Work-Related Accidents Among Young Workers in Finland

The aim of this study was to discover accident factors specific to young workers, using two accident data sets gathered at the same time but with different methods. The first data set consisted of 99 serious occupational accidents, which occured in Southern Finland in 1988 and 1989. The second data set was based on the interview study of over 13,000 people of whom 792 were involved in an accident at work. Both data sets showed consistently that the accident frequency of young workers was higher than that of older workers. The accidents of young workers, however, were less severe. Young accident victims hurt themselves more often when feeding or cleaning machines. Incautiousness contributed more often to accidents of young workers. In order to prevent occupational accidents of young workers, companies should introduce training programmes for new employees.     

An examination of beliefs about older workers: Do stereotypes still exist?

This study examined individuals' beliefs about older workers. Of particular interest was the relationship between those beliefs and individuals' (a) interactions with older workers, (b) supervisory status, and (c) demographic variables. Findings indicated that although older workers hold more positive beliefs about older workers than younger workers hold, even younger workers tended to have generally positive beliefs. Chronological age was found to moderate two relationships. First, the number of younger workers' interactions with older workers significantly, positively affected younger workers' beliefs about older workers. Second, an examination of the interaction between supervisory status and age found that older supervisors hold more negative beliefs about older workers than younger supervisors.     

Are older workers more active copers? Longitudinal effects of age‐contingent coping on strain at work

This study addresses coping processes as explanation of age‐related differences in strain experience. Based on the life‐span theory of control, we posit that older workers employ more active problem‐focused and more active emotion‐focused coping strategies than younger workers, which should mediate age effects on strain at work. The correlation between age and passive avoidance coping, in contrast, is expected to be qualified by external resources such as job control. Hypotheses were tested in a two‐wave panel study (8 months lag) with 634 workers (age range 16–65 years). Job demands were considered as control variables. As predicted, older as compared with younger workers reported more active problem‐focused coping, which mediated age differences on strain in the longitudinal analysis. No mediation was found for active emotion‐focused coping. Moreover, age‐contingent effects of passive avoidance coping were moderated by job control. When job control was low, younger as compared with older workers reported more avoidance coping, which in turn decreased strain in the longitudinal analysis. Finally, reverse longitudinal effects of age‐contingent strain on active problem‐focused and active emotion‐focused coping provide initial evidence for age‐contingent resource spirals. Together, the results reveal specific strengths of older workers for stress management at work. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An evaluation of occupational accidents in the wooden furniture industry - A regional study in South East Asia

Studies on the rate of occupational accidents among workers in the wooden furniture industry is sparse, although the industry is deemed to be highly accident prone. Therefore, the rate of occupational accidents among workers in the wooden furniture industry in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam were studied, in 240 furniture manufacturing factories, using a structured questionnaire. The findings of the study suggest that contract workers are less prone to occupational accidents compared to their permanent counterparts, and hence, are more productive. Further, the results also revealed that the contract workers have a more positive attitude towards the work, and hence, pick up the essentials of safe working practices quickly. It must therefore be recognized that the “production oriented mentality” prevalent in the wooden furniture industry, which has been argued to compromise occupational safety and health standards in the industry may be debatable. In this context, it is essential for the policy makers to re-examine the employment of contract workers for the furniture manufacturing industry, as changing the psycho-economic parameters of the industry may be warranted before the industry is deemed attractive to a permanent workforce.     

The role of production and teamwork practices in construction safety: A cognitive model and an empirical case study

Problem

In construction, the challenge for researchers and practitioners is to develop work systems (production processes and teams) that can achieve high productivity and high safety at the same time. However, construction accident causation models ignore the role of work practices and teamwork. This study investigates the mechanisms by which production and teamwork practices affect the likelihood of accidents.

Method

The paper synthesizes a new model for construction safety based on the cognitive perspective (Fuller's Task-Demand-Capability Interface model, 2005) and then presents an exploratory case study. The case study investigates and compares the work practices of two residential framing crews: a 'High Reliability Crew' (HRC)—that is, a crew with exceptional productivity and safety over several years, and an average performing crew from the same company.

Results

The model explains how the production and teamwork practices generate the work situations that workers face (the task demands) and affect the workers ability to cope (capabilities). The case study indicates that the work practices of the HRC directly influence the task demands and match them with the applied capabilities. These practices were guided by the 'principle' of avoiding errors and rework and included work planning and preparation, work distribution, managing the production pressures, and quality and behavior monitoring.

Summary

The Task Demand-Capability model links construction research to a cognitive model of accident causation and provides a new way to conceptualize safety as an emergent property of the production practices and teamwork processes. The empirical evidence indicates that the crews' work practices and team processes strongly affect the task demands, the applied capabilities, and the match between demands and capabilities.

