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The recent COVID-19 pandemic created an unpredictable environment regarding the safety operations of sport and recreation organizations. This study was designed to examine how safety climate and organizational innovativeness could promote preferred organizational behavior outcomes in college campus sport and recreation centers. A total of 227 sport and recreation employees were recruited through the National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association. With the collected data, we employed structural equation modeling to assess the research hypotheses. The results indicated that safety climate and innovativeness positively influenced job engagement, therefore leading to enhanced safety compliance and employee innovativeness, which ultimately resulted in higher levels of organizational performance. Peer safety compliance was also found to be a moderator in the relationship between job engagement and safety compliance. In this study, the authors offer new insights into sport organizational performance by emphasizing safety and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety literature has traditionally focused on identifying and managing risk factors that lead to safety outcomes (e.g., injuries, accidents, death) at work. The current study takes a new perspective on employee safety and proposes that safety‐related experience has more general work implications. Drawing on theories of stress coping and workplace anxiety, we test a mechanism on how employees' daily experiences of safety threats are related to their work behavior via negative emotional reactions. Specifically, we focus on employees' experiences of safety violations on the way to work and at work during the ongoing struggles with COVID‐19. Our daily diary study (Level 1 N = 778, Level 2 N = 84; office workers in South Korea) shows that experiencing safety violations during the daily commute and at work is associated with increased state health anxiety at work, which then translates into work withdrawal on that day. Furthermore, we introduce organizational safety climate as an important mitigating factor of this stress‐coping process, as such a climate can emphasize management's commitment to safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

They begin to induce the flickering of fear and excitement (as circus has always done) when Zanzu begins a methodical tying process for another suspension with jute rope - but this time, around their face. This is where Zanzu (they/them) comes in. I EZ i (see Figure 1) is a circus piece with one performer, a recorded voice, and an improvising audience member. Elena Zanzu's I EZ i fits neatly into the emerging domain of "new circus" - performances that leave behind the brash ringmaster glam of the traditional circus and the Cirque du Soleil I internationale i of "contemporary circus.". [Extracted from the article]

Accidents in the workplace are critical issues that necessitate attention from environmental safety and health perspectives to enhance operational safety. The elevated rate of workplace accidents in Turkey underscores deficiencies in reliability analysis studies. Effective planning of preventive measures, considering factors such as location and timing, is pivotal in accident prevention. Sociological and regional disparities, alongside technical factors such as service type, working hours, and age, contribute significantly to accident causation. Reliability analysis studies aim to identify potential causes of accidents, enabling early detection of hazardous situations and combinations. This proactive approach allows responsible personnel to implement measures that mitigate or eliminate specific types of accidents, thereby safeguarding both lives and business assets. This study utilizes Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to forecast potential occupational accidents in the shipbuilding industry before they occur. Analyzing data from 146 occupational accidents involving ship electricians between 2012 and 2016, out of a total of 1165 occupational accidents in the industry, the study estimates potential accidents for 2017. The results demonstrate that ANN achieves high accuracy in predicting occupational accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work covers the issues related to the diagnosis of selected occupational safety hazards in Polish wood processing enterprises. The main objective is to build models in order to identify occupational accident profiles in these enterprises on the basis of individual records characterizing the casualties, provided by Statistics Poland. The modelling task employed the latent class analysis (LCA) data mining technique. In order to enhance the process of building the LCA model and to support the procedure of selecting input variables relevant to the model, an iterative algorithm was elaborated by the authors. The impact of an enterprise size on occupational accident consequences was statistically confirmed. Following this result, LCA models were developed independently for smaller (micro and small), and for larger (medium and large) enterprises. Latent classes, presenting occupational accident profiles, were visualized in the form of heat maps. Similarities and differences between the occupational accident profiles identified for the two types of enterprises were indicated. It has been shown that employees of smaller enterprises are at greater risk of suffering more serious injury from accidents at work than employees of larger enterprises. However, in both cases, the most critical latent classes concern occupational accidents related to operating machinery; they affect workers with a low level of job seniority, and result in injuries (often traumatic amputations) involving upper limbs in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon monoxide is a colourless, tasteless and odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons such as gas or coal. Carbon monoxide poisoning is associated with high levels of mortality and morbidity, although the symptoms of exposure are non-specific and difficult to diagnose. Historically, healthcare professionals who work directly in service users' homes have faced a higher risk of exposure to environments contaminated with carbon monoxide. Despite improved heating engineering and greater protective legislation, there still remains a tangible risk for community nurses and service users, particularly in homes still using open fires, old heating systems and poorly maintained heating appliances. This article provides a scientific summary of carbon monoxide poisoning for nurses working in the community setting. It outlines evidence-based guidance on prevention and initial treatment actions, along with safety instructions to follow in the event of exposure to carbon monoxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: Telecritical care (TCC) refers to the delivery of critical care using telehealth technologies. Despite increasing utilization, significant practice variation exists and literature regarding efficacy remains sparse. The Telecritical Care Collaborative Network sought to provide expert, consensus-based best practice recommendations for the design and delivery of TCC. DESIGN: We used a modified Delphi methodology. Following literature review, an oversight panel identified core domains and developed declarative statements for review by an expert voting panel. During three voting rounds, voters agreed or disagreed with statements and provided open-ended feedback, which the oversight panel used to revise statements. Statements met criteria for consensus when accepted by greater than or equal to 85% of voters. SETTING/SUBJECTS: The oversight panel included 18 multidisciplinary members of the TCC Collaborative Network, and the voting panel included 32 invited experts in TCC, emphasizing diversity of discipline, care delivery models, and geography. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: We identified ten core domains: definitions/terminology; care delivery models; staffing and coverage models; technological considerations; ergonomics and workplace safety; licensing, credentialing, and certification; trust and relationship building; quality, safety, and efficiency, research agenda; and advocacy, leading to 79 practice statements. Of 79 original statements, 67 were accepted in round 1. After revision, nine were accepted in round 2 and two in round 3 (two statements were merged). In total, 78 practice statements achieved expert consensus. CONCLUSIONS: These expert consensus recommendations cover a broad range of topics relevant to delivery of TCC. Experts agreed that TCC is most effective when delivered by care teams with specific expertise and by programs with explicit protocols focusing on effective communication, technical reliability, and real-time availability. Interventions should be tailored to local conditions. Although further research is needed to guide future best practice statements, these results provide valuable and actionable recommendations for the delivery of high-quality TCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational lung diseases result from worker exposure in occupational settings to unhealthy environments and agents, such as silica dust, antigens, coal dust, washed coal/mixed dust, asbestos, and beryllium. Most of these conditions have long latency periods, with disease manifesting years after exposure. Approximately 1 million workers in the U.S. report occupational exposure-related illnesses, including respiratory diseases. We evaluated major occupational lung diseases via an extensive literature review and present here advances in diagnosing major occupational lung diseases, preventive strategies, and regulatory considerations for maintaining a healthy workforce. We include the widely studied occupational lung diseases asbestosis, coal