PhareSST (Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé)
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Qualitative examination of the experience of perceived injustice following disabling occupational injury
No full textPurpose: The primary objective of this study was to explore individuals’ perspectives on the factors, situations or events that contributed to their perceptions of injustice following occupational injury. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of 30 participants (18 women, 12 men) who had submitted a time-loss claim for a work-related musculoskeletal injury. Participants with elevated scores on a measure of perceived injustice were interviewed about the factors that contributed to their sense of injustice. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the broad classes of situations or events that participants experienced as unjust in the weeks following occupational injury. Results: Three dominant themes emerged from the interviews: (1) Invalidation, (2) Undeserved suffering and (3) Blame. Inductively derived subthemes reflected specific dimensions of post-injury experiences that contributed to participants’ sense of injustice. Conclusions: Given that suffering and invalidating communication are potentially modifiable factors, there are grounds for optimism that intervention approaches can be developed to prevent or reduce perceptions of injustice in the aftermath of debilitating injury. The development of intervention approaches that are effective in preventing or reducing perceptions of injustice holds promise of contributing to more positive recovery outcomes in individuals who have sustained debilitating work injuries. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2023
Balancing intended collaboration and safety requirements during the design and implementation of an industrial cobot application: A case study
No full textCollaborative robotic finishing platform for metal part processing towards industry 5.0
Full text linkManual finishing operations in aerospace and ground transportation industries are often associated with health-and-safety-related issues such as musculoskeletal disorders, productivity loss, and challenges in workforce renewal. This work presents an innovative automated solution to address these challenges, prioritizing the ease of implementation and affordability for small and midsize enterprises (SMEs). Our proposed solution is a collaborative robotic (cobotic) finishing platform designed to eliminate labor-intensive work while keeping human operators in the loop to manage unforeseen situations. This platform aims to eliminate health risks, enhance repeatability, improve product quality, and increase productivity. This paper describes the mechanical design of the platform, its embedded cyber-physical system (CPS), interactivity features, as well as its risk assessment and risk mitigation. The platform integrates a UR10 cobot mounted upside down on a gantry structure to expand workspace, along with 3D sensors, scene cameras, compliance end-effectors, a dust collection system, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and augmented reality projectors to assist the operator for easy execution of finishing tasks. The CPS comprises interconnected physical twins, their models, and relevant packages for the control of the whole finishing process from PLC to autonomous robot programming. Safety measures, including safety-rated devices, attenuation measures, and personal protective equipment, are integrated to ensure operator’s safety. While many research streams are fully integrated into the platform and CPS, some are still in the process of integration. Despite this, various finishing tasks have been successfully executed using the platform, demonstrating its potential to transform metal part finishing processes in industry
Véhicules électriques et batteries de puissance Li-ion : comprendre et prévenir les risques
No full textCette conférence présente la démarche qui a mené à la production d’une Foire aux questions, fournissant de l’information sur les défis SST des véhicules électriques et des batteries de puissance lithium-ion.
Pour visiter le site Web dédié à ce suje
Rehabilitating workers aged 55 and over: Professionals’ perspectives and solutions
No full textPurpose: Work disability affects a growing number of workers aged 55 and over (W55 +). While rehabilitation programs have demonstrated efficacy for workers with an average age of 42, they often have not been designed to meet unique needs of aging workers. This study aimed to describe the difficulties encountered by work rehabilitation professionals and explore their solutions for improving services offered to W55 +. Methods: This study used a simple descriptive design with purposive sampling. Occupational therapists, physical therapists, and psychologists were mainly recruited in private clinics. An interview guide based on the Work Disability Paradigm was piloted and used with the participants. Qualitative interviews were conducted with work rehabilitation professionals and then transcribed. A thematic analysis was performed. Results: The sample consisted of fifteen participants (average age 38 years) with near equal representation across genders and disciplines. Difficulties were identified in relation to the (1) characteristics of W55 +, (2) work environment, (3) compensation system, and (4) communication among stakeholders. Five solutions were proposed to improve the services offered: provide healthcare professionals with access to tools and training, implement communication mechanisms, integrate a return-to-work coordinator, develop a joint action plan for managing W55 +, and implement an integrative prevention approach in workplaces. Conclusions: Our results represent a first step in mapping various stakeholders’ needs to ensure better support for W55 + with work disabilities. These results delineate a roadmap for future research that should expand upon these stakeholders’ perspectives to provide a more comprehensive description of their needs and potential solutions. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2024
Derivative method to detect sleep and awake states through heart rate variability analysis using machine learning algorithms
No full textSleep disorders can have harmful consequences in both the short and long term. They can lead to attention deficits, as well as cardiac, neurological and behavioral repercussions. One of the most widely used methods for assessing sleep disorders is polysomnography (PSG). A major challenge associated with this method is all the cables needed to connect the recording devices, making the examination more intrusive and usually requiring a clinical environment. This can have potential consequences on the test results and their accuracy. One simple way to assess the state of the central nervous system (CNS), a well-known indicator of sleep disorder, could be the use of a portable medical device. With this in mind, we implemented a simple model using both the RR interval (RRI) and its second derivative to accurately predict the awake and napping states of a subject using a feature classification model. For training and validation, we used a database providing measurements from nine healthy young adults (six men and three women), in which heart rate variability (HRV) associated with light-on, light-off, sleep onset and sleep offset events. Results show that using a 30 min RRI time series window suffices for this lightweight model to accurately predict whether the patient was awake or napping. © 2024 by the authors
What are the perceptions and lived experiences of Canadian injured workers about the provision of physiotherapy services using telerehabilitation?
