• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.415-420
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• 2022

Background: Healthcare workers perform an emotionally exhausting daily work activity, making them prone to occupational hazards, namely psychosocial ones. This study aims to assess the impact of psychosocial risk factors on healthcare workers' mental health. Methods: A cross-sectional study was developed between May and June of 2021 with 479 healthcare workers from Portuguese hospitals. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale was used to assess mental health, and psychosocial risks were assessed through the Health and Work Survey - INSAT. Statistical analysis was performed to identify the psychosocial risk factors related to anxiety, depression, and stress. Subsequently, a multiple linear regression was performed to identify the models that better explained psychosocial risk factors' relationship with anxiety, depression, and stress. Results: Data showed a strong exposure to psychosocial risks. Work pace and intensity, work relationships, and emotional demands stood out with higher global average percentages for yes answers to "exposure and discomfort." The analysis of the b values and p-values from the multiple linear regression shows that some cross-sectional psychosocial risks are predictors of anxiety and stress dimensions, and other psychosocial risks differ in the two mental health dimensions. However, it is important to highlight that healthcare workers still showed great joy and pleasure in performing their work activities. Conclusion: Support network development in the work environment is needed to prevent healthcare workers' emotional stress and promote their psychological well-being. Therefore, new research is essential to understand the psychosocial risks that affect healthcare workers and assess the less visible effects of work-health relationships.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제8권2호
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• pp.212-219
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• 2017

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a major problem for office workers. Individuals adopting poor postures during prolonged sitting have a considerably increased risk of experiencing LBP. This study aimed to investigate seat pressure distribution characteristics, i.e., average pressure, peak pressure ratio, frequency of postural shift, and body perceived discomfort (BPD), during 1 hour of sitting among office workers with and without chronic LBP. Methods: Forty-six participants (chronic LBP = 23, control = 23) typed a standardized text passage at a computer work station for an hour. A seat pressure mat device was used to collect the seat pressure distribution data. Body discomfort was assessed using the Body Perceived Discomfort scale. Results: Office workers with chronic LBP sat significantly more asymmetrically than their healthy counterparts. During 1-hour sitting, all workers appeared to assume slumped sitting postures after 20 minutes of sitting. Healthy workers had significantly more frequent postural shifts than chronic LBP workers during prolonged sitting. Conclusion: Different sitting characteristics between healthy and chronic LBP participants during 1 hour of sitting were found, including symmetry of sitting posture and frequency of postural shift. Further research should examine the roles of these sitting characteristics on the development of LBP.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• 제33권1호
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• pp.98-108
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing care workers' patient safety behaviors (PSB), we hoped to provide baseline data for its activation. Methods: The subjects of this study were chosen by convenience sampling, which included 114 care workers at long term care facilities. Data were collected from August 22 to October 10, 2018. The gathered data were analyzed using the SPSS program, which was used to Cronbach's alpha, descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise regression. Results: The care workers' average PSB was at 7.81 points, patient safety culture (PSC) 3.86 points and safety of long-term care facilities 7.07. PSB positively correlated with safety of facilities(r=.802, p<.001) and PSC(r=.558, p<.001). Work attitude and satisfaction of job were explained 35.1% of the PSB. Conclusion: Administrators of long term care facilities should be interested in patient safety culture and improving job satisfaction of care workers in order to improve patient safety behaviors.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제13권4호
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• pp.482-486
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• 2022

Background: This study aimed to estimate the annual prevalence and incidence of urolithiasis stratified by work status based on a large nationwide sample. Methods: This study used data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort from 2002 to 2015. The prevalence and incidence of urolithiasis were estimated based on work status and gender stratification. The risk of urolithiasis among workers was calculated using age-standardized incidence ratio with stratification of work type. Results: The prevalence of urolithiasis was significantly higher in workers than in non-workers, especially men, during the follow-up period. The total estimated number of urolithiasis cases was 41,086 and the overall incidence of urolithiasis was 0.3%. The age-standardized incidence ratio of urolithiasis was significantly higher among the total workers (1.14; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-1.16), self-employed workers (1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.11), and paid workers (1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-1.21) than among the non-working population. Conclusions: Workers, especially paid workers and men, were vulnerable to urolithiasis. Further studies are required to investigate the effects of working conditions on urolithiasis.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.1-14
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• 2020

