• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.12 no.1
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2021

Background: During the period 2001 to 2016, the maximum temperatures in Thailand rose from 38-41℃ to 42-44℃. The current occupational heat exposure standard of Thailand issued in 2006 is based on wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) defined for three workload levels without a work-rest regimen. This study examined whether the present standard still protects most workers. Methods: The sample comprised 168 heat acclimatized workers (90 in construction sites, 78 in foundries). Heart rate and auditory canal temperature were recorded continuously for 2 hours. Workplace WBGT, relative humidity, and wind velocity were monitored, and the participants' workloads were estimated. Heat-related symptoms and signs were collected by a questionnaire. Results: Only 55% of the participants worked in workplaces complying with the heat standard. Of them, 79% had auditory canal temperature ≤ 38.5℃, compared with only 58% in noncompliant workplaces. 18% and 43% of the workers in compliant and noncompliant workplaces, respectively, had symptoms from heat stress, the trend being similar across all workload levels. An increase of one degree (C) in WBGT was associated with a 1.85-fold increase (95% confidence interval: 1.44-2.48) in odds for having symptoms. Conclusion: Compliance with the current occupational heat standard protects 4/5 of the workers, whereas noncompliance reduces this proportion to one half. The reasons for noncompliance include the gaps and ambiguities in the law. The law should specify work/rest schedules; outdoor work should be identified as an occupational heat hazard; and the staff should include occupational personnel to manage heat stress in establishments involving heat exposure.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.6 no.3
• /
• pp.184-191
• /
• 2015

Chemical mutagenicity is a major hazard that is important to workers' health. Despite the use of large amounts of allyl chloride, the available mutagenicity data for this chemical remains controversial. To clarify the mutagenicity of allyl chloride and because a micronucleus (MN) test had not yet been conducted, we screened for MN induction by using male ICR mice bone marrow cells. The test results indicated that this chemical is not mutagenic under the test conditions. In this paper, the regulatory test battery and several assay combinations used to determine the genotoxic potential of chemicals in the workplace have been described. Further application of these assays may prove useful in future development strategies of hazard evaluations of industrial chemicals. This study also should help to improve the testing of this chemical by commonly used mutagenicity testing methods and investigations on the underlying mechanisms and could be applicable for workers' health.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.255-260
• /
• 2021

Background: A well-designed shift schedule has been reported to have a positive effect on improving health problems associated with shift work. This study aimed to identify compliance with the 17 recommendations on work schedule (WSRs) for shift nurses and related factors. Methods: The descriptive study was conducted with 182 nurses who worked in three shifts for more than 1 year at superior general and general hospitals in three regions. Data were collected with selfadministered questionnaire and 13-week work schedule tables, and analyzed with both person- and cycle-based compliance. Results: Person-based compliance was 11.77 among 17 items in total. However, no one completely complied with WSRs of "no work on weekends" and which showed the lowest cycle-based compliance (22.3%). Compliance with some WSRs was related to hospital type, proportion of nurses in school and having standards on work schedule at institutional level. Conclusion: Compliance with WSRs of shift nurses in Korea is still unsatisfactory, and one day off after night shift and work on weekend are quite common. Hospitals should keep the standards on work schedule, monitor compliance with standards, and try to introduce modified shift systems to improve the current problems.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.3 no.4
• /
• pp.298-304
• /
• 2012

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has experienced tremendous economic and industrial growth in the petroleum, airline, maritime and construction sectors, especially since the discovery of oil reserves. Mass recruitment of low skilled or unskilled laborers from less-developed countries has been utilized to satisfy the manpower demands of these fast paced industrial developments. Such workforce recruitment has created an unusual populace demographic, with the total UAE population estimated at 8.3 million, composed of 950,000 Emiratis, with the remainder being multinational expatriate workers, with varying educational qualifications, work experience, religious beliefs, cultural practices, and native languages. These unique characteristics pose a challenge for health and safety professionals tasked with ensuring the UAE workforce adheres to specific occupational health and safety procedures. The paper discusses two case studies that employ a novel multimedia approach to raising health and safety awareness among a multinational workforce.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.4 no.3
• /
• pp.160-165
• /
• 2013

Background: Occupational accidents are unplanned events that cause damage. The socio-economic impacts and human costs of accidents are tremendous around the world. Many fatalities happen every year in workplaces such as electricity distribution companies. Some electrical injuries are electrocution, electric shock, and burns. This study was conducted in an electricity distribution company (with rotational 12-hour shift work) in Iran during an 8-year period to survey descriptive factors of injuries. Methods: Variables collected included accident time, age of injured worker, employment type, work experience, injury cause, educational background, and other information about accidents. Results: Results indicated that most of the accidents occurred in summer, and 51.3% were during shift work. Worker negligence (malpractice) was the cause of 75% of deaths. Type of employment had a significant relationship with type of injuries (p < 0.05). Most injuries were electrical burns. Conclusion: High rate of accidents in summer may be due to the warm weather or insufficient professional skills in seasonal workers. Shift workers are at risk of sleep complaints leading to a high rate of work injuries. Acquiring knowledge about safety was related to job experiences. Temporary workers have no chance to work all year like permanent workers, therefore impressive experiences may be less in them. Because the lack of protective equipment and negligence are main causes of accidents, periodical inspections in workshops are necessary.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.14 no.3
• /
• pp.295-302
• /
• 2023

