Analysis of Total Work Inability in Poland in 2000 and 2001 According to Age,Disease Diagnosis and Occupation

This study was to determine the main health-related reasons, age and occupation of those who took ear retirement due to total work inability. This was done through an analysis of the data from Poland’s Soci Insurance Institution (ZUS) from 2000 and 2001. An analysis of these data showed an increase in the numb of certificates confirming total inability to work in people over 40 years old. Over 50% of certificates wo, were issued to workers in 2 age-groups: 45–49 and 50–54.

Diseases of the circulatory system, musculoskeletal system and connective tissue as well as mental and behavioural disorders are the main causes of early inability to work. Approximately 70% of people who obtained certificates confirming total inability to work had blue- and blue-and-white-collar jobs.     

Polish adaptation of three self-report measures of job stressors: the Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale,the Quantitative Workload Inventory and the Organizational Constraints Scale

Aim. The objective of the present study was to test the psychometric properties, reliability and validity of three job stressor measures, namely, the Interpersonal Conflict at Work Scale, the Organizational Constraints Scale and the Quantitative Workload Inventory. Method. The study was conducted on two samples (N?=?382 and 3368) representing a wide range of occupations. The estimation of internal consistency with Cronbach's α and the test–retest method as well as both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were the main statistical methods. Results. The internal consistency of the scales proved satisfactory, ranging from 0.80 to 0.90 for Cronbach's α test and from 0.72 to 0.86 for the test–retest method. The one-dimensional structure of the three measurements was confirmed. The three scales have acceptable fit to the data. The one-factor structures and other psychometric properties of the Polish version of the scales seem to be similar to those found in the US version of the scales. It was also proved that the three job stressors are positively related to all the job strain measures. Conclusions. The Polish versions of the three analysed scales can be used to measure the job stressors in Polish conditions.     

Handedness, Hand Roles, and Hand Injuries at Work

Hand injuries form a significant proportion of all workplace injuries. They are costly to treat, and lead to significant loss of time at work. This paper has two parts. First, there is a review of the literature that discusses prevalence of hand injury, and the significance of hand roles and handedness in industrial injuries. The second part represents an initial attempt to document the roles of the two hands in a particular industry, the metal manufacturing industry. The purpose of this survey of 30 different work stations in seven different industrial plants was to see whether there is a significant bias in terms of movement requirements for one or the other hand, leading to a possible differential risk of injury for the left and right hands. Overall, there was no clear bias favoring the right hand in activities assigned to the hands in seven different movement categories (MTM). However, the location of emergency controls favored the right hand unequivocally. The implications of biases favoring the left/right hand for safety of machine operation are discussed in the light of current findings on left/right hand performance in right- and lefthanders.     

工伤保险在社保制度中的排序变化及其内涵

目前我国常见的社会保险制度排序是养老保险、医疗保险、失业保险、工伤保险和生育保险,工伤保险制度位列第四位;而在计划经济时期的劳动保险制度系列中,工伤待遇规定曾位居第一位,尔后才是医疗待遇规定、养老待遇规定和生育待遇规定。上述排序变化的出现不会是立法者的偶然随意之为,而是以实行市场经济体制改革后我国劳动者-企业-国家之"三方关系"出现的根本性变化为背景原因的,与制度本身从一种面向牺牲了个人安全和健康的建设功臣们实施的国家慰谢待遇向以分散风险、损失共担为机理的保险制度发生的转化密切相关。针对近年来极端劳资纠纷事件增多的趋势,我国的劳动安全管理及工伤保险立法决策还应更加注重向弱势劳动者的倾斜。     

基层安全生产监管体制研究——关于安全生产法律制度实施与完善的研究(一)

基于现行基层安全生产监管体制有许多不适应安全生产工作的问题,提出扩大基层安监体制新方案,目的在于解决基层安监体制中存在的种种问题。该方案的核心是建立县区安监局直属的安全工程监测站,取代现有的乡镇街道安监站。定性为事业机构和技术服务机构,建立一支安全技术专业人员队伍,以加强其力量,开展所有的安全工程监测等技术服务工作。为配合该项工作推进,应推行注册安全工程师资格考试,以加强基层安监体制内人才队伍建设。     

