Exploring organizational aspects that promote health-related preventive behavior: using the example of work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection control measures in Germany, August 2020 to November 2021.

Introduction: During the communicable coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, organizational infection control measures (oICMs) were introduced in the workplace. The employees' positive attitudes and active participation are relevant for full effectiveness regarding disease prevention. Therefore, we explore changes in employees' attitudes toward oICM at work from August-October 2020 (T0) over January 2021 (T1) to October-November 2021 (T2). We further investigate the role an organization can play in supporting health-related preventive behavior. Methods: We considered repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal panel survey data from 5,554 employees of a global supplier of technology and services in Germany. A total of 16 items constitute the attitude scores toward oICM (5-point Likert scale). Via mixed-effect model, aspects associated with employees' attitudes toward oICM were explored. Via 'extreme-group' approach, we compared the 20% of participants with the largest changes into less favorable to the 20% with the largest changes into more favorable attitudes toward oICM over time. Results: The overall positive attitudes toward work-related oICM were more favorable at T1 (mean ± SD: 4.2 ± 0.6, median (IQR): 4.3 (0.8), n = 2,515) compared to T0 (4.1 ± 0.6, 4.1 (0.8), n = 2,417) but less favorable at T2 (3.9 ± 0.7, 4.0 (0.9), n = 2,062). Among others, feeling well-informed about possible work-related risks of infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), perceived psychosocial demands through work environment aspects, and perceived management's commitment to safety and health were associated with long-term positive attitudes toward oICM. Individuals developing more favorable attitudes toward oICM reported feeling well-informed about possible work-related SARS-CoV-2 infection risks and improved COVID-19-specific resilience over time. Individuals developing less favorable attitudes toward oICM reported decreased perceptions of COVID-19-associated risks. Conclusion: oICMs in the workplace were perceived appropriate even after COVID-19 vaccines were widely available although the perceived affective risks about SARS-CoV-2 decreased. Taken together, our findings highlight how organizations can support employees in adopting health-related preventive behavior. Among others, we found that feeling well-informed about possible work-related health risks was positively associated with long-term favorable attitudes toward work-related oICM. We expect that the results contribute to the development of interventions to prepare and adapt to future global public health concerns.

A systematic literature review on occupational accident factors in the rail construction industry: lessons learned from a quarter-century of studies globally.

The rail construction industry is notable for its large scale, substantial investment, extensive stakeholders involvement, long construction period, and intricate operation and technology. This industry is among the most dangerous due to the highest number of occupational accident cases worldwide. Therefore, it is crucial to analyse and identify the existing literature on occupational accident factors in rail construction. To address the research aim, the study identified the factors that contribute to occupational accidents using systematic review methodology. This systematic literature review adheres to the rigorous Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement. Relevant publications from the past 25 years were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and Science Direct electronic databases. Through a meticulous review of 43 selected publications, five accident factor themes were discovered: worker, workplace, materials and equipment, organizational, and environmental influences. The detailed analysis of these themes has led to the identification of 19 specific sub-factors within these categories, providing a granular understanding of the intricate elements contributing to accidents. This study offers a foundational understanding of accident factors in the rail construction industry, paving the way for targeted OSH interventions aimed at preventing occupational accidents in the future.

Evaluation of Personal Protective Equipment Usage Among Construction Workers in Erbil City, Iraq.

