Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons^™

Douleur, Dépression, Incapacité Et Résultats De La Réadaptation, Michael J.L. Sullivan, Maureen Simmonds, Ana Velly

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Cette étude avait pour objectif principal d'évaluer le lien entre les symptômes de dépression et les résultats de la réadaptation chez des travailleurs ayant subi des lésions musculo-squelettiques. Plus de 200 personnes ont participé au début, au milieu et à la fin d'un programme de réadaptation, à des tests relatifs à la dépression, à l’intensité de la douleur, à la pensée catastrophique et à la crainte d’exécuter un mouvement. Ils ont aussi répondu à une entrevue 12 mois après la fin des traitements. Les résultats indiquent que la dépression agit négativement …

Pain, Depression, Disability And Rehabilitation Outcomes, Michael J.L. Sullivan, Maureen Simmonds, Ana Velly

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Cette étude avait pour objectif principal d'évaluer le lien entre les symptômes de dépression et les résultats de la réadaptation chez des travailleurs ayant subi des lésions musculo-squelettiques. Plus de 200 personnes ont participé au début, au milieu et à la fin d'un programme de réadaptation, à des tests relatifs à la dépression, à l’intensité de la douleur, à la pensée catastrophique et à la crainte d’exécuter un mouvement. Ils ont aussi répondu à une entrevue 12 mois après la fin des traitements. Les résultats indiquent que la dépression agit négativement …

Effet Des Substances Chimiques Sur L’Audition : Interactions Avec Le Bruit, Adolf Vyskocil, Tony Leroux, Ginette Truchon, François Lemay, France Gagnon, Martine Gendron, Amar Boudjerida, Naïma El-Majidi, Claude Viau

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Les auteurs ont examiné l’effet combiné du bruit et de l’exposition à des substances chimiques sur l’audition en utilisant des données humaines et animales de la littérature scientifique. Ils constatent qu’il n’existe qu’une cinquantaine d’études dans lesquelles l’exposition tant au bruit qu’aux substances chimiques est caractérisée avec suffisamment de précision et de fiabilité. De plus, les définitions données à une exposition au bruit « forte » ou « faible » varient d’une étude à l’autre. Il en résulte qu’il est très difficile de combiner l’ensemble des données pour en tirer des …

Une Approche Systématique D’Identification Des Déterminants De L’Incapacité Liés Au Travail Et À La Santé Psychologique Dans Un Secteur Ciblé, Marie-France Coutu, Iuliana Nastasia, Marie-José Durand, Marc Corbière, Patrick Loisel, Pierre Lemieux, Marie-Elise Labrecque, Sara Pettigrew

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

La difficulté à se maintenir au travail en raison d’un problème de santé psychologique constitue une préoccupation sociale grandissante. Les auteurs ont voulu développer une approche systématique pour identifier les déterminants de l’incapacité à maintenir une vie professionnelle active chez le travailleur ayant des difficultés psychologiques. Pour ce faire, ils ont élaboré et effectué une première validation de deux outils à l’intention des milieux de travail : un dispositif d’enquête permettant d’identifier les déterminants, la prévalence et la distribution de la détresse psychologique et du présentéisme et un outil ergonomique pour …

Experimental Analysis Of Tools Used For Estimating Risk Associated With Industrial Machines, Yuvin Chinniah, François Gauthier, Serge Lambert, Florence Moulet

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Dans cette étude, 31 outils qualitatifs servant à estimer le risque en lien avec les machines industrielles et conformes aux directives de l'ISO 14121-1:2007 ont été analysés i) en comparant leurs paramètres d'estimation du risque, et ii) en utilisant les différents outils pour estimer les risques inhérents à 20 situations dangereuses (scénarios de risque). L'étude visait à procéder à une comparaison théorique de la capacité des outils à estimer le risque et à déterminer la mesure dans laquelle ils estiment le risque de façon uniforme. Les niveaux de risque obtenus par …

