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Summary: Predicting vigilance impairment in high‐risk shift work occupations is critical to help to reduce workplace errors and accidents. Current methods rely on multi‐night, often manually entered, sleep data. This study developed a machine learning model for predicting vigilance errors based on a single prior sleep period, derived from an under‐mattress sensor. Twenty‐four healthy volunteers (mean [SD] age = 27.6 [9.5] years, 12 male) attended the laboratory on two separate occasions, 1 month apart, to compare wake performance and sleep under two different lighting conditions. Each condition occurred over an 8 day protocol comprising a baseline sleep opportunity from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m., a 27 h wake period, then daytime sleep opportunities from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on days 3–7. From 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. on each of days 4–7, participants completed simulated night shifts that included six 10 min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) trials per shift. Sleep was assessed using an under‐mattress sensor. Using extra‐trees machine learning models, PVT performance (reaction times <500 ms, reaction, and lapses) during each night shift was predicted based on the preceding daytime sleep. The final extra‐trees model demonstrated moderate accuracy for predicting PVT performance, with standard errors (RMSE) of 19.9 ms (reaction time, 359 [41.6]ms), 0.42 reactions/s (reaction speed, 2.5 [0.6] reactions/s), and 7.2 (lapses, 10.5 [12.3]). The model also correctly classified 84% of trials containing ≥5 lapses (Matthews correlation coefficient = 0.59, F1 = 0.83). Model performance is comparable to current fatigue prediction models that rely upon self‐report or manually entered data. This efficient approach may help to manage fatigue and safety in non‐standard work schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimum Quantity Lubrication (MQL) has received much attention from the research community as a potential lubricating system to reduce environmental hazards and health issues that can be commonly found in flood cooling/lubricating systems based on metalworking fluids. The addition of nanoparticles in MQL systems (NMQL) has led to improved machining performance, increasing the cooling capability and reducing friction and tool wear, and some researchers have proved the applicability of this type of system for difficult-to-cut materials. However, the mist generated by MQL systems due to both the MQL system itself and the machining operation may pose an additional hazard to operators which is being overlooked by the research community. These hazards become more severe when using nanoparticles, but unfortunately very few works have paid attention to nanoparticle toxicity as applied in MQL systems, and this issue should be clearly understood before encouraging its implementation in industry. Furthermore, current legislation does not help since regulation of permissible exposure limits when dealing with nanoparticles is still ongoing in most cases. In this work, the toxicity of nanoparticles applied in MQL systems is analyzed, and recent research on studies of nanoparticle toxicity both in vitro and in vivo is presented. A relative comparison of toxicity is provided for those nanoparticles that have been reported in the literature as potential additives for MQL. The review is focused on analyzing the main factors of toxicity of nanoparticles which are identified as size, shape, surface properties, agglomeration and solubility. This review presents guidelines for safer nanolubricant formulations, guiding practitioners towards proper NMQL implementations in industry. Furthermore, current occupational exposure limits and recommendations are provided for all the nanoparticles potentially used in MQL systems, which is of interest in terms of work safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to provide a review of the existing literature regarding the use of extended reality technologies and the metaverse focusing on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR) in safety training. Based on the outcomes, VR was predominantly used in the context of safety training with immersive VR yielding the best outcomes. In comparison, only recently has AR been introduced in safety training but with positive outcomes. Both AR and VR can be effectively adopted and integrated in safety training and render the learning experiences and environments more realistic, secure, intense, interactive, and personalized, which are crucial aspects to ensure high-quality safety training. Their ability to provide safe virtual learning environments in which individuals can practice and develop their skills and knowledge in real-life simulated working settings that do not involve any risks emerged as one of the main benefits. Their ability to support social and collaborative learning and offer experiential learning significantly contributed to the learning outcomes. Therefore, it was concluded that VR and AR emerged as effective tools that can support and enrich safety training and, in turn, increase occupational health and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An occupational exposure, i.e. exposure incident (EI), is contact with potentially contaminated material that may contain bloodborne pathogens and that occurs during occupational activities inside or outside a health care facility, either during direct work with a patient or during contact with a patient's body fluids and tissues. This study aimed to compare the frequency of EIs in a university hospital before and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods: This was a descriptive study with a historical comparison group conducted at the Dubrava University Hospital (DUH) in Zagreb, Croatia. We compared the frequency of EIs among healthcare and non-healthcare workers before (from March 11, 2018, to March 10, 2020) and during (from March 11, 2020, to March 11, 2022) the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed as the number of EIs per number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities. We analyzed data based on the status of the hospital (a COVID-19 hospital or not) and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the World Health Organization. Results: During the total analyzed period, 241 EIs were reported in DUH. Before the pandemic, 128 EIs were reported, compared to 113 during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, 91% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers, while during the pandemic, 96% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers. Slightly more EIs were recorded during the period of mixed work form and de-escalation of PPE. The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital patients was significantly higher during the pandemic (3.9/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (2.5/1000). The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital activities was significantly higher during the pandemic (0.4/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (0.2/1000). Conclusion: The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities in DUH was significantly higher during the pandemic, and the rate of total EIs increased among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study show that it is necessary to constantly and effectively work on the prevention of EI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Like other things, psychological safety has