Participation for understanding: an interactive method

INTRODUCTION: There are many available models that help evaluate the effectiveness of safety and health measures, but many are complex and require input from many departments within an organization. There is a need to develop a more user-friendly model. METHOD: A participative model was developed that involves face-to-face interviewers with workers, maintenance department, purchasing department and health and safety experts. They were asked about costs, efforts, benefits, and effects of gauging the effects of prevention efforts. RESULTS: Cost effectiveness analyses are essential in all cases and can include whatever the end-user requires, whether it is a small or lasting improvement. Having management participate helps validate the data. CONCLUSIONS: Organizations who collaborate with someone with at least some skill in cost-benefit evaluations will find that they will be able to establish policies and procedures from the data. The end result is a calculation that is understood by all involved.     

Motivating ergonomic computer workstation setup: sometimes training is not enough

Musculoskeletal disorders lead to pain and suffering and result in high costs to industry. There is evidence to suggest that whereas conventional ergonomics training programs result in knowledge gains, they may not necessarily translate to changes in behavior. There were 11 participants in an ergonomics training program, and a subsample of participants received a motivational intervention in the form of incentives for correct workstation setup. Training did not yield any changes in ergonomics measures for any participant. Incentives resulted in marked and durable changes in targeted workstation measures. The data suggest that improving worker knowledge about ergonomically correct workstation setup does not necessarily lead to correct workstation setup, and that motivational interventions may be needed to achieve lasting behavior change.     

Measuring mining safety with injury statistics: lost workdays as indicators of risk

PROBLEM: Mining in the United States remains one of the most hazardous industries, despite significant reductions in fatal injury rates over the last century. Coal mine fatality rates, for example, have dropped almost a thousand-fold since their peak in 1908. While incidence rates are very important indicators, lost worktime measures offer an alternative metric for evaluating job safety and health performance. The first objective of this study examined the distributions and summary statistics of all injuries reported to the Mine Safety and Health Administration from 1983 through 2004. Over the period studied (1983-2004), there were 31,515,368 lost workdays associated with mining injuries, for an equivalent of 5,700 person-years lost annually. The second objective addressed the problem of comparing safety program performance in mines for situations where denominator data were lacking. By examining the consequences of injuries, comparisons can be made between disparate operations without the need for denominators. Total risk in the form of lost workday sums can help to distinguish between lower- and higher-risk operations or time periods. METHOD: Our method was to use a beta distribution to model the losses and to compare underground coal mining to underground metal/nonmetal mining from 2000 to 2004. RESULTS: Our results showed the probability of an injury having 10 or more lost workdays was 0.52 for coal mine cases versus 0.35 for metal/nonmetal mine cases. In addition, a comparison of injuries involving continuous mining machines over 2001-2002 versus 2003-2004 showed that the ratio of average losses in the later period to those in the earlier period was approximately 1.08, suggesting increasing risks for such operations. DISCUSSION: This denominator-free safety measure will help the mining industry more effectively identify higher-risk operations and more realistically evaluate their safety improvement programs. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: Attention to a variety of metrics concerning the performance of a job safety and health program will enhance industry's ability to manage these programs and reduce risk.     

工作场所职业工效相关因素及其管理初探

为了探讨工作场所职业工效管理的基本策略和方法,在概述职业工效相关因素类别、相互关联及评价方法等基础上,提出基于职业病危害防治要求、风险管理理念和管理体系建设模式的职业工效不良因素干预管理的初步策略及实施要点。研究结果表明:工作场所职业工效相关因素包括个体特征、工艺设备及其布局、工作系统设计、作业环境、作业管理和社会心理因素等,不同因素间存在直接或间接的相互影响,并最终影响到微观层面劳动者职业活动的工效特点及宏观层面工作场所整体的职业工效特征;实施有效的职业工效管理,在于科学辨识、评估不良职业工效因素的基础上,进一步在职业病危害预防控制的不同阶段采取合理可行的管理方法进行干预,并持续改进。     

