scholarly journals Work conditions and health risks of persons employed in construction in Latvia

2010 ◽  
Vol 64 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 53-60
Author(s):  
Tatjana Farbtuha ◽  
Žanna Martinsone ◽  
Ivars Vanadziņš ◽  
Jānis Dundurs ◽  
Inese Mārtiņsone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Employee Health ◽  
Construction Sector ◽  
Work Condition ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Work Related ◽  
State Revenue

Work conditions and health risks of persons employed in construction in Latvia The health effects of the work condition in construction were the focus for this study. The construction sector involves numerous risk factors, which can essentially endanger employee health and safety by causing accidents, occupational diseases and work-related diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the work condition, identity risk factors in the workplace, analyse the morbidity and accidents in the construction sector. According to the data of the State Revenue Service, the number of persons employed in construction in Latvia is growing each year. In the construction sector the number of accidents per 100 000 employees has tended to fall between 2003 and 2005, but the number of serious accidents has risen 1.3 times. Employees in construction companies are not sufficiently informed about the work environment risk factors and their influence on health and safety.

The effects of using an ergonomic aid on the physical workload and body discomfort reported by pre-adolescent farmers in West Bengal, India

Work ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Banibrata Das ◽  
Somnath Gangopadhyay ◽  
Tirthankar Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
West Bengal ◽  
Physiological Stress ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Body Part ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Physical Workload ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Work Related

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal disorders are one of the major health hazards among farmers. Pre-adolescents are mainly associated with agricultural work due to poor socioeconomic conditions. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to implement a new ergonomics aid for the betterment of job procedures and improvement of productivity, health, and safety of the preadolescent farmers. METHODS: 100 male and 100 female preadolescent farmers were randomly selected from the villages of Tarakeswar, West Bengal, India, to evaluate and reduce work-related musculoskeletal disorders, physiological stress. Modified Nordic questionnaires, Body Part Discomfort (BPD) scale, and handgrip strength were assessed before and after using the ergonomics aid. RESULTS: The results of the study show that there was a significant change (decrease) in discomfort in the lower back, wrists, shoulder, and hands among preadolescent farmers when using the newly designed ergonomic aid. Handgrip strength increased and physiological stress was decreased among preadolescent farmers in post-intervention than pre-intervention in just after work conditions. Productivity has been increased in farming by decreasing absenteeism from work with the use of ergonomic aid. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that productivity has been increased in farming by decreasing absenteeism from work as well as by using the ergonomic aid the discomfort feeling has been decreased markedly.

scholarly journals The Italian National Surveillance System for Occupational Injuries: Conceptual Framework and Fatal Outcomes, 2002–2016

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Campo ◽  
L Cegolon ◽  
D De Merich ◽  
U Fedeli ◽  
M Pellicci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Occupational Injuries ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
National Database ◽  
Occupational Risk Factors ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Injured Person ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fatal Injuries

ABSTRACTBackgroundA national database of work related injuries was established in Italy since 2002, collecting information on the injured person, his/her work tasks, the workplace as well as risk factors contributing to accident dynamics, according to a model called Infor.Mo.MethodsThe present is a qualitative description of occupational fatal injuries, excluding work-related fatal traffic injuries, that occurred in Italy from 2002 to 2016 (15 years).Results4,874 victims were registered, all were males, mainly of >51 years of age (50.5%), predominantly self-employed (27.8%) or workers with non-standard contracts (25%). About 18.4% and 17.3% of fatal accidents occurred in micro-enterprises belonging to, respectively, Construction and Agriculture. A wide range of nationalities (59 countries in addition to Italy) was identified. 18.9% work related fatal injuries were due to some form of dangerous energy □ mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical □ freely present in the workplace. Fall of workers from height (33.5%), heavy bodies falling on workers from height (16.7%) and vehicles exiting their route and overturning (15.9%) were the accidents causing the greatest proportion of occupational fatal injuries. The activity of the injured person made up 43.3% of 9,386 risk factors identified in 4,874 fatalities. Less common risk factors were related to: work equipment (20.2%); work environment (14.9%); the activity of third parties (9.8%); personal protective equipment/clothing (8.0%) and materials (3.7%). The activity of the injured person remained the most relevant contributing factor even when the accident was caused by two or more risk factors.DiscussionOccupational fatal injuries occurred mainly in small size firms. Small companies generally have less resources to catch up with the continuously evolving health and safety at work regulations; moreover, they tend to be less compliant with occupational health and safety regulations since are less likely to be inspected by occupational vigilance services. As a result, the enforcement of regulations to control the occupational risk factors of occupational injuries is seemingly costly and scarcely effective. An alternative approach that is being introduced in Italy relies on the use of economic incentives to promote safe and healthy workplaces.