workers' pneumoconiosis and all other pneumoconioses, silicosis, byssinosis, malignant mesothelioma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and work-related asthma. The chemistry and physical properties of exposed materials play a role in the severity and pathogenesis of most occupational lung diseases. Knowledge of clinical signs and symptoms of these diseases, exposure history, and consensus diagnostic tools and criteria are crucial for accurate diagnosis, early detection, management, and improved outcomes. Further, regulatory agencies and other interested parties need to develop new and improved surveillance strategies, exposure limits, and technological and industrial safety measures, as well as implement regulations to guide industries and provide recommendations to protect all workers and reduce disease burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechanical stability of pillars is crucial for the safety of underground engineering. Understanding the failure process of rock pillars upon uniaxial compression may help predict its failure. This study investigates the failure process of sandstone, coal and granite under uniaxial compression using acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. A developed AE method, i.e., microcrack cumulative summation curve method, was applied to identify whether tensile or shear microcracks dominated during rock deformation to failure. This method was validated through Brazilian and direct shear tests. Our results showed that a) sandstone samples experienced shear faulting failure with AE analysis indicating an initial dominance of tensile microcracks, followed by shear microcracks, likely due to grains movements and intra- and inter-granular microcrack development; b) granite samples exhibited tensile failure, with transgranular microcracks developing along the axial compression direction, intense wing microcracks, and a potential transition from tensile to shear microcracking dominating process as indicated by AE analysis; c) coal samples displayed mixed shear-tensile failure, possibly dominated by the orientation of calcite veins where microcracks initiated, developed and coalesced, as suggested by AE and microstructure analysis. Using the power-law singularity theory for failure warning, our analysis demonstrated that lateral strain and AE count can accurately predict failure times for sandstone (15 ~ 22% early) and granite (8 ~ 12% early) samples. However, this method is less effective for coal samples due to their discontinuous failure processes. Our research highlights that combining microcrack development with failure prediction analyses effectively reveals physical failure processes in typical rocks, offering practical application for mining engineering. Highlights: A verified AE microcrack cumulative summation curve method was applied to reveal the failure process of rock materials. Microcracking behavior for sandstone, coal and granite under uniaxial compression was analyzed to reveal likely mechanisms for failure modes. Lateral strain and AE count are effective parameters for early warning and failure time prediction of rocks via power-law singularity theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term stability and safety of underground engineering greatly depend on a thorough understanding of the creep characteristics of fractured rock. This paper discusses the potential application of the damage evolution equation and the fractional derivative operator for describing the creep characteristics of fractured rock. By considering the initial damage of the original fracture and the internal damage induced by external loads, coupled damage evolution equations are proposed to account for different failure mechanisms. The introduction of damage and fractional calculus into basic mechanical elements allows for the deduction of creep constitutive relationships for both viscoelastic and viscoplastic bodies. A range of fractional-order damaged creep models is developed based on the Burgers model and the Nishihara model. Parameter sensitivity analysis shows that the inclusion of the damage evolution equation in the creep model is crucial for accurately capturing the accelerated creep deformation characteristics of rock, with the fractional derivative order primarily affecting the steady creep strain rate. By fitting the creep experimental data of fractured Beishan granite, it is evident that the damaged Nishihara model [H-N(D)/H(D)-N(D)/St. V model], which considers only the damage effect, and the fractional damaged Burgers model [H-N(A)-N(D)/H(D) model], which accounts for both the damage effect and the fractional operator, exhibit significant advantages in characterizing the entire process of creep deformation in fractured granite. Highlights: Coupled damage evolution equations for fractured rock with different inclination angles are proposed to account for different failure mechanisms. Fractional order damaged creep models are developed by incorporating damage equations and fractional calculus into basic mechanical elements. The inclusion of the damage in the creep model is crucial for capturing the accelerated creep deformation characteristics of the rock. The fractional derivative order mainly affects the steady state creep strain rate. The validity and applicability of the model are verified by fitting the experimental data of fractured granite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• FMEA of working processes in the ART center and IVF laboratory can significantly contribute to recognizing and correcting critical steps. • Implementation of an electronic witnessing system reduced most RPN scores in several working processes of IVF laboratory. • The most critical steps such as Embryo transfer, Cryopreservation, and thawing of biological samples showed the highest reduction of RPN scores. • Proper education is another critical corrective measure that improved RPN scores in the IVF laboratory and the ART center. Assisted reproductive technology (ART) Centers and laboratories perform complex tasks with patients and their gametes/embryos daily. The degree of problems/non-conformances in such surroundings must be minimized at zero point. This study aimed to establish the proper risk management system with well-defined process steps to prevent and eliminate problems/non-conformances. Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) was introduced in the ART Center and the IVF laboratory. ART Center working processes were grouped into the categories of Clinical procedures, Forms, Identification, Personnel, Patients, and Facility. Working processes in the IVF laboratory were grouped into the categories of Consumables, Media, Equipment, Personnel, Working space, and Procedures. The traceability and safety of the working processes were evaluated before and after corrective measures regarding risk priority number (RPN). The severity (S), occurrence (O), and detection (D) index of problems/non-conformance were scaled from 1 to 5. The RPN was calculated by multiplying the SOD index, and the cut-off value for RPN was ≥12. The increased RPN was found in the following working processes of the ART Center: Embryo transfer and pregnancy (RPN = 18) in the category of Clinical procedures; Informed consents and agreements (RPN = 16) in the category Forms; Continuous education of the knowledge and skills (RPN = 12) in Personnel category; Space conditions (RPN = 24) and Equipment (RPN = 12) in the category Facility. In the IVF laboratory, increased RPN was found in the following working processes: Production of the plasticware (RPN = 12), Transport (RPN = 12) and Storage (RPN = 12) in the category Consumables; Media production (RPN = 16) in category Media; Alarm notification system for the critical equipment (RPN = 12) in category Equipment; Personnel number and qualifications (RPN = 12), Standard operative procedures (SOP) (RPN = 12) and Continuous education of the knowledge and skills (RPN = 12) in category Personnel; Working conditions (RPN = 18) and Security (RPN = 20) in Working space; Patient identification (RPN = 20), Biological samples identification (RPN = 20), Records (RPN = 12), ART procedure (RPN = 30), Embryo transfer (RPN = 30) and Cryopreservation and thawing of biological samples (RPN = 30) in category Procedures. According to the RPN score, corrective measures were implemented. Most RPN scores were reduced after the implementation of the electronic witnessing system in patient/sample tracing steps. Phases Patient identification and Biological sample identification showed a double reduction of RPN scores, from 20 to 10. Also, for critical steps in ART procedures, Embryo transfer, Cryopreservation, and thawing of biological samples, the RPN score was reduced from 30 to 10. Proper education of personnel was another corrective measure that significantly contributed to a reduction of RPN scores in most of the categories. The FMEA analysis is useful in recognizing the critical steps of an ART Center. The RPN scores for patient traceability were successfully reduced using the electronic witnessing system. Nonetheless, the study has certain limitations, as FMEA is highly dependent on the specific healthcare organization, adherence to national guidelines, and the subjective nature of SOD and RPN evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on our society and economy, including devastating impacts on marginalized populations. It has also placed significant demands on health service psychology training programs and their trainees. Almost overnight, trainees had to quickly learn and implement best practices in telehealth, and training programs had to navigate short and long-term challenges, all while ensuring the safety and well-being of trainees, trainers, clients, and our community. The goal of the current project is to describe the challenges and opportunities our trainees and training program encountered