Background and aim The construction industry is a high-risk environment where the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential for worker safety. Despite the clear benefits of PPE, compliance rates among construction workers are often suboptimal. In response to these concerns, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding PPE usage among construction workers in Erbil City, Iraq. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from December 15, 2022, to June 15, 2023, among construction workers in Erbil. Convenience sampling was used to collect data through a self-structured questionnaire. The questionnaire collected demographic information, as well as responses to a 15-item Knowledge Questionnaire and an 8-item Attitude Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 28 (Released 2021; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York). Frequency and percentage were used to describe qualitative variables, while mean and standard deviation were calculated for quantitative variables. Parametric tests such as the independent sample t-test and ANOVA were used, along with multinomial logistic regression, to assess the relationships between knowledge, attitude, and various demographic factors. Results A total of 280 workers participated in the study. The mean knowledge score was 13.56 ± 1.17, indicating a good level of knowledge, while the mean attitude score was 6.86 ± 1.11, reflecting a fair attitude toward PPE usage. A significant majority of the participants, 97.9% (274), were categorized as having good knowledge, while 68.2% (191) exhibited a fair attitude towards PPE usage. The analysis showed that demographic factors such as age, marital status, working hours, work experience, and employment type did not significantly affect knowledge or attitude, with all odds ratios (ORs) near 1 and P-values above 0.05. Conclusion The findings indicate that construction workers in Erbil generally have good knowledge but only a fair attitude toward PPE usage. These results suggest that healthcare providers and policymakers should implement targeted educational interventions to improve workers' attitudes toward PPE, aiming to boost compliance and enhance workplace safety. Additionally, these interventions should address practical barriers to PPE usage, such as discomfort or lack of accessibility. By fostering more positive attitudes and ensuring the availability of necessary resources, overall safety in the construction industry can be significantly improved.

Essential(ly forgotten) workers: Latine youth farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Essential workers across multiple industries faced a disproportionate burden of morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects were especially severe for agricultural and food processing workers, many of whom are members of the structurally vulnerable Latine community. Under current U.S. federal laws, children under 12 years old can legally work in agriculture, one of the most hazardous U.S. industries. Many of these working youth are Latine and experience health and educational inequities. METHODS: Using a community-based participatory research approach and a qualitative design, we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews in North Carolina in 2022, with service providers in health, education, and advocacy fields (n = 10) and Latine youth farmworkers aged 10-17 (n = 24). We used participatory qualitative analysis methods and a reflexive thematic analysis to understand and describe the work experiences of these youth during the first 2 years of the pandemic. RESULTS: Amidst precarious economic and school situations exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, many youths described an increased need to work to support their families. While aware and sometimes fearful of the added occupational health risks of COVID-19, youth and their families felt they had few other options. Service providers and youth described minimal employer-provided safety protocols or equipment, yet some workers organized their own attempts at safety protocols. Youth narratives imply limited knowledge of basic workplace safety requirements. CONCLUSIONS: Study findings emphasize the urgent need to address structural vulnerabilities shaping workplace policies and norms to protect Latine youth farmworkers to support their healthy development.

Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in healthcare workers with insufficient use of personal protective equipment in Denmark.

AIM: The aim was to evaluate the role of insufficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in SARS-CoV-2 transmission risk for healthcare workers (HCW) during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Prospective study within the COBRA cohort, including 15,127 HCW. Daily assessment of insufficient use of PPE, defined as self-reported PPE failure or noncompliance, in relation to SARS-CoV-2 infection ascertained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. Statistical analysis involved calculating incidence rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: The included HCW contributed to 780,515 risk days including 67,723 d (8.7%) with insufficient PPE use and 133 events (positive PCR test). Self-reported insufficient use of PPE was slightly associated with infection with COVID-19 in HCW, but the data were statistically consistent with parameter values ranging from a protective effect to a to a doubling in risk (IRR 1.3, 95% CI 0.8; 2.3). Sensitivity analyses restricted to high-risk departments and to a period with a sufficient supply of PPE and a fully developed testing system, respectively, confirmed these findings. CONCLUSION: Insufficient use of PPE among HCW during the pandemic in Denmark was uncommon but associated with a slightly increased risk of COVID-19 among HCW. However, the findings are uncertain due to the limited number of cases and the potential for misclassification bias stemming from the self-reported nature of the exposure.

Alice Hamilton: A Legacy of Advancing Occupational Health and Safety Standards.