Using ergonomics in engineering design to improve health and safety

This paper outlines the importance of ergonomics in engineering design. It describes some of the cost benefits and principles underlying the application of ergonomics. The practical impact of the latter has become increasingly important in the light of European directives which are likely to have a substantial impact on the way engineers design. Three ergonomics case studies are described, the first two illustrate ways of identifying costs of poor ergonomics and the cost benefits of redesign using ergonomics principles. The third illustrates work which led to engineers redesigning assembly line workstations and ergonomics becoming an important part of manufacturing design. The background to this was concern about an increase in cases of Upper Limb Disorders (ULDs) and recognition that ergonomic advice was needed to find the source of problems and help in finding design options. Ergonomists were brought in and helped in identifying problems with workstations and tools. Final designs were developed by the company's own engineers based on the ergonomic study and reduced incidence of ULDs has been reported. Photographs showing examples before and after redesign can be found in the Health and Safety Executive's notes of guidance published in 1990, and some issues surrounding the nature of the detailed design solutions are discussed here. The impact of the ergonomics contribution resulted in engineers being trained in ergonomics so that it could be implemented on a routine basis throughout the site.     

Valuing lives equally in a benefit-coast analysis of safety projects: A method to reconcile theory and practice

A value of statistical life (VSL) is used in cost-benefit analysis (CBA) as a monetary measure of the benefits to people from small risk reductions that arise from safety projects. Despite its widespread use in a number of countries, the concept of a VSL remains controversial, not least because it implies acceptance of the underlying ethical assumptions of CBA together with the idea that ‘social welfare’ can be measured and aggregated in some manner. In addition, to comply with theory, variable VSLs for different groups within society would be advocated. However, without fail, empirically, it is the case that those countries that employ a willingness to pay based approach to cost-benefit analysis of a safety project appraisal tend to use a single value for that accident context that is independent of the per capita income level, or indeed other personal characteristics, of the sub-group in society to which the safety improvement will actually apply. This article presents a straightforward, but theoretically justified adaptation to the calculation of a VSL which allows empirical practice by policymakers i.e. the application of a “common” VSL for any particular hazard within a given society, to be compatible with a CBA decision making approach.     

Chemical plant innovative safety investments decision-support methodology

Introduction

This article examines the extent to which investing in safety during the creation of a new chemical installation proves profitable.

Method

The authors propose a management supporting cost-benefit model that identifies and evaluates investments in safety within a chemical company. This innovative model differentiates between serious accidents and less serious accidents, thus providing an authentic image of prevention-related costs and benefits. In classic cost-benefit analyses, which do not make such differentiations, only a rudimentary image of potential profitability resulting from investments in safety is obtained.

Results

The resulting management conclusions that can be drawn from such classical analyses are of a very limited nature. The proposed model, however, is applied to a real case study and the proposed investments in safety at an appointed chemical installation are weighed against the estimated hypothetical benefits resulting from the preventive measures to be installed at the installation.

Conclusion

In the case-study carried out in question, it would appear that the proposed prevention investments are justified.

Impact on industry

Such an economic exercise may be very important to chemical corporations trying to (further) improve their safety investments.     

An economic evaluation of a participatory ergonomics process in an auto parts manufacturer

Problem

We assess the costs and consequences of a participatory ergonomics process at a Canadian car parts manufacturer from the perspective of the firm.

Method

Regression modeling was used with interrupted time series data to assess the impact of the process on several health measures. Consequences were kept in natural units for cost-effectiveness analysis, and translated into monetary units for cost-benefit analysis.

Results

The duration of disability insurance claims and the number of denied workers' compensation claims was significantly reduced. The cost-effectiveness ratio is $12.06 per disability day averted. The net present value is $244,416 for a 23-month period with a benefit-to-cost ratio of 10.6, suggesting that the process was worth undertaking (monetary units in 2001 Canadian dollars).