No full textPurpose
Despite evidence of efficacy, the effectiveness of telerehabilitation in real-world clinical settings is still largely unknown. Telerehabilitation requires a substantial transformation of the organization and delivery of traditional services. Considering that a virtual setting can create unique challenges for providing physiotherapy services and given the physical and potential hands-on nature of evidence-based assessments and interventions, it is important to investigate what injured workers think of receiving physiotherapy care via telerehabilitation and to examine if rehabilitation needs are adequately met.
Methods
A qualitative interpretive description study was conducted to explore the perspectives and experiences of 17 injured workers receiving physiotherapy via telerehabilitation. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with participants from three provinces in Western Canada and analysed using thematic analysis. Qualitative rigour criteria of epistemological integrity, analytic logic, interpretive authority, and representative credibility were considered throughout this study.
Results
Implementation of telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mixed perceptions from injured workers. Some viewed telerehabilitation as a resourceful option for providing services during the pandemic lockdown, resulting in maintained communications while overcoming barriers to services (e.g., rural/remote workers, transportation barriers, etc.). However, many thought telerehabilitation was inferior to in-person therapy for assessment and when ‘handson’ interaction was needed. Many believed a hybrid option may be ideal now that pandemic restrictions are lifted, with telerehabilitation supplementing in-person physiotherapy when needed.
Conclusions
Telerehabilitation was viewed as a resourceful option during the pandemic and in certain clinical situations (e.g., rural/remote). Workers should be able to make informed choices about service delivery format
Biodegradable polyhydroxybutyrate microfiber membranes decorated with photoactive Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles for enhanced antibacterial and anti-biofouling activities
Full text linkDeveloping advanced materials with antibacterial and antifouling activities offers an adequate protection solution against surface bacterial contamination—a common cause of infection threatening human health. The current work reports the preparation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) microfiber membranes decorated with photoactive Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles using electrospinning coupled with dip-coating methods. The decoration of Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles strongly enhances the antibacterial properties of prepared membranes, particularly under light illumination, thanks to their photocatalytic activity. The best-performing sample exhibits potent antibacterial efficiency exceeding 99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis after 3 and 1 h of exposure to low-power commercial LED light, respectively. The prepared samples also display excellent reusability with an insignificant antibacterial activity decrease after three cycles (\u3c 2% loss in antibacterial efficiency). Furthermore, these samples effectively prevent bacterial fouling due to their potent antibacterial properties. Notably, despite the strong antibacterial effect, decorated Ag-TiO2 nanoparticles promote the adhesion of microorganisms, accelerating the biodegradation of PHB microfibers. As a result, the prepared microfiber membranes with nanoparticle decoration exhibit biodegradability comparable to the non-decorated membrane, with the soil degradation rates reaching almost 99% after only 6 weeks. © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC
A multi-scalar approach is essential to prevent the risk of pesticide exposure in the agricultural world
Full text linkAgriculture is a sector particularly affected by the risk of pesticide exposure. The scientific literature associates agricultural pesticides with numerous effects on farmers\u27 health (cancer, lymphoma, anxiety disorders). A number of studies have shown that it is necessary to examine the question of ‘real exposure’ in greater depth, in particular through a more detailed description of work practices, in order to take preventive action.
Despite the preventive measures developed in the agricultural sector in France and Canada, farmers continue to be exposed, to expose themselves and those around them to pesticides when handling products or working in the field. They have to comply with numerous regulations, but cannot rely on safety measures adapted to their work activity and its constraints to prevent exposure.
In order to understand the different forms of pesticide exposure and consider the transformation of risk situations in a plural way, we show in this contribution how, within our respective research-interventions (in Bordeaux viticulture and Quebec apple growing), we have each sought to enrich the analysis of exposure in real work with a broader, contextual approach to the activity.
Our contribution seeks to: (1) to make visible a methodology for multi-scalar analysis of the determinants of exposure, whether internal to the farm or external to it (located beyond the decision-making scope of the business), (2) to contribute to the development of an exposure analysis that takes into account the personal and professional concerns of farmers, to promote a more sustainable approach to prevention
The contribution of work activity analysis in assessing the comfort of protective clothing against pesticides
Full text linkFarmers are exposed to pesticides during handling or other tasks. In Canada, due to the lack of a clear designation, a variety of clothing offering protection against pesticides are used. One of the aims of the ISO 27 065 standard is to standardize the characteristics of protective clothing (PC) in order to provide better protection for farmers.
A multidisciplinary research projected has been developed in order to facilitate the identification of effective PC and improve farmers\u27 compliance with the requirements of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). It aims to develop a multidisciplinary methodology for evaluating the comfort of VPs dedicated to pesticides, in order to compare ISO 27 065 CP with the protective clothing currently worn by Canadian farmers. This presentation aims to demonstrate the relevance of work activity analysis, as used in ergonomics, in assessing the comfort of PC.
The project was conducted in collaboration with Canadian 11 apple growers, all of whom were responsible for pesticide spraying in their orchards. Preliminary interviews to describe the participants\u27 socio-demographic profile and their use of pesticides and protective clothing were conducted prior to the spraying season. Filmed observations, coupled with measurement of external skin exposure, were carried out with the apple growers during the pesticide spray preparation-filling and spraying tasks.
Thematic analysis of the verbatim and videos documented the components of comfort. The data obtained through work activity analysis thus complemented exposure measurement and questionnaire data collection. This approach should be used to enrich proposals for task-specific design criteria