Alice Hamilton was a physician, research scientist, and author from America. She was a prominent figure in the occupational health industry, established the groundwork for safety measures, and was a trailblazer in industrial toxicology. Hamilton received medical training at the University of Michigan Medical School. While living at Hull House in Chicago from 1887 to 1919, she interacted with a wide range of working-class families and learned about the risks they encountered in their daily lives. In 1897, she was appointed as a pathology professor at the Woman's Medical School of Northwestern University. In 1919, she made history as the initial female faculty member of Harvard University. Furthermore, Hamilton researched mercury, carbon monoxide, rubber, and the munitions industries, in addition to her authoritative work on hazardous lead trades, such as smelting, refining, painting, and manufacturing. She wrote more than 80 scientific reports in 40 years. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed three months after she died in 1970.

Noise Exposure and Hearing Loss Among Landscape and Groundskeepers.

Excessive noise exposure within the working population is a health concern that has received increased attention in recent years. Levels have been established by national organizations that reflect safe exposure, but many kinds of equipment used in the landscaping and groundskeeper industries still exceed them. While noise risks are often long-term in nature and occur with cumulative exposure, prevention and exposure methods can still be used by employers to protect their workers' long-term health. Recalling the hierarchy of controls established by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH), various strategies can be implemented without creating excessive supervisory burden and with minimal costs. Occupational health nurses can further help reduce excessive noise exposure by encouraging the use of an easy-to-use noise-level assessment app created by NIOSH.

Examining the Complex Interaction Among Technological Innovation, Company Performance, and Occupational Safety and Health: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Technological innovation and Industry 5.0 are gaining increasing attention among researchers as they offer companies a significant competitive advantage. On the other hand, introducing these technologies also brings new risks for workers. The current literature reveals a lack of studies that effectively integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) within this emerging technological context and analyse the impacts of their use. This study aims to explore how companies interact with macro-level interventions that promote technological innovation and to understand their impact on different dimensions of company performance, including aspects related to OSH. Based on the existing literature, a research framework is presented that identifies the stakeholders involved, the inputs facilitating their interaction, and the cascading effects and changes. A mixed-methods approach was adopted by employing an in-depth survey with 89 companies responding and composed of both open-ended questions, to capture rich, qualitative insights, and multiple-choice questions, to gather quantifiable data. Two change levels have been identified: general changes and specific changes related to OSH. The analysis also delved into the main drivers and barriers that lead companies to engage with technological improvements and the multiple changes these interventions generate across company dimensions.

Prediction of human error probability in helicopter to ship transfer operation under an evidential reasoning extended CREAM approach.

Although the helicopter to ship transfer operation is rarely applied in ports around the world, some of the hub ports have encouraged it. The operational process poses challenges to safety due to the nature of the work to be completed by the ship crew. This article performs a systematic human error prediction to ensure safe helicopter to ship transfer operations under different circumstances since the human factor is becoming a significant contributor to maritime accidents. To accomplish this, the article addresses a cognitive reliability and error analysis method (CREAM) under the evidential reasoning (ER) approach. In the proposed approach, the CREAM provides a comprehensive human error prediction tool and ER is capable of supporting experts' judgment in decision-making. The findings of the research show that 'Secure the loose objects within or adjacent to the operating area' poses a high human error probability (4.50E-02) during helicopter to ship transfer operations.

Ergonomic challenges of mortuary attendants in Ghana: an exploratory study.

Objective. Mortuary attendants in Ghana face various occupational health and safety hazards, including ergonomic and psychosocial factors, which can impact both their well-being and the quality of service provided. However, there is limited knowledge about the specific ergonomic hazards they encounter. This study aims to investigate and understand these ergonomic hazards at selected hospital mortuaries in Ghana. Methods. The study used a qualitative approach to investigate the experiences of 19 mortuary attendants, selected through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and recorded digitally, and focused on participants' demographics, work experiences, challenges and coping strategies. The collected data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results. The study found that mortuary attendants face ergonomic hazards, leading to physical discomfort, sleep problems and the need for sick leave and self-medication. Poor working conditions were a major risk factor. Conclusion. The study recommends the immediate inclusion of fundamental occupational health and safety practices into the informal apprenticeship training for mortuary attendants. Additionally, the study underscores the importance of providing necessary equipment to mortuary attendants to reduce or eliminate ergonomic hazards in their work environments.

