Workplace violence intervention effectiveness: A systematic literature review

This is a systematic review of literature published since 1992, to determine the effectiveness of interventions in preventing workplace violence and to suggest interventions that need further evaluation research. The health care industry is the topic of 54% of the papers, the retail industry is the topic of 11% of the papers, and the remaining papers address the workplace in general or other situations. This finding drives the organization of this review: the first group of papers discussed in this review evaluates interventions to prevent workplace violence in the retail industry – mostly to prevent robbery and violence to retail workers. Singly or in combination, environmental designs in the retail industry, such as increased lighting to improve visibility and a limited cash-handling policy, can make workers safer, but more research is needed to overcome the barriers to implementation of environmental designs, especially in small businesses. The second group of papers in this review is about interventions to prevent violence to health care workers – mostly training and techniques of dealing with combative patients. Training health care workers to better cope with violent patients and to avoid injury is becoming standard practice, but research is needed to identify specific aspects of training and patient management programs that are most effective.     

Violence breeds violence: burnout as a mediator between patient violence and nurse violence

The present study examines whether patient-perpetrated violence triggers anger, hatred and other negative emotions that, under certain circumstances, might motivate nurses to behave violently with patients. In doing so, this study considers burnout as a mediator in the patient violence–nurse violence relationship. To test the causal paths, data were collected from 182 nurses working in two government-sector teaching hospitals of Pakistan's Punjab province. Results confirm that patient violence toward nurses leads to nurse violence toward patients through the mediating effect of burnout. The study advises hospitals to provide wellness and stress management programs to nurses who regularly experience events involving patient violence. Hospitals may consider allowing nurses to take short breaks after an encounter with violently behaving patients. In addition, hospitals should conduct empathy-promoting training, emotional intelligence training and ‘lens of the patient’ training programs to sensitize their nursing staff.     

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.     

The cut-off point for tympanic temperature as a heat strain index for evaluation of outdoor workers: a field study

Objectives. The aims of this study were (a) to assess the agreement coefficient between tympanic temperatures and the most popular and valid heat stress index, wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), in outdoor environments; (b) to determine a cut-off point for tympanic temperature as a heat strain index for evaluation of outdoor workers. Methods. 1452 measurements of WBGT index and tympanic temperature were recorded for outdoor workers from nine different climatic regions. Consistency of the WBGT and tympanic temperature were tested. The cut-off point for tympanic temperature in outdoor environments regarding WBGT evaluation was suggested based on obtained sensitivity and specificity from a receiver operating characteristic curve. Results. The results showed that there were numerous situations in which WBGT exceeded the reference value, whilst the measured values of tympanic temperature rarely reached a permissible value for core temperature (38?°C). Therefore, appropriate consistency of results between the heat stress and strain indices was not achieved. Conclusion. The criterion of tympanic temperature equaling 37?°C was suggested as a cut-off point for tympanic temperature as a heat strain index for outdoor environment evaluation.     

Workplace racial/ethnic similarity,job satisfaction,and lumbar back health among warehouse workers: Asymmetric reactions across racial/ethnic groups

Racial and ethnic minority employees constitute a significant proportion of the U.S. workforce. The literature on demographic similarity in the workplace suggests that the proportion of co‐workers who share the same racial/ethnic background (racial/ethnic similarity) can influence job attitudes and employee well‐being and that the reactions to racial/ethnic similarity may differ between the racially dominant and subordinate groups. This study applies status construction theory to examine the extent to which racial/ethnic similarity is associated with job satisfaction and lumbar back health among warehouse employees. We surveyed 361 warehouse workers (204 whites, 94 African‐Americans, and 63 Latino workers) in 68 jobs in nine distribution centers in the United States. Multilevel analyses indicate that white and racial/ethnic minority groups react differently to racial/ethnic similarity. For job satisfaction, white employees experience higher job satisfaction when they are highly racially/ethnically similar to their colleagues, whereas Latino employees experience higher job satisfaction when they are racially/ethnically dissimilar to others. As for lumbar back health, among Latino and African‐American employees, higher racial/ethnic similarity is associated with better lumbar back health whereas for white employees, the association is the opposite. Across all groups, moderate levels of racial/ethnic similarity were associated with the best lumbar back health. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Exploring differences in the workplace violence experiences of young workers in middle and late adolescence in the United States

