Evidence-based occupational health and safety interventions: a comprehensive overview of reviews

ObjectivesOccupational injuries and diseases are a huge public health problem and cause extensive suffering and loss of productivity. Nevertheless, many occupational health and safety (OHS) guidelines are still not based on the best available evidence. In the last decade, numerous systematic reviews on behavioural, relational and mixed interventions to reduce occupational injuries and diseases have been carried out, but a comprehensive synopsis is yet missing. The aim of this overview of reviews is to provide a comprehensive basis to inform evidence-based decision-making about interventions in the field of OHS.MethodsWe conducted an overview of reviews. We searched MEDLINE (Ovid), the Cochrane Library (Wiley), epistemonikos.org and Scopus (Elsevier) for relevant systematic reviews published between January 2008 and June 2018. Two authors independently screened abstracts and full-text publications and determined the risk of bias of the included systematic reviews with the ROBIS (Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews) tool.ResultsWe screened 2287 abstracts and 200 full-texts for eligibility. Finally, we included 25 systematic reviews with a low risk of bias for data synthesis and analysis. We identified systematic reviews on the prevention of occupational injuries, musculoskeletal, skin and lung diseases, occupational hearing impairment and interventions without specific target diseases. Several interventions led to consistently positive results on individual diseases; other interventions did not show any effects, or the studies are contradictory. We provide detailed results on all included interventions.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive overview of behavioural, relational and mixed interventions and their effectiveness in preventing occupational injuries and diseases. It provides policymakers with an important basis for making evidence-based decisions on interventions in this field.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018100341

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A Global Perspective on Occupational Health and Safety

10.1093/oso/9780190662677.003.0040 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jorma H. Rantanen

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Psychosocial Problems ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

High Income ◽

Global Perspective ◽

Occupational Hazards ◽

Middle Income ◽

Informal Workers

Occupational hazards as well as occupational injuries and diseases are frequent and serious problems not only in industrialized high-income countries, but also in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In high-income countries, the occurrence of occupational injuries and chemically-related disorders has decreased while psychosocial problems and issues for disabled, aging, and other vulnerable workers have increased. In the LMICs, “traditional” occupational hazards and related injuries and diseases are still a major concern. Globalization, while providing some benefits to workers, has presented many negative effects, such as transfer of hazardous technologies and substances to LMICs, widening of income gaps, and worsening of working conditions and worker income, especially for agricultural workers, those with little education, and informal workers. The chapter provides a global overview of work and workers as well occupational health and safety hazards and related challenges.

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Message

Acta Medica Philippina ◽

10.47895/amp.v55i6.4270 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 55 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Jen Fuk Liem

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Occupational Medicine ◽

Traffic Accidents ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

The Philippines ◽

Health Science ◽

Special Issue ◽

Potential Biomarker

It gives me great pleasure and enthusiasm to welcome you to the special issue of Acta Medica Philippina - Workplace and Environment Safety and Health Issue. The occupational medicine and occupational health and safety activities primarily focusing on preventing diseases, injuries, and deaths due to working conditions. While exposure to harmful substances and or activities can happen at any time, I believe there are always some measures to ensure that no one has to suffer a work-related injury or illness because of their job. In this special issue, we published several articles including papers from the 13th Indonesia Occupational Medicine Updates, covering research on important aspects of occupational health and safety in the Philippines and Indonesia. The impacts of psychosocial hazards and shift work, the potential biomarker of effect on cardiovascular risk, pesticide exposure among farmers; and key statistics and trends in occupational injuries and traffic accidents in the Philippines are featured in this issue. I sincerely hope this work will be of interest to our readers and meet the real needs of the scientific community, stimulates thought, and eventually open up new research ideas. Finally, as special editor of this special issue, I would like to thank the authors who have worked very hard to prepare and revise the articles and to all reviewers for their careful reviews, and for providing valuable and constructive comments. Jen Fuk Liem, MD Department of Occupational Health and Safety Faculty of Medicine and Health Science Universitas Kristen Krida Wacana Jakarta, Indonesia