when transitioning to telehealth during the early phases of the pandemic, with a specific focus on those trainees completing the stress and trauma track within our school psychology doctoral program. Four total case studies by three trainees at different levels within the stress and trauma track and the program director are presented. We conclude with lessons learned and advice for other health service psychology training programs, especially those that train health service psychologists focused on working with children and youth who have experienced trauma. Public Significance Statement: Our case studies and lessons learned during the transition to telehealth at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that health service psychology training programs must develop competencies in delivering evidence-based interventions, including those focused on stress and trauma, via both in-person and telehealth modalities. They would also benefit from broadening the role of school psychologists to prepare for advances in technology and assume leadership during crisis events that affect the well-being of their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore general nurses' experiences of modifying and implementing contextually suitable Safewards interventions into medical and surgical hospital wards. Design: Qualitative action research was used working with nurses as co‐researchers. Methods: Pre‐implementation focus groups were conducted in April 2022 to understand and explore the current strategies nurses utilized to avert, respond to or decrease violence. Following this, two Safewards interventions were modified by the nurses on the wards. Post‐implementation focus groups were conducted in October 2022, to explore the nurses' experience of implementing Safewards interventions and the effect on their nursing practice. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke's framework for thematic analysis. Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis of the pre‐implementation focus groups that reflected the type of violence experienced by these nurses and the context within which they occurred: 'the space is hectic'; 'it can feel like a battlefield'; and 'the aftermath'. These themes encompass the nurses' experience of violence from patients and their visitors. Following the implementation of two modified Safewards interventions, the analysis of the focus groups reflected a change in nursing skills to avert or respond to violence: 'Safewards in action'; 'empathy and self‐reflection'; and 'moving forward'. Conclusion: Safewards interventions can be successfully modified and used in general hospital wards and influence nursing practice to manage patient and visitor violence. Implications for the Profession: In the interests of safety, successful interventions to reduce violence towards general hospital nurses should be a priority for managers and healthcare organizations. Averting, mitigating and managing violence can decrease the negative professional and personal effect on nurses and ultimately improve well‐being, job satisfaction and retention rates. Furthermore, decreasing violence or aggressive incidents leads to a safer patient experience and decreased number of nursing errors ultimately improving patient experiences and outcomes. Understanding nurses' experiences of violence and working with them to explore and develop contextually relevant solutions increases their capacity to respond to and avert violent incidents. Contextually modified Safewards interventions offer one such solution and potentially has wider implications for healthcare settings beyond the specific wards studied. Impact: This study addressed the implementation of modified Safewards strategies in medical and surgical wards to prevent violence.Three themes emerged from the analysis of the pre‐implementation focus groups that reflected the type of violence experienced by these nurses and the context within which they occurred.Following the implementation of two modified Safewards interventions, the post‐implementation focus groups reported positive changes to their practices using the modified resources to prevent violence from patients and their visitors.Mental health interventions, such as those used in the Safewards model can be modified and provide a tool kit of interventions that can be used by medical and surgical nurses. Reporting Method: This paper has adhered to the COREQ guidelines. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. What Does this Paper Contribute to the wider Global Clinical Community?: This paper outlines and discusses the action research approach undertaken to work with general hospital nurses to modify mental health nurses' Safewards interventions into their clinical practice.This paper provides evidence of the 'real world' application of Safewards interventions by medical and surgical nurses in general hospital wards.This paper presents qualitative findings based on focus group methods to highlight the narratives of general nurses and their experiences of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To learn from two jurisdictions with mature genomics‐informed nursing policy infrastructure—the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK)—to inform policy development for genomics‐informed oncology nursing practice and education in Canada. Design: Comparative document and policy analysis drawing on the 3i + E framework. Methods: We drew on the principles of a rapid review and identified academic literature, grey literature and nursing policy documents through a systematic search of two databases, a website search of national genomics nursing and oncology nursing organizations in the US and UK, and recommendations from subject matter experts on an international advisory committee. A total of 94 documents informed our analysis. Results: We found several types of policy documents guiding genomics‐informed nursing practice and education in the US and UK. These included position statements, policy advocacy briefs, competencies, scope and standards of practice and education and curriculum frameworks. Examples of drivers that influenced policy development included nurses' values in aligning with evidence and meeting public expectations, strong nurse leaders, policy networks and shifting healthcare and policy landscapes. Conclusion: Our analysis of nursing policy infrastructure in the US and UK provides a framework to guide policy recommendations to accelerate the integration of genomics into Canadian oncology nursing practice and education. Implications for the profession: Findings can assist Canadian oncology nurses in developing nursing policy infrastructure that supports full participation in safe and equitable genomics‐informed oncology nursing practice and education within an interprofessional context. Impact: This study informs Canadian policy development for genomics‐informed oncology nursing education and practice. The experiences of other countries demonstrate that change is incremental, and investment from strong advocates and collaborators can accelerate the integration of genomics into nursing. Though this research focuses on oncology nursing, it may also inform other nursing practice contexts influenced by genomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Being one of toxic and flammable volatile organic compounds (VOC), n-butanol has brought about many potential health risks, there is an urgent demand for highly sensitive detection techniques to monitor its concentration in occupational environments and the air. In this paper, Ce-doped MOF:ZnO sensors under UV activation for room-temperature detection of n-butanol were synthesized by the co-precipitation method and systemically characterized by XRD, SEM, HRTEM, and XPS. The sensitive performances were evaluated by the use of a WS-30A gas sensor measurement system. The results showed that Ce doping has significantly enhanced the sensitivity of the MOF:ZnO sensors, and the response value of the 0.08 % Ce-doped ZnO sensor has achieved to 397.30, which was 9.32 times higher than that of the pristine MOF:ZnO. And the response and recovery times were 17 and 117 s respectively, demonstrating a speedy detection capability. In addition, the sensor gained excellent stability and reproducibility with special selectivity for n-butanol. The comprehensive achievements of this research would be promising to promote the development of volatile organic compound detection technology and beneficial to the well application in the fields of environmental monitoring, industrial safety, and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety participation of construction workers, as a manifestation of organizational citizenship behaviors, is essential for overall workplace safety. Workers' safety participation may be influenced by both organizational and individual factors. For example, facing unfavorable organizational conditions such as job insecurity may restrain construction workers from safety participation, and individual capacity differs the preference for safety participation among workers. Moreover, the nature of their job is often stressful, which complicates the mechanisms through which safety participation is influenced. The current study set to examine the key barriers to safety participation of construction workers in project organizations and reveal the intermediate effect of stress and empathy on the influential mechanism. The empirical study collected over 500 sets of data from construction workers through a questionnaire survey. After reliability and validity tests, structural equation modeling (SEM) and multiple regression were applied to examine the interactions among organizational factors, stress, empathy, and safety participation. Findings of current study confirmed that (1) safety participation of construction workers was restrained due to emotional stress and emotional exhaustion; (2) the