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In this paper, we examine discourse in public deliberations in pre-development locales in the UK and US about advantages and disadvantages of future shale development ('fracking'). We aimed to understand how people anticipate potential health effects, broadly construed, of environmental toxicity and disturbance in the context of planned, but not yet implemented, energy development. In day-long deliberations with small, diverse groups in two cities in each country (London, Cardiff in the UK; Los Angeles, Santa Barbara in the US), participants discussed impacts on health and well-being using three main rubrics: 'It's money or health', 'Why take chances?' and 'Beyond the tipping point'. Throughout, participants framed health as an intrinsically moral issue, with collective responsibility as a dominant normative frame. We identify the concept of compound risk to underscore effects of multiple risks and hazards on people's sensibilities about anticipated future health and environmental harm. The findings demonstrate how and why diverse publics in pre-impact sites in both countries saw shale extraction as high stakes development that poses significant, often unacceptable, risks to human and environmental health and well-being. Risks extended beyond toxicity to broad threats to health, including, for some, the end of life as we know it on the planet. Overall, participants' discussions of health were more connected to social categories and their underlying moral principles than to technological details. This work contributes evidence of blurred boundaries between environment and health as well as the importance people place on social risks in the context of proposed energy system change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative study of the impact of casualised and independent contractor work place arrangements on the psycho-social health of 72 workers in regional Victoria. It contributes to our understanding of the crisis in rural Australia in its use of qualitative methods focusing on the impact of work on health and well-being. There is some evidence in the literature that casualised work arrangement enhance the health and well-being of workers by giving them a sense of autonomy and freedom to negotiate their conditions of work. On the other hand, these arrangements may make an already vulnerable group even more vulnerable to uncertain work conditions, poor pay and uncertainty for their future with a significantly negative impact on their health and wellbeing. The results of these interviews support this latter perspective and show that these workers do not experience freedom and autonomy, but rather lowered social status, insecurity and serious limitations to their ability to manage their health, psychological wellbeing and social relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial intelligence raises important social and ethical concerns, especially about accountability, autonomy, dignity, and justice. We focus on the specific concerns arising from how the emerging autonomous vehicle (AV) technology will affect professional drivers. We posit that we must engage with stakeholders to understand the implications of a technology that will affect the stakeholders' lives, livelihoods, or wellbeing. We conducted nine in-depth interviews with professional drivers, with at least two years of driving experience, to understand the ethical and societal challenges from the drivers' perspective during the predicted widespread implementation of AVs. Safety was the most commonly discussed issue, which was mentioned by all drivers (17 times by truck drivers and 18 times by Uber/Lyft drivers). We find that although drivers agree that AVs will significantly impact future transportation systems, they are apprehensive about the prospects of reskilling for other jobs and want their employers to be straightforward in how the introduction of AVs will affect them. Additionally, drivers dismiss the suggestions that driving jobs are unsatisfying and potentially unhealthy and thus should be eliminated. These findings should be considered seriously in decision-making about questions of socioeconomic justice, and could be useful to policymakers as they shape relevant regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adverse effects on the health of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant accident clean-up workers have been reported previously. However, there is a lack of studies on the mental health of Chornobyl clean-up workers. The current study explored psychological distress in a sample of Lithuanian clean-up workers 35 years after the accident. In total, 107 Lithuanian Chornobyl clean-up workers (Mage = 62.5) and 107 controls were included in the study. