A process mapping model for calculating indirect costs of workplace accidents

This article follows an earlier one in which four criteria and four bases for the development of an indirect-cost calculation model adapted to the accuracy requirements and time constraints of workplace decision-makers were established. A two-level model for calculating indirect costs using process mapping of the organizational response to a workplace accident is presented. The model is based on data collected in interviews with those employees in charge of occupational health and safety in 10 companies of various sizes in different industry sectors. This model is the first to use process mapping to establish the indirect costs of workplace accidents. The approach allows easy identification of the duration and frequency of actions taken by stakeholders when a workplace accident occurs, facilitates the collection of the information needed to calculate indirect costs and yields a usable, precise result. A simple graphic representation of an organization's accident processes helps the user understand each accident's cost components, allowing the identification and reduction of inefficiencies in the overall process. Impact on Industry: By facilitating data collection and shortening the time needed to assess indirect costs of workplace accidents, this indirect cost calculation tool is better suited for workplace use than those currently available.     

Development of an indirect-cost calculation model suitable for workplace use

Introduction: Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) stakeholders rarely factor the cost of workplace accidents into prevention spending decisions. The lack of consideration of this key information is related to the fact that the scientific literature has failed to provide OHS stakeholders with a cost-calculation tool that is both sufficiently accurate and does not require a data-collection stage ill-suited to the time constraints of workplace decision-makers. Method: This study reviews the recent literature to identify key elements that should foster the use of indirect-cost calculation methods by decision makers. Results: A “local” approach currently appears to be the best method for calculating indirect costs of workplace incidents or accidents in comparison to “bottom-up” or “top-down” approach. This paper discusses four criteria that this type of approach must satisfy to be compatible with the time constraints and accuracy demands of OHS stakeholders in organizations. In addition, four bases for the development of a new indirect cost estimation model are presented and discussed. Impact on industry: this study provides bases and criteria to help the development of indirect-cost calculation models better suited to workplace use than those currently available.     

The productivity assessment tool: computer-based cost benefit analysis model for the economic assessment of occupational health and safety interventions in the workplace

INTRODUCTION AND MEthod: This paper describes the concepts behind cost benefit analysis in occupational health and safety and introduces the Productivity Assessment Tool, a method by which an analysis may be performed relatively easily in a service or manufacturing workplace. The advantage of using such analyses is to show the important financial role that safe and efficient workplaces play in the workplace. RESULTS: By using analytical tools, the effectiveness of an intervention (workplace change) may be estimated prior to its introduction. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: This places occupational health and safety on the same financial footing as other proposed workplace changes and thus places occupational health and safety in a strong position to attract scarce resources.     

Low-velocity motor vehicle collision characteristics associated with claimed low back pain

Objective: Up to 50% of individuals involved in low-velocity motor vehicle collisions report low back pain (LBP). A major limitation in such cases is the lack of knowledge of injury mechanisms linking the collision characteristics to the pain and pathology associated with LBP reporting. Thus, the objective of this investigation was to characterize the physical circumstances of low-velocity motor vehicle collisions that resulted in claims of LBP.

Methods: Eighty-three forensically assessed cases were analyzed to identify specific collision and claimant characteristics.

Results: Seventy-seven percent of reviewed cases involved a claim of LBP. Of these LBP claim cases, 70% of cases involved a rear-end collision configuration, and 40% of all cases were low-velocity collisions, with severities ranging between 10 and 12?km/h. The most common pre-existing medical condition was prior LBP or evidence of disc degeneration.

Conclusions: The results of this investigation provide knowledge of collision characteristics that can be employed in future studies on the mechanisms of low back injury in low-speed motor vehicle collisions.     

A detailed analysis of musculoskeletal disorder risk factors among Japanese nurses