Background: Fisheries and aquaculture are statistically acknowledged to be among the most dangerous occupations. Yet, industrial safety and health precautions against occupational accidents within the sector are not sufficiently implemented in many parts of the world. The present study aims to provide a quantified overview of work accident statistics in the Turkish fisheries and aquaculture industry. Methods: This article presents an overview of reported injuries and fatalities in the Turkish fisheries and aquaculture industries from 2006 to 2020. Incident, permanent incapacity, and fatality rates were calculated, and the difference between fisheries and aquaculture was statistically examined. Results: The overall incident, permanent incapacity, and fatality rates were 449.4, 4.7, and 5.7 per 100,000 worker years, respectively, over the 15-year period. With these fatality rates, fisheries and aquaculture are two of the industries with the highest fatality rates among comparable industries in Turkey. Incident rates in fisheries and aquaculture indicated that aquaculture work is more dangerous and risky. The data set includes 25 fatalities and 22 permanent incapacity cases over 15 years and shows an increase in fatality rates and occupational accidents in the last 8 years. Conclusion: present study showed that the quality of data and reporting in the Turkish fisheries and aquaculture industries including occupational illnesses, must be improved in order to be more preventative and to develop efficient safety management in the sector. Incentives for providing thorough data on occupational incidents must be enhanced to improve occupational safety awareness in Turkish fisheries and aquaculture.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.13-19
• /
• 2010

Risk level for each construction work can be very important factors to establish advanced prevention measures. But it is important how to produce it. There are three different methods to set it up for construction situation. They are as follows; 1) occurrence frequency = the number of accident workers of each work kind / yearly accident workers 2) occurrence frequency = the number of accident workers of each work kind / yearly workers 3) occurrence frequency = the number of accident workers of each work kind / the total workers All these three concepts(=averaged concept)are analyzed. Additionally frequency based on discrete curve, and severity based on continuous curve are also combined for producing risk level with more scientific approach. This risk level can be very useful to make prevention plan or take measures at construction sites. This is study result can change existing risk level concept to new concept of it, namely rail way work and in-water work showed be high risk level and RC work be low risk level, different from the situation which we have thought commonly, so far.

• Journal of the Korea Safety Management & Science
• /
• v.16 no.3
• /
• pp.219-229
• /
• 2014

Employees used computer significantly(IT employee) is increased by technological development in workplace. This study tried to find the magnitude of IT employees and the profile of their working conditions and ill health experiences in South Korea. Korean Working Conditions Survey was used with descriptive and mean difference test in order to find the difference working conditions and ill health status among the groups classified by the degree of using computer during work. Some of working conditions was positively correlated with the density of computer use such as work autonomy, the exposure of repetitive movement of hand and arms. The pain of upper extreme was also more frequently found in the highest user group of computer than lower user groups. Based on the result of hierarchical regression analysis, the effect of computer using on the experience of work-related symptoms after controlling other factors was shown as U shape. This study as heuristic one suggest that some of depth analysis with hypothesis will be done to identify the causes and pathway of impact of computer use.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.5 no.3
• /
• pp.140-146
• /
• 2014

Background: Young male and female workers are over-represented in statistics concerning negative outcomes of poor work environment and risky work. Young workers often have low awareness of risk, a lack of safety training, and inadequate introduction to the work. The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge and experiences of pupils of vocational schools concerning potential work environment risks in their future work. Methods: The study design was a dual one, and included a questionnaire and focus group interviews. The study group consisted of 239 pupils from 10 upper secondary schools, who were graduating pupils in four vocational programs: the Industrial Technology Programme, the Restaurant Management and Food Programme, the Transport Programme, and the Handicraft Programme (in which students specialize in wood products). The upper secondary schools were located in the central region of Sweden. Results: The pupils had limited knowledge that employers must, by law, conduct risk analyses and prevent risks. Many felt that they themselves are mainly responsible for performing their tasks safely. Pupils in all programs mentioned acute risk as the greatest risk at work. The theoretical education about safety at work was provided in the $1^{st}$ year of the 3-year vocational programs. Conclusion: A systematic approach to pupils' training in work environment, which is a basis for a safe and healthy workplace, is lacking. The study findings indicate that pupils are offered knowledge far from that intended by laws and by state-of-the-art occupational health risk research.

• Safety and Health at Work
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.147-153
• /
• 2021

Background: In this study, the association of work and demographic characteristics with different traffic offenses committed by food delivery riders in Greece was examined. Previous research has identified various factors related to risky driving however, there is a need for exploring the complex interrelationship of work-related factors underlying risky driving behavior. Materials and Methods: A 2-items uestionnaire was used exploring delivery riders demographic characteristics, terms of employment, issues of concern during work and type of traffic offenses committed. In total, uestionnaires were analyzed using logistic regression in order to identify characteristics independently associated with serious traffic offenses, namely, red-light running and helmet non-use. Results: The analysis showed that: (i) typical health and safety measures had no effect on serious traffic offenses, (ii) young age was related to both offenses however (iii) different sets of work conditions were associated with reports of red-light running (i.e. low work experience, use of personal vehicle for work, and payment by hour) and helmet non-use respectively (i.e. intense work pace, high tip income per day and low concern about vehicle condition). Conclusion: The above findings provide evidence that serious traffic offenses are manifestations of underlying conflict experienced by the riders between safety and various performance criteria. Each one of the two offenses is related to different rider profiles aiming to satisfy different goals, namely, those mainly trying to maximize profit non-helmet users and those, mostly inexperienced ones, trying to cope with work pressure red light runners. Potential regulatory measures to alleviate risky practices are discussed.