scholarly journals Psychosocial Risk Prevention in a Global Occupational Health Perspective. A Descriptive Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (14) ◽  
pp. 2470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Chirico ◽  
Tarja Heponiemi ◽  
Milena Pavlova ◽  
Salvatore Zaffina ◽  
Nicola Magnavita
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
Psychosocial Risk ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Psychosocial Hazards

This study aimed to find out which countries around the world require psychosocial hazards and workplace violence to be assessed by employers through a mandatory occupational risk assessment process and to compare the type of legislation between countries. We systematically searched the International Labour Office (ILO) “LEGOSH” database for documents published during the period between December 2017 and February 2018. The search included 132 countries, of which 23 were considered as developed and 109 as developing according to the United Nations. Our review showed that most countries (85, i.e., 64%) have not included mandatory psychosocial risk assessment and prevention in their national occupational safety and health legislation. Moreover, we found differences between developed and developing countries, showing that developed countries more frequently have legislative measures. Within developed countries, we also found differences between countries following the Scandinavian model of workplace health and safety culture and other countries. Moreover, in many countries, workplace violence was prohibited only if it involves an offence to moral or religious customs. In conclusion, the marked difference in psychosocial hazards and workplace violence regulations among countries leads to unequal levels of workers’ protection, with adverse effects on global health.

scholarly journals A Methodology for Harmonizing Safety and Health Scales in Occupational Risk Assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4849
Author(s):  
Zuzhen Ji ◽  
Dirk Pons ◽  
John Pearse
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Public Health Perspective ◽  
Chronic Health ◽  
Risk Assessment Method

Successful implementation of Health and Safety (H&S) systems requires an effective mechanism to assess risk. Existing methods focus primarily on measuring the safety aspect; the risk of an accident is determined based on the product of severity of consequence and likelihood of the incident arising. The health component, i.e., chronic harm, is more difficult to assess. Partially, this is due to both consequences and the likelihood of health issues, which may be indeterminate. There is a need to develop a quantitative risk measurement for H&S risk management and with better representation for chronic health issues. The present paper has approached this from a different direction, by adopting a public health perspective of quality of life. We have then changed the risk assessment process to accommodate this. This was then applied to a case study. The case study showed that merely including the chronic harm scales appeared to be sufficient to elicit a more detailed consideration of hazards for chronic harm. This suggests that people are not insensitive to chronic harm hazards, but benefit from having a framework in which to communicate them. A method has been devised to harmonize safety and harm risk assessments. The result was a comprehensive risk assessment method with consideration of safety accidents and chronic health issues. This has the potential to benefit industry by making chronic harm more visible and hence more preventable.

Comparison of Human Health and Safety Loss due to Corroded Gas Pipeline Failure in Rural and Urban Areas: A Case Study in Malaysia

2015 ◽  
Vol 227 ◽  
pp. 221-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norhamimi Mohd Hanafiah ◽  
Libriati Zardasti ◽  
Yahaya Nordin ◽  
Norhazilan Md Noor ◽  
Ahmad A. Safuan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Quantitative Risk Assessment ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
Consequence Assessment ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Pipeline Failure

Consequence assessment is an integral part of the risk assessment process. There are many types of consequences loss due to pipeline failure such as asset loss, environmental loss, production loss, and human health and safety loss (HHSL). This paper studies the comparison of HHSL between rural and urban areas due to pipeline failure subject to corrosion. The damage area of the explosion was calculated using Aloha software by considering the details of the selected sites such as atmospheric and topographical conditions. The HHSL was calculated using a mathematical equation of quantitative risk assessment in terms of the number of fatalities or injuries or both. The results of the assessments from rural and urban areas were then compared with one another to identify any significant dissimilarity. This study shows that there was a possibility to improve the decisive value of risk by implementing the proposed approach in consequence assessment in Malaysia.

Roundtable on OSHA at 20: What Now?

1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 50-65
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Policy Studies ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Workplace Health And Safety ◽  
The Many

ON A WINTRY DAY LAST DECEMBER, nearly 20 years to the day after the nation's lawmakers approved the Occupational Safety and Health Act that aimed to substantially curb the injury, illness and death that are an everyday fact of life in America's workplaces, New Solutions convened a panel of invited guests at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, D.C., to gauge just how far we have come. Earlier, in the premiere issue of New Solutions, we had run Charles Noble's analysis of “OSHA at 20.” It gave us starting points for a searching discussion of workplace health and safety in this country from the many perspectives that were represented by our panelists (see box, page 65). All of the opinions and comments made during the discussion represent the participants' own viewpoints and are in no way a reflection of the opinions or views of the agencies or organizations with which they are associated. We asked panelists Charles Noble and Richard Pfeffer to begin the discussion with their analyses of the problems. The talk went on for hours, all of it captured on tape. Insights were plentiful; frustrations were obvious; the suggestions, many. Here is Part 1 of a two-part edited transcript of the Roundtable on OSHA, the agency that is 20 years old this April, and the OSH Act which established it. Part 2 will run in an upcoming issue of this journal. We invite you to join the controversy with your letters and longer comments.