Problem: Young workers, typically characterized as 15–24 years of age, are commonly employed in jobs where the risk of workplace violence is high. It is unknown how these young workers, at varying stages of development, might understand and respond to workplace violence differently. We set out to explore whether the experiences and understandings of young workers varied between those in middle (ages 15–17) and late (ages 18–24) adolescence. Method: Separate focus groups were conducted with working students (n = 31), ages 15–17 and ages 18–24, who had either experienced or witnessed workplace violence. A focus group guide was used to facilitate the sessions which were recorded, transcribed, and content analyzed for themes. Results: Those in the older group experienced more severe episodes of sexual harassment and physical assault, reported using formal mechanisms for reporting, and noticed an employer focus on customer satisfaction over employee safety, while the younger participants tended to report to their parents. Both groups reported negative effects of experiencing workplace violence including depression, anxiety, feelings of worthlessness, and spill over into personal life. Discussion: Findings suggest that young workers at different developmental stages may experience and respond to workplace violence differently. Further research is needed to see if these results are generalizable. Summary: It is imperative that we understand the distinct differences between these subsets of young workers and how they experience and respond to workplace violence in order to improve research, policy development, and prevention/intervention mechanisms. Practical Applications: Understanding that differences exist among young workers based on age due to developmental stage, lack of experience, education, and social awareness can enable employers, companies, policy makers, and researchers the opportunity to better address the issue of workplace violence in this population.     

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.     

Improving an algorithm for classifying error types of front-line workers: Insights from a case study in the construction industry

The objective of this study was to propose improvements in an algorithm for classifying error types of front-line workers. The improvements involved: (a) making recommendations on organizing the data needed to apply the algorithm (e.g. identify actions and decisions that may serve as a reference for analysing the types of errors) and (b) drawing up guidelines for interpreting the questions that are part of the algorithm (e.g. how to define what counts as a procedure). The improvements were identified on the basis of testing the algorithm on construction sites, an environment in which it had not yet been implemented. Thus, 19 occupational accidents which had occurred in a small-sized construction company were investigated and the error types of both workers who had been injured and crew members were classified. The accidents investigated were used as a basis both to illustrate how the improvements proposed should be put in practice and to illustrate how practical insights for safety management might be derived from the algorithm.     

Workplace Hazards and Prevention Options From a Nonrandom Sample of Retail Trade Businesses

Employer commitment is a key factor in an effective safety program, yet limited research has focused on the safety priorities of retail store managers. To address this, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health recruited 4 experienced ergonomists, who met and interviewed 9 retailers in different parts of the eastern USA. The reports from the 9 interviews were used to document the hazards facing retailers and the interventions they attempted. Those interviewed were managers/owners of establishments that ranged from a small bakery with 11 employees to a supermarket with 85 or more employees. The main hazards across all establishments included overexertion, contact-with-objects, and falls-to-the-same-level. We also compared the retailers’ perceptions of safety hazards with injuries from actual hazards as supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report provides insight into the retailers ‘ perceptions of safety hazards as well as their commitment to the prevention of workplace injuries.     

Developing a Questionnaire for Measuring Safety Climate in the Workplace in Serbia

This study was conducted because a real method for measuring safety climate had never been developed and assessed in Serbian industry. The aim of this paper was to start the process of developing a safety climate questionnaire that could be used in Serbia. As a starting point a 21-item questionnaire was adopted after an extensive literature review. The questionnaire was distributed at several Serbian factories; 1098 workers responded. After a statistical analysis of the data obtained with the questionnaire and a critical comparison with the available reference results, a final questionnaire with 21 questions, divided into 7 groups, was developed. The 7 groups of questions (factors) were safety awareness and competence, safety communication, organizational environment, management support, risk judgment and management reaction, safety precautions and accident prevention, and safety training.     

