Work - Volume 61, issue 1

Authors: Clarkson, L. | Blewett, V. | Rainbird, S. | Paterson, J.L. | Etherton, H.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Young workers are at an increased risk of work place injury, and are less likely to report hazards or injuries, or apply for workers’ compensation even though they are over-represented in workers’ compensation statistics in comparison with their older peers. OBJECTIVE: To identify young workers’ perceptions of work health and safety (WHS), why and how they report (or do not report) hazards and injuries, and examine where they source WHS information. This paper reports on the first stage of a larger, mixed methods study on WHS and young workers in South Australia. METHODS: A total …of 226 young South Australian workers aged between 12 and 25 years completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using chi-squared analysis for categorical variables and t -tests where the dependent variable was continuous. RESULTS: Three quarters of young workers identified stress at work, not being trained to do the job, fatigue from work and lifting heavy things at work as WHS issues, although not necessarily as issues that they have personally experienced. Most young workers obtained information about WHS through their employer although a sizable proportion sourced this information from friends and social media. Young workers identified that they lacked confidence to report WHS issues. When they did report issues, many young workers reported these issues to their parents, despite identifying that their parents were often unable to help. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings contribute to our understanding of young workers’ perceptions of work health and safety. Although young workers could identify their concerns about particular health and safety related issues at work, they lacked the confidence to report their concerns and had limited information about where to go for help. The research suggests that there is a need to empower young people to report WHS concerns to their employer and provide structures and processes that encourage reporting. Show more

Keywords: Injury reporting, training, online survey, vulnerable workers

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182788

Citation: Work, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 113-123, 2018

Authors: Bascompta, M. | Sanmiquel, L. | Vintró, C. | Rossell, J.M. | Costa, M.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Health and safety is a crucial issue in the mining industry due to the implication of accidents in the sector. OBJECTIVE: This study determines the safety culture characteristics in several mining activities from South America. METHODS: A survey of the safety culture maturity has been done by means of 24 questions regarding the type of activity, number of employees and safety culture characteristics of the activity: information of accidents and incidents, organizational structure to deal with information, involvement of the company in health and safety issues, the way it communicates accidents and incidents and commitment …of the company towards health and safety. RESULTS: The questionnaire was completed by 62 managers from Bolivia, Peru and Colombia. Results show different behaviors depending on the type of company, Artisanal or Large-Scale Mines, ASM and LSM respectively. LSM show a level of maturity according to the size of the company, while ASM does not have a clear trend in terms of size, even though there is a relationship between employees and safety culture maturity. In addition, a remarkable difference can be seen between activities with and without continuous improvement systems implemented. CONCLUSIONS: Large scale mining improves their level of safety culture as the size of the company increases, because procedures and control systems are implemented. Cooperatives or small companies also achieve substantial gains when they introduce similar systems. Show more

Keywords: Safety culture, Artisanal scale mines, Large scale mines, South America

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182781

Citation: Work, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 125-133, 2018

Authors: Shrestha, Pramen P. | Shrestha, Kishor | Becerra, Eric

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the United States, about 38,000 cases of nonfatal workplace injuries were reported in 2015, in the category of ‘mechanical work’ (plumbing, heating, and air conditioning); this is nearly identical to the number of cases reported under ‘building construction’. OBJECTIVE: This paper analyzes the types and rates of injuries and illnesses of mechanical contractors of southern Nevada, including the nature of the injuries and illnesses, body parts affected by injuries, causes of injuries, and factors affecting the injury rates. METHODS: To obtain data, a survey consisting of questions regarding the number of injuries and types …of injuries was conducted with 31 mechanical contractors of southern Nevada involved in plumbing, piping, heating, refrigeration, and air conditioning. RESULTS: The injury rate for larger mechanical contractors (n  = 16), in terms of number of employees and annual revenue, was significantly lower than for smaller mechanical contractors (n  = 15). Mechanical contractors who worked on residential buildings (n  = 13) had significantly higher rates of injuries than those involved with industrial (n  = 7) or commercial buildings (n  = 10). Results showed that sprains and strains (31%) were dominant injuries, and the major causes were from parts and materials (39%), hand tools (16%), contact with objects (14%), and falls (7%). CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that the injury rate for these mechanical contractors was found to be higher than that reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for specialty trade contractors. Show more

Keywords: Personal protective equipment, OSHA 10-hour training, southern Nevada

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182787

Citation: Work, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 135-148, 2018

Authors: Ejlertsson, Lina | Heijbel, Bodil | Troein, Margareta | Brorsson, Annika

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Lack of recovery from everyday strains and demands is connected to increased levels of stress-related problems and development of ill-health. There is much research on how to handle and prevent fatigue and stress in leisure time, but research on working time is more scarce. A recent study found that employees’ experience of recovery during working hours was related to high self-rated health. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the concept of recovery during working hours among primary health care workers. METHODS: Eight focus groups with 50 staff members, men and women, from …different professions were conducted in the primary health care sector in southern Sweden. The analysis was inspired by systematic text condensation, a strategy for qualitative analysis. RESULTS: Three main categories were identified as important factors for experiencing recovery during working hours: variation (including changes in location, tasks and tempo) companionship (including helpfulness, appreciation, social chat and laughter) and manageability (including completion, satisfaction, influence, control and reflection). CONCLUSIONS: Recovery during working hours is multifaceted. The categories identified in this study will be further elaborated and tested. Show more

Keywords: Work, employees, health, primary health care

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182783

Citation: Work, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 149-156, 2018

Authors: Coelho, Denis A. | Lourenço, Miguel L.

Article Type: Research Article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Focusing on the efficiency aspect of computer pointing devices’ usability, this paper reports on a novel and tentative empirically derived efficiency index for 3D CAD. OBJECTIVE: Three commercially available computer pointing devices were compared: a standard horizontal computer mouse, a vertical device (supporting neutral pronation of the forearm) and a slanted device. METHODS: Pilot structured observations of 10 subjects’ activity were carried out to estimate the proportion of each unique computer mouse operation during CAD modelling with a 3D parametric software. Pointing, dragging and steering standardized tasks were implemented by software and performed by 20 …users. Effectiveness and efficiency were calculated and discomfort, effort and ease of use were subjectively assessed. RESULTS: The mean efficiency index value was lower for the vertical device. Assessments of discomfort, effort and ease of use also supported considering preference for the horizontal and slanted devices, providing limited internal validation. CONCLUSION: Results suggest the tentative index may offer a valid means of ranking performance of alternative pointing devices regarding operation efficiency. Show more

Keywords: Effectiveness, usability, PC mouse, performance

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-182785

Citation: Work, vol. 61, no. 1, pp. 157-170, 2018