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Development of system of automated occupational health and safety management in enterprises

Journal of Achievements of Materials and Manufacturing Engineering ◽

10.5604/01.3001.0015.2454 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (107) ◽

pp. 28-41

Author(s):

A.P. Bochkovskyi ◽

N.Yu. Sapozhnikova

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Economic Efficiency ◽

Social Insurance ◽

System Analysis ◽

Safety Management ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Management Systems ◽

Negative Factors

Purpose: Develop a system of automated occupational health and safety management to improve the procedure for minimizing occupational risks and ensure comprehensive protection of employees from the impacts of negative factors of the systems "man - machine - environment". Design/methodology/approach: The following set of scientific methods was used in the study: analysis of normative-legal documents and scientific-technical literature in the field of building and functioning of occupational safety and health management systems, methods of system analysis, simulation methods, namely discrete-event simulation (DES) of random and dynamic processes, methods of decision theory and data mining. Findings: Based on the results of the research, a system of automated occupational health and safety management, which due to the connection the functionally independent elements (according to a certain scheme) allows to provide comprehensive protection of employees from the impacts of negative factors of the system "man - machine - environment" and reduce occupational injuries and diseases, was developed. This is done by constant monitoring and promt correcting of parameters of impact on the employee of the specified factors. The developed system was implemented in the occupational health and safety management system of the industrial enterprise "Stalkanat-Silur" (Odessa, Ukraine), resulting in reducing the number of accidents, in particular, in dangerous areas of production by 33.3%, increasing the economic efficiency of the enterprise through increasing the level of productivity by 5% and reducing in the number of social insurance payments by 11%. Research limitations/implications: The developed system can be implemented both within separate industrial premises and in the enterprise as a whole, but the number of its elements could be changed (increase / decrease) depending on the number of jobs and dangerous areas that need control. Practical implications: The implementation of the proposed system allows to increase the level of economic efficiency of the enterprise by increasing the level of labor productivity due to reducing the negative impact on the employee of harmful factors and compliance with rational mode of work and rest in each workplace, as well as by reducing the number of social insurance payments due to reducing the occupational injuries and diseases. Originality/value: For the first time the system of automated occupational health and safety, which, in contrast to existing automated occupational risk minimization systems and traditional occupational health and safety management systems, provides comprehensive protection of employees from the the impacts negative factors of the system "man - machine-environment", by constant monitoring the parameters of such impact and their prompt correction in case of deviation of the specified parameters from the set criteria, was developed and proposed for use at enterprises, institutions and organizations.

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Occupational Health and Safety of Immigrant Workers in Italy and Spain: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16224416 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (22) ◽

pp. 4416 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cecilia Arici ◽

Elena Ronda-Pérez ◽

Tishad Tamhid ◽

Katsiaryna Absekava ◽

Stefano Porru

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Access To Health Care ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Warning Signs ◽

Immigrant Workers ◽

Quantitative Methodology ◽

Occupational Risk Factors

The main aim of the present study was to summarize the available literature on the topic of occupational health and safety (OH&S) among immigrant workers (IMWs) in Italy and Spain. We conducted a scoping review, searching Medline, Social Sciences Citation Index, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, SciELO, and EMBASE for peer-reviewed articles, published in English, Italian, or Spanish, between 1999–2018. 34 studies were included, 28 with quantitative methodology and 6 with qualitative. Main findings were that, compared to natives, IMWs in Italy and Spain showed higher prevalence of low-skilled jobs and of perceived discrimination at work; higher physical demands, poorer environmental working conditions, and more exposure to occupational risks (e.g., ergonomic and psychosocial hazards); a greater risk of occupational injuries; worse general and mental health; and a plausible worsening of their health status, especially in Spain, as a result of the economic crisis. The findings of the present scoping review constitute warning signs that indicate the need for a holistic global response to ensure that adverse OH&S outcomes among IMWs workers are improved and that equitable access to health care is guaranteed. Such a response will require a concrete and evidence-based approach to prevent and monitor occupational risk factors and associated outcomes in the workplaces.