Reducing Musculoskeletal Discomfort: Effects of an Office Ergonomics Workplace and Training Intervention

Effects of an office ergonomics workplace and training intervention on workers’ knowledge and self-reported musculoskeletal pain and discomfort were investigated. An instructional systems design process was used to develop an office ergonomics training program and the evaluation tools used to measure the effectiveness of the training program on workers’ office ergonomics knowledge and skills. It was hypothesized that the training and workplace intervention would allow the worker to more effectively use their workplace through increased office ergonomics knowledge and skills. Following the intervention, there was a significant increase in workers’ office ergonomics knowledge and awareness. Self-reported work-related musculoskeletal disorders significantly decreased for the group who had a workplace change and received ergonomic training relative to a workplace change-only group and a no intervention control group.     

Workplace incivility: A review of the literature and agenda for future research

A growing body of research explores workplace incivility, defined as low‐intensity deviant workplace behavior with an ambiguous intent to harm. In the 15 years since the theoretical introduction of the workplace incivility construct, research in this domain has taken off, albeit in a variety of directions. We review the extant body of research on workplace incivility and note the multitude of samples, sources, methodologies, and instrumentation used. In this review article, we provide an organized review of the extant body of work that encompasses three distinct types of incivility: experienced, witnessed, and instigated incivility. These three types of incivility serve as the foundation for a series of comprehensive models in which we integrate extant empirical research. In the last part of this review article, we suggest directions for future research that may contribute to this growing body of work. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Adaptation to a New Workplace According to Reactivity and Values-Motives Coherence at Work

A new workplace is a result of changing a work post or undertaking a new job. Direct indices of adaptation to this situation (average mood at the workplace and job satisfaction) and the indirect ones (costs like health complaints and the level of depressing or facilitating anxiety) are analysed with regard to reactivity and values-motives coherence at work. Sixty bank workers were investigated. The obtained results confirm that mood and costs depend on reactivity, but satisfaction with work depends on coherence. Only achievement values-motives coherence at work differentiates direct and indirect indicators of adaptation. Considering both kinds of variables modifies dependencies. Some theoretical and practical conclusions resulting from the research are included.     

Workplace Design for Manual Assembly Tasks: Effect of Spatial Arrangement on Work-Cycle Time

This article reports the results of an experimental study undertaken to investigate the effect of spatial arrangement of assembly board and parts bin in the normal work area on work-cycle time in manual assembly tasks. Operator performance was measured in terms of average work-cycle time taken to complete a laboratory-simulated manual assembly task. Results showed that both location and distance factors had significant effects on work-cycle time. Effect of the size of parts was also investigated in the study. Average observed work-cycle times were compared with the methods–time measurement (MTM) values. Repetitive manual assembly tasks are common in industry and are thought to lead to musculoskeletal disorders. The results of this research are important for ergonomic design of the workplace for assembly tasks, which would help to enhance operators’ efficiency.     

基于生理指标的建筑工人攀登作业疲劳实验研究

为研究攀登作业建筑工人生理疲劳状态的评测指标,提出1种基于生理指标的建筑工人攀登作业疲劳测度实验方法。首先,设计实验测量建筑工人的心率、皮肤温度、舒张压、收缩压4项生理指标,结合Brog’s RPE主观疲劳程度量表研究建筑工人生理疲劳的变化;其次,提取上述4项指标的平均值和标准差作为生理指标特征值,利用静息状态下生理指标特征值和疲劳状态下生理指标特征值进行方差分析、球形检验、T检验筛选出与疲劳相关的特征值;最后,利用支持向量机构建疲劳检测模型。研究结果表明：上述8项生理指标特征值与攀登作业工人疲劳具有显著相关性,疲劳检测模型的准确率为96.875%,研究结果可对攀登作业人员疲劳评估和疲劳预警具有实践性意义。     