Inflammation related to inhalation of nano and micron sized iron oxides: a systematic review.

Inhalation exposure to iron oxide occurs in many workplaces and respirable aerosols occur during thermal processes (e.g. welding, casting) or during abrasion of iron and steel products (e.g. cutting, grinding, machining, polishing, sanding) or during handling of iron oxide pigments. There is limited evidence of adverse effects in humans specifically linked to inhalation of iron oxides. This contrasts to oxides of other metals used to alloy or for coating of steel and iron of which several have been classified as being hazardous by international and national agencies. Such metal oxides are often present in the air at workplaces. In general, iron oxides might therefore be regarded as low-toxicity, low-solubility (LTLS) particles, and are often considered to be nontoxic even if very high and prolonged inhalation exposures might result in diseases. In animal studies, such exposures lead to cancer, fibrosis and other diseases. Our hypothesis was that pulmonary-workplace exposure during manufacture and handling of SPION preparations might be harmful. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the relevant literature to understand how iron oxides deposited in the lung are related to acute and subchronic pulmonary inflammation. We included one human and several in vivo animal studies published up to February 2023. We found 25 relevant studies that were useful for deriving occupational exposure limits (OEL) for iron oxides based on an inflammatory reaction. Our review of the scientific literature indicates that lowering of health-based occupational exposure limits might be considered.

From Public Forecasts to Occupational Heat Safety Management: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the National Weather Service's Operational Heat Risk Forecasts.

Heat poses a major environmental risk to occupational safety, necessitating timely insights into associated risks to safeguard workers. In June 2022, the National Weather Service (NWS) initiated operational wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) forecasts, offering valuable information for heat risk management. This study evaluates the effectiveness of NWS WBGT forecasts, aiming to identify potential areas of caution and improvements for their application for occupational safety management. To this end, the study examines 1.3 million hourly historical NWS WBGT forecast data, comparing it with observed data from 252 weather stations across the US during the summer of 2023. The results offer key insights, revealing that: (1) the accuracy of NWS WBGT forecasts is influenced more by the times of interest than by the forecast horizons; (2) NWS WBGT forecast accuracy varies across different climates in the US, with air temperature bias being the most influential factor in this inaccuracy; and (3) while NWS WBGT forecasts accurately identify the lowest heat risks (i.e. no heat risk), their performance decreases at higher risk levels, emphasizing the importance of careful interpretation in safety management. These insights offer guidance for more cautious interpretations of NWS WBGT forecasts and lay the foundation for future studies on leveraging operational weather forecasting services in effective heat mitigation strategies.

Unable to comply with regulations: How deterrent and social learning factors contribute to workplace safety violation.

BACKGROUND: Workplace safety violation is a significant challenge for global enterprises. However, prior studies have generated inconsistent findings, which calls for a holistic framework to reveal the complex causality between antecedent conditions and workplace safety violations in high-risk industries. OBJECTIVE: By embracing deterrence theory and social learning theory, this study aimed to examine how punishment (i.e., perceived punishment certainty and perceived punishment severity), shame (i.e., perceived shame certainty and perceived shame severity) and coworker safety violations (CSV) combine into configurational causes of employee safety violations (ESV). METHODS: A two-wave sampling approach was used to obtain 370 usable samples from various high-risk industries in China. The confirmatory factor analysis was performed to test construct validity, and an emerging fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) was conducted to explore the complex causality between ESV and its multiple antecedents. RESULTS: The fsQCA results indicate that no single antecedent condition is necessary for predicting high ESV, but three distinct configurations of multiple antecedents equivalently lead to high ESV. Among all configurations, a lack of perceived punishment severity, a lack of perceived shame certainty and severity, and high CSV play important roles in explaining ESV. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents a pioneering endeavor utilizing fsQCA to explore how different combinations of punishment, shame and social learning antecedents contribute to high ESV, which goes beyond previous research focusing on antecedents independently and offers new insights into interconnected antecedents of ESV and their complex causality.

