Differences in dentists' working postures when adopting proprioceptive derivation vs. conventional concept.

New technologies and changes in dental care, including the proprioceptive derivation (Pd) concept, aimed at providing dentists with greater comfort and better health, were introduced in Thailand. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in dentists' working postures when adopting different work concepts: Pd and the conventional concept. The results showed differences in dentists' sitting posture, clock-related working positions, and Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) scores. This implied that Pd helped dentists to discover new ways of positioning themselves, and working comfortably and effectively, which made it possible for them to adopt better working posture and have lower RULA scores. In conclusion, the Pd concept had a positive effect on dentists' working posture.     

Users’ Demands Regarding Dental Safety Glasses. Combining a Quantitative Approach and Grounded Theory for the Data Analysis

Eye infections are common among dentists and many are concerned, but few are using proper eye protection. To understand users’ demands behind the low use of safety glasses, all dental teams in Sweden were asked which factors they found most important when choosing dental safety glasses, and rate the importance of 31 statements regarding ergonomic aspects of dental safety glasses in a questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Grounded Theory and a quantitative approach. Results showed that dentists ranked the visual aspects as most important and chair assistants the protective aspects. The highly visual demanding work performed by dentists requires safety glasses that are not yet available on the market, which might explain the low use.     

A dental stool with chest support reduces lower back muscle activation

Activation of back musculature during work tasks leads to fatigue and potential injury. This is especially prevalent in dentists who perform much of their work from a seated position. We examined the use of an ergonomic dental stool with mid-sternum chest support for reducing lower back muscle activation. Electromyography of lower back extensors was assessed from 30 dental students for 20?s during three conditions in random order: (a) sitting upright at 90° of hip flexion on a standard stool, (b) leaning forward at 80° of hip flexion on a standard stool, and (c) leaning forward at 80° of hip flexion while sitting on an ergonomic stool. Muscular activity of the back extensors was reduced when using the ergonomic stool compared to the standard stool, by 33–50% (p?相似文献   

Dental Workers,Musculoskeletal CumulativeTrauma,and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Who is at Risk? A Pilot Study

A pilot study was conducted at a dental clinic to identify (a) the prevalence of musculoskeletal cumulative trauma disorders (MCTD), (b) associated symptoms (with special attention paid to carpal tunnel syndrome [CTS]), and (c) practitioners at risk. Videotapes, two questionnaires, a medical record review, and interviews were used. Forty-five dental workers participated and were classified into three categories: (a) dentists, (b) dental assistants and special assistants (DA/SA), and (c) dental hygienists and dental assistant-expanded function (DH/DAEF). Categorical data were analyzed using the chi- square statistic and risk ratios. The Fisher exact probability test was used for categorical data with a small cell. One or more symptoms associated with CTS were noted by 75.6% of the dental workers, 11% reported diagnosed CTS, and 53% reported back and shoulder pain. Both psychosocial factors and job demands appear to be associated with MCTD. All three categories of dental workers reported MCTD symptoms, and the DH/DAEF group was found to be at greatest risk for developing upper extremity symptoms, CTS, and back pain.     

Factorial validity of the Maslach burnout inventory—Dutch version (MBI‐NL) among dentists

Burnout is considered to be a long‐term reaction to occupational stress. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and diminished personal accomplishment. The most widely used instrument to measure burnout is the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), developed by Maslach and Jackson (1986). From this instrument, Schaufeli and van Dierendonck (1995a) developed a somewhat modified Dutch version: the MBI‐NL. Burnout among dentists has hardly been studied. Since the professions that the MBI‐NL was developed upon are quite different from dentistry, the aim of this study was to test the three‐factor structure of the MBI‐NL against alternative structures among dentists. Both principal components analysis (PCA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were examined in a representative sample of 709 Dutch general dental practitioners (75 per cent response rate). The three‐factor structure shows the best fit to the underlying data, while other psychometric qualities are very satisfactory. It is concluded that the three‐factor structure of the MBI‐NL is superior to alternative structures, and that the MBI‐NL is a highly suitable instrument to measure burnout among dentists. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Correlation Between Symptoms,Frequent Use of Dental Polymers,and Evaluation of Health Risk

Dental personnel are at risk as they manually handle polymer products containing monomers and additives that cause irritation and induce allergy. Gloves and face masks can be easily penetrated by monomers. A total of 587 dental personnel and a referent group (585) in the 2 most northern regions of Sweden were included in a questionnaire study (response rate 76%). Questions were asked regarding symptoms of atopy, asthma, conjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis, hand dermatitis, and hay fever/rhinitis. The dental personnel were asked to give the name of polymer products used in their practice and the frequency of use. They were also asked to risk evaluate 5 different types of polymer materials on a scale from 1 to 5. Analysis was done to find if the occurrence of a symptom was associated with a high risk evaluation of a polymer material, or with frequent use of a certain polymer product. Significantly more dentists reported symptoms of atopic dermatitis and conjunctivitis compared to referents and chair assistants. Results show that dental personnel with symptoms risk evaluated most materials significantly higher than dental personnel without symptoms. Further, the occurrence of some symptoms was associated with frequent use of 8 polymer products.     