scholarly journals Considerations on Ergonomic Issues in Physiotherapy Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 343 ◽  
pp. 10004
Author(s):  
Vlad Andrei Darabont ◽  
Doru Costin Darabont
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Mental Load ◽  
Repetitive Movement ◽  
Motor Disabilities ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
High Level ◽  
Technical Measures

Nowadays, the ergonomic issues become more and more important in all economic activity domains. Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) represent the main problem generated by the poor ergonomic design of the workplaces. The healthcare domain involves high level ergonomic risks related to physical and mental load of the work which could lead to MSDs. The paper presents an analysis of these ergonomic risks for physiotherapy activity and identifies potential measures to improve the health and safety in this domain. The physical load of the physiotherapist’s work is generated by the risk factors such as awkward postures, repetitive movement or working with patients with motor disabilities. The mental load of the physiotherapist’s work depends on risk factors such as working with patients with cognitive impairment and daily or weekly patient flows. The proposed preventive measures are organisational and technical. The organisational measures are based on the requirements of the occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation and on the good practice examples. The technical measures are based on the analysing the documentation of physiotherapy modern equipment. The results of the study can be used to improve the ergonomics and the health and safety of any workplace in physiotherapy activity.

scholarly journals Knowledge on occupational health hazard and safety practices among the municipal solid waste handler

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-72
Author(s):  
Sujan B Marahatta ◽  
D Katuwl ◽  
S Adhikari ◽  
K Rijal
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Solid Waste ◽  
Health Risks ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Health Hazard ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
Work Related

Background: All over the world nearly 860,000 people are injured every day and 2.3 million deaths occur annually due to occupational accidents and work-related diseases.There are limited studies that specifically determine the knowledge of waste handlers on occupational health problems and associated factors of occupational health problems and injuries in waste handlersin context of Nepal. Therefore, this studyaimed to assess the knowledge of waste handlers on occupational health and safety practices and its association with utilization of PPEs along with the condition of occupational health problems and injuries and factors associated with them among the waste handlers of Kathmandu Metropolitan City.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among selected 355 solid waste collectors by using semi-structured questionnaire and observation checklist, which was completed from March 2016 to May 2016. The data was entered into SPSS 20 version for analysis and a chi-square test was performed to see the presence of the association between the dependent and selected independent variables.Results: Among total respondents (355) surveyed 51.5% had got knowledge on occupational health hazard, 16.1 %  had got the knowledge to prevent from work-related health risks, 29% had got knowledge about PPEs and  31.5% had got knowledge about PPEs utilization. About 45.8% of the study participants had practices of the utilization of PPEs. Majority of the respondents i.e. 63.7% reported that they were suffering from occupational health problems. The evidence of the occupational health injuries was found to be low i.e. 25.4%. Similarly, variables which had significant influence on the occupational health problems were knowledge on occupational health hazard (p=0.016), work experience (p=0.021), health checkup (p=0.042) and for the occupational health injuries were monthly income(p=0.036), knowledge to prevent from health risk (p=0.001), gender (p=0.02), and knowledge of occupational health hazard (p=0.011), work experience (p= 0.025), work type (p=0.001), knowledge on PPEs ( p=0.034) and knowledge on work-related health risks (p= 0.027).Conclusion: Based on this study, its recommended to improve occupational health and safety practices. Awareness programs need to be focused to increase the knowledge on Occupational health hazards and safety practices to improve the utilization of PPEs..Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health SciencesVol. 3, No. 1, 2017, page: 56-72

scholarly journals The Italian National Surveillance System for Occupational Injuries: Conceptual Framework and Fatal Outcomes, 2002–2016

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7631
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Campo ◽  
Luca Cegolon ◽  
Diego De Merich ◽  
Ugo Fedeli ◽  
Mauro Pellicci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Third Party ◽  
National Database ◽  
Similar Distribution ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Injured Person ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Fatal Injuries