Objectives: This study examined factors influencing hospital workers' perception of patient safety culture, job boredom and job crafting in reporting of safety compliance. Methods: Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 245 hospital workers who were full-time staff for six months or more. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficients and hierarchical multiple regressions with SPSS/WIN version 22.0. Results: The mean score for perception of patient safety culture was 3.16±0.32, for job boredom was 2.52±0.52, for job crafting was 3.35±0.49 and for degree of safety compliance was 2.87±0.3. The hierarchical multiple analysis revealed that hospital work environment (β=.27, p<.001), communication process (β=.27, p<.001) of subarea perception of patient safety culture and cognitive crafting (β=.15, p=.039) of subarea job crafting were predictive of patient safety compliance (R2=.47, p<.001). Conclusions: The findings indicate that perception of patient safety culture and job crafting are important factors to be considered in working to improve hospital workers' safety compliance. Therefore, education and systematic programs to improve perception of patient safety culture and job crafting should be developed.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제11권2호
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• pp.244-247
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• 2020

The occurrence of the shift work disorder (SWD) in health-care workers (HCWs) employed in 24/7 hospital wards is a major concern through the world. In accordance with literature, SWD is the most frequent work-related disturb in HCWs working on shift schedules including night shift. In agreement with the Luxembourg Declaration on workplace health promotion (WHP) in the European Union, a WHP program has been developed in a large Hospital, involving both individual-oriented and organizational-oriented measures, with the aim to prevent the occurrence of SWD in nurses working on shifts including night shift. The objective assessment of rotating shift work risk and the excessive sleepiness were detected before and after the implementation of the WHP program, by using the Rotating Shiftwork-questionnaire and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale. The findings of this study showed the effectiveness of the implemented WHP program in minimizing the impact of shift work on workers' health and in preventing the misalignment between sleep-wake rhythm and shift working.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제10권1호
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• pp.1-2
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• 2019

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• 제7권4호
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• pp.104-110
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• 2019

Since 1986, domestic sewage treatment plants have installed and operated biogas plants that produce biogas (digested gas) using food, livestock manure and sewage sludge as part of the use of alternative energy for energy independence. Despite concerns about safety accidents and risks of large-scale accidents due to the continuous expansion of biogas plants, the Ministry of Environment has managed and supervised biogas plants to be environmental plants, focusing on environmental management. There is a lack of safety awareness of workers' processes. Only recently has the process safety management (PSM) system been implemented in biogas plants, but workers' perceptions of process safety have changed. As there is a difference in the degree of safety process management and safety awareness among workers, it is necessary to establish clear and systematic safety management standards. Therefore, The purpose of this study is to examine whether the application of the plant safety management (PSM) system to biogas plants is effective for workers' safety awareness in order to ensure safe operation of biogas plants and prevent workers' safety accidents in advance.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제9권4호
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• pp.416-420
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• 2018

Background: Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-OHP) has been widely used as a biomarker of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in occupationally exposed workers. The objective of this study is to investigate the concentration of urinary 1-OHP among charcoal workers as subjects and non-charcoal workers as controls. Methods: Early morning urine samples were collected from 68 persons (25 charcoal workers in Igbo-Ora, 20 charcoal workers in Alabata, and 23 non-charcoal workers) who volunteered to participate in this study. 1-OHP determination in urine samples was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography after hydrolysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis at p < 0.05. Results: The mean urinary 1-OHP concentration (${\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine) among charcoal workers at Igbo-Ora and Alabata and non-charcoal workers were $2.22{\pm}1.27$, $1.32{\pm}0.65$, and $0.32{\pm}0.26$ (p < 0.01). There existed a relationship between respondent type and 1-OHP concentration. Charcoal workers were 3.14 times more at risk of having 1-OHP concentrations that exceed the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists guideline of $0.49{\mu}mol/mol$ creatinine than non-charcoal workers (relative risk = 3.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.7-5.8, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Charcoal workers are exposed to PAHs during charcoal production and are at risk of experiencing deleterious effects of PAH exposure. Routine air quality assessment should be carried out in communities where charcoal production takes place. Assessment of urinary 1-OHP concentration and use of personal protective equipment should also be encouraged among charcoal workers.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• 제8권1호
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• pp.84-88
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• 2017

Background: Workers in slaughterhouses are exposed to a wide range of biological contaminants, such as bacteria and fungi, due to their working environment. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of respiratory disorders among workers in slaughterhouses. Methods: This study was conducted on 81 workers in slaughterhouses and 81 healthy office workers as a reference group. The American Thoracic Society standard respiratory symptoms questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of respiratory disorders. Besides, lung function tests were conducted using a calibrated spirometer at the beginning (preshift) and at the end (postshift) of the $1^{st}$ working day. Single-stage Anderson sampler was used to measure the concentration of bioaerosols in different parts of slaughterhouses. Results: The prevalence of respiratory disorders, such as cough, productive cough, breathlessness, phlegm, and wheezing, was 3.17, 4.02, 3.07, 4.66, and 3.94 times, respectively, higher among workers in slaughterhouses compared with the reference group. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory disorders was significantly higher among workers in slaughterhouses. Thus, the significant reduction in the percentage predicted lung function among workers in slaughterhouses might be associated with exposure to bioaerosols in their work environment.