Paradigms and Safety Requirements for a New Generation of Workplace Equipment

A workplace in the manufacturing industry consists of not only stationary equipment (e.g., machining centres, fixed robots) but also mobile equipment (e.g., automated guided vehicles, mobile robots), with both kinds co-operating directly with workers. Workplace equipment should not only be safe, it should also not generate fear or anxiety; still better if it should inspire calm and confidence. In view of robot laws, this article presents selected examples of robot-human co-operation, reviews safety requirements and safety functions developed to date. It also proposes a package of selected new safety functions, necessary to fulfil this paradigm. It also suggests and presents examples of actions that can make the workplace a human-friendly environment and presents examples of such actions.     

The Relationship Between Shift Work Schedules and Spillover in a Sample of Nurses

The aim of the present study was to estimate spillover effects between the work and the family sphere in a sample of nurses (N = 2058). Hierarchical regression analyses investigated whether shift work schedules were associated with negative or positive spillover, both from family to work and vice versa, controlling for demographic factors, job demands and decision latitude. With daytime work as a reference group, all types of shift work (day and evening shift, night shift only and rotating 3 shift) were associated with higher negative work-to-family spillover. Night work was associated with significantly less negative family-to-work spillover. None of the different shift work schedules were related to any type of positive spillover. The results indicate that working outside of daytime hours is less compatible with workers’ family lives, compared to working ordinary day shifts. On the other hand, working night shifts only was associated with reduced negative family-to-work spillover.     

日本安全生产管理及其对我国的启示

针对我国安全生产管理现状,分析日本安全生产发展历程和特点,并借鉴日本经验,提出进一步加快建立健全我国安全生产监管体系、法律法规体系、颁布实施安全生产规划、建立强有力的安全生产技术支撑体系、在我国探索开展伤害预知预警活动和重点落实企业主体责任等一系列完善我国安全生产体制和机制的建议;给出了我国完善的安全生产监管体系框图。通过对日本安全生产特点研究,结合我国安全生产面临的严峻形势,对探索增强我国企业和从业人员安全意识,逐步完善安全生产工作方式、方法和机制,以期为提高我国安全生产工作水平提供科学依据和有益的借鉴。     

Exposure to impulse noise at an explosives company: a case study

Impulse noise encountered in workplaces is a threat to hearing. The aim of this study was to assess the occupational exposure to impulse noise produced by detonation of dynamite on the premises of an explosives company. Test points were located on the blast test area (inside and outside the bunker) and in work buildings across the site. Noise propagation measurement was performed during 130 blast tests at nine measurement points. At every point, at least 10 separate measurements of A-weighted equivalent sound pressure level (L_Aeq), maximum A-weighted sound pressure level (L_Amax) and C-weighted peak sound pressure level (L_Cpeak) were made. Noise recorded in the blast test area exceeded occupational exposure limits (OELs). Noise levels measured in buildings did not exceed OELs. Results of the survey showed that for 62% of respondents, impulse noise causes difficulties in performing work. The most commonly reported symptoms include headaches, nervousness and irritability.     

Autonomous emergency braking systems adapted to snowy road conditions improve drivers' perceived safety and trust

Objective: This study investigated drivers' evaluation of a conventional autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system on high and reduced tire–road friction and compared these results to those of an AEB system adaptive to the reduced tire–road friction by earlier braking. Current automated systems such as the AEB do not adapt the vehicle control strategy to the road friction; for example, on snowy roads. Because winter precipitation is associated with a 19% increase in traffic crashes and a 13% increase in injuries compared to dry conditions, the potential of conventional AEB to prevent collisions could be significantly improved by including friction in the control algorithm. Whereas adaption is not legally required for a conventional AEB system, higher automated functions will have to adapt to the current tire–road friction because human drivers will not be required to monitor the driving environment at all times. For automated driving functions to be used, high levels of perceived safety and trust of occupants have to be reached with new systems. The application case of an AEB is used to investigate drivers' evaluation depending on the road condition in order to gain knowledge for the design of future driving functions.

