International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health (nepjol.info)
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Musculoskeletal Pain and its Ergonomics Risk Factors among School Teachers from Tamil Nadu, India: a Cross-Sectional Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Teachers are often exposed to occupational hazards like musculoskeletal pain which may force them to early retirement from their jobs, affecting their quality of life. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among government school teachers and to assess its ergonomic risk factors.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among government school teachers in Kundrathur Block, Kancheepuram District, Tamil Nadu, India. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used to estimate the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain. The study was conducted from June to November 2019 for 6 months. In total, 400 participants were included in the study. Descriptive statistics like frequency and percentage were used for different variables and the various risk factors as well as inferential statistics like prevalence, confidence interval, odds ratio, and chi-square test were used for finding the association between the dependent and independent variables.
Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among school teachers was 69.8%. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the factors such as sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.47-4.15) with p-value = <0.01* and number of students in each class (aOR= 1.86; 95% CI: 1.12-3.08) with p-value = <0.01* were identified to be significant risk factors associated with musculoskeletal pain.
Conclusion: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain among school teachers was found to be high. This clearly shows the significant burden of this occupational hazard on the teacher’s community, which should be addressed to focus on its prevention
Knowledge, Perception and Practices Regarding COVID-19 among frontline Nurses at Selected hospitals in Sri Lanka during COVID-19 Pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: The World Health Organization confirmed the COVID-19 epidemic situation as a public health emergency and is an emerging public health problem that has threatened millions of lives worldwide. Since COVID-19 has significantly affected the healthcare system globally, it is essential to update healthcare workers especially frontline nurses on the best practices for the proper management of the disease. The study aimed to assess Knowledge, Perceptions, and Practices regarding COVID-19 among frontline nurses at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, National Hospital of Sri Lanka, and Base Hospital Mawanella in Sri Lanka.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 257 frontline nurses from main three hospitals in Sri Lanka from June 2020 to December 2021. A validated, pre-tested self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Kruskal Wallis test and Chi-square test were applied to find significant factors associated with good knowledge, using SPSS version 25.
Results: The average age of the 257 participants was (31.8 ± 6.6) years and most (95%) of them were female. Of them, 79.4% had good knowledge, and the knowledge level of the nurses was significantly associated with their marital status (p=0.04) and their participation in the COVID-19 management workshop or lecture (p ≤0.001). There was a statistically significant median score difference between participants’ knowledge, and three hospitals (p<0.05).
Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that the nurses had overall good knowledge, positive perception, and good practice on COVID-19. This study highlighted the factors influencing knowledge about COVID-19 that must be addressed in future education, awareness, and preparing the programs
Biosafety knowledge and perception among medical laboratory students: a cross-sectional study at a medical university in Vietnam
Get PDFIntroduction: Medical students have to deal with biohazards in laboratories during undergraduate studies and intensive practice in hospitals. Unsafe operators can result in an outbreak of biohazardous pathogens to healthcare workers, the community, and the environment. However, the most common risk factors for laboratory accidents are a lack of perception and knowledge of biosafety and laboratory safety management. This study aimed to assess knowledge and factors influencing the biosafety practices of medical students at Hanoi Public Health University, Vietnam
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the biosafety knowledge of all 286 students majoring in a medical laboratory at HUPH from December 2021 to February 2022. Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committee of Hanoi University of Public Health. The questionnaire has been created based on WHO biosafety guidelines with some modifications according to the local context. The data were collected by face-to-face interviews
Results:: Out of the 286 students invited to complete a biosafety questionnaire, 68.6% of students recognized the fundamental principles of biosafety. Additionally, 76.2% and 91% of students correctly identified risk factors and danger signs in the laboratory, respectively. Furthermore, 79.8% of students provided accurate answers to biosafety laboratory troubleshooting questions. Notably, academic performance, students’ year of study, and average scores in biosafety courses had significantly related to the biosafety knowledge. Gender factors and academic performance were related to the rate of obtaining precise knowledge about incident handling and preventing risk factors in the laboratory.
Conclusion: The passed rate of biosafety knowledge among medical laboratory students at the University of Public Health was 68.6%. Factors such as the student\u27s school year, academic performance, average score in the biosafety course number of internships in hospitals significantly affected their biosafety and troubleshooting knowledge in the laboratory
Musculoskeletal symptom survey and ergonomic assessments associated with maintenance tasks in the Indonesian railway industry
Get PDFIntroduction: Suboptimal work design of maintenance tasks in railway industries often leads to adverse health effects for workers. This study aimed to determine the ergonomic risk levels and assess the extent of musculoskeletal symptoms associated with train maintenance tasks in the Indonesian railway industry.
