Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving Occupational Safety and Health Among Teleworkers During and After the Coronavirus Pandemic

Author(s):  
Mark C. Schall ◽  
Peter Chen

Objective To review practical, evidence-based strategies that may be implemented to promote teleworker safety, health, and well-being during and after the coronavirus pandemic of 2019 (COVID-19). Background The prevalence of telework has increased due to COVID-19. The upsurge brings with it challenges, including limited face-to-face interaction with colleagues and supervisors, reduced access to ergonomics information and resources, increased social isolation, and blurred role definitions, which may adversely affect teleworker safety, health, and well-being. Method Evidence-based strategies for improving occupational safety, health, and well-being among teleworkers were synthesized in a narrative-based review to address common challenges associated with telework considering circumstances unique to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Interventions aimed at increasing worker motivation to engage in safe and healthy behaviors via enhanced safety leadership, managing role boundaries to reduce occupational safety and health risks, and redesigning work to strengthen interpersonal interactions, interdependence, as well as workers’ initiation have been supported in the literature. Application This review provides practical guidance for group-level supervisors, occupational safety and health managers, and organizational leaders responsible for promoting health and safety among employees despite challenges associated with an increase in telework.

2021 ◽  
pp. 187-208
Author(s):  
Emily F. Rothman

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.


Author(s):  
Thomas Kniesner ◽  
John D. Leeth

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.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
S Tamers

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.


Author(s):  
Cora Roelofs

Background: Recent disasters have demonstrated gaps in employers’ preparedness to protect employees and promote their well-being in the face of emergencies and disasters affecting the workplace and their communities. Total Worker Health (TWH), a comprehensive perspective developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, is a helpful framework for addressing employer preparedness. It includes attention to health and safety at work, and the promotion of the health and well-being of the employee in the context of social determinants of health, such as work-life balance. Methods: TWH concepts, including the domains of TWH and the TWH Hierarchy of Controls, were investigated for their relevance to protecting employees and promoting their well-being during and after crises such as weather disasters, pandemics, and acts of terrorism. Building upon TWH concepts, an employer preparedness framework and model is proposed. Findings: The Model emphasizes upstream prevention, workplace-community linkages, social and economic impacts, and employer leadership through a cyclical planning process. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The Model can assist employers in advancing their preparedness for all hazards through self-assessment and planning agendas based upon the proposed domains.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 121-130
Author(s):  
Yofira Sintya Dewi ◽  
Agung Ikhssani

Occupational Health and Safety (K3) is generally defined as the science of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling hazards arising in or from the workplace that may interfere with the health and well-being of workers, taking into account the possible impact on the environment and the surrounding community. The scope is quite broad, covering a large number of disciplines and many hazards in the workplace and the environment.The International Labor Organization (ILO) released data in 2020 that globally, more than 2.78 million people die from workplace-related accidents or diseases, which means one death every fifteen seconds Measures and strategies designed to prevent, control, reducing or eliminating occupational hazards and risks have been developed and implemented over the years to keep pace with technological and economic changes. Work and industrial accidents are all caused by preventable factors that can be eliminated by applying known and available measures and methods. This is indicated by the continued decline in accident rates in industrialized countries. Therefore, the implementation of prevention strategies offers significant human and economic benefits. However, occupational accidents and diseases are still too frequent and their cost in terms of human suffering and economic burden continues to be significant. This study discusses the level of occupational accidents and occupational diseases obtained by conducting a walk-through survey at the tofu factory "House Of Tofu" which is located at Way Halim Permai Bandar Lampung. Identification of occupational safety and health is carried out by means of a Walk Through Survey using Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Determining Control techniques. The results show that there are still many potential Occupational Safety and Health Hazards and Risks at the House Of Tofu Tofu Factory that have not been identified and have a negative impact on the workers in it. Interventions against potential hazards must be carried out by employers to reduce the number of work accidents.  


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-177
Author(s):  
Dexter M. Toyado

The Island Province of Catanduanes is gaining grounds in the field of construction. The program of the current administration “Build, Build, Build” have taken the construction industry to full blast. Construction, both private and public are evident on every corners of the island. Occupational Safety and Health in construction is often neglected and disregarded. Construction is the one of the most dangerous sectors in health and safety. The government, thru the Department of Labor and Employment had already address the problem by providing safety and health training to the personnel of the construction firm as well as the industry as a whole. But the effort has been far from satisfactory, as construction accident continue to dominate the entire industry. The study aims to awareness of construction safety in Catanduanes. The study focuses on the awareness of workers in construction industry in Catanduanes on Occupational Safety and Health. From the series of interviews and interaction with the workers on site, and upon evaluation of their responses, the researcher finally come up with the conclusion that, the construction workers are aware of the safety and health in constructions but they do not adhere and follow it. Workers admittedly that the reason they are complaisant about following safety and health practices are discomfort, beliefs, and bad habits. The following recommendation were sought based on the results of the interview; 1. Workers must attend or be trained with safety and health. A training that would enable them to understand the safety and health issues and concerns, 2. Workers must be taught with correct attitude towards safety in workplace, 3. They must taught of right things contrary to their old beliefs, 4. Workers must developed good habit and positive outlook in terms of their safety and well-being.


Author(s):  
David M. Rempel ◽  
Scott Schneider ◽  
Sean Gallagher ◽  
Sheree Gibson ◽  
Susan Kotowski ◽  
...  

The National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) is a research framework for the nation and for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The NORA Musculoskeletal Health Cross-Sector (MUS) Council focuses on the mitigation of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Two projects have been chosen by the MUS Council for disseminating existing information on ergonomic assessment methods and interventions. The first project involves collaboration with the AIHA Ergonomics Committee on the latest update of the AIHA Ergonomic Assessment Toolkit. The second project aims to post all-industry information on ergonomic solutions/interventions/guidelines in collaboration with the International Ergonomics Association (IEA). The MUS Council plans on leveraging the collaborative efforts for promoting widespread adoption of evidence-based workplace practices for the prevention of WMSDs.


2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla Wanjiku Ndegwa ◽  
Wario Guyo ◽  
George Orwa ◽  
Robert Ng’ang’a ◽  
Elishba Muthoni Murigi

Recent trends in the organization of work have increased the risk of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Kenyan industries through exposure to hazardous substances, work related accidents and increased stress-related illnesses. According to International lab our organization (ILO) everyone is entitled to the right to safe and healthy working conditions and therefore the corpus of law in Kenya dealing with occupational safety and health should be embedded in the international OSH legal instruments. Specifically the occupational health and safety Act (2007) is expected to provide for safety, health and welfare of workers and all persons lawfully present at workplaces. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate legal framework as a determinant of implementation of occupational health and safety programmes in the manufacturing sector in Kenya. It focused on six legal areas predicted as affecting implementation of OSH. These factors were national OSH policy, OSHA (occupational safety and health Act) familiarity with OSHA, government OSH inspections and audits, ease of implementation of OSHA, Government support in the implementation of OSH and OSHA implement ability. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design but however intended to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. A self administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 257 OSH officers drawn randomly from 735 manufacturing industries registered by Kenya manufacturers association. 252 questionnaires were received back and analyzed with the help of SSPS window version 21. Both correlation and regression analysis were conducted and the results showed that there was a positive significant relationship between legal framework and implementation of OSH programmes. 


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