INTRODUCTION: Although Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSD) represent a common occupational problem, few epidemiological studies have investigated MSD risk factors among Asian nurses, particularly those in Japan. METHOD: We administered a modified Japanese-language version of the Standardized Nordic Questionnaire to 1,162 nurses from a large teaching hospital. MSD categories focused on the neck, shoulder, upper back, and lower back regions. RESULTS: A total of 844 completed questionnaires were analyzed (response rate: 72.6%). The 12-month period-prevalence of MSD at any body site was 85.5%. MSD was most commonly reported at the shoulder (71.9%), followed by the lower back (71.3%), neck (54.7%), and upper back (33.9%). Alcohol consumption, tobacco smoking, and having children were shown to be significant risk factors, with adjusted Odds Ratios of 1.87 (95%CI: 1.17-2.96), 2.45 (95%CI: 1.43-4.35), and 2.53 (95%CI: 1.32-4.91), respectively. Workplace risk factors included manually handling patients (OR: 2.07 to 11.97) and undertaking physically laborious work (OR: 2.09 to 2.76). Nurses reporting pre-menstrual tension were 1.66 and 1.94 times more likely to suffer from lower back and upper back MSD, respectively. High mental pressure was also identified as a significant risk factor for MSD of the neck (OR: 1.53) and shoulder (OR: 2.07). IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The complex nature of MSD risk factors identified during this study suggests that remediation strategies which focus only on manual handling tasks would probably be suboptimal in reducing MSD among nurses. Therefore, to help alleviate their considerable MSD burden, a greater emphasis will need to be placed on job satisfaction, work organization, and occupational stress, as well as the more traditional hazard reduction strategies such as manual handling, work tasks, and other occupational factors.     

作业场所职业危害基础数据标准设计

作业场所职业危害基础信息数据标准是避免信息孤岛现象,促进数据共享和作业场所职业危害相关信息系统建设的重要基础。本文介绍了数据元的主要分类方法,并采用面分类方法和线分类方法相结合的方法对作业场所职业危害基础信息数据进行分类,通过面分类方法设计了合理的作业场所职业危害基础信息数据元对象类,通过线分类方法将作业场所职业危害基础信息数据元划分到不同的对象类下,并阐述了作业场所职业危害基础信息数据标准设计的内容和方法。     

流动人员职业健康监护模式分析与探索

流动人口的职业健康监护是职业卫生工作的重点与难点,是预防控制职业病,是保障流动人口职业健康和公平劳动权益的重要环节。根据对北京、浙江、山东、湖北、内蒙等地的调研,我们对流动人口职业健康监护现有模式进行了分析比较,并提出了新的模式框架与实施条件,以提高流动人口的职业健康监护率,保障流动人口职业健康．     

作业场所职业危害信息化管理系统平台研究

建立作业场所职业危害信息化管理系统平台,可有效解决目前我国职业危害监管监控等方面存在的主要问题,缓解我国严峻的职业危害形势。本文对作业场所职业危害信息化管理系统平台的系统结构进行了设计,并对作业场所职业危害信息化管理系统中的职业危害监控信息系统和职业危害移动执法终端系统两个关键子系统进行了详细设计和阐述。明确了我国作业场所职业危害信息化管理系统平台建设的总体框架和关键子系统的功能需求,讨论并分析了目前职业危害信息化管理系统平台建设的主要任务。     

加油站安全评价新模型探讨

加油站经营的油品具有易燃、易爆等危险性,一旦发生事故,后果不堪设想。因此,对加油站的安全现状作出科学评价具有重大意义。鉴于影响加油站安全因素的复杂性和多样性,提出了将“模糊层次分析法”和“模糊综合评价”相结合,建立一种评价加油站安全现状的新模型:即用“模糊层次分析法”分析影响加油站安全的主要因素并确定其权重,用“模糊综合评判”对加油站的安全状况进行综合评价,最后必须对评价结果进行检验,提出了检验评价结果是否有效方法。采用此模型对某加油站的安全现状进行评价,从人、物、管理和环境四个方面考虑,提出了影响加油站安全的15个因素,对安全现状建立了“安全、欠安全、不安全”3个评价等级,最终评价该加油站的安全现状为“欠安全”,最后对评价结果进行了检验,得出评价结果“比较有效”的结论,同时提出了相应的改进措施和建议。从评价结果可以看出此方法有一定的实用价值,能为加油站管理者提供新的评价方法,提高加油站安全管理水平。     

作业场所职业危害监管监察力量配备研究

职业危害形势严峻与监管力量相对匮乏的矛盾,是我国当前职业危害监管需要解决的问题之一。但是,实现作业场所职业危害的有效监管,应当配备多少数量的监管人员,一直以来缺乏系统的研究论证。本文根据国务院经济普查数据,以及国家统计局公布的有关工业企业的数据,初步探讨了分级监管模式下作业场所职业危害监管力量的配备情况,认为实现作业场所职业危害的有效分级监管,万名工人监管人员数至少达到1．34较为适宜,根据我国当前的工业企业从业人员数,全国范围内宜配备至少18590名职业卫生监管人员。     

企业分级监察模型及其应用研究

企业监察级别的划分是有效利用监察资源,提高监察绩效,实现集约型分级安全生产监察的基础.本文通过分析研究,结合我国安全生产现状,综合考虑企业自身特点和行业特性,建立了基于企业职业伤亡统计的分级监察模型,并利用该模型对柳州市502家企业的2005年监察级别进行了划分.最后,对企业分级监察模型研究中存在的问题进行了探讨.     