negative influence of several organizational factors on safety participation of workers were mediated by stress, namely, quantitative job insecurity–safety participation interactions mediated by emotional stress and both qualitative job insecurity–safety participation interactions and interpersonal conflict–safety participation interactions mediated by emotional stress and emotional exhaustion; and (3) the buffering effect of empathy on stress and safety participation was interestingly not confirmed by this study. Practical recommendations were proposed to manage occupational stress and address barriers to safety participation. This paper contributes to safety management in project organizations by highlighting the interplay among organizational, individual, and psychological factors and their impacts on safety participation from a stress perspective. Findings of the current study provide valuable insights to promote safety participations of workers in practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global warming continues, safeguarding the health and safety of construction workers in extremely hot environments becomes imperative. Real-time and quantitative assessment of workers' cognitive states affected by heat stress is essential. Previous studies, which relied mainly on cognitive performance tests and subjective questionnaires, lacked the capability for real-time tracking of individual cognitive states. The analysis of physiological responses also faced challenges in quantitative evaluation of individual cognitive states. To address these issues, this study proposed a reliable and quantitative approach to explore the negative impact of heat stress on cognitive states such as attention, mental fatigue, and emotion, using electroencephalogram (EEG) metrics in immersive virtual reality (VR)–based construction safety training. This study recruited 20 volunteers, divided evenly between an experimental group exposed to extreme heat (36°C/70%) and a control group in moderate heat (26°C/45%). All participants experienced simulated hazardous working conditions across four distinct VR training scenarios. The findings revealed significant differences in attention control, fatigue, and arousal between the two groups, demonstrating that extreme heat impairs workers' attention, increases fatigue, and heightens arousal. These conditions could potentially increase unsafe actions and accident rates, posing risks to construction worker safety. The identified EEG metrics provide a strategy for the real-time and quantitative evaluation of workers' cognitive states under heat stress. Furthermore, it is expected to develop a heat stress monitoring and diagnostics framework integrating VR and augmented reality (AR) technologies to enhance worker safety in extremely hot environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnel construction is crucial to the advancement of global transportation networks. Despite their importance, there have been few investigations on the safety and comfort of workers. Tunnel workers operate under various adverse conditions that lead to multiple forms of fatigue. Researchers have suggested that there is a specific type of fatigue stemming from insufficient natural or improper artificial lighting that has largely been overlooked in previous studies. To validate the existence of illumination-induced fatigue and explore control measures, this study conducted virtual reality experiments in a simulated tunnel construction setting and collected and analyzed data from scales, electroencephalogram, and eye-tracking. The results indicated significant variations in fatigue levels with changes in illumination, whereas the environment remained constant, confirming the presence of illumination fatigue. Moreover, the analysis of the scale results aligned with the EEG findings, ranking the comfort levels of the mucking illumination as 100>75>150>50>200>30>15>10>0 lx. The modeling of illumination fatigue identified three comfort levels of illumination, I: [75, 100], II: [15, 75) ∪ (100, 200], III: [0, 15], thereby establishing that illumination fatigue can be controlled through improved lighting. Subsequently, to address the issue of uneven illumination distribution at construction sites, key areas for mucking task lighting were identified using eye-tracking technology as the upper and lower edges of the bucket, debris being moved, and expected stacking area. Finally, by comparing and summarizing the divergent conclusions of previous studies, this study proposed various targeted lighting guidelines. This comprehensive study not only enriches the current understanding and experimental design reference for tunnel construction fatigue but also provides practitioners with specific and effective lighting guidance to significantly reduce workers' fatigue and improve their working conditions. Practical Applications: The results of laboratory studies indicate that inadequate or excessive artificial lighting during tunnel construction significantly increases worker fatigue. This research identified an illuminance range of 75–100 lx as the most comfortable range for mucking activities. Occasionally, the construction environment is complex, making it challenging to control the illuminance distribution uniformly. Therefore, this study further examines the attention distribution during the mucking processes, identifying key lighting points as the upper and lower edges of the bucket, debris being moved, and expected stacking area. Furthermore, the results of this study address the discrepancies in previous guidelines on illumination levels and propose different illumination ranges tailored to specific construction areas. Worldwide construction teams can determine the appropriate level of illumination within these ranges by considering the composition of the workforce, environmental factors, and policy requirements. These findings can help enhance worker comfort and improve construction safety, ultimately ensuring productivity and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Head-mounted augmented reality (HMD AR) technology in construction has shown promise in enhancing operational efficiency. Concurrently, the critical role of hazard identification (HI) in ensuring worker safety is well-documented. Despite this, studies delving into HMD AR's impact on HI, especially across varying task complexities, are limited. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining the influence of HMD AR on construction workers' HI in diverse task environments. The research engaged 48 participants in an experiment to evaluate their hazard situation awareness (HSA), cognitive load (CL), and task performance (TP). These were assessed using the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT), the Situation Awareness Rating Technique (SART), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and measures of task accuracy. Findings indicated that environmental conditions significantly modulate HMD AR's effect on HI. In simple and safe scenes, HMD AR has a negligible impact on HI and might enhance hazard detection capabilities. However, in complex and hazardous situations with intense workloads, HMD AR can impair HI, potentially increasing safety risks. In other words, whether HMD AR brings opportunities or risks for HI depends on the different environmental conditions. This research contributes to the nascent field of cognitive safety in HMD AR, specifically regarding HI in construction, augmenting the current understanding and laying a theoretical groundwork for HMD AR's future safety applications in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry. The insights gained inform the prudent implementation, training, and interface design of HMD AR on construction sites. In the context of HMD AR's rapid evolution, this study underscores the importance of critically assessing safety implications to guide the responsible utilization of new technologies. Practical Applications: The findings from this study reveal that the impact of HMD AR on HI is contingent upon the complexity and safety of the work environment. In scenes that are straightforward and safe, HMD AR has been shown to improve HI among participants. Conversely, in environments that are complex and fraught with danger, HMD AR may hinder HI, increasing the likelihood of hazards. The conclusions of this study suggest that the safety management and application of HMD AR on construction sites should consider the opportunities and risks of using HMD AR in different environmental conditions. It is advised that decision makers on construction sites evaluate the suitability of HMD AR deployment based on the specific complexities of their scenes. In instances where the potential hazards are intricate, the use of HMD AR might be inadvisable. For sites already utilizing HMD AR, it is crucial to provide additional safety training to users. Such training should aim to enhance awareness of how HMD AR might affect HI, equipping workers with the knowledge to mitigate potential risks effectively. Furthermore, developers of HMD AR technologies are encouraged to focus on improving the safety features of their products. A key area of improvement is the optimization of information density on the HMD AR display interface. By doing so, developers can help prevent cognitive overload among users, thereby minimizing any adverse effects on HI. This approach not only enhances the safety on construction sites but also ensures that the benefits of HMD AR can be fully realized without compromising worker safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large deformation is a kind of geological hazard in the construction of soft rock tunnels, which hinders construction, threatens workers' safety, and raises project costs. Accurately obtaining the large deformation characteristics and patterns of tunnels is the prerequisite for taking targeted support