Discussion

Our findings emphasize the importance of considering a range of outcomes when evaluating an occupational health and safety intervention.

Impact on industry

Participatory ergonomics process can be cost-effective for a firm.     

What matters for work engagement? A diary study on resources and the benefits of selective optimization with compensation for state work engagement

This diary study addresses the benefits of employees' daily use of selective optimization with compensation (SOC) for state work engagement. We hypothesized that day‐level SOC not only directly fosters work engagement but that SOC also reveals its beneficial effects for work engagement in interaction with both external and internal resources. Specifically, we proposed SOC substitutes for job control, role clarity, and state of being recovered, thus helping employees manage low daily levels of these resources. We tested our hypotheses with a sample of 138 employees who completed two daily surveys over a total of 545 workdays. Results of multilevel analyses revealed that SOC benefits work engagement in both proposed ways. First, day‐level SOC was positively related to state work engagement. Additionally, day‐level role clarity and state of being recovered predicted state work engagement, but day‐level job control did not. Second, SOC benefitted state work engagement by offsetting low levels of role clarity and being recovered, and by boosting job control in their respective relationships with work engagement. The results suggest that by using SOC at work, employees can actively enhance their own work engagement on a given workday. This knowledge provides promising starting points for the development of interventions.     

Frequency and determinants of recommended workplace violence prevention measures

PROBLEM: Limited information exists concerning adoption of workplace violence prevention measures by employers and the factors influencing their adoption. METHODS: A weighted sample of North Carolina workplaces (n=210) in operation January 1994 through March 1998 was used to estimate prevalence of 18 measures and identify community and workplace predictors of having >/=5 recommended measures. RESULTS: Location in a metropolitan area most strongly predicted presence of >/=5 administrative safety measures while a history of workplace violence and being in a high crime area were negatively associated. Belonging to an industry considered to be high-risk for workplace homicide was most strongly associated with having >/=5 environmental safety measures. DISCUSSION: Factors influencing high prevalence of violence prevention measures were related to business type, violence history, and location. Knowledge of factors influencing adoption of recommended workplace violence prevention measures can help tailor interventions to diverse industry settings. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY: An important contribution to the understanding and mitigation of workplace homicide is knowledge of the extent of implementation of recommended workplace violence prevention guidelines and factors influencing their adoption. Identifying factors that influence the prevalence and adoption of workplace violence safety interventions can help to tailor development of interventions to address the issue of workplace homicide across diverse industry settings.     

机械行业工效学调查研究

对机械行业工人的慢性肌肉骨骼损伤进行了工效学分析。结果表明，目前我国机械行业工人主要存在的工效学问题是：坐椅高度和坐位工作台高度较高，正常作业范围过大，同一动作持续工作时间过长、劳动时间率偏高、工中休息时间偏少。建议根据有关法规和标准，采取工效学改进措施     

服装行业缝纫工作工效学调查研究

对服装行业缝纫工种工人的慢性肌肉骨骼损伤进行了工效学分析。结果表明，目前缝纫工主要存在的工效学问题是：坐位工作台均偏高，工作椅也普遍较高，同一动作持续工作时间过长（平均大于１小时），８小时工作日休息时间过短（平均仅为３０分钟）。建议根据有关标准和法规，采取相应改进措施     

Strengthening incentives for efficient road safety policy priorities: The roles of cost–benefit analysis and road pricing

