Work-related Covid-19 transmission

AbstractImportanceOur study helps fill the knowledge gap related to work-related transmission in the emerging coronaviral pandemic.ObjectiveTo demonstrate high-risk occupations for early coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) local transmission.MethodsIn this observational study, we extracted confirmed Covid-19 cases from governmental investigation reports in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. We followed each country/area for 40 days after its first locally transmitted case, and excluded all imported cases. We defined a possible work-related case as a worker with evidence of close contact with another confirmed case due to work, or an unknown contact history but likely to be infected in the working environment (e.g. an airport taxi driver). We calculated the case number for each occupation, and illustrated the temporal distribution of all possible work-related cases and healthcare worker (HCW) cases. The temporal distribution was further defined as early outbreak (the earliest 10 days of the following period) and late outbreak (11th to 40th days of the following period).ResultsWe identified 103 possible work-related cases (14.9%) among a total of 690 local transmissions. The five occupation groups with the most cases were healthcare workers (HCWs) (22%), drivers and transport workers (18%), services and sales workers (18%), cleaning and domestic workers (9%) and public safety workers (7%). Possible work-related transmission played a substantial role in early outbreak (47.7% of early cases).Occupations at risk varied from early outbreak (predominantly services and sales workers, drivers, construction laborers, and religious professionals) to late outbreak (predominantly HCWs, drivers, cleaning and domestic workers, police officers, and religious professionals).ConclusionsWork-related transmission is considerable in early Covid-19 outbreaks, and the elevated risk of infection was not limited to HCW. Implementing preventive/surveillance strategies for high-risk working populations is warranted.

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Determining the musculoskeletal disorders as the most common work-related injuries, especially in the crafts using the OCRA evaluation method

Occupational Medicine ◽

10.18502/tkj.v10i4.1729 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Gh Halvani ◽

H Fallah ◽

R Jafari Nodoushan ◽

A Haji hosseini ◽

H Fallah zadeh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

High Risk ◽

Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽

Evaluation Method ◽

The Body ◽

Working Environment ◽

Work Related ◽

Demographic Questionnaire ◽

Ergonomic Risk Factors

Introduction: The condition of work in handloom weaving industries cause musculoskeletal (MSDS) disorders which are the most prevailing professional problem among weavers. The aim of this research was to determine ergonomic risk factors in the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders. Method: The present study was done through descriptive cross-section method to assess the risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the weavers. Our data collection tools were: demographic questionnaire, job Nordic questionnaire and body map prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders to decide the rate of symptoms. Then, we took film from handloom weavers while wearing to know the condition of their bodies. After reviewing the films, the posture marks was assigned to each duty using the Ergo Intelligence software. At the end, data were analyzed via one-way ANOVA and T-test using SPSS ver.20. Results: The results showed that the most frequent incidence of pain in different organs of the body during last year belonged to neck and shoulder. The average OCRA was 3.65.This indicated that most of the handloom weavers (64.4%) are at high risk. Conclusion: According to the re According to the results of OCRA indices, weavers are at high risk for musculoskeletal injuries, indicating their poor working environment and working conditions, indicating the need for corrective actions.

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Work-Related Aggression in Home-Based Working Environment: Experiences of Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong

American Behavioral Scientist ◽

10.1177/0002764220910227 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 64 (6) ◽

pp. 722-739 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Yingtong Lai ◽

Eric Fong

Keyword(s):

Hong Kong ◽

Domestic Workers ◽

Workplace Aggression ◽

The Philippines ◽

Working Environment ◽

Workplace Environment ◽

Work Related ◽

Abusive Behavior ◽

Home Based ◽

Informal Settings

Previous studies on workplace aggression and violence have limited their scope to the conventional formal workplace environment. Few have explored the possibility that an increasing number of people, especially females, who work in more informal settings may also face work-related aggression. Our research on a random sample of 2,017 migrant domestic female workers from the Philippines and Indonesia who work in Hong Kong focuses on a nonconventional workplace, the employer’s home, and examines how conditions specific to the home-based working environment are related to workers’ experiences of abuse. Findings suggest that both the working conditions (e.g., types of people served) and the workplace environment (e.g., the size of the home) are related to experiences of abusive behavior performed by employers in the domestic work setting. The findings extend our understanding of the concept of workplace and highlight new factors contributing to aggression and violence against workers when boundaries between work and home are blurred.

