From input to outcome: Changes in OHS-education and training

Work organization, technology and working population characteristics change rapidly in many countries, although not always in the same direction. In many industrialized countries new trends are a growing services sector, an aging working population, and an increased work pressure.The participation rate of women is growing in the Netherlands, in contrast with the rate of handicapped workers. In the working population, work-related musculoskeletal diseases and psychic problems like mental break-down and burn-out prevail. Sickness absence and disability are important issues. Risk assessment and health and safety information are new duties of the employer.Nowadays Occupational Health and Safety Services are more multidisciplinary organized and have to prove their quality and utility. Therefore, occupational health and safety professionals have to learn skills like risk assessment, health and safety promotion, consultation, rehabilitation, and interdisciplinary cooperation.Experiential learning connects the practical experience of the participants with reflection and new insights during the course.     

Occupational and public health and safety in a changing work environment: An integrated approach for risk assessment and prevention

During recent years the work environment has undergone significant changes regarding working time, years of employment, work organization, type of employment contracts and working conditions. In this paper, consequences of these changes on occupational and public health and safety are examined. These include the disruption of human biological rhythms, the increase of workers fatigue due to changes in patterns of working hours and years of employment, job insecurity and occupational stress, which have a serious impact on workers’ health and may result in an increase in occupational accidents. Unsafe work practices related to workload and time pressure, the impact of work changes on public safety and the deterioration of workers’ living conditions with respect to income, social-family life, health and insurance benefits, are also described. In this context, difficulties that occur due to the changing work environment in conducting effective occupational risk assessments and implementing OSH measures are discussed (for example, frequent changes between tasks and workplaces, underreporting of occupational accidents and diseases, lack of methodological tools, etc.). A fundamental criterion used while studying consequences on health and safety and the relative preventive measures is that health and safety must be approached as ‘the promotion and maintenance at the highest degree of the physical, mental and social well-being of workers’ and not only as retention of their work ability. Limits in combining “flexibility” at work and overall protection of occupational and public safety and health in a competitive market are put forward for discussion.     

2000-2009年全国职业中毒状况规律分析和对策探讨

职业中毒是我国的主要职业病之一,严重影响着劳动者的健康和社会的和谐稳定。根据卫生部2000-2009年公布的职业病统计数据,分析总结我国职业中毒的发生规律。结果表明：职业中毒是仅次于尘肺病的第二大类职业病。职业中毒占职业病总数的12.8%-18%,在职业中毒病例中,急性职业中毒占22.4%-39.6%,慢性职业中毒占60.4%-77.6%。职业中毒总人数变化从2000年到2005年较平稳,从2006年起,呈波浪形上升趋势,但其增幅远小于职业病总数和尘肺病新发病例人数的增幅。其中,急性职业中毒总人数略有下降趋势,慢性职业中毒总人数呈波浪形上升趋势。引起急性职业中毒占前两位的化学毒物主要是一氧化碳和硫化氢,引起慢性职业中毒占前两位的化学毒物主要是铅及其化合物和苯。中小企业职业中毒发生率高。建议各级职能部门重点加强相关行业的监管,尤其是其中的中小企业的监管;履行指导的职责,加强有效果的安全教育和培训;同时加强职业监控监护。     

Global trend according to estimated number of occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases at region and country level

Background

Although occupational accidents and work-related diseases have been of interest for a long time, due to lack of proper recording and notification systems the official numbers of occupational accidents and work-related diseases are missing for many countries. Presently, the demand for effectiveness and an interest in the economic aspects of accidents have increased prevention activities at company and country levels.

Methods

Occupational accident data of selected countries and of World Health Organization regional divisions together with the global burden of disease were used in estimating global occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases. The trend of global occupational accidents and work-related diseases is presented at region and country levels. The years 1998, 2001, and 2003 are compared in the case of occupational accidents and the years 2000 and 2002 in the case of work-related diseases.

Results

The total number of occupational accidents and fatal work-related diseases has increased, but the fatality rates per 100,000 workers have decreased. There were almost 360,000 fatal occupational accidents in 2003 and almost 2 million fatal work-related diseases in 2002. Every day more than 960,000 workers get hurt because of accidents. Each day 5,330 people die because of work-related diseases.