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) was used for the assessment of anxiety and depression. The depression symptoms were significantly higher in the clean-up workers compared to the control group. The prevalence of severe depression symptoms was 23.4% and 4.7% in the Chornobyl clean-up workers and control groups, respectively. The risk for severe depression was associated with Chornobyl clean-up work (adjusted OR = 5.9). No differences in the anxiety symptoms were found between clean-up workers and controls. The study revealed the deteriorated mental health of the Lithuanian Chornobyl clean-up workers 35 years after the disaster – in particular, high levels of depression. Psychosocial support programmes for clean-up workers should be provided to mitigate the adverse effects of the disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isocyanates, the essential cross-linking chemicals used to make polyurethane, are potent sensitizers and a common cause of occupational asthma. In addition, isocyanate (NCO) skin contact may contribute to the development of isocyanate asthma. Prior work has shown that unbound NCO can persist on recently spray coated auto body parts after appearing dry. The purpose of this study was to assess whether isocyanate skin exposure can result from handling such surfaces. Quantitative surface and skin wipe sampling for total NCO was performed on test panels sprayed with aliphatic isocyanate coatings, and on paired skin samples obtained from participants who had rubbed the recently dried surfaces. Surface and skin samples, obtained from 18 workers in five auto body shops, were prepared following NIOSH method 5525 (modified for skin samples), and isocyanate species derived from hexamethylene diisocyanate and isophorone diisocyanate were analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet and fluorescence detectors. Quantifiable unbound NCO species were detected on 84.2% of all sprayed surfaces sampled after initially considered dry. Only 7 out of a total of 104 (6.7%) non-compounded skin samples obtained after contact with the recently dried coatings had detectable quantities of free NCO. The 7 positive samples, all obtained at the initial sampling time (t0), had a geometric mean of O. 016 µg NCO cm-2 (range: 0.002-0.88 µg NCO cm-2). Only I of 12 (8.3%) of skin samples obtained after compounding contained detectable free NCO. The risk of substantial human isocyanate skin exposure from contact with the dry appearing (yet not fully cured) isocyanate coatings evaluated in this study appears to be low, although other isocyanate coatings and tasks may pose a greater risk of NCO skin exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In 24 April 2013, Rana Plaza - a high-rise building in Bangladesh where garments were being made for the Western markets collapsed. In this study, we report on the surviving workers' physical strength, self-efficacy, and disability level one year after the disaster. Methods: This cross-sectional study took place at the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) which provided care for more than 600 victims. For this study, upper extremity strength among the survivors was assessed by dynamometer hand grip (HG) and lower extremity strength by five time sit to stand test (FTSST). The WHODAS tool measured level of disability and General Self-Efficacy questionnaire measured self-efficacy. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) prevalence was determined by the PCL-scale. Results: The study recruited 181 injured workers. The mean disability score among them was 49.8 (SD 17.5) and mean self-efficacy score was 24.9 (SD 6.9). In multivariate models, after adjusting for age, gender, education, injury profile, employment, marital status and job category, self-efficacy was found to be higher among those who scored above median HG test score [β= −2.32 (95% CI: −4.63, −0.01)] and FTSST performance score [β= −2.69 (95% CI: −4.93, −0.46)]. The disability level was found to be significantly associated with PTSD score [β = 0.84 (95% CI: 0.62, 1.06)] and self-efficacy score [β= −0.45 (95% CI: −0.78, −0.13)]. Conclusions: There is an immense need to develop and deliver effective post-injury recovery, rehabilitation and return-to-work programs for injured workers in resource poor countries. Implications for Rehabilitation: The study findings suggest that one year after the factory disaster in Bangladesh, the injured workers are suffering from a high degree of disability, low physical performance and reporting low self-efficacy. The national and international stakeholders including Western buyers, aid agencies, NGOs, worker advocacy groups, consumer associations and the government of Bangladesh can be updated on the progress made so far. There is an immense need to develop and deliver effective post-injury recovery, rehabilitation and return-to-work programs for injured workers in resource poor countries. International organizations like ILO, WHO, World Bank can help developing countries in building these capacities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study developed and tested a moderated-mediation model of work stress and alcohol use, based on the biphasic (stimulant and sedative) effects of alcohol and the self-medication and stress-vulnerability models of alcohol use. The model proposes that exposure to work stressors can increase both negative affect and work fatigue, and that these 2 sources of strain can subsequently motivate the use of alcohol. However, the relations of negative affect and work fatigue to alcohol use are conditional on the joint moderating effects of alcohol outcome expectancies and gender. Data were collected from a national probability sample of 2808 U.S. workers. Supporting the model, the results indicated that work stressor exposure was conditionally related via negative affect to heavy alcohol use among both men and women holding strong tension-reduction alcohol