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Particularities of occupational health and safety management in the police environment

Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Excellence ◽

10.2478/picbe-2018-0002 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Adrian-Constantin Achim

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Safety Management ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Working Environment ◽

Work Related ◽

Security Environment ◽

Brief Assessment ◽

Occupational Risks ◽

High Level ◽

Police Activity

Abstract To other professions, in law enforcement, due to the diversity and complexity of police activity, policemen are daily exposed to various dangers resulting from the risky nature of their working environment. Thus, police work must be carried out in the most aggravating circumstances, often with limited staff and only having a few seconds to make critical decisions: whenever using the legal means, specific equipment, intercepting or immobilizing offenders, acting against various violations of the law, police officers are exposed to a very high number of occupational risks, compared to other civil professions. Despite the fact that public security environment risks are constantly evaluated by specialized workers and dedicated tools, compared to the policeman, this activity almost does not happen and it is mostly evasive taking into consideration that this area is within the competence of the high level manager and it is conducted by the human resources structures in the police units. Although this approach is totally wrong, these entities are the only ones in charge of controlling, mitigating or eliminating work related risks generated by police activity. This paper makes a brief assessment of the risks associated with the police operational work, taking into account the indicators taken and analyzed from the existing statistics of the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs, while offering new solutions in mitigating risks concerning the physical security of police workers.

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The relationship among working environment, using personal protective equipment and arti on traffic police officers

Enfermería Clínica ◽

10.1016/j.enfcli.2020.12.028 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 31 ◽

pp. S230-S233

Author(s):

Justiana Destriajiningrum ◽

Sigit Mulyono

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Personal Protective Equipment ◽

Working Environment ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Traffic Police ◽

The Relationship

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“Tennis Leg”: A State-of-the-Science Review

Workplace Health & Safety ◽

10.1177/2165079920961966 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 216507992096196

Author(s):

Sandra J. Domeracki

Keyword(s):

Web Of Science ◽

Occupational Injury ◽

Tennis Elbow ◽

Historical Context ◽

Tendon Injury ◽

Related Case ◽

Work Related ◽

Search Terms ◽

Working Age ◽

History Of

Background: Tennis leg (TL), a musculotendon injury to the gastrocnemius, has been associated with the eponymous sport since 1883. This article examines the historical context of TL as a sports compared with an occupational injury. This was juxtaposed with the history of tennis elbow, a tendon injury to the upper extremity also associated with sport. Methods: Bibliometric databases (PubMed, Web of Science [WOS], Hathi Trust) were keyword-searched; relevant citations were investigated in depth. Results: The search yielded 71 citations for TL (PubMed). The majority ( n = 43) were key word linked to sport terms; only one was linked to work-related search terms. Furthermore, none of the top four cited publications (Web of Science) alluded to work-related risk factors in TL in full textual analysis. Hathi Trust yielded the earliest work-related case, reported in a non-biomedical source. Tennis elbow was more frequently reported ( n = 189 citations in PubMed) and more frequently linked ( n = 193; 9.7%) to occupational search terms. Conclusion/Application to Practice: The history of TL, juxtaposed with tennis elbow, demonstrates how nosology can influence but does not wholly explain disease attribution, potentially to the detriment of taking into account occupational causality. The lack of recognition of occupational factors revealed in this literature search was notable because TL occurred most commonly in males of working age. By providing perspective on how historical context and nosology can affect the conceptualization of disease, this review may help inform prevention, treatment, and regulatory policy.

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296 Sex differences in sleep and wakefulness of police officers working shifts: evidence from a field study

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.295 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A118-A118

Author(s):

Gabriela Caetano ◽

Laura Kervezee ◽

Fernando Gonzales-Aste ◽

Philippe Boudreau ◽

Diane Boivin

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

Circadian Rhythms ◽

Shift Work ◽

Police Officers ◽

Field Studies ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Cycle Phase ◽

Shift Workers ◽

Work Related ◽

Time Awake

Abstract Introduction National reports of work-related injuries found the excess risk of work injury attributed to shift work to be significantly higher among women. The Working Time Society (WTS) concluded that male sex is one of the few factors that is “consistently associated with perceived or actual shift work tolerance”. However, it is unclear if physiological parameters are involved. Laboratory-controlled studies report sex differences in circadian rhythms (body temperature, melatonin). In sleep deprivation protocols, alertness and cognitive performances were affected by sex, menstrual cycle phase and hormonal contraceptives [HC] use. Nevertheless, field studies that compare male and female shift workers are scarce. Methods An observational study including 76 police officers working on patrol: 56 males and 20 females (11 using [HC], 6 not using [non-HC] and 3 with unknown use of hormonal contraception) aged 32.0 ± 5.3 years. Participants were followed throughout a month-long work cycle (1,457 morning, evening, night, or other shifts, plus rest days). They filled out time-stamped questionnaires (Samn-Perelli, KSS, Visual Analogue Scales, ~5/day; sleep and work-related information, ~1–2/day), completed 5-min Psychomotor Vigilance Tasks (PVT, ~2/day), and wore an actigraph to collect activity data. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze the effects of group, time awake and time-of-day on fatigue, sleepiness, alertness, mood and PVT measures. Results Self-reported measures and psychomotor performance significantly varied with time awake and time-of-day. Fatigue and sleepiness levels were significantly higher among female compared to male police officers, both with time awake and across the 24-h day. These variations were similar between non-HC females and the other groups. Compared to males, HC females were more fatigued and less alert, both with time awake and across the 24-h day, and sleepier with time awake. Having children at home did not explain these differences. Conclusion The results of this study expand our knowledge on the sex differences in the sleep and circadian physiology and demonstrate a critical effect of HC on women fatigue, sleepiness and alertness when working shifts. Sex and hormonal parameters must be considered in occupational medicine as well as in future laboratory and field studies on shift workers and circadian rhythms. Support (if any) IRSST, FRQS.

