Managing Workplace Safety and Health

Market Forces ◽

Work Related ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health

This entry explicates how market forces incent managers to be concerned with worker health and safety. It also notes how supplementing market forces are government actions intended to improve work-related health and safety. These include the legal system under tort laws, states’ workers’ compensation insurance Programs, research into the causes of health hazards at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the federal government’s workplace regulations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). An important empirical conclusion emerging is that the labor market, via the additional compensation workers require for exposure to health and safety risks, provides the largest economic incentive for managers making workplace decisions involving worker health-related well being.

The Occupational Safety and Health of Pornography Performers

10.1093/oso/9780190075477.003.0012 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 187-208

Author(s):

Emily F. Rothman

Keyword(s):

Occupational Safety ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

Health Hazards ◽

Independent Contractors ◽

Sexually Transmitted ◽

Work Related ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Health Related

This chapter focuses on the work-related hazards faced by pornography performers and other laborers in the adult entertainment industry workforce. The chapter reviews demographics and characteristics of pornography performers, what health-related and other challenges those in the industry face because of their work, which organized groups support their collective health and safety on the job, and what policies have been drafted that seek to address pornography performers’ health and safety. The chapter details health hazards, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), violence on set, stigma, the challenges of working as independent contractors, and lack of wage transparency in the industry. The chapter emphasizes that occupational safety and health hazards faced by performers are undoubtedly compounded when performers are Black, Latinx, transgender, or identify as belonging to another marginalized group. Public health advocates should focus on promoting the well-being of those who work in the pornography industry by establishing meaningful, long-term, trusting partnerships with those presently working in the industry.

Proceedings from the CIHLMU occupational safety and health symposium 2019 “Protecting workers’ health: global challenges and opportunities in work-related respiratory diseases”

BMC Proceedings ◽

10.1186/s12919-020-00197-x ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (S14) ◽

Author(s):

Netsanet Workneh Gidi ◽

Anna Suraya ◽

Beatrice Mutayoba ◽

Bernarda Espinoza ◽

Bindiya Meggi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Occupational Diseases ◽

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Work Related ◽

Global Challenges ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Challenges And Opportunities

AbstractThe international CIHLMU Occupational Safety and Health Symposium 2019 was held on 16th March, 2019 at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Germany. About 60 participants from around the world representing occupational health and safety professionals, students, instructors from several institutions in Germany and abroad, attended the symposium.The main objective of the symposium was to create awareness on global challenges and opportunities in work-related respiratory diseases. One keynote lecture and six presentations were made. While the keynote lecture addressed issues on occupational diseases in the twenty-first century, the six presentations were centered on: Prevention and control of work-related respiratory diseases, considerations; Occupational health and safety in Mining: Respiratory diseases; The prevention of TB among health workers is our collective responsibility; Compensation and prevention of occupational diseases and discussion on how artificial intelligence can support them: Overview of international approaches; Work-related Asthma: Evidence from high-income countries; and The role of imaging in the diagnosis of work- related respiratory diseases. A panel discussion was conducted following the presentations on the importance and challenges of data acquisition which is needed to have a realistic picture of the occupational safety and health status of workers at different levels. The current summary is an attempt to share the proceedings of the symposium.

Toward an Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health: A Commentary

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16244946 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (24) ◽

pp. 4946 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Paul A. Schulte ◽

George Delclos ◽

Sarah A. Felknor ◽

L. Casey Chosewood

Keyword(s):

Occupational Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

New Professionals ◽

Holistic View ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

The World ◽

Health Concept ◽

Powerful and ongoing changes in how people work, the workforce, and the workplace require a more holistic view of each of these. We argue that an expanded focus for occupational safety and health (OSH) is necessary to prepare for and respond rapidly to future changes in the world of work that will certainly challenge traditional OSH systems. The WHO Model for Action, various European efforts at well-being, and the Total Worker Health concept provide a foundation for addressing changes in the world of work. However, a paradigm expansion to include the recognition of worker and workforce well-being as an important outcome of OSH will be needed. It will also be vital to stimulate transdisciplinary efforts and find innovative ways to attract and train students into OSH professions as the paradigm expands. This will require active marketing of the OSH field as vibrant career choice, as a profession filled with meaningful, engaging responsibilities, and as a well-placed investment for industry and society. An expanded paradigm will result in the need for new disciplines and specialties in OSH, which may be useful in new market efforts to attract new professionals. Ultimately, to achieve worker and workforce well-being we must consider how to implement this expanded focus.