Workload and psychological strain: A test of the French,Rodgers, and Cobb hypothesis

This study of a random sample of self-employed and non-self-employed dentists tests the French, Rodgers, and Cobb (1974) hypothesis, which predicts a curvilinear relationship between psychological strain and person-environment fit. Self-employed dentists had lower strain scores (based on measures of job satisfaction and self-esteem) and greater congruency in P-E fit (based on comparisons of preferred and typical hours in practice) than dentists who were not self-employed. The relationship between strain and P-E fit among self-employed dentists was curvilinear. Both self-esteem and job satisfaction were higher for dentists with a congruent fit between typical and preferred workload and lower for dentists with incongruent fit.     

Working conditions in a selected sample of call centre companies in Sweden

BACKGROUND: Call centres (CCs) are among the most rapidly growing forms of workplaces in Sweden. The purpose of the study was to describe and compare working conditions between operators at internal and external CC companies and work tasks of different complexity. METHOD: A questionnaire was answered by 1183 operators, 848 women and 335 men, from 28 different CCs. The questionnaire covered background factors, employment, working hours and remuneration, call logging and monitoring, duties, computer work and workplace design during the previous month. RESULTS: Operators at external companies and operators with low-complexity work tasks were younger, more often employed by the hour and worked on a varying roster. They spent longer time on customer calls and had less varied tasks. Additional remuneration, call logging and monitoring were more common at external companies and among operators with low-complexity work tasks. CONCLUSION: The working conditions varied between internal and external CCs. There was also a variation in working conditions between work tasks of different complexity. There were aspects of supervision style and organization of work at CCs, especially at external ones and those with low-complexity tasks that could introduce stress and lack of well being among the staff.     

Perceptions of the Importance and Control of Professional Problems in the Clinical Setting

The objective of this study was to identify the relative importance of culturally relevant professional problems and the degree of control over them, as perceived by dentists and dental students in Mexico City, Mexico. The dentists and students ranked 13 problems according to importance and then according to the perceived degree of control over each one. Novice clinicians were less secure about their ability to cope with the legal, financial, and clinical performance problems, whereas experienced clinicians were more concerned about occupational hazards and the dental market and culture. Both reported similar perceptions of their control of the problems. This preliminary information should support introducing into dental schools relevant practice-management courses, targeting continuing education efforts, and instituting professional counseling measures to meet the challenges posed by these problems.     

Manual Material Handling Assessment Among Workers of Iranian Casting Workshops

Manual material handling (MMH) tasks can be found in most workplaces and they may constitute a risk factor for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of WMSDs and to compare MMH loads with the acceptable weight and force limits among Iranian casting workers. Data were collected from 50 workers of casting workshops who performed MMH tasks. The Nordic musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire and the Snook tables were used as tools for data collection. Hand/ wrist symptoms were the most prevalent problems among the workers (84%). The results of the Snook tables showed that the loads in lifting (84%), lowering (86%), carrying (66%), pushing with initial (43%) and sustained force (59%), and pulling tasks with initial (48%) and sustained force (93%) exceeded recommended limits. WMSDs occurred in high rates among the workers and, thus, ergonomics interventions should focus on decreasing WMSDs and redesigning MMH tasks.     

Task type as a moderator of positive/negative feedback effects on motivation and performance: A regulatory focus perspective

Applying Higgins' regulatory focus theory, we hypothesized that the effect of positive/negative feedback on motivation and performance is moderated by task type, which is argued to be an antecedent to situational regulatory focus (promotion or prevention). Thus, first we demonstrated that some tasks (e.g., tasks requiring creativity) are perceived as promotion tasks, whereas others (e.g., those requiring vigilance and attention to detail) are perceived as prevention tasks. Second, as expected, our tests in two studies of the moderation hypothesis showed that positive feedback increased self‐reported motivation (meta‐analysis across samples: N = 315, d = 0.43) and actual performance (N = 55, d = 0.67) among people working on promotion tasks, relative to negative feedback. Positive feedback, however, decreased motivation (N = 318, d = ?0.33) and performance (N = 55, d = ?0.37) among individuals working on prevention tasks, relative to negative feedback. These findings suggest that (a) performance of different tasks can affect regulatory focus and (b) variability in positive/negative feedback effects can be partially explained by regulatory focus and task type. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Analysis of postural load during tasks related to milking cows-a case study

