Results of the implementation of a virtual control approach to improve the effectiveness and quality of Safety and Health inspections at workplaces.

SUMMARY: During the last years, a significant technological and organisational evolution is taking place in the industrial activities, thanks to Advanced Manufacturing together with a more and more widespread use of Cloud Big Data Analytics. With special reference to the OSH (Occupational Safety and Health), these changes involve a new attention, both to the technological and employee's level. The paper discusses the characteristics, and the possible original use of a new methodology, based on virtual reality and digital checklist. This methodology can be used both to easily carry out surveillance activities and checks at workplaces, and to create a virtual itinerary of the area under investigation, in which checks and operative instructions can be virtually introduced for workers in charge of particular machinery or operations. The main results obtained thanks to the implementation of the methodology are: a reduction of the remedial actions' duration on non-compliances brought into evidence, and the deriving possible increase in the frequency and efficiency of inspections. Moreover, this approach intrinsically favors the involvement of workers and staff in charge of activities related to Prevention and Protection, supporting a process of continuous improvement and of general spread of the Culture of Safety in the Company.

Prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among perioperative nurses: a systematic review and META-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) in perioperative nurses and to explore their association with personal characteristics. METHODS: Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Joanna Briggs Institute Database were systematically searched. A meta-analysis calculating event rates, and relative 95% Confidence Intervals (CI) was performed for each musculoskeletal body region. The contribution of perioperative nurses' sex, age, and BMI was assessed through a meta-regression. RESULTS: Twenty-two studies, considering 3590 perioperative nurses, were included in the systematic review. The highest prevalence of WRMSDs was found for the lower-back (62%; 95% CI 0.54-0.70), followed by knee (47%; 95% CI 0.36-0.59), shoulder (44%; 95% CI 0.37-0.51), waist (42%; 95% CI 0.31-0.53), neck (39%; 95% CI 0.29-0.51), ankle-feet (35%; 95% CI 0.22-0.51), upper-back (34%; 95% CI 0.25-0.44), hand-wrist (29%; 95% CI 0.20-0.40), and elbow (18%; 95% CI 0.12-0.26). Meta-regression showed that sex, age, and BMI were not significant predictors of low-back disorders (p = 0.69; R2 = 0). CONCLUSIONS: WRMSDs represent a high prevalence issue among perioperative nurses. Perioperative nurses, in general, are steadily exposed to both physical and temporal risk factors. Further studies should be addressed to identify specific interventions aimed at reducing the burden of WRMSDs including ergonomic education and physical rehabilitation. Our data could be used in future studies as a reference to assess the risk of WRMSDs in other health-care professionals' population.

Impact of wearing a surgical mask on respiratory function in view of a widespread use during COVID-19 outbreak. A case-series study.

BACKGROUND: Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the widespread use of Respiratory Protective Devices (RPD) is recommended to prevent the spread of infection. This recommendation involves not only healthcare workers but other category of workers and the general population as well, in public places, especially where social distancing is difficult to maintain. The use of facemasks should not cause physical impairment to individuals, especially for people suffering from lung and heart diseases. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of RPDs on the respiratory function in healthy and asthmatic subjects, in order to identify the fitness for use mainly, but not only for, occupational purposes during COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: Ten individuals were included, three of which affected by asthma and three current smokers. A Respiratory Functional Test (RFT) was performed at three times: at the beginning of the work shift 1) without wearing and 2) wearing surgical masks, and 3) after 4 hours of usual working activities wearing the masks. Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) samples were also tested before the first test and the third test. RESULTS: Observed RFTs and ABG parameters did not suffer significant variations, but for Maximal Voluntary Ventilation (P=0.002). Data on asthmatic subjects and smokers were comparable to healthy subjects. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that wearing a surgical mask does not produce significant respiratory impairment in healthy subjects nor in subjects with asthma. Four hours of continuing mask-wearing do not cause a reduction in breathing parameters. Fitness for use in subjects with more severe conditions has to be evaluated individually. Our adapted technique for RFTs could be adopted for the individual RPDs fitness evaluation.