A descriptive analysis of 2020 California Occupational Safety and Health Administration COVID-19-related complaints

10.1101/2021.12.06.21262384 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marilyn D Thomas ◽

Ellicott C Matthay ◽

Kate A Duchowny ◽

Alicia R Riley ◽

Harmon Khela ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Occupational Safety ◽

Descriptive Analysis ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Workplace Safety ◽

Future Research ◽

Health Administration ◽

California Department ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Per Capita

COVID-19 mortality disproportionately affected specific occupations and industries. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protects the health and safety of workers by setting and enforcing standards for working conditions. Workers may file OSHA complaints about unsafe conditions. Complaints may indicate poor workplace safety during the pandemic. We evaluated COVID-19-related complaints filed with California (Cal)/OSHA between January 1, 2020 and December 14, 2020 across seven industries. To assess whether workers in occupations with high COVID-19-related mortality were also most likely to file Cal/OSHA complaints, we compared industry-specific per-capita COVID-19 confirmed deaths from the California Department of Public Health with COVID-19-related complaints. Although 7,820 COVID-19-related complaints were deemed valid by Cal/OSHA, only 627 onsite inspections occurred and 32 citations were issued. Agricultural workers had the highest per-capita COVID-19 death rates (402 per 100,000 workers) but were least represented among workplace complaints (44 per 100,000 workers). Health Care workers had the highest complaint rates (81 per 100,000 workers) but the second lowest COVID-19 death rate (81 per 100,000 workers). Industries with the highest inspection rates also had high COVID-19 mortality. Our findings suggest complaints are not proportional to COVID-19 risk. Instead, higher complaint rates may reflect worker groups with greater empowerment, resources, or capacity to advocate for better protections. This capacity to advocate for safe workplaces may account for relatively low mortality rates in potentially high-risk occupations. Future research should examine factors determining worker complaints and complaint systems to promote participation of those with the greatest need of protection.

Descriptive Study of Safety and Health Training Content in Iranian Universities and Higher Education Institutes

International Journal of Occupational Hygiene ◽

10.18502/ijoh.v13i2.8371 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

MASOOMEH VAHABI ◽

MOSTAFA POUYAKIAN ◽

ZAHRA MOHAMMADI ◽

GHASEM HESAM ◽

HOSSEIN AFIFEHZADEH KASHANI

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Workplace Safety ◽

Academic Disciplines ◽

General View ◽

University Graduates ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Health Related

The root cause of many workplace incidents is the lack of knowledge on occupational safety and health principles. Despite the safety and health authorities in organizations, safety and health is the general responsibility of all other experts working in an organization. Experts and managers are expected to think, decide and work safely in workplaces. However, we don’t have enough information about the level of safety and health-related education when they were in universities. In addition, there is not too much reliable published reports on the academic teaching of safety and health courses and syllabus in higher education in Iran. Therefore, the current study was aimed to provide a general view of the status of occupational safety and health teaching subjects in different academic disciplines (excluding specialized fields in occupational safety and health) in the Iranian higher educational system. Firstly, the latest edition of the entire program (curricula) of all academic disciplines held in Iranian universities was downloaded. Secondly, the required information, including discipline title, program’s degree, number of required (core) and elective (non-core) courses, and program’s date of approval, were recorded in an Excel sheet. Every course’s title and syllabus were then studied to find out any safety and health-related topics. Finally, data were analyzed and reported. 251 academic disciplines in the Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME) and 771 disciplines in the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology (MSRT) were investigated. Most of the curriculums have been revised by both ministries since 2011. Results showed that 20 percent of the MOHME‎ ‎disciplines and 10.4 percent of MSRT‎ disciplines were included in the occupational safety and health courses. The number of courses with health and safety content (syllabus outline) in the MOHME ‎‎and the MSRT‎ were 168 and 173. Most health and safety courses presented in the MOHME academic majors were in the basic medical sciences category of disciplines. A majority of MSRT covered academic safety and health courses and topics were presented in the engineering category of disciplines. Presenting lessons with health and safety content at the MOHME ‎was more practical than that of the MSRT. The quality and quantity of teaching on safety and health topic were not at satisfactory levels. Revising the course syllabus of the academic disciplines and adding theoretical and practical courses related to each field's specific health and safety curriculum can make a significant contribution in improving the general knowledge of the safety and health of the university graduates. In turn, it improves future workplace safety and health conditions, managers’ insights and decision-makers on the importance of safety and health at work. It protects the people's life and the property of the organization.