Prediction of accident-proneness among a sample of Iranian workers: usefulness of an adjusted version of the Health Belief Model with spiritual health.

BACKGROUND: Workforce health is one of the primary and challenging issues, especially in industrialized countries. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the ability to predict accident-proneness among Saveh Industry workers in Iran, based on an extended Health Belief Model, that included the construct of spiritual health. METHOD: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2022 on 384 workers in Saveh, Iran. The study aimed to explore relationships between accident proneness behavior, spiritual health, and health beliefs. The accident-proneness questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first part included demographic questions, and the second part comprised 9 sections covering personality traits, workplace harmful factors, miscellaneous factors, musculoskeletal disorders, safety culture, safety attitudes, job stress, organization interest, and degree of risk-taking. The Health Belief Model included 31 questions, while spiritual health was measured with the 20-question Paloutzian and Ellison questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 software. RESULTS: In terms of accident proneness, 229 (59.6%), exhibited high levels, 148 (38.5%) had medium levels, and 7 (1.8%) showed low levels of accident-proneness. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that in the first model, variables of perceived self-efficacy, vulnerability, and severity independently predicted workers accident proneness, explaining a total of 43% of variance in accident proneness behavior. In the second step, perceived self-efficacy (ß = 34%), perceived sensitivity (ß = 27%), spiritual health (ß = 16%), and perceived severity (ß = 12%) were included, respectively, which explained a total of 46% of the variance of accident-prone behavior of workers. CONCLUSION: Given the high rate of accident proneness observed in this study, there is a critical need for policymakers and health planners to design policies aimed at mitigating the risks associated with occupational accidents. Furthermore, the findings highlight the potential of integrating spiritual health into the Health Belief Model, as a conceptual framework for planning effective intervention programs to enhance workplace safety.

How Working Conditions in Civilian Jobs Can Affect Veterans' Health and Well-Being: Veterans' Issues in Focus.

Too often, policy discussions focus on employment rates over the quality of the jobs that are available to veterans. Ensuring safe and healthy working conditions for veterans should be a priority of policies and programs to improve employment opportunities for this population. Veterans have already put their lives and health on the line for their country, sometimes with long-term effects that make them vulnerable to additional hazards on the job. Understanding why veterans choose the occupations they do and the risks they are exposed to could lead to policies that improve veteran health and support for all workers.

Addressing Worker Safety and Health Through the Lens of Strategic Enforcement-Part One.

Ensuring the safety and health of workers in this country, who are employed at millions of workplaces that present a dizzying array of hazards, is daunting. Every day, workers are maimed or die from workplace injuries or occupational illnesses. Hence, government agencies must use all available means to ensure the laws intended to keep workers safe and healthy in their workplaces are maximally effective in accomplishing that purpose. This paper addresses this challenge through the lens of strategic enforcement. It examines how federal and state authority are designed to interact to ensure worker protection in this space, and focuses on what tools for deterring violations - many unrecognized or underutilized by worker safety agencies - are available to leverage the limited resources that inevitably constrain the agencies' reach. The forthcoming Part II will, among other things, showcase a number of noteworthy state and local initiatives that exceed the federal standard.

Overrepresentation of New Workers in Jobs with Multiple Carcinogen Exposures in Canada.