Conclusions

Information on occupational accidents and work-related diseases is needed so that countries may understand better the importance of occupational health and safety at country and company level. Especially companies in developing countries are not familiar with occupational safety and health. Statistical data is essential for accident prevention; it is a starting point for the safety work.     

The effect of globalization on occupational accidents

This paper discusses the results of studies, which were carried out in the Institute of Occupational Safety Engineering at Tampere University of Technology (TUT) in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO) during 2001–2004. The objective was to estimate the number of occupational accidents that caused death or at least three days’ absence from work. The estimates were based on the figures gathered from selected ILO member states. This paper discusses also how globalization has affected occupational accidents trend in developing and developed regions.     

乡镇工业企业的职业安全卫生工作亟待加强管理

说明目前乡镇工业企业中职业安全卫生问题十分突出。据调查，厂矿工伤事故发生率为８．２３％，每千名职工的工伤发生率为２．６６人，每十万名职工的工伤死亡率为７．０２人。通过对事故的原因进行分析，提出了加强监督管理的建议。     

职业卫生工作若干问题思考与探讨

在概述职业卫生内涵与基本属性的基础上,对其与职业安全、职业医学与公共卫生的关系进行初探.职业卫生是影响社会经济持续发展的重要因素,是以职业人群和作业环境为服务对象,以为劳动者创造或改善劳动条件(作业环境、劳动组织与管理)为主要手段,以预防和控制职业病或职业危害事故的发生为目的的一项劳动保护工作,与职业安全密不可分,同属劳动关系中劳动保护范畴,与职业医学、公共卫生也有着密切的关系,但并不等同.职业安全卫生的一体化管理是经济社会发展的必然要求,也是我国当前安全生产管理中亟需解决的重要问题.     

Managing occupational injuries records in Slovenia from 1948 to 2008

The aim of this study is to examine and compare all publicly accessible data on occupational injuries in Slovenia in the period from 1948 to 2008, obtained either from archives or websites. The data obtained from five different sources which have been formally collecting and presenting data on occupational injuries in Slovenia (Labour Inspectorate of the Republic of Slovenia – LIRS, Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia – IPHRS, International Labour Organization – ILO, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia – SORS, and issues of the Journal of Occupational Safety and Fire Safety) were reviewed and managed. Since the early 1960s, there has been a significant decrease of fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries in Slovenia. Problems related to gathering and interpreting data on occupational injuries are also discussed with special emphasize on diversity of models used for occupational injuries data collecting. The results of the 60-year-long retrospective study can also be of assistance for professionals involved in planning, implementing and controlling the national policy and/or regional policies on safety and health at work.     

OHSAS 18001 certification and work accidents: Shedding light on the connection

Introduction: The implications of OHSAS 18001 for substantive Occupational Health and Safety outcomes such, as a reduction in work accidents, have been under-researched in the scholarly literature. The impact of this standard on other aspects of performance, such as profitability and productivity, has attracted more attention. Method: This article aims to fill this gap by shedding light on the relationship between OHSAS 18001 certification and the rates of minor, serious, and fatal accidents per employee at work experienced in certified and non-certified companies. Results: Based on an analysis of a sample of 5,147 Spanish firms, the findings show that OHSAS 18001 certification is only loosely related with better occupational health and safety performance measured in terms of rate of accidents at work. A propensity for OHSAS 18001 certification to be found in economic sectors of activity with worse occupational health and safety outcomes in terms of rate of work-related accidents is identified. There is evidence of a negative selection-effect of the main international management standard for occupational health and safety. Potential distortions and biases that may be related to these and other findings in the scholarly literature are analyzed. Managerial implications of the main findings, implications for policy makers, and avenues for future research are discussed.     

CCall--healthy and successful work in call centres.