Les Facteurs Reliés Aux Absences Prolongées Du Travail En Raison D’Un Trouble Mental Transitoire : Développement D’Un Outil De Mesure, Marie-José Durand, Marc Corbière, Catherine Briand, Marie-France Coutu, Louise St-Arnaud, Nicole Charpentier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Click here for the English version of this report

Les problèmes de santé mentale sont en recrudescence dans les organisations. Jusqu’à maintenant, on connait des approches de traitement qui réduisent les symptômes de la maladie. Toutefois, il est clairement démontré que malgré l’amélioration du fonctionnement des personnes, celle-ci n’est pas associée nécessairement à un retour au travail. Ce constat suggère que l'incapacité au travail associée à un tel état de santé constitue un phénomène multifactoriel complexe. Or, peu d'études ont évalué spécifiquement les facteurs prédictifs et les obstacles de la reprise des activités professionnelles dans ces cas. Cette étude cible, …

Exploratory Study To Identify Workload Factors That Have An Impact On Health And Safety: A Case Study In The Service Sector, Pierre-Sébastien Fournier, Sylvie Montreuil, Jean-Pierre Brun, Caroline Bilodeau, Julie Villa

Rapports de recherche scientifique

Cliquez ici pour la version française de ce rapport

Les nouvelles formes d’organisation du travail (innovations technologiques, nouvelles politiques de gestion des ressources humaines, formes innovantes d’organisation, etc.) pourraient avoir des conséquences négatives pour les individus (fatigue, stress chronique, troubles musculo-squelettiques…) et pour les établissements (absentéisme, roulement de personnel…). La documentation scientifique désigne la charge de travail comme dénominateur commun en l’occurrence, sauf que les évidences sur la conceptualisation de ce phénomène sont limitées et ne tiennent pas compte de sa complexité. Pour le définir et le caractériser, les chercheurs ont voulu déterminer les dimensions ainsi que la dynamique et …

Understanding The Decision-Making Process For Health Promotion Programming At Small To Midsized Businesses, M. Courtney Hughes, Donald L. Patrick, Peggy A. Hannon, Jeffrey R. Harris, Donetta L. Ghosh

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

This study explores the decision-making process for implementing and continuing health promotion programs at small to midsized businesses to inform health promotion practitioners and researchers as they market their services to these businesses. Qualitative interviews are conducted with 24 employers located in the Pacific Northwest ranging in size from 75 to 800 employees, with the majority having between 100 and 200 employees. Small to midsized employers depend most on company success-related factors rather than on humanitarian motives when deciding whether to adopt workplace health promotion programs. They rely heavily on health insurers for health promotion and desire more information about …

Promoting Tobacco Cessation Via The Workplace: Opportunities For Improvement, M. Courtney Hughes, Emily M. Yette, Peggy A. Hannon, Jeffrey R. Harris, Nguyet M. Tran, Terry R. Reid

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Introduction: Little research exists on the prevalence of evidence-based tobacco cessation practices in workplaces, employer promotion of state-sponsored quitlines and predictors of these practices.

Methods: Cross-sectional analysis of the 2008 Healthy Worksite Survey, a telephone survey administered to Washington employers with 50 or more employees (n¼693). The objectives were to describe workplaces’ implementation of evidence-based tobacco cessation practices and identify key predictors of implementation in order to highlight opportunities for interventions.

Results: Among these employers, 38.6% promoted quitting tobacco, and 33.8% offered insurance coverage for cessation medications and counselling, 27.5% referred no-smoking violators to cessation services, and 5.7% included the …

Introducing Mandatory Training Systems? Investigating The Introduction Of Compulsory Pre-Site Construction Training, Sue Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

ECU Research Week

No abstract provided.