Methods: The study involved 34 workers responsible for the daily handling of locomotive components within a railway maintenance workshop in Indonesia. A musculoskeletal symptom survey was conducted using the Indonesian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire to determine the prevalence and severity of such adverse health effects. Ergonomics assessments were conducted using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) to evaluate the risk level and contributing risk factors associated with the investigated maintained tasks.
Results: Participants predominantly experienced musculoskeletal symptoms in the lower back (100%), followed by shoulders (91%), and knees (88%), while the highest severity was also observed in these regions. The ergonomics assessments revealed that over 50% of the maintenance tasks were categorized as either high or very high risk, with higher REBA section scores noted in the neck, leg, and trunk compared to those of the lower arm, wrist, and upper arm.
Conclusion: Workers performing train maintenance tasks experience a high prevalence and moderate severity of musculoskeletal symptoms. Additionally, most maintenance tasks performed were considered risky. Prompt interventions are necessary to address these findings
Application of Machine Learning Modeling for the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry Injury Rate Prediction
Get PDFIntroduction: Yearly, the International Labor Organization report indicates many workplace accident occurrences. The degree of the happenings depends on the workplace environment setting and the incident regulatory measures implemented. By the nature of its work environment, the oil and gas upstream sector is susceptible to high incident rates. In the current fierce business competition and practices, improving productivity, quality, and other processes, such as Safety, is vital. Implementing well-designed safety procedures is the key to managing and reducing the risk level of workplace incidents.
Methods: Recently, the application of Machine learning (ML) modeling for accident/injury prediction has been reported in the construction, mining, transport, and health sectors. Likewise, the objective of this paper was to implement three machine-learning-based models to predict injury rates in a drilling operation. The petroleum safety authority of Norway provided the datasets. First, the dataset was pre-processed, and then the selected features and target dataset were used for the modeling. Finally, the model prediction and performance accuracy analysis were performed.
Results: Results showed that multivariable regression (MVR), Random Forest (RF), and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) machine learning algorithms-based models predict the test data with R2 values of 0.9576, 0.793, and 0.97036, respectively.
Conclusion: As the common saying goes, \u27prevention is better than cure.\u27 For this, implementing methods such as improved work processes and Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) mitigation procedures, workplace injuries, and accidents allow for reducing the risk level of workplace injuries. The application of integrated machine learning tools, along with carefully built-in workplace accident database implementation, will provide early detection and possible remedial precautions that can be taken to prevent workplace injuries/accidents/fatalities. However, extensive research and development are required to deploy the method in real life. Combining Machine Learning modeling and carefully designed safety measures is vital for successful and robust predictive tools
The effect of noise reduction on work-related stress: a quasi-experimental study on weaving workers exposed to high levels of noise
Get PDFIntroduction: The textile industry is one industry in the world with a high risk in its production process. The operation of weaving machines generates high levels of noise, which can cause various adverse effects on workers\u27 health, especially work-related stress. IT Co. Ltd., one of the largest textile companies in Solo, Central Java, since 1975, has not been able to overcome the problem of the high noise intensity, especially in the weaving production room.
Methods: This study aims to determine the effect of reducing noise exposure on work-related stress by installing sound-absorbing materials from coconut fiber waste. The study was carried out in 2 phases. The first phase measured noise intensity and work stress before the intervention. The second phase was carried out for 12 measurements daily after installing sound-absorbing material from coconut fiber waste.
Results: Installing sound-absorbing material from the coconut fiber waste on the second to the thirteenth day positively reduced the average noise intensity and work-related stress score compared to the first day before the intervention.
Conclusion: The study showed a significant difference in the average noise intensity and work-related stress before and after installing the sound-absorbing materials on 13 days of measurement
The impact of safety culture dimensions on workplace accidents: an application in the Moroccan automotive industry
Get PDFIntroduction: There is a general accord that safety culture is multidimensional. but limited research and publications are there about those dimensions. Almost one-third of the publications presenting safety culture definitions do not discuss the safety culture dimension nor the relationship between the safety culture dimensions and workplace accidents. To further understand the factors influencing this correlation. it appeared appropriate in this situation to investigate the relationship between the safety culture dimensions and occupational accidents. This study aims to identify the safety culture dimensions in the automotive industry in Morocco and its relations with occupational accidents.