Impact on Industry

The proposed model and the exploratory case study will guide further discovery of work practices and teamwork processes that can increase both productivity and safety in construction operations. Such understanding will enable training of construction foremen and crews in these practices to systematically develop high reliability crews.     

Prevalence and demographic differences in microaccidents and safety behaviors among young workers in Canada

IntroductionThe present study examines the self-reported frequency of non-lost work time workplace injuries (“microaccidents”) and the frequency of three types of work-related safety behaviors (i.e., safety voice, safety compliance, and safety neglect) recalled over a four-week period.MethodWe analyzed data on microaccidents and safety behaviors from 19,547 young workers (aged 15–25 years, Mdn = 18 years; 55% male) from multiple Canadian provinces.ResultsApproximately one-third of all young workers recalled experiencing at least one microaccident at work in the last four weeks. Comparisons across three age groups revealed that younger workers, particularly between the ages of 15–18, reported more frequent microaccidents, less safety voice, less safety compliance, and more safety neglect than workers aged 19–22. This pattern of results also held for comparisons between workers in 19–22 and 23–25 age groups, except for safety voice which did not differ between these two older age groups. In terms of gender, males and females reported the same frequency of microaccidents, but males reported more safety voice, more safety compliance, and more safety neglect than females did. The results and limitations of the present study are discussed.ConclusionFrequency of microaccidents and safety behavior vary among young worker age sub-groups.     

Assessment of Ergonomic and Occupational Health-Related Problems Among Female Prawn Seed Collectors of Sunderbans,West Bengal,India

Abstract

Sixty female prawn seed collectors and 60 female control subjects from Sajenakhali and Sandeshkhali blocks of Sunderbans, West Bengal, India, were randomly selected to evaluate and compare musculoskeletal disorders and physiological stress. The control group was engaged in domestic work involving minimum hand-intensive activities. The modified Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire and rapid entire body assessment were used. Most subjects suffered from discomfort in different body parts, especially in the lower back (98%), knees (88%), shoulders (75%), ankles (70%) and feet (67%). This study reveals that female prawn seed collectors suffer from significant physiological load and extreme physiological stress due to prolonged working hours in a standing posture and excessive work pressure. Consequently, all these factors affect female prawn seed collectors ‘ health and work performance.     

Occupational deaths and injuries by the types of street cleaning process

This study aims to obtain an overall picture of occupational injuries by the types of street cleaning process. Three hundred and fifty-four injured persons were analyzed in terms of the company size and details of the injured persons and accidents. Results show that ‘roadway cleaning’ was the most common type of cleaning process for injuries, followed by ‘sidewalk cleaning,’ ‘going/returning to work by bike’ and ‘lifting/carrying.’ The findings also show that most accidents which occur when ‘going/returning to work by bike’ are in the form of traffic accidents, while in other processes they happen most often in the form of slips. Most of the accidents related to ‘lifting/carrying’ affected workers in their 50s or younger while other processes had a large portion of injured persons in their 50s or older. The findings of this study can be used as baseline data for preventative policies.     

Occupational noise exposure and hearing defects among sawmill workers in the south of Thailand

The aim of this study was to investigate occupational noise exposure and hearing defects among sawmill workers in the south of Thailand. Seven hundred sawmill workers participated, of which 335 (47.9%) were male. The mean age of the sawmill workers was 33.5 years (SD 10.2), and more than 60% were <35 years old; 75.1% of the workers had less than 5 years of work experience. Only about one in four workers (25%) had been trained in use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and half of the participants never or rarely wore PPE while working. The prevalence rate of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) was 22.8% (N?=?42). Male workers had significantly higher risk than female workers (odds ratio [OR]?=?2.21). Workers aged older than 25 years had significantly higher risks for NIHL (OR?=?3.51–12.42) than workers younger than 25 years. Sawing workers had higher risk for NIHL than office workers (OR?=?3.07).     

Age-related accident risks among assembly workers: A longitudinal study of male workers employed in the Swedish automobile industry

This study investigates whether there is evidence of age-related accident risks among male assembly workers in the Swedish automobile industry. Age-related accident ratios (ARs) were measured for all accidents aggregated and for six accident types over a 10-year period, using five age categories and three time intervals. The results showed that regardless of accident type, ARs were generally higher among younger workers than older ones, though not for all accident types and time periods. ARs by (open) age cohorts increased over time in four accident situations out of six for assemblers aged 25–34 (35–44 in 1990–1991). Inequalities in risk exposure, labor-market factors, and early deselection from the occupation are emphasized as significant external factors in the age-related differences observed in ARs.     