Background: A national database of work-related injuries has been established in Italy since 2002, collecting information on the injured person, his/her work tasks, the workplace and the risk factors contributing to incident dynamics, according to a model called Infor.Mo. Methods: A descriptive study of occupational fatal injuries, excluding work-related fatal traffic injuries, that occurred in Italy from 2002 to 2016 (15 years) was performed. Results: Among 4874 victims involved, all were males, mainly >51 years of age (43.2%), predominantly self-employed (27.8%) or workers with non-standard contracts (25%). About 18.4% and 17.3% of fatal events occurred in micro-enterprises belonging to, respectively, construction and agriculture. A wide range of nationalities (59 countries in addition to Italy) was identified. Overall, 18.9% of work-related fatal injuries were due to some form of hazardous energy—mechanical, thermal, electrical or chemical—that was normally present in the workplace. Workers’ falls from height (33.5%), heavy loads falling on workers from height (16.7%) and vehicles exiting their route and overturning (15.9%) were the events causing the greatest proportion of occupational fatal injuries in the present study (from 2002 to 2016) and in the initial pilot phase, focused on years 2002–2004, with a similar distribution of fatal events between the two time periods. The activity of the injured person made up 43.3% of 9386 risk factors identified in 4874 fatalities. Less common risk factors were related to work equipment (20.2%), work environment (14.9%), third–party activity (9.8%), personal protective equipment/clothing (8.0%) and materials (3.7%). The activity of the injured person remained the most relevant contributing factor even when the incident was caused by two or more risk factors. Discussion: Occupational fatal injuries occurred mainly in small size firms (up to nine employees) in hazardous workplaces. Small companies, which account for 68% (2888/4249) of all firms in the present study, generally have fewer resources to remain current with the continuously evolving health and safety at work regulations; moreover, these firms tend to be less compliant with health and safety at work regulations since they are less likely to be inspected by occupational vigilance services. Perspectives: An approach being introduced in Italy relies on the use of economic incentives to promote safe and healthy workplaces. The comparison of pre-intervention and post-intervention rates of work-related injuries by means of interrupted time series analyses could detect whether the intervention will have an effect significantly greater than the underlying secular trend.

Better musculoskeletal health for anaesthetists

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.M. Yentis ◽  
◽  
K. Asanati ◽  
C.R. Bailey ◽  
R. Hampton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The Body ◽  
Musculoskeletal Health ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Many Sources ◽  
Psychological Risk

3Association of Anaesthetists | Better musculoskeletal health for anaesthetistsSummaryWork-related musculoskeletal disorders are very common amongst healthcare workers, and there is evidence that anaesthetists are at greater risk of upper limb disorders than other groups. This guidance aims to bring together advice and recommendations from a variety of sources in order to inform and support anaesthetists at work, in an attempt to reduce the prevalence and severity of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the exacerbation of pre-existing disorders. Mechanical and psychosocial risk factors for work-associated musculoskeletal disorders are summarised, along with general principles for achieving better musculoskeletal health and practices specific to areas of the body most at risk. These include recommended exercises and stretches during sedentary work.RecommendationsAttention must be paid by both employers and anaesthetists to the physical and psychological risk factors that may lead to development and/or exacerbation of musculoskeletal disorders. This requires ongoing risk assessments and adherence to published standards of health and safety at work, including training. Such a programme is best achieved as part of a multidisciplinary approach.What other guidelines are available on this topic? There are many sources of guidance on health and safety in the workplace, across many sectors, much of which is of relevance to anaesthetists. There is no readily accessible guidance specifically aimed at the anaesthetic workplace.Why was this guideline developed?This guidance was developed as part of a wider piece of work by the Association of Anaesthetists based around ergonomics of the anaesthetic workplace, as a result of the increased reported incidence of musculoskeletal disorders amongst anaesthetists. It aims to draw on existing guidance and present a summary of advice relevant to anaesthetists and their practice.How and why does this publication differ from existing guidelines?This guidance summarises other advice and recommendations, and focuses on factors relevant to the anaesthetic workplace

scholarly journals Susceptibility to Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Occupational Settings: The Complex Interplay between Individual and Workplace Factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1030
Author(s):  
Veruscka Leso ◽  
Luca Fontana ◽  
Ivo Iavicoli
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Infected People ◽  
Occupational Physicians ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Management Procedures ◽  
Occupational Settings