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The State of Occupational Health and Safety Management Frameworks (OHSMF) and Occupational Injuries and Accidents in the Ghanaian Oil and Gas Industry: Assessing the Mediating Role of Safety Knowledge

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2020/6354895 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-14

Author(s):

Suxia Liu ◽

Edmund Nana Kwame Nkrumah ◽

Linda Serwah Akoto ◽

Emmanuel Gyabeng ◽

Erasmus Nkrumah

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Oil And Gas ◽

Safety Management ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Oil And Gas Industry ◽

Gas Industry ◽

Workplace Accidents ◽

Safety Knowledge

Background. The study examines the mediation effect of safety knowledge in causal the relationship between Occupational Health and Safety Management Frameworks (OHSMF) and occupational injuries and workplace accidents in the Ghanaian Oil and Gas Industry. The study explores different dimensions of occupational health and safety management systems, workplace accidents, and occupational injuries. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. A total of 699 respondents through a convenience and purposive sampling technique were selected in three government-owned oil and gas organizations for the study. Correlation, multiple regression analysis, and bootstrapping methods were used for data analysis. The findings of both the regression and correlation analysis indicated that there is a moderately strong negative and significant relationship between Occupational Health and Safety Management Frameworks (OHSMF) and workplace accidents and occupational injuries. Safety knowledge significantly mediates the causal relationship between OHSMF and workplace accidents and injuries. Safety training was found to be a significant predictor of safety knowledge, work-related injuries, and workplace accidents. The negative relationship between OHSMF and workplace accidents and injuries shows that the existing OHSMF are either ineffective or lack the acceptable safety standards to control hazard exposures in the industry. Management must invest in frequent safety training and orientations to improve safety knowledge among workers. The study further recommends government and industry players to extend serious attention towards the promotion and improvement of occupational health and safety management systems in Ghana.

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Survey on the implementation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act at an academic hospital in Johannesburg

Curationis ◽

10.4102/curationis.v39i1.1524 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Muraga R. Foromo ◽

Mary Chabeli ◽

Mpho M. Satekge

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

South African ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Academic Hospital ◽

Frequency Distributions ◽

Nursing Managers ◽

Research Findings ◽

Descriptive Survey

Background: Despite the available research findings, recommendations and the South African Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) (Act 85 of 1993), there are still challenges with regard to the implementation of selected sections and regulations of the OHSA. This is evidenced by the occupational injuries and illness claims registered with the compensation fund (South Africa, Department of Labour 1993).Objectives: To determine the extent to which the OHSA was implemented at an academic hospital in Johannesburg, from the senior professional nurses and nursing managers’ perspective, and to describe recommendations in order to facilitate the implementation of the Act.Methods: A contextual, quantitative, exploratory and descriptive survey was conducted. A purposive sampling method was used to select the participants that met the inclusion criteria. A structured Likert-scale questionnaire was used to collect data (Brink 2011). Stata version 12 was used to analyse the data. Cronbach’s alpha, with a cut-off point of 0.7 was used to test for internal consistency. Ethical considerations were strictly adhered to. Results are presented in the form of graphs, frequency distributions and tables.Results: The study revealed that overall there is 93.3% non-implementation of the selected sections and regulations of the OHSA. These results have serious implications on the health and safety of employees in the workplace.Conclusion: The study recommends that the replication of the study should be conducted in order to determine the extent of implementation of the selected sections and regulations of the OHSA in other government institutions.