Workers and Occupational Safety and Health Professionals: Developing the Relationship

1998 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-116
Author(s):  
Michael B. Lax
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Production ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Technical Issue ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Class Power ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
The Relationship

The occupational safety and health movement has been transformed from a struggle emphasizing workplace democracy to a de-politicized technical debate. Professionals involved in occupational safety and health (OSH) are continuously urged to keep “politics” out of their work. However, “politics,” defined as the participation in knowledge production and decision-making that profoundly affects working life, is inherent to the work of OSH professionals. These professionals function within specified roles largely created and shaped to meet the needs of the corporate class. In this context, there is a need for professionals who are explicitly allied to workers struggling for health and safety. However, there are powerful constraints to the development of this alliance, including professionals’ need for jobs, job security, and credibility. Additionally, many professionals seeking an alliance with workers remain under the sway of hegemonic myths that limit their ability to function as worker allies. These myths include non-recognition of class power and its effects on workplace health, a view of OSH as purely a technical issue, and a failure to recognize how OSH knowledge is shaped by its political/economic context. Ideas for developing an alternative praxis are offered.

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

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 ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Ubiquitous learning in occupational health and safety for vocational education

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 285
Author(s):  
Ketut Ima Ismara ◽  
Amin Suharjono ◽  
Didi Supriadi
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Instructional Media ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Analysis Design

<span>This research aimed to develop instructional media for occupational safety and health android-based for vocational schools. The second aim is to determine the feasibility of instructional media and student responses. The type of research is research and development (R&amp;D) with the Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation (ADDIE) method, namely, analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire with fourth scales. Data collection used an assessment questionnaire for two experts and 103 users. Research data analysis techniques used quantitative descriptive analysis. This study's results have produced products in the form of android-based instructional media for Occupational Safety and Health. In this study, we designed and developed an application called Zerosicks for mobile devices to help students learn occupational safety and health principles. The results of testing for all features and navigation work well and under their <span>functions. The assessment results by content experts, media experts, and students as users indicate that this media has a very decent level of eligibility. Suggestions for product development are to</span> add videos to the media, provide selected music, and add discussion forums for users.</span>

scholarly journals Alignment of the Safety Assessment Method with New Zealand Legislative Responsibilities

Safety ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk J. Pons
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Internal Communication ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Legislative Framework ◽  
Minor Injuries

Need—National legislative health and safety (H&S) frameworks impose requirements but grant self-management to organisations. Consequently variability arises in management systems, and some organisations struggle to achieve successful implementation. The risk assessment process is key to the H&S management system, and could benefit from greater consistency and better external alignment with the legislative framework of the jurisdiction. Approach—The harm categories in the New Zealand (NZ) Act were adapted into a consequence scale. A non-linear scale was developed for the consequence axis to represent the disproportional nature of catastrophic harm outcomes compared to minor injuries. A hazard assessment process was devised based on systems engineering methods. Organisational decision-criteria were derived from the communications requirement in the Act, and these thresholds linked to expected treatments. Originality—A method is providing for aligning risk assessments with a national legislative framework, and integrating the technical aspects of risk assessment with the management processes. The approach also more explicitly includes recovery actions in contrast to existing methods where prevention dominates. Regarding the management aspects, it shows how thresholds may be defined relative to the legislation, to give clear expectations regarding treatment and internal communication, thereby assisting executives (‘officers’ in terms of the NZ Act) meet their duties.

scholarly journals An Approach to Health and Safety Assessment in Industrial Parks

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3646
Author(s):  
Fco. Javier García-Gómez ◽  
Cristina González-Gaya ◽  
Víctor Fco. Rosales-Prieto
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Fundamental Aspect ◽  
Know How ◽  
Industrial Parks ◽  
Design Construction

Safety is a fundamental aspect to take into account in the design, construction and operation of industrial parks. Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with safety in this type of facility, and how to deal with risk analysis. This document provides information related to the industrial park risk assessment process to improve the health and safety of workers in these places. A search and consultation of references related to occupational health and safety management systems is carried out, and it is found that, although there is adequate protection, both in relation to the safety of workers in industrial parks and the safety of personnel outside the facilities, it is helpful to establish a health and safety risk assessment to identify hazards and hazardous events, evaluate associated risks, and select techniques or strategies (opportunities) to manage those risks after prioritization. Following the implementation of the selected techniques, their effectiveness can then be monitored in order to avoid incidents. This document can be a model for future implementation of a health and safety management system based in ISO 45001:2018.

scholarly journals Exposure Models for REACH and Occupational Safety and Health Regulations

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 383 ◽  
Author(s):  
John William Cherrie ◽  
Wouter Fransman ◽  
Gerardus Antonius Henrikus Heussen ◽  
Dorothea Koppisch ◽  
Keld Alstrup Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Inhalation Exposure ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Scientific Development ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Control Banding ◽  
Accepted Part

Model tools for estimating hazardous substance exposure are an accepted part of regulatory risk assessments in Europe, and models underpin control banding tools used to help manage chemicals in workplaces. Of necessity the models are simplified abstractions of real-life working situations that aim to capture the essence of the scenario to give estimates of actual exposures with an appropriate margin of safety. The basis for existing inhalation exposure assessment tools has recently been discussed by some scientists who have argued for the use of more complex models. In our opinion, the currently accepted tools are documented to be the most robust way for workplace health and safety practitioners and others to estimate inhalation exposure. However, we recognise that it is important to continue the scientific development of exposure modelling to further elaborate and improve the existing methodologies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document