The aim of this study was to analyse postural load during tasks related to milking cows of 2 farmers on 2 different farms (one with a manual milk transport system, the other with a fully automated milk transport system) as a case study. The participants were full-time farmers, they were both healthy and experienced in their job. The Ovako Working Posture Analyzing System (OWAS) was used to evaluate postural load and postural risk. Postural load was medium for the farmer on the farm with a manual milk transport system and high for the farmer working on the farm with a fully automated milk transport system. Thus, it can be concluded that a higher level of farm mechanization not always mean that the farmer's postural load is lower, but limitation of OWAS should be considered.     

Amalgam in Dentistry A Health Hazard for Dental Personnel?

In a cross sectional study done in 1993 among dental personnel in Norrbotten, self-reported prevalence of muscular pain, headache, tremor, insomnia, irritation, impaired memory and depression, as well as information regarding different mercury exposures were collected Mercury exposures were determined as “number of amalgam fillings in teeth,” “years in practice,” “insufficient ventilation at work,” “total number of amalgam removed, produced and polished per day,” and “working in dental clinics.” As controls, physicians and nurses from the same geographical area were selected. The correlation between symptoms and different mercury exposures was calculated using logistic regression. The results suggested a higher prevalence of muscular fatigue and tremor for female dental personnel compared to controls Controls reported a lower prevalence of symptoms with increasing number of amalgam fillings in teeth. There was no correlation between the number of amalgam fillings handled per day and symptoms for dental personnel. Male dental personnel associated muscular fatigue headache, impaired memory, and depression with increased handling of amalgam in the clinic’ whereas the female dental personnel associated the same symptoms with the number of amalgam fillings in teeth. The strongest correlation was found between symptoms and insufficient ventilation at dental clinics for dental personnel.     

The Costs and Characteristics of Occupational Injuries Admitted to a Trauma Unit

Abstract

Occupational injuries requiring admission to a trauma unit were examined to outline the events surrounding the injury and to examine the costs. Sixty-nine patients were admitted over a 12-month period, representing 4.30% of all work-related injuries attending the emergency department and 4.25% of all admissions to the trauma unit. Most were male (91%), working in skilled trade occupations (65%), with a mean age of 38.8 years. Personal protective equipment was used only by 46% of injured workers who should have been using it. Sixty-one percent of patients believed that their injury was preventable. Half of the injuries were to the upper limb, fall was the most frequent mechanism (25%) and the median duration of admission was 2 days. The direct hospital costs were estimated at over 300 000 GBP. Failure to use protective equipment and to follow health and safety guidelines suggests that opportunities exist for injury prevention.     

An evaluation of Manutention training in preventing back strain and resultant injuries in nurses

As the number of manual handling injuries in carers and nurses continues to be very high, the problem of how to prevent injury has not been solved. Despite the obvious need for optimum working environments, the literature does not really support that an ergonomics or systems approach solves the injury problem. Similarly, the evidence for training as a preventive strategy is equivocal, although clearly people handling requires trained handlers for both their own and the patient's safety. This research aimed to evaluate the outcomes of training in a method of manual handling of people, Dotte's Manutention method, which claims to decrease back strain and effort in carers. The study evaluated handling techniques and injury outcomes of a group of nurses in a nursing home trained in this method, using two other homes as comparisons. The study hypothesized that training in the Manutention method would decrease back strain and resultant back injuries in nurses working in geriatric care. The results showed a clear pattern of declining incidence of nurses' back pain for the nurses trained in Manutention and increasing incidence in the other two homes. These findings approached significance with a probability of < 0.1. Of those respondents who indicated a decrease in pain during the twelve month research period, all attributed it to their training. Ninety four percent of respondents who received training agreed it made their manual handling job easier. The observation method used was not sensitive enough to evaluate the multiple movements involved in a patient transfer. A supplementary controlled study was performed using videotaping and the Ovako Working Assessment System (OWAS). Manutention lifts were rated significantly better than non-Manutention on the critical variable of working posture (p < 0.01) and observed effort (p < 0.05). Accident statistics on patient handling did not show decreased injury rates at twelve months. The difficulties of controlling variables in the workplace and of the measurement of complex handling tasks were limitations of this study.     