expectancies and to after work alcohol use among men holding strong tension-reduction alcohol expectancies. Also, work stressor exposure was conditionally related via work fatigue to both heavy alcohol use and workday alcohol use among men holding strong fatigue-reduction alcohol expectancies. The results have application in the identification of individuals at higher risk of problematic alcohol use and are relevant to workplace safety and to the design of appropriate interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of mortality and morbidity in countries of the former Soviet Union, but little is known about its social determinants. Recent research has suggested that workplace contexts may play a role. Using qualitative methods, we investigate the relationship between workplace social contexts and drinking in Ukraine. We conducted 24 individual semi-structured interviews and two focus group discussions in Lviv and Kharkiv, Ukraine, with male railway employees aged 18+ years. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Men in our sample expressed strong feelings of interdependence and trust towards their co-workers which we defined as ‘social solidarity’. Drinking with co-workers was often seen as obligatory and an integral part of co-worker social occasions. Engagement in sport or family obligations seemed to act as a deterrent to drinking among some workers. A strong sense of solidarity exists between railway co-workers in Ukraine, perhaps a remnant of the Soviet era when individuals relied on informal networks for support. Alcohol may be used as a means of expressing this solidarity. Our findings point to factors, namely engagement in sports and family, which may offer opportunities for interventions to reduce alcohol consumption among workers in Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Environmental conditions of Australia's Northern Territory are seasonally conducive to excessive body heat storage by outdoor workers. For electrical utility workers who periodically work at height, in confined space, and in proximity to live power sources, the impact of the climate may be considered a hazardous condition. Therefore, this study examined the physiological and fluid balance responses of 20 power network workers (31.5 years; 86.0 kg; 1.71 m; BMI 29.5) throughout work shifts in the Northern and Southern regions of the Northern Territory, Australia. Twenty male heat-acclimatized power network workers provided written informed consent to be monitored during maintenance of electrical infrastructure that included replacing power pole components and transformer and substation repairs in the Northern (n = 13) and Southern regions (n = 7) of the Northern Territory (mean wet-bulb globe temperatures of 32.0°C and 28.7°C, respectively). An ingestible telemetry pill provided measurement of gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi), that when combined with heart rate values, provided physiological strain index (PSI). Urine specific gravity, sweat rate, and level of dehydration were also determined. The Tgivalues of this study were within the ISO9886 limit for monitored, heat-acclimatized workers, with a peak of 38.4°C. Mean PSI was 2.6, which represents overall low strain, with periods of moderate strain. Urinary analysis indicated that workers were dehydrated prior to and following the work shift, however the mean sweat rate of 0.44 L.h−1was matched by fluid consumption of 0.42 L.h−1to limit body mass loss to 0.1% during the shift. This study demonstrates that heat acclimatized electrical utility workers adhere to ISO9886 requirements when undertaking self-paced activity in hot conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study evaluated airborne exposures and blood lead (BPb) levels in 233 production workers at six diverse industrial plants in Kenya. Blood and personal breathing zone air samples were collected and analyzed for lead (Pb) using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Blood pressure (BP) levels were measured using a standard mercury sphygmomanometer. The results indicated mean airborne Pb levels ± standard deviation (SD) as follows: 183.2 ± 53.6 μg/m3in battery recycling, 133.5 ± 39.6 μg/m3in battery manufacturing, 126.2 ± 39.9 μg/m3in scrap metal welding, 76.3 ± 33.2 μg/m3in paint manufacturing, 27.3 ± 12.1 μg/m3in a leather manufacturing, and 5.5 ± 3.6 μg/m3in a pharmaceutical plant. The mean airborne Pb levels exceeded the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 8-hr time-weighted average (TWA) permissible exposure limit (PEL) for Pb of 50 μg/m3in the battery manufacturing, battery recycling, welding, and paint manufacturing plants. Similarly, mean BPb concentrations exceeded the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®) biological exposure index (BEI) for Pb of 30 μg/dl. A significant positive association was observed between BPb and breathing zone air Pb (R2= 0.73, P < 0.001). Approximately 30% of the production workers (N = 233) were in the hypertensive range with an average systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) of 134.7 ± 12.7 mmHg and 86.4 ± 8.9 mmHg, respectively. In the multivariate regression analysis, age, duration of work, airborne Pb and BPb levels were significantly associated (P < 0.05) with a change in BP. We recommend improved engineering controls, work practices, and personal