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Do police experience trauma during routine work? An analysis of work-related potentially traumatic events and expressed trauma in a sample of Ghanaian police officers

Police Practice and Research ◽

10.1080/15614263.2021.1895777 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-15

Author(s):

Christina Barnett ◽

Adote Anum ◽

Bright Acquah ◽

Vivian Dzokoto

Keyword(s):

Police Officers ◽

Traumatic Events ◽

Potentially Traumatic Events ◽

Work Related ◽

Routine Work

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O2B.3 Work related stress for new zealand workers in high risk sectors: what can we learn from a demographic analysis?

Occupational and Environmental Medicine ◽

10.1136/oem-2019-epi.39 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 76 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. A15.1-A15

Author(s):

Kirsten Lovelock ◽

Trang Khieu

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

High Risk ◽

Work Performance ◽

Health Behaviours ◽

Psychosocial Health ◽

Work Related Stress ◽

Safety Attitudes ◽

Work Related ◽

High Staff Turnover ◽

Related Stress

The physical and psychological outcomes of work related stress place a burden on individuals, their families, workplaces and communities. Work related stress is a health and socio-economic and political problem. It reduces work performance; drives higher rates of absenteeism or sick leave; can increase rates of injury; prompt high staff turnover; and, can prompt poor health behaviours such as excessive drinking or taking of drugs. The research record focussing on work related stress in New Zealand (NZ) is small and uneven, but growing. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of work-related stress among workers by a set of demographic characteristics. The study used data from the Health and Safety Attitudes and Behaviour Survey (HSABS) 2016. A total of 2190 workers in the four high risk industries (agriculture, forestry, construction and manufacturing) were interviewed about their perceptions towards work-related stress. Weighting was conducted to control inherent biases. Differences between workers were examined by age, sex, ethnicity, qualifications and migrant factors (e.g. being born in NZ or arriving in NZ within five years). Overall, 11% of workers responded that they had experienced with work-related stress in the last 12 months. Work-related stress was more statistically prevalent among people from 25 to 34 years of age or those having a bachelor’s degree. Also, people being females or Maori or not born in NZ or first arrived in NZ in the last five years were more likely to have work-related stress. Findings from the study could allow better targeted and informed psychosocial health interventions to be implemented at workplace.

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SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Healthcare Workers in Germany: A Follow-Up Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18094540 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (9) ◽

pp. 4540

Author(s):

Johannes Korth ◽

Benjamin Wilde ◽

Sebastian Dolff ◽

Jasmin Frisch ◽

Michael Jahn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Risk Group ◽

Close Contact ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

High Risk Group ◽

Low Risk ◽

University Hospital ◽

Intermediate Risk ◽

Igg Antibody

SARS-CoV-2 is a worldwide challenge for the medical sector. Healthcare workers (HCW) are a cohort vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 infection due to frequent and close contact with COVID-19 patients. However, they are also well trained and equipped with protective gear. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody status was assessed at three different time points in 450 HCW of the University Hospital Essen in Germany. HCW were stratified according to contact frequencies with COVID-19 patients in (I) a high-risk group with daily contacts with known COVID-19 patients (n = 338), (II) an intermediate-risk group with daily contacts with non-COVID-19 patients (n = 78), and (III) a low-risk group without patient contacts (n = 34). The overall seroprevalence increased from 2.2% in March–May to 4.0% in June–July to 5.1% in October–December. The SARS-CoV-2 IgG detection rate was not significantly different between the high-risk group (1.8%; 3.8%; 5.5%), the intermediate-risk group (5.1%; 6.3%; 6.1%), and the low-risk group (0%, 0%, 0%). The overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence remained low in HCW in western Germany one year after the outbreak of COVID-19 in Germany, and hygiene standards seemed to be effective in preventing patient-to-staff virus transmission.

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