In the current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the definition of risk factors for susceptibility to adverse outcomes seems essential to support public and occupational health policies. Some specific issues need to be addressed to understand vulnerability in occupational settings. Among these, individual factors, e.g., age, sex, and preexisting comorbidities (hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, obesity, cancer), that can predispose individuals to more severe outcomes and post-COVID-19 symptoms that may represent conditions of acquired susceptibility, possibly impacting the return to—and fitness for—work. Additionally, the risk of contracting COVID-19 through work should be addressed, considering the probability of being in contact with infected people, physical proximity to others, and social aggregation during work. Occupational health settings may represent appropriate scenarios for the early identification of vulnerable subjects, with the final aim to guide risk assessment and management procedures. These should include the systematic surveillance of work-related risk factors, collective preventive policies, stringent actions for specific groups of workers, decisions on occupational placement of employees, and health promotion activities. Concerted actions of general practitioners, hospital specialists, occupational physicians, and all the stakeholders involved in the occupational health and safety management should be focused on planning suitable preventive measures for susceptible subjects.

scholarly journals Supervisor's capability and aptitude to supervise Health and Safety (H&S) induction training to site workforces: A case study of the construction industry of Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 962-971
Author(s):  
Khalid Daniyal ◽  
Bilal Aslam ◽  
Umer Khalil
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Upper Management ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Site Supervisors ◽  
Audio Communication

Health and Safety (H&S) is a professional approach to substitute harmless and vigorous work conditions for any industry. The construction industry is of utmost importance because it is associated with elevated accident rates compared to the other sectors. To some extent, cultural progression is also reliant on communication among all the groups inside a corporation. Effective communication happens in a construction corporation, among upper management and the employees arbitrated by the supervisors. Therefore, if the construction supervisor's capabilities are ignored, the plans to progress the satisfactory H&S culture may be unsuccessful. The aptitude for conducting H&S induction training to employees is one of the construction supervisor's abilities, and in developing countries, the supervisor's capabilities are ignored. Moreover, the organization's eagerness on H&S, which corresponds to the induction training, is relatively less. The current research reports an examination to analyze how the supervisors possess H&S capabilities and skills to oversee site H&S induction training to workforces successfully. For the analysis, Pakistan's construction industry was targeted, and numerous construction firms were contacted in this regard. The data for the intended objective was accumulated through talks and surveys with site supervisors in construction companies of various extents from all over Pakistan. The outcomes exposed insufficient training, an absence of management dedication, and an inadequate familiarity or usage of visual/audio communication assistance by construction companies in Pakistan. Thus, it is suggested that there is a need for the supervisors to understand the use of multilingual skills and current technologies to assist valuable site H&S induction training that can progress a path towards an optimistic H&S culture.

scholarly journals Musculoskeletal pain and work-related risk factors among waste collectors in Hanoi, Vietnam: A cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bang Van Nguyen ◽  
Thuy Tran ◽  
Ngan Thi Hoang ◽  
Bich Ngoc Nguyen ◽  
Quynh Thuy` Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Musculoskeletal Disorders ◽  
Musculoskeletal Pain ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Stress At Work ◽  
Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire

Abstract Background: Musculoskeletal disorders are prevalent among waste collectors in developing countries. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders and risk factors of persistent musculoskeletal disorders among waste collectors in Hanoi, Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was utilized to study 331 waste collectors in 2017. The Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Questionnaire and questionnaires on demographic and work conditions were used to collect data. Descriptive and Linear regression analyses were applied at the significant level p<0.05. Findings: Results showed that the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among waste collectors participating into this study was high (100%), multiple-site musculoskeletal disorders (at least two sites) were reported by 81%. Lower back was the most affected site, followed by pain in the neck and shoulders. The risk of persistent musculoskeletal disorders were higher among female workers, workers with the neck bent at an angle of 450, kneeling, repetitive medial rotation while walking, and feeling dissatisfaction with work, stress or anxiety during one week before the survey. Conclusions: High prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders was observed among participated waste collectors and it associated with self-assessed unfavorable work postures and psychological stress at work. The findings imply the need of mechanical and social support at work for waste collectors to prevent the development of musculoskeletal disorders.

Work-Related Accidents in the Maritime Transport Sector

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julio Louro Rodríguez ◽  
José Ángel Fraguela Formoso
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
European Union ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Maritime Transport ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Doctoral Thesis ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Risk Factors For Falling ◽  
Official Data

This article is partially based on the Doctoral thesis (Reference 1) entitled (in English) Working aboard and job-related accidents: Health and safety conditions on merchant vessel. Divided into four sections, the paper includes: issues relating to legislation, an analysis of accidents, the research that has been done about accidents and risk factors for falling on board. The main causes of accidents are examined. Moreover, conclusions are drawn by analysing work-related accidents in the Spanish maritime transport sector through a study covering the period between 1999 and 2003. The text was updated in 2004, with the latest official data, figures which may be equally applicable to the maritime sector throughout the European Union.

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