Call centre workplaces are in many ways a challenge to occupational health and safety. The occupation itself can be described as an IT information technology-supported, communication-intensive form of work with often unusual working hours and a high rate of part-time employment. Data on the employee turnover as well as absenteeism related to occupational disability is quite contradictory. Occupational safety and its proponents still have to find new ways into the corporate structures and cultures of this relatively new and rapidly growing branch of industry. In a 2-year research and development project, using a holistic approach and under consideration of all the relevant disciplines, call centre workplaces were studied, and organisational measures were developed and field tested by putting them into practice. Practical help was developed for a sustainable strategy for successful and healthy work in call centres.     

我国群发性尘肺病和职业中毒案例分析及对策探讨

为有效预防和控制我国群发性职业损害，并为相关政策制定提供参考，对国内近30年文献记载的77个典型职业健康损害案例进行了统计分析，统计结果表明:群发性尘肺病主要集中于金属矿山、煤矿行业中小微型用人单位；群发性职业中毒多发生在电池制造、化工、鞋和箱包制造等用人单位。在典型案例原因分析的基础上，对有效落实用人单位职业病防治主体责任、完善工伤保险制度、建立健全相关制度等方面提出建议。     

我国小企业安全生产现状与对策

安全生产关系人民群众的生命财产安全 ,关系改革发展和社会稳定大局。但是 ,目前我国的安全生产形势依然严峻 ,特别是改革开放以来 ,随着各种经济成分 ,尤其是三资企业、私营企业、乡镇企业和个体经济组织大量产生 ,小企业的安全生产普遍存在无人管和不会管的问题 ,重特大事故频频发生。根据国家安全生产监督管理局统计显示 ,近年来发生的特大事故中 ,70 %以上集中在小企业。笔者就中国小企业的界定标准、安全生产状况、事故频发的原因、采取的对策及取得的成绩作一简要介绍。     

职业安全健康管理体系对企业经济和社会效益影响研究

为了评估职业安全健康管理体系的建立与企业经济和社会效益的关系 ,笔者对 12 5家企业的安全生产投入 ,因事故、职业病或违约造成的经济投入 (损失 ) ,以及建立职业安全健康管理体系后对企业经营活动及社会形象的影响进行了分析。结果发现 ,企业在建立职业安全健康管理体系期间及之后其安全生产投入比未建企业和建立体系之前增加 ;对事故、职业病或违约造成的经济投入加大 ;签订合同额和投标活动的中标率上升 ,员工抱怨次数及相关方抱怨次数下降。上述结果表明 ,职业安全健康管理体系的建立和运行对企业有良好的经济和社会效益。     

煤矿职业安全与健康对经济的影响研究

煤矿职业安全与健康问题不但直接危害劳动者的生命安全与其家庭幸福,还对社会、经济发展和家庭造成巨大影响。笔者在对世界职业安全与健康状况分析基础上,重点分析了我国煤矿安全事故对经济发展的影响,并提出了迅速扭转煤矿安全生产的严峻形势及改善现状的相关对策:从借鉴国外先进经验;完善安全监管机制;维护员工合法权益;坚持以人为本,培育煤矿安全文化;落实煤矿安全生产主体责任;加大科技创新,安全投入等途径,不断提高煤矿职业安全与健康水平,建设本质安全型煤矿,大幅度降低伤亡事故发生。     

Economic cost of occupational accidents: Evidence from a small island economy

Though a number of occupational accidents have occurred amongst the working population in Mauritius, no study has been carried out to measure the costs associated with such accidents to the best of our knowledge. This study bridges this gap by measuring the economic costs of occupational accidents by using both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The results show that occupational accidents result in costs amounting to nearly Rs. 168 mn of which a major part is accounted for, by loss in productivity. Alongside the highest rate of accidents took place within small enterprises and younger workers are the one taking higher risks mainly due to lack of knowledge and risk awareness. The findings also reveal that only 4% employers believe that investment in safety and health is important for maintaining good business partly because most of the costs are borne by the state. Such a situation therefore requires the need for awareness on practical health and safety systems and procedures among both employees and employers with a view to prevent accident and injuries.     