Methods: A study was done with 35 of the largest automotive companies in Morocco. the effects of Safety Culture dimensions on workplace accidents in the automotive industry were examined based on the literature review. and a measurement questionnaire that was created with a sample of numerous automotive workers for 2 months in the winter semester of November and December 2022.
Results: The results highlight that the safety culture dimensions have a strong influence on avoiding accidents especially the safety culture\u27s dimensions which present 40%. In addition, the COVID-19 period had a big impact on the number of occupational accidents in the automotive sector. 40.54% of these occupational accidents occurred between 2020 and 2022.
Conclusion: Based on the results gained from the Questionnaire the common safety culture dimensions are employees’ attitudes or unsafe behaviors, lack of staff participation, and inadequate supervision
Assessing Postural Risks in the Building Construction Sector: A Case Study in Bangladesh
Get PDFIntroduction: Among the different parts of the construction sectors, the building sector needs more workers for materials handling because of the absence of proper infrastructural facilities. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) can occur due to awkward body postures and repetitive and long-term contact of body parts with this activity. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the body posture risk levels among building construction workers in Bangladesh.
Methods: This study was conducted using an ergonomic technique called Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) to analyze the body postures of the building construction workers and assess the risk level of WRMSDs. This research examined primary construction tasks such as concrete laying, lifting and carrying materials, bricklaying, plastering, and sand mixing.
Results: The results revealed that the selected tasks\u27 average REBA score was 9.50. It indicates that the postural risk level is high and that certain workers worked in poor postures, putting them at risk of developing WRMSDs. Traditional working methods, as well as non-ergonomic tools and equipment, are to blame for these issues.
Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the postural risk level for building construction workers is alarming. This problem may mitigate by the redesign or change of working methods and equipment in an ergonomic way. Working in proper postures may also minimize the risk of WRMSDs
OpenFOAM Analysis on the Comparison of Safety Requirements Provided for Water-Air and LOX-He Storage Systems
Get PDFIntroduction: In storage vessels filled with cryogenic liquids thermal destratification can be effectively done by the continuous supply of bubble movements. Therefore, the pressure builds up subsequent blasting of such containers can be avoided and cryogenic storage vessels can be used safely. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) approach is utilized in the current computational analysis to examine the safety precautions, dynamics of bubble creation, and subsequent collapse of the free liquid surface in both vertically and horizontally aligned rectangular containers.
Methods: In the present work, using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, numerically investigated the sloshing behavior within a rectangular container with a 15% free air space with double gas inlets.
Results: The impact of inlet gas velocity on sloshing rate due to bubbling is investigated numerically. Also, comparative studies are carried out to investigate the variations of bubble diameter, detachment time, and bubble detachment frequencies considering water-air and LOX-He systems. The mixing behaviors in LOX due to helium bubble formation under different inlet gas velocities were also numerically investigated. The numerical results show that the average deformation index increased by 23.83% when the water-air system was replaced with the LOX-He system. Hence, it can be understood that for the storage vessels filled with cryogenic liquids more safety precautions have to be considered to avoid thermal stratification. The safety precautions include increasing the gas flow rate and including more number gas flow inlets.
Conclusion: The present analysis concludes that under a given condition the free liquid surface deformation is more for the case where storage vessels filled with LOX-He. Hence, it can be understood that for the storage vessels filled with cryogenic liquids more safety precautions have to be considered to avoid thermal stratification. The safety precautions include increasing the gas flow rate and including more number gas flow inlets
Prediction of the Behavior Towards Personal Protective Equipment Use in the Ghanaian Construction Sector: Application of the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior
Get PDFIntroduction: The construction industry experiences a high rate of fatalities and injuries due to unsafe behavior at the workplace. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) effectively prevents occupational accidents, but compliance with its use is not always guaranteed due to unsafe behavior. However, the drivers of PPE use behavior among Ghanaian construction workers are poorly understood. This study aimed to identify the determinants of PPE use behavior among building construction students using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the additional construct of perceived threat.
Methods: Data was collected from 250 building construction students from Ho Technical University using a structured questionnaire. A stepwise multiple logistic regression was used to assess factors influencing PPE use behavior.
Results: The study revealed that the six constructs explained 94% of variance in self-reported PPE use behavior. The intention construct was found to be the strongest predictor of PPE use behavior. Aside from intention, perceived severity was a better predictor of PPE use behavior among all the other constructs.
Conclusion: This finding suggests that the higher the perceived severity, the more likely the students will use PPE to mitigate the risks of exposure to hazards. The findings underlined the importance of emphasizing the severity of occupational injuries from construction activities to improve PPE use behavior