Combined Effects Of Workplace Stressors On Health And Safety

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Smith ◽  
Rachel L. McNamara
2022 ◽  
pp. 567-584
Author(s):  
Sanjay M. Kotadiya ◽  
Joydeep Majumder ◽  
Sunil Kumar

Occupational morbidities during manual material handling operations are routine at workplaces. This is a global burden contributing substantially to the economy. The multifactorial etiology for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) along with workplace stressors require multidisciplinary preventive effort. Biomechanics plays a pivotal role in occupational health research quarrying into the root cause analysis of posture, load handling, muscular loading, balance, and stability at work. Sophisticated instrumentation and experimental techniques assist in understanding the biomechanical mechanisms of MSDs and ergonomic principles, etc. Kinetic, kinematic, isotonic, isokinetic, as well as isometric experimental modes investigate body postures and muscular responses. Foundation of biomechanics instrumentation and injury mechanism would aid researchers alongside ergonomists in dealing with identification, assessment, and control of workplace risks through participatory ergonomics approach. Judicious utilization of this discipline would approach a long-term sustainable solution to protect health and safety of workers at the workplace.


Author(s):  
Sanjay Kumar Kulchania

Occupational hazards have a deleterious effect on the individuals health and safety as well as organizational effectiveness. The occupational safety issues may broadly be studied under two headings viz. Physical and psychological aspects. Physical aspects of occupational health related to the occupational environment and include injuries, accidents, ergonomic problems, physical hazards, chemical substances, communicable disease and violence in the workplace and Psychological aspect are lack of reward, workload, staffing, role conflict, role ambiguity, meeting emotional needs of the patient, leadership style and professional conflict as the main sources of stress on nurses. To overcome these issues there are few strategies such as The Factories Act,1948, The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, Role of TNAI and Stress Management Intervention Programmes (SMI) are applied. Except that the nurse administrative has to implement the universal precautions, protective personnel equipment and compulsory HBV vaccination, needleless delivery system and non latex gloves, periodic breaks, safe working environment and safe patient lifting devices etc. Organizations must consider what they can do to eliminate occupational physical problems, workplace stressors. This will necessarily result in improved well-being of the individual as well as increased effectiveness of the organization.


CJEM ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 713-720
Author(s):  
Sebastian de Haan ◽  
Hein Lamprecht ◽  
Michael K. Howlett ◽  
Jacqueline Fraser ◽  
Dylan Sohi ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesThe study compares experiences of workplace stressors for emergency medicine trainees and specialists in settings where the specialty is relatively well resourced and established (Canada), and where it is newer and less well resourced (South Africa, (SA)).MethodsWe conducted an online cross-sectional survey of emergency medicine trainees and physicians in both countries for six domains (demands, role, support, change, control, and relationships) using the validated Management Standards Indicator Tool (MSIT, Health, and Safety Executive, United Kingdom).Results74 SA and 430 Canadian respondents were included in our analysis. SA trainees (n=38) reported higher stressors (lower MSIT scores) than SA specialists (n=36) for demands (2.2 (95%CI 2.1-2.3) vs. 2.7 (2.5-2.8)), control (2.6 (2.4-2.7) vs. 3.5 (3.3-3.7)) and change (2.4 (2.2-2.6) vs. 3.0 (2.7-3.3)). In Canada, specialists (n=395) had higher demands (2.6 (2.6-2.7) vs. 3.0 (2.8-3.1)) and manager support stressors (3.3 (3.3-3.4) vs. 3.9 (3.6-4.1)) than trainees (n=35). Canadian trainees reported higher role stressors (4.0 (95%CI 3.8-4.1) vs. 4.2 (4.2-4.3)) than Canadian specialists. SA trainees had higher stressors on all domains than Canadian trainees. There was one domain (control) where Canadian specialists scored significantly lower than SA specialists, whereas SA specialists had significantly lower scores on peer support, relationships and role.ConclusionsWork related stressor domains were different for all four groups. Perceived stressors were higher in all measured domains among SA trainees compared with Canadian trainees. The differences between the SA and Canadian specialists may reflect the developing nature of the specialty in SA, although the Canadian specialists reported less control over their work than SA counterparts.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akinlolu Temisola Mariam ◽  
Oladimeji Benedict Olalusi ◽  
Theo C. Haupt