Occupational Respiratory Health Surveillance At Minara Resources, Murrin Murrin Mine Site, Martyn Cross

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis outlines the results of occupational respiratory health surveillance at Minara Resources, Murrin Murrin mine site. The research was conducted as part of a collaborative agreement between Edith Cowan University and Minara Resources, the overarching title of which was ‗Establishing best practice protocols in the management of occupational and environmental health in a high-risk mining and ore-processing environment‘. To form the basis of this research it was hypothesised that although the chemical hazards had been adequately identified, and the occupational exposures in each work area at Murrin Murrin were generally well below their respective occupational exposure levels, it was …

Construction Induction Training: How Effective For The Housing And Civil Construction Industries In Wa?, Susanne Bahn, Llandis Barratt-Pugh

Research outputs 2011

Introducing practices to reduce the number of work-related injuries in the construction industry is a continual challenge, specifically in WA where the industry is adapting to the additional pressures of a second development boom this century. In 2006, Worksafe WA responded by introducing mandatory certification in safety awareness training for all employees, before they could begin work on a construction site. This paper reviews the impact of this training on the housing and civil sectors of the industry. It presents both the perceptions of the stakeholders from their survey responses and from the analyses the lost time injury/disease statistics. These …

The Effectiveness Of Back Belts In Reducing The Incidence, Duration And Cost Of Low Back Pain Claims Associated With Manual Handling Injury In A Retail Hardware Chain, Nick Merdith, Jacques Oosthuizen, Milos Nedved

Research outputs 2011

The objective of this intervention study was to examine the effect of the mandatory introduction of back belts on the incidence, days lost and cost of occupational low back injuries resulting from manual handling in a retail hardware chain in Western Australia. The pre-intervention period extended for 21 months and included 2,265,933 work hours or 647 full-time equivalent positions, while the intervention period was 32 months for 4,411,352 hours worked or 827 full-time equivalent positions. Workers’ compensation claims for all occupational injuries occurring during the study period were analysed. During the intervention period there was a 14% reduction in the …

A 'Once In A Generation Opportunity'? Narratives About The Potential Impact Of Ohs Harmonisation On Smaller Firms In Australia, Rowena Barrett, Susanne Bahn, Susan Mayson

Research outputs 2011

Regulatory reform will see the introduction of harmonised Occupational Health and Safety laws across Australia. Here we consider the potential impact of this on smaller firms as the first step in assessing how they may adapt to this regulatory change. We use textual data consisting of recent media and blogs that highlight key stakeholders’ perceptions of the purpose and outcomes of harmonisation on smaller firms. The narratives perpetuate the negative discourse of regulation, not only for smaller firms, but for other key stakeholders. Critical analysis of stakeholders’ views of the effects of harmonisation articulates constraints and possibilities of regulatory change …

Introducing Mandatory Training Systems? Investigating The Implementation Of Compulsory Pre-Site Construction Training, Llandis Barratt-Pugh, Susanne Bahn

Research outputs 2011

There can be no more effective learning than that achieved by training systems to reduce death and injury. In such cases the imposition of a mandatory course would appear justifiable, especially where there is a history of unfortunate incidents and current rapid workforce growth. Installing learning as an imperative within a vibrant industry requires considerable negotiation between stakeholders to turn evidence into policy, industry intent, regulatory curriculum and subsequent workplace practice. This paper reflects back and reviews the introduction of such training within the construction industry in Western Australia as it adapts to the additional pressures of the development boom. …

Union And Nonunion Employment: An Investigative Study Of Factors In The Employment Setting That May Influence The Development Of Burnout, Rachel Elizabeth Costello

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The primary goal of this two-phased, sequential mixed-methods study was to discover whether union affiliation is associated with a lower occurrence of burnout in factory workers by comparing union and nonunion workers. The objective was to determine levels of burnout in union and nonunion employees as well their perception of social support in the workplace. The theoretical synthesis consisted of conservation of resources theory and the theory of reasoned action. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the Quality of Worklife Questionnaire were used to identify the characteristics of the workplace (job demands and job resources) and the level of burnout. …

Factors Influencing U.S. Army Personnel Meeting Body Mass Index Standards, Salma Theus

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

U.S. Army Regulations require soldiers to be fit, as excessive weight negatively impacts their readiness, health, and morale. A quantitative study examined if personal, behavioral, and/or environmental factors predict a soldier's self-efficacy and body mass index. Data were obtained from 117 soldiers on 6 scales: the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, the Army Physical Fitness Test, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Stress Management Questionnaire, the Lifestyle Assessment Inventory, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine if personal (intellectual capabilities and physical fitness), behavioral (lifestyle and stress management), and/or environmental (supervisor leadership) factors predict self-efficacy and …

