Morbidity profile of workers and workplace assessment in selected soap industries in Puducherry

Background: The high risk, fast-paced industrial expansion reflects unique health and safety challenges for occupational health and safety resulting in increasing incidence of various injuries and health morbidities. This warrants the assessment of morbidity profile and workplace assessment of the workers.Methods: A facility based cross sectional descriptive study was carried out among 305 workers of selected soap industries in Puducherry for a period of four months from September to December 2018. Workers were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire for their morbidity profile and work ability along with skin patch test and spirometry. Finally, workplace assessment was done.Results: Of 305 workers interviewed, eczema was reported in two workers and generalized pruritus in 4.9% of the workers. In patch test, 9 (34.6%) workers were sensitive to Paraphenylenediamine among 26 workers tested. Upper respiratory tract infection was reported in 17.3% and breathlessness in 4.6% of the employees. Spirometer was abnormal in 5.9% of the workers. Hypertension was diagnosed for the first time in 10.3% of the workers. Work ability index was good in 99.0% of the workers. The most common illness in the past six months was febrile illness. Workers who availed treatment from the private facility were 35.9%. Working environment was better in large-scale industries as compared to the small-scale industries.Conclusions: The morbidity of workers in selected soap industries were very less as majority of the workers was from the organized sectors with regular periodic examination. Hence further studies concentrating only on the unorganized small-scale industries are recommended.

ASSESSING TOURISM STUDENTS’ ENGLISH PROFICIENCY COMPETENCE BASED ON ASEAN COMMON COMPETENCY STANDARD

This study is aimed to analyze the tourism students’ English proficiency competence based on ASEAN Common Competency Standard (ACCS). The study used a descriptive qualitative method and the data were gained through English competency based workplace assessment for the students in three sub divisions at PDD Lombok Barat; hotel accommodation, culinary, and hotel engineering. The findings of the study showed that more than half of tourism students are still in the category of “low competence” in attaining English competencies based on ACCS.

Ergonomic Hazards in the Workplace: Assessment, Evaluation and Prevention in the Educational Environment of Holy Cross College

This research was conducted to assess, evaluate and prevent the ergonomics hazards in the educational environment of Holy Cross College. College instructors at various workstations across the college facilities are among those that participate. The data was gathered through the use of an online survey form. It consists of 45 questions designed to have insight on the actual equipment setup, work posture, and work design, and environment utilized by the college faculty. The majority of the detected risks are at a critical level and may cause severe loss to the organization's scope, quality, schedule, and cost. The findings provided the necessary safety norms and resources to prevent ergonomic hazards that result in ergonomic health problems. All hazards designated as critical can be kept to minimum if actions and reactions are appropriately implemented by the relevant parties. As a result, the likelihood and magnitude of its occurrence and effects are reduced.

Workplace Violence Risk Instrumentation

The overarching goal of this book chapter is to highlight how workplace violence may be better assessed and managed with the use of appropriately constructed risk assessment instrumentation. In line with this goal, the authors review the theoretical underpinnings of workplace violence risk prediction and present data on the reliability and predictive validity of two workplace violence risk assessment instruments: the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk—21, Version 3 (WAVR-21 V3) and the Cawood Assessment and Response/Intervention Grids (CARGs), Version 3.5. These data suggest that the WAVR-21 V3 and the CARGs have the potential to become an effective aid for risk prediction. The authors further argue that the instruments’ structured approach to estimating the level of risk may significantly guide practitioners in their decision-making and management implementation. Specifically, instruments like the WAVR-21 V3 and the CARGs may help to capture changes within a trajectory of problematic workplace behavior and distinguish between actions that are distant or more proximate to violence. Such differentiation allows the prioritizing of interventions and offers a baseline on which to assess the effectiveness of a threat management plan.

A Business Communication Assessment Tool Based on Workplace Assessment Processes and Service-Learning

The instructor developed an assessment tool based on Service-Learning (S-L) for developing business and professional communication (BPC) skills in business school students in India ( N = 117). The students practiced their organizational, leadership, and interpersonal communication skills in an authentic, contextual, and workplace atmosphere during this S-L assessment project. The effectiveness of the assessment tool has been studied with a posttest and then pretest. The need for an innovative and holistic BPC skills assessment tool is discussed. The article also presents implications of the project for students and pedagogy along with the challenges in using the assessment project.

HOW WORKPLACE CONDITION AFFECTS HEALTHCARE WORKERS: ASSESSMENT AT TERTIARY HOSPITALS

Complaint of pain due to work related musculoskeletal disorder at workplace is nothing new. Nevertheless, in Malaysia, the data leading to this is near to none, when healthcare industry is concerned. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the current physical condition at red zone of accident and emergency department at selected hospitals and has the current condition contribute to the work-related musculoskeletal disorder among healthcare personnel. The study is conducted at five red zones of accident and emergency department of Malaysia tertiary hospitals. Before conducting the study, ethical approval has been obtained from ethical committee of Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia. Method used in this study is workplace assessment, which allows first-hand experienced to determine and evaluate the real condition of red zone at selected hospitals. Duration of twelve months is required to complete the assessment. During the workplace assessment, the lighting at red zone (focusing on bed area), the bed space, arrangement of equipment and height of monitors are observed, measured and recorded. Result show, every red zone is unique with its own layout and design. There is no standardization among all the red zones involved. Existing guideline for physical condition of red zone of accident and emergency does not exist. Thus, relationship between physical condition of existing red zone and whether it causes work related musculoskeletal disorder must be discussed in length.