Purpose This paper aims to present a meta-analysis and scientometric review to explore the intellectual evolution of research on the health and safety of women in construction, identify trends and research patterns and workplace stressors and hazards encountered by women in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach A combination of scientometric analysis and meta-analysis was adopted to systematically review 32 relevant studies from 1984 to 2020, to provide a holistic review of research on women’s health and safety in construction aimed to identify the trend of research development. Techniques such as co-authorship, keyword co-occurring and cluster analysis were adopted. Findings Five main themes summarized by clustering focusing on Workplace Psychological Health, HIV/AIDS and Construction Work, Occupational Health and Safety Injuries, Gender Inclusivity and Sexism in Construction and Gender-specific Health and Safety Analysis. Findings revealed a slow growth in women’s health and safety research with the USA, South Africa, Australia and Japan leading research development. Additionally, the major stressors or hazards faced by women in construction were found to be biological related hazards. Research limitations/implications The findings of the study are limited, resulting from the use of one abstract and citation database. Practical implications Findings from the study provide insights to the health and safety challenges of women in construction and identifies of knowledge gaps in the existing literature could provide researchers and industry practitioners with a comprehensive insight into intellectual landscapes, potential research frontiers on technologies for women’s construction health and safety. Originality/value While numerous studies have focused on the health and safety of workers in the construction industry, research on women’s health and safety is lacking. The study adopted a scientometric and meta-analysis approach to explore the intellectual evolution and reflect the research status on the subject.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-47
Author(s):  
Tayyebeh Jaddi Madarsara ◽  
Saeed Yari ◽  
Hamzeh Saeidabadi

Introduction: Protecting the workforce (the main factor in production entities) in the workplace is a top priority for any country. Therefore, the Ministry of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare, in order to achieve this and implement Article 85 of the Labor Code, has prepared and approved the bylaws on the use of safety officials in the workshops as liaison between industries and departments of Cooperation, Labor and Social Welfare, This confirms the special role of the safety authorities and, consequently, the job stresses of these industry workers. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2017 with a population of 33 people (14 women and 19 men) from safety authorities working in Alborz industries with a working experience of 5.93±3.99. A 35-item questionnaire from the British Health and Safety Executive was used to investigate the factors affecting stress, it has a strong correlation between the 7 elements of the questionnaire (Role 0.92, relationship 0.73, authority support 0.75, coworker support 0.63, control 0.87, demand 0.85 and changes 0.22) and its Cronbach's alpha is 0.78. Results: By examining the frequency of questionnaire data in 7 identified areas, eight demand items (including expectations of different working groups, high workloads, lack of time to rest), two items of work relationship (tolerance of ugly words and misconduct, tension between colleagues), one manager support (working time constant) And one case of changes (stresses in work relationships) were stressful factors in the workplace. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that due to high workload and stress and workplace stressors, safety authorities have a great deal of work stress. and it is necessary to conduct training courses, familiarity with the requirements and rules of the workplace, control of false emotions, anger and stress management as well as identifying, evaluating and controlling the harmful factors and risks in the workplace to improve the workplace and reduce stress. it should be noted that with regard to the prevalence of breast cancer among women and 42.5% of the target group of women, the likelihood of work-related breast cancer is not out of the question.


Author(s):  
Francesco Marcatto ◽  
Lisa Di Blas ◽  
Ornella Luis ◽  
Simone Festa ◽  
Donatella Ferrante

Abstract. This article aims to present the development and test the psychometric properties of the Perceived Occupational Stress (POS) scale, a new brief instrument aimed at rating a worker’s perception of feeling stressed at work. Six studies are conducted on an overall sample of 1,805 Italian workers, to examine both the construct and concurrent validity of the POS scale. The results demonstrate the high internal consistency (α = .82) and test-retest reliability ( r = .86) of the POS scale, as well as its structural validity and concurrent validity with the Maslach Burnout Inventory ( r = .68 with Emotional Exhaustion) and the Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire ( r = .62 with Imbalance and r = .51 with Overcommitment). Moreover, the POS scale is determined to uniquely contribute toward predicting stress-related health complaints, over and above indicators of workplace stressors, as measured by the Health and Safety Executive Management Standards Indicator Tool ( R2change = .06). Overall, the present findings indicate that the POS scale is a valid and reliable instrument for self-reporting occupational stress levels, and it could be used together with existing risk assessment measures of stress, to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of work-related stress.