Temporary jobs and the severity of workplace accidents

Introduction. From the point of view of workplace safety, it is important to know whether having a temporary job has an effect on the severity of workplace accidents. We present an empirical analysis on the severity of workplace accidents by type of contract. Method. We used microdata collected by the Italian national institute managing the mandatory insurance against work related accidents. We estimated linear models for a measure of the severity of the workplace accident. We controlled for time-invariant fixed effects at worker and firm levels to disentangle the impact of the type of contract from the spurious one induced by unobservables at worker and firm levels. Results. Workers with a temporary contract, if subject to a workplace accident, were more likely to be confronted with severe injuries than permanent workers. When correcting the statistical analysis for injury under-reporting of temporary workers, we found that most of, but not all, the effect is driven by the under-reporting bias. Conclusions. The effect of temporary contracts on the injury severity survived the inclusion of worker and firm fixed effects and the correction for temporary workers' injury under-reporting. This, however, does not exclude the possibility that, within firms, the nature of the work may vary between different categories of workers. For example, temporary workers might be more likely to be assigned dangerous tasks because they might have less bargaining power. Practical implications. The findings will help in designing public policy effective in increasing temporary workers' safety at work and limiting their injury under-reporting.     

The role of behavioral factors on safety management in underground mines

Traditional approaches on the prevention of accidents/injuries in mines reached its limit of effectiveness in improving safety performance and a fresh approach is utmost required. Behavioral safety analysis has been identified as an effective alternative in many industries. This paper is therefore sought to examine the role of behavioral factors on the occurrence of mine accidents and injuries through a case study. Data were collected from two neighboring underground coalmines operating under a large public sector organization of India. High–low plots and t-test were done to explore the differences between behavioral characteristics of accident involved (case) and non-involved (control) workers. How these differences could cause accidents/injuries in mines was estimated through structural equation modeling. The case study results show that accident group of workers (cases) are more job dissatisfied, negatively affected, and highly risk taking compared to the non-accident group of workers (controls). The accident model path analysis shows that negative affectivity, job dissatisfaction, and risk taking behaviors predict an increased number of injuries in mines. Apart from direct influences to work injuries, negative affectivity and job dissatisfaction make workers to take more risks and behave unsafely. These findings contribute to the design of safety programs including safety training, which should be behaviorally motivated. Mine safety management of the case study mines should outskirt their age old belief that accidents/injuries are due to hazardous nature of mining and only engineering control and regulatory monitoring are sufficient for improving safety of the mines. The multivariate analysis also shows that experience bears no relationships with work injury indicating that a less experienced worker is equally likely to be injured as an experienced worker. It implies that experience though helps workers in understanding the physical hazards, however, avoiding the imminent danger is much more behavioral. The variables negative affectivity, job dissatisfaction, and risk taking behaviors are therefore crucial in avoiding accident/injuries in mines.     

Unraveling the organizational mechanism at the root of safety compliance in an Italian manufacturing firm

Safety performance is recognized as the more proximal and effective precursor of safety outcomes. In particular, safety compliance significantly reduces workplace accidents and injuries. However, it is not entirely clear what role organizational factors play in determining workers’ safety. The present study contributes to defining which organizational factors increase safety compliance by testing a mediational model in which supervisor support is related to safety climate, which in turn is related to organizational identification that finally is related to safety compliance. We tested our hypotheses in a sample of 186 production workers of an Italian manufacturing firm using a cross-sectional design. Findings confirm our hypotheses. Management should consider these organizational factors in order to implement primary prevention practices against work accidents.     

Noise exposure as related to productivity, disciplinary actions, absenteeism, and accidents among textile workers

A sample of 2458 workers exposed to average noise levels ranging from 80 to 99 dBA in different operations of three textile mills was studied with respect to their productivity, work rule violations, absenteeism, and accidents. The three mills were in rural, suburban, and urban locations. Noise exposure levels were measured in individual departments of the mills, and workers were interviewed to ascertain socioeconomic background, work history data, and health status. Workers' job attitude was rated by their supervisors, and data about their productivity, disciplinary reports, absenteeism, and accidents were collected from plant records. Results of the study suggested that workers in departments with high noise levels (above 90 dBA) had more disciplinary actions and absenteeism and lesser productivity than those in departments with low noise exposure (below 90 dBA). Disciplinary actions showed the greatest difference between the high-noise and low-noise departments followed by production incentives, production efficiency, and absenteeism. Noise appeared to affect the quality of work as reflected by disciplinary actions for material damage, and this effect was higher in weaving and spinning operations which involved vigilance tasks. The frequency and severity rates of accidents in highnoise departments were greater than in low-noise departments. Certain personal and socioeconomic factors affected high vs. low noise exposure differences found among workers for the investigated variables. These effects were most apparent for absenteeism and, to a lesser extent, productivity. Disciplinary actions did not appear to be influenced by any such individual factors. It was concluded that noise abatement in the textile industry could be beneficial to worker productivity and well being and contribute to more economically effective operation.     