Defining ‘Integration’ for Total Worker Health®: A New Proposal

Annals of Work Exposures and Health ◽

10.1093/annweh/wxaa003 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 64 (3) ◽

pp. 223-235 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Laura Punnett ◽

Jennifer M Cavallari ◽

Robert A Henning ◽

Suzanne Nobrega ◽

Alicia G Dugan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

Worker Safety ◽

Workplace Health ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Building Program ◽

Abstract The effects of work and the conditions of employment on health behaviors and intermediate health conditions have been demonstrated, to the extent that these relationships should be addressed in efforts to prevent chronic disease. However, conventional health promotion practice generally focuses on personal risk factors and individual behavior change. In an effort to find solutions to the myriad of health challenges faced by the American workforce, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) established the Total Worker Health® (TWH) program. Originally organized around the paradigm of integrating traditional occupational safety and health protections with workplace health promotion, TWH has evolved to a broader emphasis on workplace programs for enhancing worker safety, health, and well-being. Among the research programs and approaches developed by investigators at NIOSH Centers of Excellence for TWH and elsewhere, definitions of ‘integration’ in workplace interventions vary widely. There is no consensus about which organizational or individual outcomes are the most salient, how much to emphasize organizational contexts of work, or which program elements are necessary in order to qualify as ‘Total Worker Health’. Agreement about the dimensions of integration would facilitate comparison of programs and interventions which are self-defined as TWH, although diverse in content. The specific criteria needed to define integration should be unique to that concept—i.e. distinct from and additive to conventional criteria for predicting or evaluating the success of a workplace health program. We propose a set of four TWH-specific metrics for integrated interventions that address both program content and process: (i) coordination and interaction of workplace programs across domains; (ii) assessment of both work and non-work exposures; (iii) emphasis on interventions to make the workplace more health-promoting; and (iv) participatory engagement of workers in pivotal ways during intervention prioritization and planning to develop self-efficacy in addressing root causes, skill transfer, building program ownership, empowerment, and continuous improvement. Thus we find that integration requires organizational change, both to engage two managerial functions with different goals, legal responsibilities, and (often) internal incentives & resources, and also to orient the organization toward salutogenesis. Examples from research activity within the Center for the Promotion of Health in the New England Workplace illustrate how these criteria have been applied in practice.

How Will the Future of Work Shape OSH Research and Practice? A Workshop Summary

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115696 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5696

Author(s):

Sarah Felknor ◽

Jessica Streit ◽

Michelle McDaniel ◽

Paul Schulte ◽

L. Chosewood ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Research Methods ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

Economic Sectors ◽

Workplace Hazards ◽

Health Safety ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

The Future

Growth of the information economy and globalization of labor markets will be marked by exponential growth in emerging technologies that will cause considerable disruption of the social and economic sectors that drive the global job market. These disruptions will alter the way we work, where we work, and will be further affected by the changing demographic characteristics and level of training of the available workforce. These changes will likely result in scenarios where existing workplace hazards are exacerbated and new hazards with unknown health effects are created. The pace of these changes heralds an urgent need for a proactive approach to understand the potential effects new and emerging workplace hazards will have on worker health, safety, and well-being. As employers increasingly rely on non-standard work arrangements, research is needed to better understand the work organization and employment models that best support decent work and improved worker health, safety, and well-being. This need has been made more acute by the SARS-CoV-2 global pandemic that has resulted in dramatic changes in employment patterns, millions of lost jobs, an erosion of many economic sectors, and widespread disparities which further challenge occupational safety and health (OSH) systems to ensure a healthy and productive workplace. To help identify new research approaches to address OSH challenges in the future, a virtual workshop was organized in June 2020 with leading experts in the fields of OSH, well-being, research methods, mental health, economics, and life-course analysis. A paradigm shift will be needed for OSH research in the future of work that embraces key stakeholders and thinks differently about research that will improve lives of workers and enhance enterprise success. A more transdisciplinary approach to research will be needed that integrates the skills of traditional and non-traditional OSH research disciplines, as well as broader research methods that support the transdisciplinary character of an expanded OSH paradigm. This article provides a summary of the presentations, discussion, and recommendations that will inform the agenda of the Expanded Focus for Occupational Safety and Health (Ex4OSH) International Conference, planned for December 2021.

Using a Mixed Method Approach to Tailor the Implementation of a Participatory Total Worker Health® Program in Public Healthcare Facilities

10.21203/rs.3.rs-113352/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Suzanne Nobrega ◽

Cesar Morocho ◽

Michelle M. Robertson ◽

Alicia Kurowski ◽

Serena Rice ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Program ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

Public Healthcare ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Facilitators And Barriers ◽