This paper discusses how incentives for setting efficient priorities in road safety policy can be strengthened. Efficient priorities are characterised by the use of cost-effective road safety measures. Cost-effective road safety measures can be identified by means of cost-benefit analyses. Studies of the actual priorities in road safety policy, in particular in the Scandinavian countries, suggest that these priorities are inefficient, i.e. characterised by the non-use or sub-optimal use of cost-effective road safety measures as well as an extensive use of ineffective road safety measures. This occurs despite the fact that road safety policy analyses have included extensive cost-benefit analyses of road safety measures. It would thus appear that cost-benefit analyses do not necessarily generate a sufficient incentive to implement cost-effective road safety measures. Possible reasons for this are discussed in the paper. It is argued that a large part of the monetary benefits of road safety measures, as estimated in cost-benefit analyses, are not subject to market transactions, and do therefore not manifest themselves in the form of increased income or higher profits. While cost-benefit analyses are indispensable as a means of identifying cost-effective road safety measures, their influence on actual road safety policy needs to be strengthened by providing additional incentives for the use of cost-effective road safety measures. It is suggested that a system of road pricing could generate such incentives. A brief sketch of a hypothetical system of road pricing is given and some problems associated with the implementation of this system are discussed.     

Application of a Screening Method in Assessing Occupational Safety and Health of Computer Workstations

Employers and workers need concrete guidance to plan and implement changes in the ergonomics of computer workstations. The Näppärä method is a screening tool for identifying problems requiring further assessment and corrective actions. The aim of this study was to assess the work of occupational safety and health (OSH) government inspectors who used Näppärä as part of their OSH enforcement inspections (430 assessments) related to computer work. The modifications in workstation ergonomics involved mainly adjustments to the screen, mouse, keyboard, forearm supports, and chair. One output of the assessment is an index indicating the percentage of compliance items. This method can be considered as exposure assessment and ergonomics intervention used as a benchmark for the level of ergonomics. Future research can examine whether the effectiveness of participatory ergonomics interventions should be investigated with Näppärä.     

Development of a new masters program for occupational physicians in Flanders

Background: discussions with occupational physicians and a postal survey identified the shortcomings of previous programs, mainly found in the fields of occupational hygiene, ergonomics, environmental health and management.Objectives of the new program: basic knowledge (see content), the development of problem solving skills, scientific and social attitudes.Content: first year: occupational health practice, occupational hygiene, epidemiology, work physiology, toxicokinetics and dynamics and in service training (4 weeks). Second year: occupational pathology, environmental health, ergonomics, social legislation, safety, management and in service training (4 weeks). The total study load is estimated at about 1600 hours per year.Methods: interactivity is stimulated by the introduction of interdisciplinary seminars, project work in groups and Socratic dialogue. The objectives, contents and teaching and student-evaluation methods of the separate items were defined before selecting teachers.Finality of the program: a masters title sufficient to practice occupational medicine in Belgium. A subsequent postacademic training of 2 years, while at work, will be required for the title of specialist in occupational medicine, valid at European Union (EU) level. It will include preparing and publically defending a thesis.Statement: The collaboration of ex-students working in the field is essential in the development and quality assessment of adequate teaching programs.     

Pulling force prediction using neural networks

Purpose. In ergonomics and human factors investigations, pulling force (PF) estimation has usually been achieved using various types of biomechanical models, and independent approximation of PF was done with the help of upper extremity joints. Recently, multiple regression methods have gained importance for task-relevant inputs in predicting PF. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) also play a vital role in fitting the data; however, their use in work-related biomechanics and ergonomics is inadequate. Therefore, the current research aimed to accomplish comparative investigation of ANN and regression models by assessing their capacity to predict PF values. Methods. Multipositional PF data were acquired from 200 subjects at three different handle heights and body locations. ANN and regression models were formed using a random sample of three subsets (75% training, 15% selection, 10% validation) for proving the outcomes. Results. The comparison of ANN and regression models shows that the predictions of ANN models had a profoundly explained variance and lower root mean square difference values for the PF data at three handle heights. Conclusions. These outcomes advise that ANNs offer a precise and robust substitute for regression methods, and should be considered a useful method in biomechanics and ergonomics task assessments.     