Computer-based training for safety: comparing methods with older and younger workers

INTRODUCTION: Computer-based safety training is becoming more common and is being delivered to an increasingly aging workforce. Aging results in a number of changes that make it more difficult to learn from certain types of computer-based training. Instructional designs derived from cognitive learning theories may overcome some of these difficulties. METHODS: Three versions of computer-based respiratory safety training were shown to older and younger workers who then took a high and a low level learning test. RESULTS: Younger workers did better overall. Both older and younger workers did best with the version containing text with pictures and audio narration. DISCUSSION: Computer-based training with pictures and audio narration may be beneficial for workers over 45 years of age. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Computer-based safety training has advantages but workers of different ages may benefit differently. Computer-based safety programs should be designed and selected based on their ability to effectively train older as well as younger learners.     

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.     

Occupational fatalities due to electrocutions in the construction industry

Introduction

Occupational fatalities due to contact with electricity account for approximately 9% of all deaths in the construction industry and is the fourth leading cause of death in this industry.

Method

Differences in the proportions of electrocutions in the construction industry are significantly different from other industries based upon the age of the worker and the source of the electricity.

Results

This study found that, in the construction industry, the proportion of occupational fatalities due to contact with electric current is significantly higher for workers in the 16 to 19 years old age group. Contact with overhead power lines occurred more frequently with younger workers, while contact with electric wiring, transformers, and related equipment was found to occur more frequently with older workers. The proportion of fatalities due to this event was also found to account for a significantly greater proportion of fatalities in the construction industry overall.

Impact on industry

The proportions of electrocution fatalities in the construction industry were found to be significantly higher for younger workers when compared to all other industries. Focusing prevention measures toward younger workers who work near overhead power lines could have a significant impact upon death rates. For older workers, the focus should be on those who work on or near transformers, electrical wiring, and components. Across the construction industry, implementation of effective lockout-tagout programs, and verification of energy isolation, can prevent approximately 125 fatalities per year in the construction industry.     

The impact of the economic crisis on occupational injuries

IntroductionThe potential influence of the current economic crisis on occupational accident rates and accident severity is studied in an analysis of all workplace accidents that occurred in Spain throughout the period 2000–2009.Method and resultsThe investigation confirms that occupational accidents in Spain are affected by the current economic crisis, which has provoked a sharp fall in both the number of accidents and the probability of having one. This may be justified by certain factors such as age, gender, length of service, size of the firm, and the employment stability of the injured worker. The influence of these factors is analyzed.Practical applicationsThe economic crises seems to provoke a sort of “natural selection” in the labor market and only the best adapted tend to remain (older workers, with more experience, a higher percentage of women, more workers in larger companies and permanent contracts), all of which means that the probability of workers having an injury is considerably reduced.     

Adaptive response criteria in road hazard detection among older drivers

Objectives: The majority of existing investigations on attention, aging, and driving have focused on the negative impacts of age-related declines in attention on hazard detection and driver performance. However, driving skills and behavioral compensation may accommodate for the negative effects that age-related attentional decline places on driving performance. In this study, we examined an important question that had been largely neglected in the literature linking attention, aging, and driving: can top-down factors such as behavioral compensation, specifically adaptive response criteria, accommodate the negative impacts from age-related attention declines on hazard detection during driving?

Methods: In the experiment, we used the Drive Aware Task, a task combining the driving context with well-controlled laboratory procedures measuring attention. We compared younger (n = 16, age 21–30) and older (n = 21, age 65–79) drivers on their attentional processing of hazards in driving scenes, indexed by percentage of correct responses and reaction time of hazard detection, as well as sensitivity and response criteria using signal detection analysis.

Results: Older drivers, in general, were less accurate and slower on the task than younger drivers. However, results from this experiment revealed that older, but not younger, drivers adapted their response criteria when the traffic condition changed in the driving scenes. When there was more traffic in the driving scene, older drivers became more liberal in their responses, meaning that they were more likely to report that a driving hazard was detected.

Conclusions: Older drivers adopt compensatory strategies for hazard detection during driving. Our findings showed that, in the driving context, even at an older age our attentional functions are still adaptive according to environmental conditions. This leads to considerations on potential training methods to promote adaptive strategies that may help older drivers maintain performance in road hazard detection.