measures. First, a viscoelastic–plastic model that can simulate both the short-term strain-softening effect and the long-term creep effect was proposed to investigate the large deformation features of soft rock tunnels. Then, a sophisticated model for creep parameter inversion was developed using the support vector machine, genetic algorithm, and particle swarm optimization. Finally, the deformation, stress, plastic zone, and internal forces in the lining of a large deformation tunnel were determined using the proposed constitutive model and the creep parameters obtained by inversion. As the creep displacement only makes up 14.4–23.2% of the total displacement, the results demonstrate that the elastic–plastic displacement is much more than the creep displacement. Notably, the connection between the top and middle benches has the most pronounced horizontal movement, accompanied by a significant strain-softening effect, which ultimately becomes the weak point in the support system. The excavation disturbs the surrounding rock, causing a high-stress zone and a low-stress zone, with the interface located around the junction of the elastic and plastic zones. The bending moment is positive at the wall waist and negative at the vault and arch waist. In addition, there is a progressive rise in the bending moment from negative to positive at the arch foot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the rapid development of the industrial Internet has led to the creation of a massive number of intelligent agents that are widely and distributively applied in various edge scenarios. The work conditions in these edge scenarios are complex, uncertain, and random. Traditional manual updates or human judgments are used for task decision-making in large-scale distributive intelligent agent edge work scenarios, which lack dynamic perception and autonomous recognition capabilities for edge work conditions. This inevitably leads to low decision-making accuracy, poor reliability, and ultimately, task failure. To address this issue, this study proposes an adaptive task identification strategy based on cloud-edge collaboration. This method utilizes a cloud-edge collaborative industrial intelligent application architecture to achieve cloud-based training and encapsulation of the task model, with online calling at the edge-end. Then, edge-end intelligent agents identify edge work conditions through multi-source data fusion, enabling accurate task decision-making. Finally, the edge-end requests the cloud for task model matching. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated in an industrial safety situation virtual detection system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Work itself and occupational health and safety (OHS) have evolved through industrial revolutions and will also continue to evolve in the future. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this qualitative literature review was to examine how the scientific discussion on new and emerging risks (NERs) related to OHS has evolved in recent decades in developed and newly industrialized countries. METHODS: A search of the Scopus database yielded 34 articles published before 2000 and from 2020 onwards. RESULTS: A review of the articles identified NERs themes related to changes in work patterns, changing workforce and growth in some sectors, climate change, new materials or increased use of materials, new technology and technological development, and viruses. In both article collection periods, possible adverse OHS effects discussed included musculoskeletal disorders, exposure to toxic agents, chemical compounds and hazardous materials, increased stress, increased likelihood of errors and accidents, psychosocial problems, mental fatigue, and increases in work-related illnesses and accidents. CONCLUSIONS: The articles published during both periods discussed similar themes. The main differences were regarding specific time-related cases, such as climate change and COVID-19. Based on the findings of this review, points to consider in OHS management and future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Professional driving requires long hours of work, uncomfortable seats, negotiating rough terrain and highways, and possibly minor repairs and other auxiliary transportation duties. Heavy vehicle drivers driving vehicles such as trucks, bulldozers, etc. due to such working structures are more prone to various musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and pain, which is of great concern. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, it is planned to investigate possible ergonomic risk factors such as age, weight, driving exposure, seat suspension systems, lifting heavy weights causing MSDs in drivers of various heavy vehicles. The results of the study are expected to help drivers reduce the risk of MSDs. METHODS: For the present study, the Nordic questionnaire on musculoskeletal disorders was modified and standardized and was administered to the 48 heavy vehicle drivers randomly selected to collect the data. RESULTS: The analysis divulged that over the past 12 months, lower back pain (LBP) emerged as the most dominant pain experienced by 56% of drivers, followed by knee pain (KP) (43%) and neck pain (NP) (39%) respectively. The prevalence of shoulder pain (SP) was observed to be much lower than in previous literature. The logistic regression model further revealed that increasing age, poor suspension system and poor body posture were significantly associated with lower back pain. Additionally, a poor suspension system and lifting heavy weights had significant effect on the drivers' knee pain. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated the evident necessity for ergonomic consideration in vehicle designing and ergonomic training for heavy vehicle drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, low-wage public-facing frontline workers (FLWs), such as grocery store clerks, were required to monitor retail customers and enforce COVID-19 protocols. OBJECTIVE: This analysis aimed to examine FLWs experiences of enforcing COVID-19 pandemic measures. METHODS: Between September 2020 and March 2021, in Ontario and Quebec (Canada), we conducted in-depth interviews about customer-related work and health risks with FLWs who interacted with the public (n = 40) and their supervisors (n = 16). Using a lens of situational analysis, verbatim transcripts were coded according to recurring topics. RESULTS: We found that enforcing public health measures placed already-precarious workers in difficult occupational health circumstances. Enforcement of measures created additional workplace responsibilities, stress, and exposed them to potentially negative reactions from customers. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to better support these workers and improved methods of protection are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Although the pandemic is nearing its end, the question of whether COVID-19 infection will be considered a work-related or occupational disease remains a legal issue. Therefore, this study aims to provide clarification on this matter. OBJECTIVES: Since the International Labour Organization (ILO) serves as the primary authority on work-related matters, this study is focused on analyzing the ILO's policies regarding the acknowledgment of COVID-19 infections as occupational diseases. It also investigates how States can recognize COVID-19 as such a disease while delving into the connection between the disease or injury and the occupation itself. METHODOLOGY: This study utilizes a doctrinal methodology, focusing on legal research. This approach employs an applied (expository) research method and discusses the topic from a professional constituency perspective, as proposed by Arthurs in 1983. RESULT: The findings indicate that the ILO does not explicitly mention the pandemic or COVID-19 infection as an occupational disease in its list. However, it does include "infectious-related diseases" or "work that carries a particular risk of contamination" as occupational or work-related diseases, which can logically be interpreted as encompassing COVID-19 infection as an occupational or work-related disease. RECOMMENDATION: As the ILO sets guiding principles for its member States, this study recommends that the ILO should establish clear and comprehensive guidelines for member States to recognize COVID-19 infections or any future pandemics as occupational diseases. CONCLUSION: This study will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers who intend to enact or amend national legislation to align with the ILO. Furthermore, it will assist relevant stakeholders in taking necessary actions based on the study's findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The body of literature regarding the use of an upper limb exoskeleton during authentic working conditions is sparse. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an upper limb exoskeleton in reducing muscle strain during authentic industrial construction work. Methods: Fifteen male participants, comprising of roofers, scaffolders, builders, bricklayers, and graders performing overhead work participated in the study. During work without (REF) and with exoskeleton (EXO), muscle activity from 8 muscles, heart rate (HR), metabolic equivalent (MET), and upper arm elevation angles were recorded. Results: When using the exoskeleton, a significant reduction of 20.2% in average muscle activity of 8 muscles was found. The largest effect focused on m. deltoideus, where 46.2 and 32.2% reduction occurred in medial and anterior parts of the muscle, respectively. HR and MET were unaffected. Upper arm elevation angles were similar between REF and EXO, indicating equal biomechanical loading. Conclusions: This study indicates that exoskeletons show great promise in reducing the potential for musculoskeletal strain during authentic overhead construction work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drawing upon the Proactive Motivation Model, this study aims to investigate the relationship between managerial coaching and employee knowledge-sharing behavior via psychological safety and learning goal orientation. This study also proposes that employee psychological safety and learning goal orientation sequentially mediate the relationship between managerial coaching and employee knowledge-sharing behavior. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a time-lagged quantitative research design to test the proposed hypotheses. Using a self-administered questionnaire, data was gathered from 220 employees of information technology companies in Pakistan. This study used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) two-stage approach to test the measurement and structural models. Findings: The findings of the study support that there is an indirect relationship between managerial coaching and employees' knowledge-sharing behaviors via psychological safety and learning goal orientation. In addition, the findings also support the sequential mediation of psychological safety and learning goal orientation in the proposed model. Practical implications: The results of this study highlight that managers can play a vital role in fostering proactive resource-sharing behaviors of employees in knowledge-intensive organizations. Originality/value: There is limited research on the relationship between managerial coaching and employees' knowledge-sharing behavior. This study has analyzed this relationship using a motivational perspective. It makes important theoretical contributions by investigating the mechanisms through which managerial coaching influences employees' knowledge-sharing behavior in organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Nurses experience high job demands, which makes recovery particularly necessary to maintain well-being and performance. However, these demands also make recovery challenging. Short mindfulness meditations could potentially help alleviate this paradox. Methods: Two ecological momentary intervention studies were conducted among geriatric nurses (Study 1: break study) and hospital nurses (Study 2: after-work study) to investigate whether short audio-guided mindfulness meditations are beneficial for recovery during breaks and psychological detachment after work. Furthermore, break recovery and after-work detachment were examined as mediators of the associations between mindfulness meditations and after-break/after-sleep mood and attention after respective recovery periods. Multilevel path models were based on a sample of 38 nurses and 208 after-break surveys in the break study and 26 nurses and 192 after-sleep surveys in the after-work study. Results: Compared to breaks spent as usual, breaks that incorporated short mindfulness meditations were associated with higher break recovery, which mediated the positive associations between mindful breaks and after-break calmness, valence, and energetic arousal. Only with certain constraints did mindfulness meditations predict a lower rate of attention failures. In the after-work study, short mindfulness meditations were positively related to psychological detachment, which mediated the positive associations between the intervention and after-sleep valence and calmness. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Both pilot studies showed that short mindfulness meditations aid in recovery among nurses. However, to fully utilize the advantages of recovery-promoting breaks, structural changes are necessary to ensure that breaks of an appropriate duration are consistently implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The training of farmers in pesticide safety is of prime importance for reducing pesticide use and exposure through the implementation of sustainable management practices. This study aimed to assess the impact of compulsory training on the knowledge and perceptions of cereal farmers, with the help of a safety climate scale. Method : We approached cereal farmers throughout France during compulsory training and certification procedures for pesticide-related activities. Trainees were asked to complete a safety climate questionnaire at the start and end of the course. In total, 733 cereal farm managers or workers completed the questionnaire at the start of the study, 131 of whom declined to complete the questionnaire at the end of the training session, leaving 602 subjects available for pre-training/post-training comparisons. Statistical analyses were based on paired t -tests and mixed models for repeated measures. Findings : The mean safety climate score increased from 82.37 to 88.22 after the training course (7.1 %, p <.001) in both univariate and multivariate analyses. Mean increases were also found for each of its seven dimensions (p <.001), ranging from 2.8% for "rules and best practices" to 12.4% for "communication and feedback." Few covariate-by-time interactions were found to be significant. Conclusion/Application to Practice : This study demonstrates that pesticide training is highly effective in increasing safety climate perception among cereal farmers and provides hints for improving the design of educational programs. Promoting the development and facilitation of lifelong learning with continuously updated training programs should be a top priority for minimizing pesticide exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Promoting safe patient mobility for providers and patients is a safety priority in the hospital setting. Safe patient handling equipment aids safe mobility but can also deter active movement by the patient if used inappropriately. Nurses need guidance to choose equipment that ensures their safety and that of the patients while promoting active mobility and preventing workplace-related injury. Methods: Using a modified Delphi approach with a diverse group of experts, we created the Johns Hopkins Safe Patient Handling Mobility (JH-SPHM) Guide. This diverse group of 10 experts consisted of nurses, nurse leaders, physical and occupational therapists, safe patient handling committee representatives, and a fall prevention committee leader. The application of the tool was then tested in the hospital environment by two physical therapists. Findings: Consensus was reached for safe patient handling (SPH) equipment recommendations at each level of the Johns Hopkins Mobility Goal Calculator (JH-Mobility Goal Calculator). Expert SPH equipment recommendations were then added to JH-Mobility Goal Calculator levels to create the JH-Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide. JH-Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide equipment suggestions were compared with equipment recommendations from physical therapists revealing strong agreement (n = 125, 88%). Conclusion: The newly created JH-Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide provides appropriate safe patient-handling equipment recommendations to help accomplish patients' daily mobility goals. Applications to Practice: The Johns Hopkins Safe Patient Handling Mobility Guide simultaneously facilitates patient mobility and optimizes safety for nursing staff through recommendations for safe patient handling equipment for use with hospitalized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effect of exports on worker safety and health in the US. We use foreign countries' unilateral liberalization as an instrument to capture the demand shocks on US exports. Our two‐stage estimates with establishment fixed effects suggest that a $1000 increase in exports per worker decreased the workplace injury rate by a significant 0.7%, which implies an annual reduction of about 55,000 injuries among manufacturing workers. The reduction in injuries is more salient among establishments with lower injury rates, indicating an increase of inequality in working conditions. The improvement in working conditions might come from more investment in advanced equipment and better compliance with safety and health regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the probabilistic nature of brittle materials due to inherent dispersions in their mechanical properties is important to assess their reliability and safety for sensitive engineering applications. This is all the more important when elements composed of brittle materials are exposed to dynamic environments, resulting in catastrophic fatigue failures. The authors propose the application of a non-intrusive polynomial chaos expansion method for probabilistic studies on brittle materials undergoing fatigue fracture when geometrical parameters and material properties are random independent variables. Understanding the probabilistic nature of fatigue fracture in brittle materials is crucial for ensuring the reliability and safety of engineering structures subjected to cyclic loading. Crack growth is modelled using a phase-field approach within a finite element framework. For modelling fatigue, fracture resistance is progressively degraded by modifying the regularised free energy functional using a fatigue degradation function. Number of cycles to failure is treated as the dependent variable of interest and is estimated within acceptable limits due to the randomness in independent properties. Multiple 2D benchmark problems are solved to demonstrate the ability of this approach to predict the dependent variable responses with significantly fewer simulations than the Monte Carlo method. This proposed approach can accurately predict results typically obtained through 10 5 or more runs in Monte Carlo simulations with a reduction of up to three orders of magnitude in required runs. The independent random variables' sensitivity to the system response is determined using Sobol' indices. The proposed approach has low computational overhead and can be useful for