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Causal inference and evidence-based recommendations in occupational health and safety research

Scandinavian Journal of Work Environment & Health ◽

10.5271/sjweh.3929 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (6) ◽

pp. 554-556

Author(s):

Reiner Rugulies ◽

Alex Burdorf

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Causal Inference ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Safety Research

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OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS IN CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: CASE STUDIES FROM HOUSING AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS AT ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA

International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH ◽

10.29121/granthaalayah.v4.i9.2016.2539 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 4 (9) ◽

pp. 84-96

Author(s):

Thewodros Bekele Tolera

Keyword(s):

Occupational Health ◽

Occupational Injuries ◽

Addis Ababa ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Construction Workers ◽

Working Environment ◽

Work Place ◽

Occupational Hazards ◽

Work Related

The status of occupational injuries in workplaces in general is ill defined in Ethiopia. Pocket studies indicate that occupational injury due to an unsafe working environment is increasing. Construction industries are growing industries region wise that has higher rate of work-related injuries. Knowing the associated factors of work-related injuries can be a critical step for improving the working condition of workers in the sector. Objective: This mini research aimed to evaluate occupational hazards and to describe factors affecting its happening among construction workers’ in Addis Ababa housing and construction project sites. Institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed to assess occupational injuries among randomly selected construction workers from June 30 –July 20, 2014. A structured questionnaire based interviews, work environment observation were used to collect the data. The response rate of this study was 82.7%. The majority of respondents were male which account 74.7% and 60 (96.8%) respondents were not using personal protective devices all the time while they are on duty. Out of the total participants, 67.7% of the workers experienced occupational injuries at least once in the last 12 months. Moreover, the three leading cause of injuries were puncture (21.0%) followed by hand injury (11.3%), and back pain (9.7%). Increased rate of work related injury in construction workers was observed and implementation of basic occupational health and safety services is required together with regular supervision to ensure and promote work place safety. So Preventive measures concerning functional occupational health and safety programs are essential to safeguard the health and safety condition of workforce in construction industries.

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Occupational health and safety hazards faced by healthcare professionals in Taiwan: A systematic review of risk factors and control strategies

SAGE Open Medicine ◽

10.1177/2050312120918999 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 205031212091899

Author(s):

Lin Che Huei ◽

Lin Ya-Wen ◽

Yang Chiu Ming ◽

Hung Li Chen ◽

Wang Jong Yi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Occupational Health ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Occupational Health And Safety ◽

Safety Hazards ◽

Healthcare Facilities ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Health And Safety Hazards

Background: Healthcare professionals in Taiwan are exposed to a myriad of occupational health and safety hazards, including physical, biological, chemical, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards. Healthcare professionals working in hospitals and healthcare facilities are more likely to be subjected to these hazards than their counterparts working in other areas. Objectives: This review aims to assess current research literature regarding this situation with a view to informing policy makers and practitioners about the risks of exposure and offer evidence-based recommendations on how to eliminate or reduce such risks. Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses review strategy, we conducted a systematic review of studies related to occupational health and safety conducted between January 2000 and January 2019 using MEDLINE (Ovid), PubMed, PMC, TOXLINE, CINAHL, PLOS One, and Access Pharmacy databases. Results: The review detected 490 studies addressing the issue of occupational health and safety hazards; of these, 30 articles were included in this systematic review. These articles reported a variety of exposures faced by healthcare professionals. This review also revealed a number of strategies that can be adopted to control, eliminate, or reduce hazards to healthcare professionals in Taiwan. Conclusion: Hospitals and healthcare facilities have many unique occupational health and safety hazards that can potentially affect the health and performance of healthcare professionals. The impact of such hazards on healthcare professionals poses a serious public health issue in Taiwan; therefore, controlling, eliminating, or reducing exposure can contribute to a stronger healthcare workforce with great potential to improve patient care and the healthcare system in Taiwan. Eliminating or reducing hazards can best be achieved through engineering measures, administrative policy, and the use of personal protective equipment. Implications: This review has research, policy, and practice implications and provides future students and researchers with information on systematic review methodologies based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses strategy. It also identifies occupational health and safety risks and provides insights and strategies to address them.

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