Background. In Canada, understanding the demographic and job-related factors influencing the prevalence of new workers and their exposure to potential carcinogens is crucial for improving workplace safety and guiding policy interventions. Methods. Logistic regression was performed on the 2017 Labour Force Survey (LFS), to estimate the likelihood of being a new worker based on age, industry, occupation, season, and immigration status. Participants were categorized by sector and occupation using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2017 Version 1.0 and National Occupational Classification (NOC) system 2016 Version 1.0. Finally, an exposures-per-worker metric was used to highlight the hazardous exposures new workers encounter in their jobs and industries. Results. Individuals younger than 25 years had 3.24 times the odds of being new workers compared to those in the 25-39 age group (adjusted odds ratios (OR) = 3.24, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 3.18, 3.31). Recent immigrants (less than 10 years in the country) were more likely to be new workers than those with Canadian citizenship (OR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.32, 1.41). The total workforce exposures-per-worker metric using CAREX Canada data was 0.56. By occupation, new workers were the most overrepresented in jobs in natural resources and agriculture (20.5% new workers), where they also experienced a high exposures-per-worker metric (1.57). Conclusions. Younger workers (under 25 years) and recent immigrants who had arrived 10 or fewer years prior were more likely to be new workers, and were overrepresented in jobs with more frequent hazardous exposures (Construction, Agriculture, and Trades).

Working Hours, Shift, and Remote Work by Industry and Occupation in U.S. Full-time Workers.

BACKGROUND: This study examines working hours, shift work, and remote work patterns by occupation and industry among U.S. full-time workers, along with the association between working and sleeping hours. METHODS: Utilizing data from 2011 to 2020 American Time Use Survey, this national household survey examines how individuals aged 15 years or older in the United States spend their time within a 24-hour period. FINDINGS: In 2011 to 2019, U.S. full-time workers averaged 8.1 hours of work and 7.8 hours spent sleep on workdays, increasing to 9.6 hours on non-workdays. Among all occupations, Emergency medical technicians and paramedics had the longest average working hours (10.4 hours). Protective services occupations had the highest percentage (41.7%) of workers reporting often working shifts other than daytime. Among all industries, truck transportation industry had the longest average working hours (9.2). Food services and drinking places industries had the highest percentage (28.6%) of workers reporting often working shifts other than daytime. Working hours showed a negative association with sleeping hours. In 2020, 34.0% of full-time workers reported remote work due to COVID-19, with the largest percentage (72.3%) occurring in business and financial operations. CONCLUSIONS: The study findings offer essential benchmarks for comparing working hours and schedules across diverse occupations and industries. These insights empower occupational health practitioners to advocate for prevention measures, addressing health concerns arising from prolonged working hours and shift work.

Trends in negative interpersonal relationships at work and awareness of occupational safety and health services: a 2014-2019 trend analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A good psychosocial climate at work, including positive interpersonal relationships, is a protective factor for health, whereas social conflict imposes a considerable health risk. Occupational safety and health (OSH) services can help create a positive working environment. In the present study, we analyzed trends in the awareness of OSH services and interpersonal relationships and whether these are linked. METHODS: We used time series data from the Italian Survey on Health and Safety at Work (INSuLa) from 2014 and 2019 (n = 16 000 employees). Negative interpersonal relationships included workplace bullying and lack of workplace support. The availability of OSH services was measured through items inquiring about the awareness of OSH representatives and OSH training. We used Poisson regression in reporting prevalence ratios and provided predicted probabilities and average marginal effects to show trends and differences in interpersonal relationships and OSH availability. RESULTS: Our findings suggest that negative interpersonal relationships at work increased, whereas awareness about OSH services declined between 2014 and 2019. These trends were particularly strong for young workers, for whom workplace bullying increased by 6.3% and awareness of OSH training declined by 11.7%. We also found that unawareness about OSH services is associated with negative interpersonal relationships at work. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that low OSH awareness may be an increasing problem, whereas exposure to an adverse social climate at work became more frequent at the same time. Given the role of OSH services in ensuring a positive working climate, it is important to increase workers' awareness about OSH services.