computationally intensive problems requiring rapid decision-making in sensitive applications like aerospace, nuclear and biomedical engineering. The technique does not require reformulating existing finite element code and can perform the stochastic study by direct pre/post-processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a public-facing profession, public library workers are often exposed to challenging behaviors that raise concern for their safety. To understand these concerns, this study explores these staff safety issues in Australian public libraries through semi-structured interviews with 59 staff members from six library services. Findings reveal that library workers frequently encounter challenging and sometimes violent behaviors from patrons. These incidents impact staff wellbeing, causing stress, anxiety, and potential long-term psychological effects. Many workers receive insufficient workplace support following traumatic incidents, leading to internalization of the trauma the experiences cause. The study highlights the need for improved institutional support and better safety measures. It also recognizes the tension created by libraries’ open-door policies, which may expose workers to potential harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to delve into the impact of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance and to analyze the mediating role of communication behavior in this process. Given the central role of innovation in the sustained competitiveness of enterprises, understanding how team psychological safety promotes employee innovation through communication behavior is of significant theoretical and practical importance. The study employs a structural equation model (SEM) to analyze survey data from 580 employees across various high-tech enterprises. The results indicate that the three dimensions of team psychological safety—team collaboration and understanding, team information sharing, and team give-and-take balance—have a significant positive impact on employee innovative performance. Moreover, communication behavior plays a significant mediating role between team psychological safety and employee innovative performance. This study reveals the positive influence of team psychological safety on employee innovative performance through communication behavior, emphasizing the importance of building a positive team psychological safety environment to stimulate employee innovation potential. It provides empirical evidence for enterprise managers to optimize team communication strategies and enhance employee innovative performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mechatronic systems become ever more complex because of their increasing number of interconnected safety critical components and sophistication. MBSE (Model‐based Systems Engineering) and MBSA (Model‐Based Safety Assessment) are the most commonly adopted approaches to deal with the design and safety analysis of mechatronic systems. Unfortunately, both approaches are normally adopted separately, especially in the earlier phases of system design, thus leading to a lack of communication between system engineers and the safety team. This work aims to fill that gap at a high level, that is, through process interaction. This paper proposes an enhanced V‐model for the design of safety‐critical mechatronic systems. It relates a system development process with specific safety assessment methods. Specifically, the proposed workflow details exchange flows between the RFLP (Requirements, Functional, Logical, Physical) method, the FHA (Functional Hazard Analysis), the FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects Analysis), the MBSA and simulation, and the FTA (Fault Tree Analysis). These analyses are complemented with multiphysics modeling and simulation to observe system behavior in functional and failure scenarios, with the aim of requirements verification. The design workflow has been applied to a winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to apply the parallel process and the necessary interaction of MBSE and MBSA approaches. The information flows between the individual activities proved effective for designing a safe system before the verification phase. The main benefit of the proposed workflow is providing both the design and safety team with some interaction points, thus avoiding a lack of safety‐critical analysis in the early phases of system design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The slewing crane is easily affected by the wind and the manipulation level of the operator when it is working, which in turn impacts its swing angle, affects the working efficiency and safety of the crane. Objective: Toimprove the operation safety andreduce the swing angle, this study design and research the anti-swing control system for the slewing crane. Methods: Firstly, based on the Lagrange equation, the dynamic model of the crane hoisting system is established. Then, the mechanical anti-swing mechanism driven by a four-motor rope is established. Finally, based on fuzzy PID control, an anti-swing platform is established, and the performance of anti-swing control is verified. Results: Compared to no anti-swing control, the in-plane swing angle θ1 and out-of-plane swing angle θ2 of the lifting arm are reduced by 88% and 75% respectively. Conclusion: The results show that the four-motor rope-driven anti-swing mechanism can achieve better anti-swing effect, which provides an effective swing suppression method for the slewing crane in the actual operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intensive care units (ICUs) are one of the high-risk working areas in terms of musculoskeletal disability and ergonomic risks including the environment and posture factors. Correct posture technique is often ignored by nurses working in these units. This study was conducted to determine the effect of posture regulation training on work-related musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue level and job performance in nurses working in ICUs. Methods: This quasi-experimental study with one-group pretest-posttest design included 64 intensive care nurses. The nurses received posture regulation training in three different sessions. The post-test was administered four months after the posture regulation training. Results: The nurses reported to frequently have aches, pains and discomfort in the neck, upper back and lumbar regions. After the posture regulation training, their level of pain, ache and discomfort in the neck, right and left shoulder, upper back, lower back and right/left foot areas decreased significantly (p < 0.05). The posture regulation training reduced the levels of behavior/severity and affect, which are sub-dimensions of fatigue, and increased the level of contribution to work, which is a sub-dimension of job performance (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The posture regulation training decreased the level of symptoms in the neck, shoulder, upper back, lower back and foot regions of intensive care nurses and partially improved their fatigue level and job performance. Therefore, posture regulation training should be added to in-service training programs and permanent measures should be taken for ergonomic risks in ICUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the emerging practice of workplace surveillance by using neurotechnologies, particularly wearable neurodevices, to monitor employees' cognitive abilities, concentration levels, and emotional responses. It aims to assess the legality of such practices within the framework of EU law, focusing on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) by providing a detailed analysis of recent EU legislation in the context of the implementation of neurosurveillance at the workplace. Furthermore, the paper discusses whether current regulations adequately address the use of neurotechnologies in the workplace or are overly restrictive. It raises the question of ensuring sufficient flexibility in the regulations to allow for legitimate implementations of neurotechnologies in the labour field for workers' safety while protecting workers' rights. Overall, the paper offers insights into the intersection of neurotechnology advancements and labour relations and stimulates critical discussion about the fair balance between innovation and workers' rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the construction of water conveyance tunnels with the shield method, accidents have occurred from time to time, such as collapses and explosions, and it is of practical significance to explore the cause mechanism of the accident. However, previous research has not considered the effects of dependence between risks on the risk spread. In response, we propose a method based on the Natural Killing Model (the N-K Model) and complex network theory to analyze the cause of shield construction accidents in water conveyance tunnels. By deeply exploring the transmission mechanism and action intensity between system risks, this method can scientifically clarify the accident cause mechanism and provide support for engineering construction safety management. The method constructs a risk index system. Secondly, we introduce the N-K model to reveal the risk coupling mechanism. Then, based on complex network theory, we construct the incident causation model and revise the node's centrality with the coupling value. Finally, the network topology parameters are calculated to quantitatively describe the causal characteristics of accidents, revealing the risk evolution process and critical causes. The research results indicate that the key causes of accidents are failure to construct according to regulations, inadequate emergency measures, poor ability of judgment and decision-making, and insufficient understanding of abnormal situations. The front end of critical links is subject to human or