Abstract Background: The Total Worker Health program represents a holistic approach to advancing worker well-being that combines occupational safety and health practices with other workplace policies and programs that are not traditionally linked. Total Worker Health requires new types of interdisciplinary collaboration and programmatic coordination. Pre-implementation assessment is thus important to plan for successful organizational “fit” when the program is introduced. This study prospectively identified potential implementation facilitators and barriers among five public healthcare facilities that had already agreed to participate in a study to implement and evaluate the Healthy Workplace Participatory Program.Methods: A mixed methods baseline assessment comprised an online survey and follow-up interviews. Key organizational and labor leaders were asked to identify resources and skills available for successful program implementation; potential barriers inside or outside the organization; and key performance indicators. Findings were presented to implementation stakeholders in study sites and used for planning how to tailor implementation to fit the organizational context and to provide the resources needed for success. Results: Potential facilitators included leaders’ willingness and commitment to develop interventions addressing a broad range of occupational safety and well-being health priorities (consistent with Total Worker Health); existing staff expertise in occupational safety and health; favorable attitudes regarding expected program outcomes; and positive alignment between the program and organizational mission and values. Potential implementation barriers included limited staff time to attend meetings, limited resources to support locally designed interventions, and poor management communication systems. Examples of tailoring strategies included extending time and effort to recruit leaders and workers while gaining their trust and securing program resources; developing sample program communication templates to strength health and safety communication efforts; and providing detailed training around issue selection procedures, communication, local intervention development, and change management. Conclusions: The prospective identification of potential facilitators and barriers represents a useful strategy for tailoring the implementation of a participatory, Total Worker Health program. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT 04251429. Registered January 31, 2020 – Retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT04251429.

Total worker health® is the future of worker safety, health, and well-being

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.169 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽

Author(s):

S Tamers

Keyword(s):

Occupational Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

Worker Safety ◽

Future Of Work ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

The Future ◽

Health And Well Being ◽

Abstract The future of work is being shaped by rapid changes in the workplace, work, and workforce. Driven by advances in industry, this movement is marked by the accelerated pace of developments connecting people, places, and things. All these advances and developments have implications for worker safety, health, and well-being and require innovative occupational safety and health strategies. Because of these new realities, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently launched the Future of Work (FOW) Initiative. This Initiative is a collaborative effort of multidisciplinary research, communication, and partnerships throughout NIOSH, other agencies, and organizations that aims to identify novel research solutions, practical approaches, and partnership opportunities to address the future of work. To more broadly address worker safety, health, and well-being, the FOW Initiative applies the Total Worker Health® (TWH) framework. TWH is defined as policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related safety and health hazards with promotion of injury and illness prevention efforts to advance worker well-being. The TWH approach prioritizes changes to improve physical, organizational, and psychosocial factors that present possible risks in the work environment for today's and tomorrow's workforce. This presentation will first introduce CDC/NIOSH's FOW Initiative. Next, the TWH integrated approach will be defined and described. Centering on CDC/NIOSH's future of work priority topics in the areas of workplace (organizational design, technological displacement, work arrangements), work (artificial intelligence, robotics, technologies), and workforce (demographics, economic security, skills), the presenter will then provide evidence-based solutions to address future of work issues and related outcomes, using the TWH approach. Key messages The future of work has world-wide implications for the workplace, work, workforce. The Total Worker Health framework is a transdisciplinary approach by which to view and address the future of work. Public health professionals and other stakeholders must take a proactive approach to address worker safety, health, and well-being issues impacted by the future of work.

Dissemination and Implementation Science Approaches for Occupational Safety and Health Research: Implications for Advancing Total Worker Health

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182111050 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (21) ◽

pp. 11050

Author(s):

Rebecca J. Guerin ◽

Samantha M. Harden ◽

Borsika A. Rabin ◽

Diane S. Rohlman ◽

Thomas R. Cunningham ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Research ◽

Occupational Safety ◽

Well Being ◽

Dissemination And Implementation ◽

Science Literature ◽

Plain Language ◽

Worker Health ◽

Safety And Health ◽

Total Worker Health® (TWH), an initiative of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is defined as policies, programs, and practices that integrate protection from work-related health and safety hazards by promoting efforts that advance worker well-being. Interventions that apply the TWH paradigm improve workplace health more rapidly than wellness programs alone. Evidence of the barriers and facilitators to the adoption, implementation, and long-term maintenance of TWH programs is limited. Dissemination and implementation (D&I) science, the study of methods and strategies for bridging the gap between public health research and practice, can help address these system-, setting-, and worker-level factors to increase the uptake, impact, and sustainment of TWH activities. The purpose of this paper is to draw upon a synthesis of existing D&I science literature to provide TWH researchers and practitioners with: (1) an overview of D&I science; (2) a plain language explanation of key concepts in D&I science; (3) a case study example of moving a TWH intervention down the research-to-practice pipeline; and (4) a discussion of future opportunities for conducting D&I science in complex and dynamic workplace settings to increase worker safety, health, and well-being.