hygiene to reduce Pb exposures. In addition, workers should undergo comprehensive medical surveillance to include BPb and BP testing, and airborne Pb assessments in all industries with significant lead exposures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased need for both personal assistance workers and meaningful employment opportunities for older workers results in growing numbers of older home care aides. This study examined lifetime financial security and perceived advantages of older age in this field through interviews with 31 older home care aides. Study participants experienced high levels of financial insecurity and perceived older workers as particularly well suited to the home care job. The consequences of this low-wage, low-status work are explored along with implications for social workers to advocate for improved conditions for these workers providing essential care to frail elders. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In British Columbia, some tree planting operations require workers to fertilize planted seedlings with polymer-coated nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK) fertilizers. This study examined respiratory and dermal health associated with fertilizer exposure among tree planters. We interviewed 223 tree planters using an adapted version of the American Thoracic Society questionnaire supplemented with questions on dermal health. Subjects were grouped by categories of increasing duration of exposure, with workers who had not worked with fertilizer as a reference group. The relationship between exposure and reported work-related symptoms was analyzed using logistic regression, adjusting for age, cumulative tobacco cigarettes smoked, marijuana smoking status, sex, and exposure to abrasive spruce needles. An elevated odds ratio was seen for work-related cough, phlegm, nasal symptoms, nosebleed, and skin rash in the highest exposure group (>37 days of fertilizer use in the past 2 years) but was significant only for phlegm (odds ratio = 3.59, 95% confidence interval = 1.10–11.70). Trends of increasing odds ratios with increasing exposure were seen for cough, phlegm, nasal symptoms, and skin rash. The results suggest a weak association between respiratory and dermal irritation and work with fertilizer. Results highlight the need for further exposure monitoring within the tree planting industry, and larger studies to investigate the relationship between work with fertilizer and respiratory and dermal health symptoms. [Supplementary materials are available for this article. Go to the publisher's online edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene  for the following free supplemental resource: a PDF file containing a respiratory and dermal health questionnaire.] [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There have been few studies of people’s experiences of receiving care from migrant workers. This is despite the growing move to employ migrants to provide care and support for older and disabled people in the developed world. This article reports empirical findings from a study of migrants working in social care in England conducted between 2007 and 2009. It focuses on the reported interactions between service users and carers with migrant workers. Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 35 adults receiving social care services and family carers in home and residential settings who had a variety of needs for care and with support. Analysis highlighted the range of their experiences. An emerging theme arising from the interviews was that of communication and the difficulties experienced by people using care services, or family carers speaking on their behalf, of understanding and being understood by care workers whose spoken English was not easy for them to comprehend. Social workers will need to be alert to alert to the risks facing service users, carers and migrant care workers in such contexts. We conclude that the marginal position of both social care users and migrant workers is reflected in these micro encounters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Job crafting describes a set of proactive behaviours in which employees may engage to shape their work in order to minimize hindering job demands and maximize resources and challenging demands. Such behaviours may be particularly important among blue-collar workers whose jobs are characterized by poor working conditions and low well-being. We present the development and adaptation of a job crafting measure that may be used among blue-collar workers, based on an existing scale by Tims, Bakker, and Derks (2012) that was not specifically developed for blue-collar workers. We test the validity and reliability of the measure in a longitudinal study based on multiple source information from mail delivery workers in Denmark (N=362 at Time 1; N=408 at Time 2). Results indicate the presence of five job crafting dimensions: increasing challenging demands, decreasing social job demands, increasing social job resources, increasing quantitative demands and decreasing hindering job demands. These can be reliably measured with 15 items. The measure shows acceptable discriminant and criterion validity, and test-retest reliability. The findings extend the application of the original questionnaire. They also add to knowledge of the job crafting behaviours in which