Literacy And Hazard Communication Comprehension Of Employees Presenting To An Occupational Health Clinic, Christine Bouchard

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More than 100 million American workers, 7 million workplaces, and 945,000 hazardous chemical products are covered under the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. There were a total of 1,183,500 recordable non-fatal illnesses and injuries in private industry workplaces in 2006 resulting in days away from work. Of these, 19,480 were due to chemicals and chemical products. In addition, there were a total of 5,703 work-related fatalities in 2006. In 191 of these, chemicals and chemical products were listed as the primary source of injury and as the secondary source of injury in 104 …

Apparent Total Evaporative Resistance For Clothing Ensembles At High Heat Stress Levels, Patrick Rodriguez

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Donning protective clothing for mitigation of hazard from chemical agents poses a problem in the form of heat stress. When choosing protective clothing, many factors must be taken into account including insulative properties and evaporative resistance. This study calculated and compared R_e,T,a for three clothing ensembles at levels of heat stress past the level of compensation for heat gain to determine if R_e,T,a values varied or remained the same with changes in heat stress level. A three-way mixed model analysis of variance demonstrated significant differences for estimated R_e,T,a values among ensembles, heat stress levels and interactions among …

Sharps Injuries In Medical Training: Higher Risk For Residents Than For Medical Students, Rachel Williams

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Because of their relative inexperience in performing procedures and handling sharps devices, medical students and resident physicians are considered to be at high risk for sharps injuries. A higher rate of sharps injuries for medical trainees implies a higher risk for occupationally-acquired infection with bloodborne pathogens and may have financial and legal implications for training institutions. This study examines the prevalence of sharps injuries among US medical students and resident physicians. A systematic review of the literature yielded 10 studies that gave data on sharps injuries for US medical students or residents, and those data were combined with data from …

Apparent Total Evaporative Resistance Values From Human Trials Over A Range Of Heat Stress Levels, Brian Grace

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Clothing can influence heat stress depending on the design and its ability to act as a barrier. The progressive heat stress protocol permitted the collection of data to empirically estimate the apparent total evaporative resistance (R_e,T,a). Five different clothing ensembles were evaluated, which included work clothes, cotton coveralls, and three limited-use protective clothing ensembles including a pthesis-barrier ensemble, (Tyvek^® 1424), water-barrier, vapor-permeable ensemble (NexGen^® LS 417), and a vapor-barrier ensemble (Tychem QC^®). The study design called for three metabolic level's: low, moderate, and high (L, M, & H) and three heat stages: compensable, transitional, …

Apparent Total Evaporative Resistance Values From Human Trials Over A Range Of Metabolic And Heat Stress Levels, Matthew David Dooris

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Failure to maintain thermal equilibrium can cause uncontrollable increases in body core temperature beyond critical upper limits. In selecting clothing, consideration must be given to the heat transfer properties of clothing that may restrict the cooling capacity of the human body under heat stress conditions, most importantly, apparent total evaporative resistance (R_e,T,_a). This study calculated and compared R_e,T,_a for five clothing ensembles under varying heat stress conditions, including three relative humidity (RH) levels and three stages of heat stress to determine if R_e,T,_a values varied or remained the same with …

Validation Of The Usf Safe Exposure Time Equation For Heat Stress, Arden Bruce Andersen

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Heat stress conditions are prevalent in the working environment around the world. Often they are not readily engineered out. Administrative controls and, in extreme/toxic environments, personal protective gear are the means available to protect workers. For every combination of metabolic work rate, clothing ensemble and environmental WBGT, there is a time of exposure threshold, beyond which the worker can no longer compensate for the heat stress, and signs and symptoms of heat strain appear. Increasingly, worker environments require specialty clothing either for worker protection or to maintain a clean/sanitary environment. Prior to the publication of the USF safe exposure time …