Synthesis and recommendations of the economic evaluation of OHS interventions at the company level conference

PROBLEM: In today's economic environment, enterprises may not be able to fund every new project aimed at promoting health and safety in the workplace. Company level economic evaluation of interventions can provide guidance in sound business decision-making. The Economic Evaluation of Occupational Health and Safety Interventions at the Company Level Meeting brought together members of the global occupational safety and health community interested in encouraging the use of economic knowledge and tools to evaluate economic gains from occupational health and safety interventions. DISCUSSION: Discussions of the six models presented explored similarities, reliability, and potential use by corporate enterprises, small and medium enterprises, developing and transitioning nations, and economic theorists. Each group provided specific projects that could be pursued to advance knowledge in the area of economic evaluation at the company level. CONCLUSION: This conference established pathway to incorporate economic evaluation of health and safety interventions or programs at the workplace.     

基于企业职业伤害风险和违法处罚的分级监察模型研究

对企业实施分级监察的基础是企业监察级别的确定。分级监察是以“风险优先”为基本的原则风险管理思想。本文在对我国现有的安全生产法规政策和安监部门的部分执法文书以及企业违法处罚情况进行分析总结的基础上,建立了企业违法处罚情况的量化模型,并以企业职业伤害风险和企业违法处罚结果为影响因素,建立了二元分级监察模型。运用所建立的模型对辽宁省某市的159家调研企业的监察级别进行了划分,并对分级结果进行了简要分析。     

高危作业监测预警系统的总体设计

为探索高危作业监测预警系统的建立,对风险监测预警系统进行了系统研究,在研究总结其基本原理的基础上,从理论上提出筛选高危作业监测预警指标的原则、要求和方法,进而提出高危作业监测预警的核心技术指标体系的建立及其基本结构和运行模式的总体设计思路,首次提出职业危害控制的先行指标、同步指标和滞后指标,在高危作业监测预警系统中建立信息咨询系统、信息监测系统、风险评估与诊断系统、预防控制与应急救援决策系统等子系统和高危作业监测预警系统基本结构与运行模式。该系统可以科学判断出当前政策、法规、标准、规划,经济贸易的影响及相应需采取的政策调整,在控制、检测、评价、诊断、防护等领域应重点开展的关键技术研究,当前机构、人员、设施、财力等方面的能力建设要求,分析政府、企业、劳动者应采取的主要行为干预。本文逻辑清晰、系统性强、内容全面,可为进一步开展职业病防治工作提供前沿考虑。     

现代生物医学模式与作业场所职业危害控制

进行医学模式研究的目的是利用科学的医学模式来指导医学实践，借鉴“生物-心理-社会”现代生物医学模式，结合职业危害控制的具体内容和主要环节。本文提出“作业环境-作业人员（群体）特征-劳动组织与管理”的职业危害控制模式，并初步探讨了该模式与与法规、部门职能及人-自然-社会和谐发展的关系。     

Preferred surface microscopic geometric features on floors as potential interventions for slip and fall accidents on liquid contaminated surfaces

PROBLEM: Surface roughness affects friction, so selection of floor surfaces with certain roughness characteristics could potentially reduce slip and fall accidents. This article summarizes the preferred surface microscopic geometric features that could increase friction on surfaces covered with liquid contaminants. METHOD: Three types of surface features, represented by the average of the maximum height above the mean line in each cut-off length (R(pm)), the arithmetical average of surface slope (Delta(a)), and the kernel roughness depth (R(k)), are identified as preferred surface microscopic geometric features for a higher friction. The proper settings on the profilometers (instruments used to measure surface roughness) for optimizing these surface parameters are specified. The friction mechanisms involved reveal why these features are more desirable. RESULTS: Although surface roughness is important in determining slipperiness, there is still insufficient information to establish a safety criterion based on roughness; however, the method presented in this paper can readily provide a relative comparison. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: The summary presented will help safety professionals properly select new floor surfaces or assess existing floors to reduce slip and fall accidents.     

基于可拓方法的职业危害控制水平预警模型

为了量化职业危害发生的可能性,并为职业病防治提供依据,利用物元分析方法,建立了高危作业有害因素控制水平的综合预警模型。为了避免人为主观因素的影响,采用简单可拓关联函数确定模型中指标权重,并以定量结果确定预警级别。实例验证表明,该模型可用于对职业危害的控制水平做出综合评价,并提供定量的预警信息。