20世纪末至21世纪初欧洲21国国民的健康、劳动卫生与安全状况

重点介绍了英国、法国、德国、意大利、芬兰、瑞典、挪威、西班牙、瑞士和俄联邦等21个欧洲国家的国民健康水平，以及职业病和劳动安全状况。     

Differences in the lethality of occupational accidents in OECD countries

International comparisons of the frequency of occupational accidents are rare because figures reported by each country are influenced by factors other than differences in the occurrence of actual accidents. In this study, we performed an international comparison of occupational accidents which distinguishes between fatal cases and all reported accidents, in order to control for the effects of other factors in accident reporting. Annual data on the numbers of fatal and non-fatal occupational accidents in member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) between 1993 and 1998 were obtained from the Labour Statistics Database, which is operated by the International Labour Organization (ILO). The average incidence of all accidents across OECD countries ranged from 17 to 4608 per 100,000 persons in the labor force, whereas the incidence of fatal accidents across OECD countries ranged from 1 to 12 per 100,000 persons in the labor force. Lethality rates per 10,000 total accident cases ranged from 9 (Germany) to 3252 (Turkey). When comparing countries using the same statistical definition of accidents, three or more absence days, the difference in lethality of reported accidents within the same industrial sector is reduced to a sixfold difference (49 for the United Kingdom versus 333 for Ireland). Furthermore, the difference in lethality decreased to about twofold (18 for Spain versus 35 for Czech Republic) in the group using definitions with a criteria of one absent day. The results suggest that reported differences in lethality can reflect artificial administrative factors rather than the harmful factors that cause actual occupational accidents. To make more valid comparison of occupational accident between countries, harmonization of accident statistics is required.     

Student and faculty issues in distance education occupational safety and health graduate programs

PROBLEM: There is increasing interest in delivering degree programs without requiring students to attend traditional classroom-based classes. There are many differences between classroom and distance courses that must be addressed to have effective distance programs. METHOD: Occupational safety and health faculty and occupational safety and health professionals were surveyed to determine the need for graduate occupational safety and health programs, delivered by means of distance education, and the best means to deliver the program from the perspective of faculty and working occupational safety and health professionals. RESULTS: Adequate time is the largest problem issue for potential students and the distance student's needs must be considered when developing program policies and procedures. Faculty must be sufficiently trained in pedagogy, technology, and communications so that they have the same comfort level with this method of instruction as they do for the more familiar classroom, and technical and instructional support personnel need to be readily available to work with the faculty and support course development. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Findings indicate that there is interest in a distance education-based program and it is believed that industry will be positively impacted as educational opportunities expand for working professionals.     

Occupational Safety Culture Index (OSCI)——measuring the community and employees awareness,attitude and knowledge towards workplace safety and health in Hong Kong SAR

Promoting occupational safety and health in Hong Kong,Special Administrative Region of China is an important and ongoing mission. As the major organization with statutory responsibilities,the Occupational Safety and Health Council understand the importance to strengthen and cultivate our safety culture. It is widely believed that numbers of occupational related diseases and injuries could be prevented with the improvement of the awareness and attitudes of the employees and the public. Therefore,a comprehensive and in-depth study to monitor the occupational health and safety level and status of the community and working population is needed. Objectives: Our Council has developed the Occupational Safety Culture Index ( OSCI) to measure the current level of community and workplace safety and health awareness,knowledge and attitude. Benchmarking measures of the key safety performance indicators are to be derived thereof. Methods: A territory-wide random telephone survey was conducted to assess the community and employees’awareness,attitude and knowledge in 2008. A structured questionnaire was designed with the content validity and reliability assessed before the survey administration. A series of quality control approaches were also applied to assure the quality of the fieldwork and the reliability of the data. Results: 1,531 eligible participants’data were collected and computed into 2 types of composite indices,Occupational Safety Culture Index ( Community) ( OSCIC) and Occupational Safety Culture Index (Workplace) (OSCIW) . With the maximum score of index at 100,the overall score of OSCIC is 66. 9 and the OSCIW is 61. 3 in Hong Kong. Achievements: OSCI served as an effective management tool to measure the safety culture in Hong Kong. With a representative sample and high quality study control and validated assessment approaches,the OSCI and the sub-indices are reliable indicators to assess the effectiveness of safety culture enhancement strategy and the OSH intervention measures.