Author(s):  
Sanjay M. Kotadiya ◽  
Joydeep Majumder ◽  
Sunil Kumar

Occupational morbidities during manual material handling operations are routine at workplaces. This is a global burden contributing substantially to the economy. The multifactorial etiology for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) along with workplace stressors require multidisciplinary preventive effort. Biomechanics plays a pivotal role in occupational health research quarrying into the root cause analysis of posture, load handling, muscular loading, balance, and stability at work. Sophisticated instrumentation and experimental techniques assist in understanding the biomechanical mechanisms of MSDs and ergonomic principles, etc. Kinetic, kinematic, isotonic, isokinetic, as well as isometric experimental modes investigate body postures and muscular responses. Foundation of biomechanics instrumentation and injury mechanism would aid researchers alongside ergonomists in dealing with identification, assessment, and control of workplace risks through participatory ergonomics approach. Judicious utilization of this discipline would approach a long-term sustainable solution to protect health and safety of workers at the workplace.


Author(s):  
Patricia Cain ◽  
Alison Daly ◽  
Alison Reid

There is a growing body of evidence indicating poorer working conditions for migrant workers, particularly refugees, compared with native-born workers. Our objectives were to compare exposure to workplace psychosocial stressors in working refugees with other migrant groups and Australian-born workers of Caucasian ancestry and to describe the working experience of refugees. Cross-sectional surveys collected information on the workplace stressors of job complexity, control, security, bullying, and racial discrimination from six migrant groups (n = 1062) and Caucasian Australians (n = 1051); semi-structured face-to-face interviews were used with currently employed refugees (n = 30). Content analysis examined the qualitative data. Compared to all other groups, working refugees were more likely to report experiencing racial discrimination in the workplace and to report exposure to more than three hazards. Content analysis indicated that working refugees are working below their capacity, in terms of hours and qualifications, and in jobs that were low status and lacked security. Despite challenging work conditions, participants reported adequate health and safety training and feeling a sense of pride in their work. These findings highlight the need for better support for refugees in negotiating the workplace once they find employment and the importance of employers providing an inclusive and equitable workplace.


2000 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 92-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burim Ametaj ◽  
Brian Nonnecke ◽  
Ronald Horst ◽  
Donald Beitz

Individual and combined effects of several isomers of retinoic acid (RA) and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (1,25-(OH)2D3) on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) secretion by blood mononuclear leukocytes (MNL) from nulliparous and postparturient Holstein cattle were evaluated in vitro. In the first experiment, effects on incubation period (24 to 72 hours) and time of supplementation (0 to 32 hours) with all-trans, 9-cis, 13-cis-, and 9,13-dicis-RAs (0 to 100 nM) on IFN-gamma secretion by pokeweed mitogen (PWM)-stimulated (0 and 10 mug/ml) MNL from nulliparous cattle were evaluated. In the second experiment, MNL from postparturient cows (bled at 0, 2, 4, and 16 days postpartum) were stimulated with PWM (0 and 10 mug/ml) in the presence of RA isomers (9-cis- or 9,13-dicis-RA; 0 to 100 nM), 1,25-(OH)2D3 (0 to 100 nM), or with combinations of these metabolites. The results show that individual isomers of RA had no effect on IFN-gamma secretion by PWM-stimulated MNL from nulliparous or postparturient cows. Furthermore 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 inhibited IFN-gamma secretion by MNL from nulliparous and postparturient dairy cows; however, the degree of inhibition was greater when 9-cis- and 9,13-dicis-RA were also present in the cultures. Finally mononuclear leukocytes from postparturient dairy cows produced substantially less IFN-gamma than did MNL from nulliparous cattle. It is concluded that retinoic acids individually did not affect the capacity of leukocytes from dairy cattle to secrete IFN-gamma. This result is in marked contrast to studies in monogastric species indicating that RAs inhibit IFN-gamma secretion by peripheral blood T cells. Inhibition of IFN-gamma secretion by 1,25-(OH)2D3 was potentiated by 9-cis- and 9,13-di-cis-retinoics acids, suggesting that an excess of dietary vitamins A and D may compromise further the naturally immunosuppressed postparturient dairy cow. Additional research is necessary to determine if the combined effects of these metabolites on IFN-gamma secretion represent an increased susceptibility of the dairy cow to infectious diseases during the periparturient period. Lower secretion of IFN-gamma by MNL from postpartutient dairy cows, relative to nulliparous cattle, suggests that recently-calved cows are naturally immunosuppressed.


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