further development could lead to wider dissemination. It would also be important to involve the key people in the organisations and stakeholders more in supporting the implementation.

Different Methods to Detect Stress in Knowledge Workers: A Pilot Study for Long-term Monitoring.

Stress is a common part of working life, but knowledge is lacking on how to identify it early and with little effort on the part of the employee. We investigated whether simple stress reports and computer usage data could be useful tools for long-term assessment of stress in real life. 38 experts responded to a baseline questionnaire on need for recovery (NFR) and psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire, GHQ12). Their computer usage for work was recorded for 5 months, during which they filled in a 4-month simple diary and a 2-week detailed diary on, for example, stress and productivity. Salivary cortisol and heart rate variability were collected on 3 consecutive days. Generalized estimating equations models were used for the analyses. High NFR and GHQ12 predicted self-reported stress during work, and a decrease in (some) mouse usage features, but not keyboard usage features, over the following months. Some mouse usage features were associated with stress and productivity. The results provide some support for the usefulness of simple stress questions and mouse usage features in assessing long-term stress in real life.

Digital Occupational Health: Opportunities and Challenges for the Workplace.

This paper discusses the role of the workplace in digital occupational health as part of an increasingly digitalized working life. Digital occupational health can be considered to consist of at least the following digitalized components: a) occupational health services and data, b) human resource data, c) group-level field data collected from the work environment and employees, and d) individual-level field data collected for personal use only. These data and related processes form a basis for so called data-driven management of occupational health and safety. To collect such data and keep it updated, it is important to pay attention to: a) worker acceptance, b) user friendliness, c) data validity, integrity, and protection, d) adequate resources, and e) ethical and effective use of the data. The current literature suggests that there are promising mobile and wearable devices and eHealth solutions to support worker health. To use them effectively, it is good to pay attention to the implementation process in the workplace. Ultimately, trust and collaboration among all parties are the cornerstones for gaining benefits from digital occupational health.

Pharmacological interventions for sleepiness and sleep disturbances caused by shift work

BACKGROUND: Shift work results in sleep-wake disturbances, which cause sleepiness during night shifts and reduce sleep length and quality in daytime sleep after the night shift. In its serious form it is also called shift work sleep disorder. Various pharmacological products are used to ameliorate symptoms of sleepiness or poor sleep length and quality. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of pharmacological interventions to reduce sleepiness or to improve alertness at work and decrease sleep disturbances whilst of work, or both, in workers undertaking shift work. METHODS: Search methods: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed and PsycINFO up to 20 September 2013 and ClinicalTrials.gov up to July 2013. We also screened reference lists of included trials and relevant reviews. Selection criteria: We included all eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs), including cross-over RCTs, of pharmacological products among workers who were engaged in shift work (including night shifts) in their present jobs and who may or may not have had sleep problems. Primary outcomes were sleep length and sleep quality while of work, alertness and sleepiness, or fatigue at work. Data collection and analysis: Two authors independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed risk of bias in included trials. We performed meta-analyses where appropriate. ...