Accident risk and driver behaviour

The concepts of risk compensation and risk homeostasis are often used to describe or to explain drivers' tendencies to react to traffic system changes whether in roads, vehicles, weather conditions or in their own skills. However, it is important to distinguish between the general phenomenon and mechanisms underlying it. This paper first points out that to understand the basic mechanisms it is necessary to split accidents and exposure into smaller entities to arrive at basic units of exposure which also represent fundamental driver tasks. Risk-related behaviour should be considered at several hierarchical levels with different mechanisms to produce ‘risk compensation’. At a high level, trip decisions modify populations at risk in different circumstances, sometimes attenuating, sometimes amplifying population risk differences. At a low level of vehicle control and guidance in real dynamic traffic situations, simpler control mechanisms which result in behavioural adaptation can be identified. All these effects influence the end result of accident risk as separate mechanisms.     

Self-perceived mental well-being amongst Malaysian dentists

Purpose. To assess Malaysian dentists’ perceptions of their mental well-being. Methods. A self-administered questionnaire was developed based on a conceptual framework of mental health and well-being model. Two aspects were assessed, namely the physiological (two domains) and the psychological (six domains). Participants were asked to rate their experiences of the aforementioned aspects using a 5-point Likert scale ranging from all the time to never. Results. The response rate was 81%. Most of the dentists (61.7%) perceived having positive mental well-being. Under the physiological aspect, most respondents reported that they were ‘generally happy’ (93.3%), but about 30% stated they were ‘stressed physically and emotionally’. Of the six domains under the psychological aspect, positive well-being was observed in the ‘sense of coherence’ and ‘behavioural stress’ domains. Participants who were above 40 years old, married and had children reported having a more positive mental well-being when compared with their counterparts. Conclusion. Overall, most Malaysian dentists perceived having a positive mental well-being. It is crucial, however, to closely monitor and initiate early interventions for those with negative symptoms to ensure the safe practice of dentistry.     

A survey of forest workers in New Zealand. Do hours of work, rest, and recovery play a role in accidents and injury?

PROBLEM: A number of structural and organizational changes have occurred recently within the New Zealand Forestry Industry, with concerns being raised about the impact of these changes on the forestry worker in terms of fatigue, sleepiness, and compromised safety. This study explored the relationship of fatigue, and some of its key determinants, with accidents and injuries in a group of forestry industry workers in New Zealand. METHOD: A total of 367 forestry workers responded to a self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Fatigue was found to be commonly experienced at work in the forest, with 78% of workers reporting that they experienced fatigue at least "sometimes." This study found that certain groups of workers reported long working hours, reduced sleep, compromised recovery time, and intensely paced work. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that recent sleep, number of breaks taken during the workday, and specific job/tasks were independently associated with reporting of high fatigue levels at work. Near-miss injury events were significantly more common among those reporting a high level of fatigue at work. Accidents and lost-time injury were associated with length of time at work, ethnicity, and having had near-miss injury events. DISCUSSION: Together, these results suggest that fatigue and aspects of work organization, which are likely to be fatiguing, may be associated with compromised safety for forest workers. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: With an already slim margin of error present in forest operations, an impairment due to increased fatigue may constitute a significant risk factor for accidents and injuries in this workforce. The results indicate the need for further examination of shift and workload management among forestry workers, as well as a role for improving industry awareness about the causes and consequences of fatigue.     

Perceptions of postural stability after transitioning to standing among construction workers

Falls are a leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries in the construction trades. This study explored construction workers’ self-reports of postural stability upon standing after working in different postures. One hundred and eighty-nine workers in 10 construction trades provided stability ratings by completing a written questionnaire. Additional data collected included age, gender, years of experience, and rating of overall balance. Construction workers rated their overall balance as high, furthermore, no difference was found between trades or age groups. Significant differences in stability ratings were provided for the various postures. The most commonly used non-erect postures (bent over at waist, squatting, and forward kneeling) resulted in the largest self-reports of instability. Sitting on elevated surface and sitting on level surface resulted in the highest levels of self-reported stability and are recommended when maintaining balance is a concern. Differences associated with construction trade and age were also found, but were thought to be attributed to differences in tasks performed since no differences were found when each posture was analyzed separately. The results suggest that the working posture used to complete a task affects the postural stability upon standing regardless of construction trade and age of worker. Findings may lead to recommendations for redesign of tasks or tools to reduce the use of certain working postures, particularly in high-risk environments such as construction.     

Is fixed-term employment a new risk for adverse physical working conditions?

Relationships between employment type and the physical work environment were studied among blue-collar workers (n = 1,127). Based on survey data, we set out to compare the evaluations of environmental load and physical strain at work given by fixed-term (17% of all) and permanent workers. The type of employment was not related to environmental load. However, working on a fixed-term basis increased the risk of physical strain at work. Analyses revealed that this connection was evident only among fixed-term construction workers. The results did not support the much-cited view that the disintegration of standard employment has given rise to a new series of work environment problems. Such problems are concentrated in an area with a long tradition of work environment problems, that is, in the construction industry.