management risks and should be carefully controlled during construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid adoption of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the construction industry has revolutionized safety, surveying, quality monitoring, and maintenance assessment. UAVs are increasingly used to prevent accidents caused by falls from heights or being struck by falling objects by ensuring workers comply with safety protocols. This study focuses on leveraging UAV technology to enhance labor safety by monitoring the use of personal protective equipment, particularly helmets, among construction workers. The developed UAV system utilizes the tensorflow technique and an alert system to detect and identify workers not wearing helmets. Employing the high-precision, high-speed, and widely applicable Faster R-CNN method, the UAV can accurately detect construction workers with and without helmets in real-time across various site conditions. This proactive approach ensures immediate feedback and intervention, significantly reducing the risk of injuries and fatalities. Additionally, the implementation of UAVs minimizes the workload of site supervisors by automating safety inspections and monitoring, allowing for more efficient and continuous oversight. The experimental results indicate that the UAV system's high precision, recall, and processing capabilities make it a reliable and cost-effective solution for improving construction site safety. The precision, mAP, and FPS of the developed system with the R-CNN are 93.1%, 58.45%, and 27 FPS. This study demonstrates the potential of UAV technology to enhance safety compliance, protect workers, and improve the overall quality of safety management in the construction industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground mining involves numerous risks, such as collapses, gas leaks, and explosions, posing significant threats to worker safety. In this work, we develop an indoor localization system that uses Bluetooth for coarse positioning and ultrasonic arrays for precision calibration. This system is particularly useful for automated mining operations in underground environments where satellite positioning signals are unavailable. The indoor localization system consists of ultrasonic receiver arrays and an improved multi-transmitter-multi-receiver algorithm, enabling accurate localization within the mining environment. Geometric Dilution of Precision (GDOP) analysis is incorporated to optimize the network layout, and an inertial navigation module is integrated to track the posture of moving objects, enabling precise trajectory determination over large areas, such as coal mines. In the experiment, three traditional methods were compared, and the proposed tracking approach demonstrated a positioning accuracy within 10 cm, reducing error by 20% compared to conventional techniques. This high-precision indoor localization method proves beneficial for underground mining applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionWork in seafood harvesting and processing has been associated with a range of occupational hazards and associated health problems. However, limited information exists regarding the occupational health risks among workers engaged in seaweed handling.A cross-sectional study was conducted to map seaweed co-operatives (n = 45), assess working practices, and identify common work-related symptoms, occupational hazards, and interventions in seaweed farming sites (n = 24), across three regions of Zanzibar, Tanzania.Seaweed farming in Zanzibar primarily involves the cultivation of Eucheuma Spinosum, with the majority of workers being women. Common work-related symptoms identified include musculoskeletal symptoms, mainly affecting the wrist (87%), back (84%) and lower limbs (73%). Furthermore, a significant proportion of workers were reported to have skin problems (80%) as well as heat and asthma-related symptoms (51%). Walk-through hazard evaluations of work sites identified a range of occupational hazards, with ergonomic (58–68%), biological (50–63%) and chemical (55–65%) hazards obtaining higher scores across the three regions. Geospatial analysis revealed regional variations in occupational hazards and work-related symptom prevalence, with Unguja South having a statistically significant (p < .05) higher mean prevalence of skin symptoms (95%) and Mjini Magharibi region reporting a higher prevalence of lower limb pain (100%), back pain (100%), and heat-related symptoms (90%). Despite the high hazard scores, interventions were generally lacking across all regions.Occupational health hazards and adverse health outcomes vary across seaweed farming and processing regions. Tailored interventions will be key to improving workplace health and safety of workers engaged in this sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Safety is the eternal theme of power systems. In view of problems such as time-consuming and poor real-time performance in the correct use of seat belt hooks by manual supervision operators in the process of power operation, this paper proposes an improved YOLOv7 seat belt hook suspension state recognition algorithm. Firstly, the feature extraction part of the YOLOv7 backbone network is improved, and the M-Spatial Pyramid Pooling Concurrent Spatial Pyramid Convolution (M-SPPCSPC) feature extraction module is constructed to replace the Spatial Pyramid Pooling Concurrent Spatial Pyramid Convolution (SPPCSPC) module of the backbone network, which reduces the amount of computation and improves the detection speed of the backbone network while keeping the sensory field of the backbone network unchanged. Second, a decoupled head, which realizes the confidence and regression frames separately, is introduced to alleviate the negative impact of the conflict between the classification and regression tasks, consequently improving the network detection accuracy and accelerating the network convergence. Ultimately, a dynamic non-monotonic focusing mechanism is introduced in the output layer, and the Wise Intersection over Union (WioU) loss function is used to reduce the competitiveness of high-quality anchor frames while reducing the harmful gradient generated by low-quality anchor frames, which ultimately improves the overall performance of the detection network. The experimental results show that the mean Average Precision (mAP@0.5) value of the improved network reaches 81.2%, which is 7.4% higher than that of the original YOLOv7, therefore achieving better detection results for multiple-state recognition of hooks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise estimation of the operational lifespan of insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBT) holds paramount significance for ensuring the efficient and uncompromised safety of industrial equipment. However, numerous methodologies and models currently employed for this purpose often fall short of delivering highly accurate predictions. The analytical approach that combines the Pattern Optimization Algorithm (POA) with Successive Variational Mode Decomposition (SVMD) and Bidirectional Long Short-term Memory (BiLSTM) network is introduced. Firstly, SVMD is employed as an unsupervised feature learning method to partition the data into intrinsic modal functions (IMFs), which are used to eliminate noise and preserve the essential signal. Secondly, the BiLSTM network is integrated for supervised learning purposes, enabling the prediction of the decomposed sequence. Additionally, the hyperparameters of BiLSTM and the penalty coefficients of SVMD are optimized utilizing the POA technique. Subsequently, the various modal functions are predicted utilizing the trained prediction model, and the individual mode predictions are subsequently aggregated to yield the model's definitive final life prediction. Through case studies involving IGBT aging datasets, the optimal prediction model was formulated and its lifespan prediction capability was validated. The superiority of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing it with benchmark models and other state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food packaging, which is typically made of paper/cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic, is essential for protecting and preserving food. However, the impact of conventional food packaging and especially the predominant use of plastics, due to their versatility and low cost, bring serious environmental and health problems such as pollution by micro and nanoplastics. In response to these challenges, biotechnology emerges as a new way for improving packaging by providing biopolymers as sustainable alternatives. In this context, bacterial cellulose (BC), a biodegradable and biocompatible material produced by bacteria, stands out for its mechanical resistance, food preservation capacity, and rapid degradation and is a promising solution for replacing plastics. However, despite its advantages, large-scale application still encounters technical and economic challenges. These include high costs compared to when conventional materials are used, difficulties in standardizing membrane production through microbial methods, and challenges in optimizing cultivation and production processes, so further studies are necessary to ensure food safety and industrial viability. Thus, this review provides an overview of the impacts of conventional packaging. It discusses the development of biodegradable packaging, highlighting BC as a promising biopolymer. Additionally, it explores biotechnological techniques for the development of innovative packaging through structural modifications of BC, as well as ways to optimize its production process. The study also emphasizes the importance of these solutions in promoting a circular economy within the food industry and reducing its environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]