Modeling the contribution of speeding and impaired driving to insurance claim counts and costs when contributing factors are unknown

PROBLEM: There are no specific indicators for distinguishing insurance claims related to speeding and impaired driving in the information warehouse at the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia. Contributing factors are only recorded for that part of the claim data that is also reported by the police. Most published statistics on crashes that are related to alcohol or speeding are based on police-reported data, but this represents only a fraction of all incidents. METHOD: This paper proposes surrogate models to estimate the counts and the average costs associated with speeding and impaired driving to insurance claims when contributing factors are unknown. Using police-reported data, classification rules and logistic regression models are developed to form such estimates. One approach applies classification rules to categorize insurance claims into those related to speeding, impaired driving, and other factors. The counts and the costs of insurance claims for each of these strata and overall are then estimated. A second method models the probability that an insurance claim is related to speeding or impaired driving using logistic regression and uses this to estimate the overall counts and the average costs of the claims. The two methods are compared and evaluated using simulation studies. RESULTS: The logistic regression model was found to be superior to the classification model for predicting insurance claim counts by category, but less efficient at predicting average claim costs. IMPACT: Having estimates of counts and costs of insurance claims related to impaired driving or speeding for all reported crash events provides a more accurate basis for policy-makers to plan changes and benefits of road safety programs.     

When evidence is not enough: the challenge of implementing fall prevention strategies

Problem

As the evidence-based movement has advanced in public health, changes in public health practices have lagged far behind creating a science to service gap. For example, science has produced effective falls prevention interventions for older adults. It now is clearer WHAT needs to be done to reduce injury and death related to falls. However, issues have arisen regarding HOW to assure the full and effective uses of evidence-based programs in practice.

Summary

Lessons learned from the science and practice of implementation provide guidance for how to change practices by developing new competencies, how to change organizations to support evidence-based practices, and how to change public health systems to align system functions with desired practices. The combination of practice, organization, and system change likely will produce the public health benefits that are the promise of evidence-based falls prevention interventions.

Impact on public health

For the past several decades, the emphasis has been solely on evidence-based interventions. Public health will benefit from giving equal emphasis to evidence-based implementation.

Impact on Industry

We now have over two decades of research on the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions. The quality of this research is judged by a number of credible international organizations, including the Cochrane Collaboration (http://www.cochrane.org/), the American and British Geriatrics Societies, and the Campbell Collaboration (http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/). These international bodies were formed to ponder and answer questions related to the quality and relevance of research. These developments are a good first step. However, while knowing WHAT to do (an evidence-based intervention) is critical, we also need to know HOW to effectively implement the evidence. Implementation, organization change, and system change methods produce the conditions that allow and support the full and effective use of evidence-based interventions. It is time to focus on utilization of implementation knowledge in public health. Without this focus the vast amount on new evidence being generated on the prevention of falls and related injuries among older adults will have little impact on their health and safety.     

高速公路疲劳驾驶交通事故的控制

针对我国高速公路疲劳驾驶交通事故频发的现状,结合高速公路行车特点,从驾驶员高速行车的生理心理及高速公路行车环境等方面分析高速公路疲劳驾车交通事故原因。根据交通心理学、安全人机学等原理,提出驾驶者自身控制、运输单位内部管理、宣传和舆论、家庭教导、交通部门服务性诱导、交通管理部门的执法和管理等各个方面提出高速公路疲劳驾驶交通事故的控制措施。     

人-机系统事故预防理论研究

分析人-机系统事故发生原因,剖析经典以人失误为主因的事故致因模型存在的不足,在该模型基础上增加"刺激"形成的原因,构建了改进事故致因模型。对两模型进行比较研究,指出人机工程学与防止事故的关系,提出了人机工程学防止事故的方法,并给出人机界面合理性主观评价检查表。研究及论证表明:预防人-机系统事故的本质在于有效防止人失误的发生,除安全管理措施以外,最重要的是人机工程学问题,笔者提出的基于人机工程学的人-机系统事故预防理论,对人-机系统事故的预防起到积极的指导作用。