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Workplace violence against nurses is a significant global occupational health problem, with incidents of violence increasing in frequency since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In this article, we provide a review of recent legislative amendments meant to bolster workplace safety in health care in Canada, analyze legal cases where nurses were the victims of violence, and discuss what these legal reforms and decisions reveal about how nurses' work is treated within the Canadian legal system. Under criminal law, the limited number of cases we could find with oral or written sentencing decisions show that, historically, the fact a victim was a nurse was not always considered an aggravating factor on sentencing. Recent legislative amendments make this a specified aggravating factor and it is important to track the impact of these amendments when judges exercise their discretion in sentencing. Under employment law, it appears that, despite the government's efforts to increase the deterrence factor under legislation with significantly increased fines for employers who fail to protect their employees from injury, courts remain reluctant to impose such sanctions. In these cases, it is also important to track the impact of harsher penalties. We conclude that combating the widespread normalization of workplace violence in health care, and specifically against nurses, is acutely needed to help ensure that these ongoing legal reforms aimed at improving the safety of health workers are effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Occupational exposure is a long-standing public health concern, which has drawn more and more attention in recent years to the problem of how to carry out occupational protection effectively. Gloves are regarded as the most critical protective equipment for cytotoxic medications. However, there is still little research conducted on the protective performance of gloves made of different materials and the optimal glove combination for cytotoxic agents. Methods: In this research, a specific instrument intended for glove permeation experiment was designed, with various methods of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) developed and validated. By using the specific instrument and LC-MS/MS methods, a study was conducted on the permeation ability of eight selected cytotoxic drugs (fluorouracil, epirubicin (EPI), docetaxel (DCT), methotrexate (MTX), cyclophosphamide (CTX), etoposide (ETP), vincristine sulfate (VCR), and cisplatin derivatives Pt-(DDTC)3) into five kinds of gloves (rubber (RB), nitrile (NT), chlorinated polyethylene (CPE), low-density polyethylene, and polyvinylchloride (PVC) resin) given different contact times. Then, the experimental data were analyzed through a generalized estimation equation and Pearson correlation analysis. Results: The results show that within a short period of time (less than five minutes), ETP, CTX, fluorouracil, DCT, and cisplatin passed through five types of gloves but the level of MTX, VCR, and EPI permeation was minimal, despite the duration of contact between the three drugs and the gloves reaching as long as three hours. Furthermore, the permeation of DCT and ETP was found to be positively correlated with time. Conclusions: Chlorinated polyethylene and PVC resin perform well in protecting against most cytotoxic drugs and are recommendable for clinical practice. Due to the poor protective ability, RB gloves are not recommended for this purpose. Based on the performance of various gloves in offering protection, the protection grade of two gloves can be deduced. Chlorinated polyethylene + PVC resin, CPE + NT glove combination shows good protective performance against most target drugs and can be recommended for clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Frontline essential workers face elevated risks of exposure to COVID-19 because of the interactive nature of their jobs, which require high levels of interaction with the general public and coworkers. The impact of these elevated risks on the mental health of essential workers, especially outside the health care sector, is not well studied. To address this knowledge gap, we examined correlations between perceptions of workplace risks and mental health distress among grocery store workers in Arizona. Methods: We collected the first statewide sample of essential workers outside the health care sector focused on mental health and well-being. A total of 3344 grocery store workers in Arizona completed an online survey in July 2020. We used multiple regression models to identify demographic and work-based correlates of mental health distress. Results: Levels of mental health distress among respondents were high: 557 of 3169 (17.6%) reported severe levels and 482 of 3168 (15.2%) reported moderate levels. Perceptions of workplace safety were strongly correlated with significantly reduced levels of mental health distress (ß = −1.44; SE = 0.20) and reduced perceived stress (ß = −0.97; SE = 0.16). Financially disadvantaged workers and employees aged <55 reported high levels of mental health distress. Perceptions of safety and protection in the workplace were significantly correlated with availability of safety trainings, social distancing, and policies governing customer behaviors. Conclusions: Lacking sufficient workplace protections, grocery store employees in Arizona experienced high levels of mental health distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing clear federal and state policies to employers to guide implementation of workplace protections may help reduce sources of mental health distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information quality deficiencies have been detected in occupational safety and health surveys in Europe, which typically gather self-reported data responded by employers or their representatives. For instance, their low response rates and informant profiles make estimations on establishments with safety representatives (SRs) unreliable. We tested the mode of administration and informants as sources of error regarding establishments with SRs in Catalonia, Spain. Two sources of information were compared: the Second Catalan Survey of Working Conditions 2011 (IICSWC)—with a methodology similar to surveys conducted at the state and European level—and the Progam on Prevention of Risks Management in Companies (PPRMC)—in which the labor authority collected data using a documentary verification in another sample of establishments. Percentage of establishments with SRs was estimated using the data from the PPRMC and also the differences in percentage between sources and informant profiles (with 95 percent confidence interval). Results show that the IICSWC overestimates the percentage of establishments with SRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace (the Standard) was released in 2013. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate the proportion of Canadian employers who were aware of the Standard, 2) examine the extent to which the Standard has been implemented, and 3) describe perceived barriers to implementing the Standard in Canadian organizations.Methods: A cross-sectional survey in Canadian employers was conducted between February 2015 and January 2017. A random sample of Canadian employers was selected, and the individuals who were knowledgeable about the occupational health policies of the organizations were interviewed by telephone. The participants answered questions about the awareness, implementation, perceived effects, and barriers to implementation. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used to characterize the results.Results: A total of 1010 companies participated in the study. Overall, 17.0% reported that they were aware of the Standard; 1.7% and 20.3% reported that their organizations had implemented the entirety or elements of the Standard, respectively; and 71.4% of participants believed that elements of the Standard would be implemented within the next year. The perceived effects associated with implementation of the Standard included increased job satisfaction and employee retention while the greatest barrier to implementing the Standard was the belief that psychological health and safety are irrelevant in the workplace.Conclusions: Many Canadian employers are still unaware of the Standard's existence; however, most Canadian employers are positively inclined toward the Standard in its potential to help employee productivity and job satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study objective was to conduct a systematic review of the effectiveness of integrated workplace interventions that combine health promotion with occupational health and safety.Data Source: Electronic databases (n = 8), including PsychInfo and MEDLINE, were systematically searched.Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Studies included were those that reported on workplace interventions that met the consensus definition of an "integrated approach," published in English, in the scientific literature since 1990.Data Extraction: Data extracted were occupation, worksite, country, sample size, intervention targets, follow-up period, and results reported. Quality was assessed according to American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine Practice Guidelines.Data Synthesis: Heterogeneity precluded formal meta-analyses. Results were classified according to the outcome(s) assessed into five categories (health promotion, injury prevention, occupational health and safety management, psychosocial, and return-on-investment). Narrative synthesis of outcomes was performed.Results: A total of 31 eligible studies were identified; 23 (74%) were (quasi-)experimental trials. Effective interventions were most of those aimed at improving employee physical or mental health. Less consistent results were reported from integrated interventions targeting occupational health and safety management, injury prevention, or organizational cost savings.Conclusion: Integrated approaches have been posed as comprehensive solutions to complex issues. Empirical evidence, while still emerging, provides some support for this. Continuing investment in, and evaluation of, integrated approaches are worthwhile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. This study examines worksite health promotion (WHP) and occupational health and safety (OHS) activities by Massachusetts employers, and the extent to which workplaces with programming in one domain were more likely to have the other as well. Design. In 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health surveyed a stratified sample of Massachusetts worksites. Setting. A mailed questionnaire to be completed by workplace representatives. Subjects. Massachusetts worksites returning the questionnaire. Measures. Questionnaire items about worksite characteristics, WHP, and some OHS practices. Analysis. We scored levels of WHP and OHS activity; examined the relationship between activities in the two domains by employer characteristics; and assessed self-reported coordination between them. Results. The 890 responding worksites had higher scores for OHS (mean = 48% of practices, SD = 24%) than WHP (mean = 20%, SD = 12%). The difference between these scores varied by a factor of two across industry sectors and was smallest for workforces of 100+ employees (p = .001). Employers with no unionized workers reported fewer activities in both domains (p < .0001). Only 28% of respondents reported always/often coordinating OHS and WHP efforts; these organizations had more activities overall in both domains. Conclusion. Larger and unionized workplaces in Massachusetts were more likely to offer both WHP and OHS programming. Self-reported coordination was somewhat associated with more activity in both domains, although levels of WHP activity varied widely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data collected from 39 intensive care units (ICUs) in 23 hospitals across the United States, the purpose of this study was to examine hospital structural characteristics, nurse characteristics, and nurses' working conditions' impact on occupational safety outcomes. ICU with more positive organizational climates had lower rates of occupational injuries and blood and body fluid exposures (p < .05). Similarly, ICUs in hospitals that had attained magnet accreditation had lower rates of negative occupational health incidents (p < .05). Hospital profitability was inversely related to rates of blood and body fluid exposure (p < .05). Monitoring nurses' working conditions and improving the organizational climate of hospitals is likely to improve the safety of the employee and the profitability of the hospital through improved system outcomes (such as lower turnover of the employees) as well as improve the quality of patient care delivered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author reflects on psychological health and safety in the workplace. Topics include the implementation of the psychological health and safety in the workplace standard in Canada, impact of workplace mental health literacy training with healthcare personnel, and testing of the new education program Beyond Silence with comparison to the Mental Health First Aid program.