blue-collar workers engage and link them to well-being outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the vestibular and balance system in non-symptomatic workers exposed to styrene and dichloromethane at the workplace. Design: Subjects underwent videonystagmography including saccades, smooth pursuit (SP), optokinetic test (OKN), gaze nystagmus assessment, bithermal caloric test, and static posturography. Study sample: Study groups included 74 workers in plastics manufacturing, aged 40 (SD 8) years, exposed to styrene and dichloromethane, and the reference group of 49 non-exposed subjects, aged 36 (SD 10) years. Results: More than 60% of exposed and non-symptomatic workers revealed abnormal results of vestibular tests. Saccadic latency elongation (p == 0.0098), lower gain in SP (p == 0.0037) and OKN (p == 0.0000) were more common in the exposed group, as well as lower reactivity (p == 0.0337) and mean slow phase velocity of caloric nystagmus. Static posturography revealed higher sway velocities in the test with eyes closed, on foam and worse results of three from five limit of stability tests. No relationship between chemicals exposure and vestibular and balance test results was found. Conclusions: In principle, our findings indicate the possibility of high-level deficits in the central part of vestibular system. Lower vestibular reactivity may suggest that bilateral vestibular hypofunction might also be the possible consequence of solvent exposure. Sumario Objetivo: El propósito de nuestro estudio fue evaluar el sistema vestibular de equilibrio en trabajadores no sintomáticos expuestos al estireno y al diclorometano en su lugar de trabajo. Diseño: Los sujetos se sometieron a videonistagmografía, incluyendo sacada, seguimiento continuo (SP), prueba de nistagmo optoquinético (OKN), evaluación de nistagmo de mirada horizontal, Prueba térmica bicalórica y posturografía estática. Muestra del Estudio: Los grupos de estudio incluyeron a 74 trabajadores de una f´brica de plásticos, con edad de 40 años (DE 8), expuestos a estireno y a diclometano, y el grupo de referencia de 49 sujetos no expuestos, con edad de 36 años (DE 10). Resultados: Más del 60% de los trabajadores expuestos y no sintom´ticos reveló resultados anormales en las pruebas vestibulares. La elongación en la latencia sacádica (p == 0.0098), una ganancia baja en la SP (p == 0.0037) y en el OKN (p == 0.0000) fueron más comunes en el grupo expuesto, así como una menor reactividad (p == 0.0337) y una velocidad media de fase lenta del nistagmo calórico. La posturograf a estítica reveló velocidad más altas de balanceo en la prueba con los ojos cerrados, en la plataforma de esponja y peores resultados en tres de las cinco pruebas de límite de estabilidad. No se encontró relación entre la exposición a químicos y las pruebas vestibulares de balance. Conclusiones: En principio, nuestros hallazgos indican la posibilidad de deficiencias de alto nivel en la parte central del sistema vestibular. Una reactividad vestibular baja puede sugerir que la hipofunción vestibular bilateral podría ser una posible consecuencia de la exposición a solventes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a step-by-step procedure for predicting the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of lumbar spinal disorders in workers subjected to long-term, whole-body vibration exposure. The procedure consists of relatively simple steps including the use of a biodynamic computer model together with an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard. The underlying analysis is based upon Kane's equations and the resulting worker model is validated with experimental data provided by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Biodynamics Laboratory, University of Vermont, and with published data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study of past silica and respirable dust exposures in the Vermont granite industry was conducted to develop a job exposure matrix (JEM) that used 5204 industrial hygiene measurements made from 1924-2004. The construction of the JEM involved data entry from several original sources into an Excel database that was reviewed later to ensure accuracy. Exposure measurements by job or location were grouped in two broad categories of quarry or shed and then into 22 job classes. Missing exposure data by time period were computed, taking into account improvements in dust control and periods of significant reduction in dustiness. Percent free silica (α-quartz) in respirable dust was estimated to be 11.0% based on previous published studies in Vermont and on data in the current database. About 60% of all measurement data (primarily from years prior to 1972) were obtained using the impinger and expressed in millions of particles per cubic foot (mppcf), which were converted to equivalent respirable free silica concentrations using the conversion of 10 mppcf = 0.1 mg/m3 of respirable silica. For impinger data, respirable dust was calculated by multiplying respirable silica by a factor of 9.091 to reflect that the respirable silica was 11.0% respirable dust. This JEM has been used in a recent epidemiologic study to assess mortality in Vermont granite workers and to examine the relationships among mortality from silicosis, lung cancer, and other nonmalignant respiratory diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]