Methods: In a driving simulator, the conventional, nonadaptive AEB was evaluated on dry roads with high friction (μ = 1) and on snowy roads with reduced friction (μ = 0.3). In addition, an AEB system adapted to road friction was designed for this study and compared with the conventional AEB on snowy roads with reduced friction. Ninety-six drivers (48 males, 48 females) assigned to 5 age groups (20–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, and 60–75 years) drove with AEB in the simulator. The drivers observed and evaluated the AEB's braking actions in response to an imminent rear-end collision at an intersection.

Results: The results show that drivers' safety and trust in the conventional AEB were significantly lower on snowy roads, and the nonadaptive autonomous braking strategy was considered less appropriate on snowy roads compared to dry roads. As expected, the adaptive AEB braking strategy was considered more appropriate for snowy roads than the nonadaptive strategy. In conditions of reduced friction, drivers' subjective safety and trust were significantly improved when driving with the adaptive AEB compared to the conventional AEB. Women felt less safe than men when AEB was braking. Differences between age groups were not of statistical significance.

Conclusions: Drivers notice the adaptation of the autonomous braking strategy on snowy roads with reduced friction. On snowy roads, they feel safer and trust the adaptive system more than the nonadaptive automation.     

A Digital Filter for the State Estimation of Impulsive Noise Under the Existence of a Background Noise and its Experiment in the Work Environment

In the actual work environment, a specific objective noise, like machine and industrial noises, shows impulsive fluctuation form. Furthermore, it often occurs that a specific noise is partially or completely contaminated by background noise. In that case, the fluctuation wave form of the specific noise has to be estimated moment by moment in order to evaluate and/or improve the work environment. In this study, a digital filter for estimating an impulsively fluctuating specific noise is proposed. More specifically, after introducing a generalized time series regressive model of the specific noise, a method for estimating the impulsive noise based on an observation contaminated by the background noise is theoretically derived. Furthermore, the proposed method is applied to the actual task of estimating an industrial impact noise.     

Reliability of a Questionnaire and an Ergonomic Checklist for Assessing Working Conditions and Health at Call Centres

Background. The purpose was to study the test-retest reliability and internal consistency of questions in aquestionnaire concerning working conditions and health and the inter-rater reliability of observations andmeasurements according to an ergonomic checklist. Method. Fifty-seven operators participated in a retestquestionnaire and 58 operators participated in an inter-observer test. Results. The questions had fair to good or higher reliability in 142 of the total of 312. Twenty-seven of the total of 44 variables in the ergonomicchecklist were classified as having fair to good or higher reliability. Conclusions. About half of the questionshad fair to good or higher reliability and can be recommended for further analyses. The majority of variablesin the ergonomic checklist were classified as having fair to good or higher reliability. Low reliability does notnecessarily indicate that the reliability of the test, per se, is low but may signify that the conditions measuredvary over time or that the answers are aggregated in one part of the scale.     

Crafting a job on a daily basis: Contextual correlates and the link to work engagement

This study focused on daily job crafting and explored its contextual determinants and one motivational outcome (i.e., work engagement). Job crafting was conceptualized as “seeking resources,” “seeking challenges,” and “reducing demands.” Participants were 95 employees from several organizations who completed a 5‐day diary survey. As hypothesized, we found a 3‐factor structure for the job crafting instrument, both at the general and day levels. We hypothesized and found that the combination of high day‐level work pressure and high day‐level autonomy (active jobs) was associated with higher day‐level seeking resources and lower day‐level reducing demands. Furthermore, we found that day‐level seeking challenges (but not resources) was positively associated with day‐level work engagement, whereas day‐level reducing demands was negatively associated with day‐level work engagement. Findings suggest that job crafting is a daily employee behavior with implications for management practice and future research. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The impact of implementation of the requirements of Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 to reduce the number of injuries at work and financial costs in the Republic of Croatia

This article contains the results of research into the impact of implementation of the requirements mentioned in Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 to reduce the number of injuries at work and the financial costs incurred in this way. The study was conducted on a determined sample by a written questionnaire survey method in the Republic of Croatia. The objective of the empirical research is to determine the impact of implementation of the requirements of Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 to reduce the number of injuries at work and financial costs in Croatia in business organizations that implement these requirements. To provide a broader picture, the research included the collection and analysis of data on the impact of the Standard No. OHSAS 18001:2007 on accidents and fatalities at work. Research findings are based on the analysis of performed statistical data where correlation and regression analysis has been applied.     