Demographic determinants of chemical safety information recall in workers and consumers in South Africa: A cross sectional study

BackgroundChemical hazard communication is intended to alert users of the potential hazards of chemicals. Hazard information needs to be understood and recalled. Recall of hazard communication is critical when the written form of the information is not available at the time it is required.MethodsA cross-sectional study investigating associations between recall of chemical safety information on labels amongst 402 participants including 315 workers and 87 consumers in two provinces of South Africa.ResultsRespondents were predominantly male (67.7%), the median age was 37 years (IQR: 30-46 years) and less than half of the participants completed high school (47.5%). Multivariate analysis identified the following positive associations with the recall of all the label elements listing the strongest association: call appropriate services and industrial vs consumer sector (OR = 2.4; 95% CI: 1.2; 4.6 ); call appropriate services and transport vs consumer sector (OR = 4.4; 95% CI: 1.2; 16.0); flammable symbol and male vs female gender (OR = 2.3; 95% CI: 1.0; 5.3); flammable symbol and home language English vs African languages (OR = 6.6; 95% CI: 2.1; 21.2); any hazard statement and home language Afrikaans vs African languages (OR = 14.0; 95% CI: 3.6; 54.2), any first aid statement and further education vs none (OR = 3.3; 95% CI: 1.3; 8.0), correct chemical name and industry blue collar workers vs non-industry blue collar workers (OR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.1; 6.1), correct chemical name and non-industry white collar occupations vs non-industry blue collar workers (OR = 2.7; 95% CI: 1.0; 7.1).ConclusionThe study found a number of potential positive associations which influence recall of label elements of which some (e.g., sector, gender, occupation) suggest further research. Relevant policies in South Africa should ensure that the safety information on chemical labels is clearly visible to read and understandable which aids recall and the reduction in harmful chemical exposures.     

组织氛围对建筑工人不安全行为的影响机理及实证研究

为了研究组织氛围对建筑工人不安全行为的影响,从班组级安全氛围、班组级安全教育和项目级安全氛围三个层面测量组织氛围,基于组织氛围与安全态度、不安全动机及安全能力之间的关系,构建建筑工人不安全行为发生的机理。通过23个项目267份有效问卷收集数据,采用结构方程模型（SEM）进行验证,采用决策试验和评价实验室（DEMATEL）进一步计算和分析各潜变量之间的影响度和被影响度。研究结果表明:班组级安全氛围对安全态度、班组级安全教育对安全态度、安全能力对安全态度、安全态度对安全动机的影响显著;安全动机和安全能力对不安全行为的影响显著;班组级安全氛围、班组级安全教育和项目级安全氛围之间相互关系显著;班组级安全氛围、班组级安全教育和项目级安全教育是典型的原因影响因素,通过安全态度共同影响不安全行为。根据研究结果,提出应对措施,可为安全管理工作提供理论指导。     

Workplace ostracism and deviant and helping behaviors: The moderating role of 360 degree feedback

Drawing on sociometer theory, we argue that when 360 degree feedback is used in a work setting, being ostracized by coworkers has a stronger negative influence on employees' state self‐esteem, which promotes interpersonal deviance and demotivates helping directed toward coworkers, as compared to settings in which 360 feedback is not used. We tested our hypotheses using data collected from North American employees (Study 1) and a two‐wave survey of employees in China (Study 2). Results from both studies support the hypothesized interaction between workplace ostracism and 360 degree feedback on interpersonal deviance and helping behavior. Results from Study 2 further show that lower state self‐esteem accounts for the stronger negative association of ostracism with helping behavior among employees who are exposed to 360 degree feedback. Ostracism is not related to subsequent state self‐esteem or behavior when 360 degree feedback is absent. We discuss the implications for theory and research concerning employee exclusion. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.