球接管容器气体爆炸尺寸效应的试验研究与数值分析

为了解尺寸对球形容器连接管道甲烷-空气混合物爆炸的影响规律,利用Fluent软件,采用κ-ε湍流模型、涡耗散模型(简称EDC模型)、壁面热耗散、热辐射模型及SIMPLE算法,建立了球形容器连接管道内甲烷-空气混合物爆炸的数值模型,对容器与管道内甲烷-空气预混气体爆炸的尺寸效应进行了数值模拟。结果表明:随管道内径增大,球形容器内最大爆炸压力逐渐增大,管道末端最大爆炸压力变化无明显规律;而随管道长度增加,球形容器内最大爆炸压力逐渐减小;改变管道内径,较大体积球形容器内最大爆炸压力均大于较小体积球形容器内最大爆炸压力,最大爆炸压力上升速率的规律则相反,容器体积对管道末端最大爆炸压力的影响无明显规律。     

The NIOSH Construction Program: Research to practice, impact, and developing a National Construction Agenda

The U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research to improve and protect the health and safety of workers. This paper describes the experience of the NIOSH Construction Program with two recent program planning initiatives intended to improve the program: (a) an independent external review of work over the past decade and (b) the development of strategic goals organized into a “National Construction Agenda” to guide a decade of future work. These goals, developed with input from construction industry stakeholders and researchers, are a part of the NIOSH National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) initiative. The NORA goals are intended to provide an ambitious set of goals for all construction stakeholders to work together on. Both efforts relate to insuring the relevance and impact of research, reflecting an emerging policy perspective that research programs should be judged not just by the quality and quantity of science produced, but by the industry impact and tangible benefit resulting from the research. This paper describes how views on research planning have evolved to incorporate lessons learned about how research leads to improved safety and health for workers. It also describes the process used to develop the goals and the resulting strategic and intermediate goals that comprise the National Construction Agenda.     

上喷式矿井排风热回收装置内液滴运动模型及其优化计算

为了减小常见下喷式装置风吹水损失大的问题,设计了上喷式矿井排风热回收装置.通过液滴受力及运动分析,将上喷式液滴的运动划分为2个阶段.根据牛顿第二定律,建立了简化的液滴动量方程;在该方程的基础上,结合运动阶段划分,得到临界条件下的力平衡关系式;利用该式,在10个不同相对速度下,得到了上喷式与下喷式的保证液滴不被吹飞的临界直径.应用变量替换,将液滴动量方程变换为液滴运动距离的微分式;继而,根据液滴及空气之间的雷诺数组合,导出了液滴最大上升高度的5个积分计算式.应用这些积分式,数值计算了不同迎面风速、液滴粒径及液滴初速度下,上喷式中液滴最大上升高度、下喷式中液滴最大下降高度.对比计算结果,相比下喷式,上喷式具有节水、液滴选择范围宽和低耗高效的优势.     

在高压射流喷沙系统中高效节能水沙分离器的研究与应用

在高压射流喷沙系统中，采用水沙分离器进行水处理，能够清除粒径大于１０ｕｍ的金刚沙。经过处理的水能够重复利用，满足高压射流对水质的要求。     

石门揭煤高角度断层围岩注浆加固理论研究与应用

石门揭煤时,断层的存在会增大发生灾害的危险性,尤其是高角度断层对煤层和瓦斯赋存特征影响较大.做好石门揭煤过程中高角度断层加固工作可以有效防范灾害的发生.从理论上分析了注浆加固对高角度断层围岩力学性能的影响,视浆液为宾汉流体,基于平板渗流模型,考虑浆液自重,建立了高角度断层内浆射流模型,推导出浆液的扩散半径表达式.将该理论应用于鹤煤八矿-655 m水平轨道石门揭煤点处30F4高角度断层注浆加固.结果表明,通过注浆加固提高了断层围岩的整体性和稳定性,有效预防了断层可能引发的灾害事故,实现了石门安全揭煤.