a too-much-of-a-good-thing effect on the risk prevention process. There are warranted systematic and theoretical discussions on both positive and negative influences of psychological safety, which provide useful guides to handling potential risks for workers. OBJECTIVE: This study focuses on the psychological safety analysis of work safety for workers in high-risk industries through the construction of a theoretical model, illustrating that a higher level of psychological safety is not better. METHOD: This study explores the impact of workers' psychological safety on the potential risk of work safety by conducting a comprehensive analysis of relevant literature and employing inductive reasoning and analogy methodology. RESULTS: We systematically reviewed the research background and several hypotheses of psychological safety, described the relationship between psychological safety and risk prevention from three levels, and constructed the threshold initial, special, and extended model of psychological safety to reveal the importance of workers' psychological safety when handling potential risks. CONCLUSION: This research effectively describes the influence of high, moderate, and low levels of psychological safety on the risk prevention of work safety, which provides a psychological model guide to developing measures for the improvement of work safety management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background An occupational exposure, i.e. exposure incident (EI), is contact with potentially contaminated material that may contain bloodborne pathogens and that occurs during occupational activities inside or outside a health care facility, either during direct work with a patient or during contact with a patient’s body fluids and tissues. This study aimed to compare the frequency of EIs in a university hospital before and during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This was a descriptive study with a historical comparison group conducted at the Dubrava University Hospital (DUH) in Zagreb, Croatia. We compared the frequency of EIs among healthcare and non-healthcare workers before (from March 11, 2018, to March 10, 2020) and during (from March 11, 2020, to March 11, 2022) the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed as the number of EIs per number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities. We analyzed data based on the status of the hospital (a COVID-19 hospital or not) and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as recommended by the World Health Organization. Results During the total analyzed period, 241 EIs were reported in DUH. Before the pandemic, 128 EIs were reported, compared to 113 during the pandemic. Before the pandemic, 91% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers, while during the pandemic, 96% of EIs were recorded in healthcare workers. Slightly more EIs were recorded during the period of mixed work form and de-escalation of PPE. The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital patients was significantly higher during the pandemic (3.9/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (2.5/1000). The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospital activities was significantly higher during the pandemic (0.4/1000) than in the pre-pandemic period (0.2/1000). Conclusion The rate of EIs relative to the total number of hospitalized patients and the total number of hospital activities in DUH was significantly higher during the pandemic, and the rate of total EIs increased among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study show that it is necessary to constantly and effectively work on the prevention of EI.

Loading and unloading productivity problems at Tanjung Priok Port such as congestion, long waiting times, and lack of efficiency in the loading and unloading process can hinder port productivity. The formulation and objectives of this study are to determine and analyze the effect of work safety and TKBM competence on loading and unloading productivity mediated by loading and unloading performance at Tanjung Priok Port. This research design uses a cross sectional design. The type of data used with primary and secondary data. The population in this study were users of port services at Tanjung Priok Port. With a sample of 60 service users at Tanjung Priok Port. The analytical tool used is SmartPLS software. The results of the research and discussion show that there is a significant positive direct effect of work safety on loading and unloading performance, there is a significant positive direct effect of TKBM competence on loading and unloading performance, there is a significant positive direct effect of work safety on loading and unloading productivity, there is a significant positive direct effect of TKBM competence on loading and unloading productivity, there is a significant positive direct effect of performance on loading and unloading productivity, performance is able to mediate work safety on loading and unloading productivity and performance is able to mediate TKBM competence on loading and unloading productivity at Tanjung Priok Port. It is concluded that directly and indirectly, there is an influence of work safety and TKBM competence on performance and its implications for loading and unloading productivity at Tanjung Priok Port. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Artvin Çoruh Üniversitesi Orman Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Artvin Coruh University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Monitoring of operating parameters of machines and devices is recently used more often in hard coal mining. This solution is one of the elements of the intelligent mine concept. This concept means that the enterprise uses innovative technologies while considering economic and social factors. The aim of applying practical solutions under the guiding idea is to increase the efficiency of the production line and the safety of the crew's work. The authors propose introducing a system monitoring the geometrical parameters of the powered roof support. The proposed system fits the requirements of creating an intelligent mine, a plant that meets the global safety and efficiency requirements. The article depicts studies of the underground working conditions of the section geometry monitoring system. The tests contributed to determining sensor installation locations and clarifying the geometric parameters of the measurement and recording system. The system is a solution so far not used in Polish hard coal mining at such a highly advanced level. Based on the measurements, the tested system determined the transverse and longitudinal inclinations of the essential elements of the section. In addition, through the designated angles, the working height of the section in the wall excavation was determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacies are exposed to the risk of violence in their workplaces. Studies have shown that workplace violence is affecting their job satisfaction, productivity, and mental health. This study aims to identify the frequency of different types of violence, as well as the common perpetrators that community pharmacy staff in SEE (Southeast Europe) are dealing with. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire created for this purpose. Selected community pharmacies in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro participated in this study. In total, 732 responses were collected from 24 pharmacy chains or independent pharmacies including all community pharmacy staff. More than 80% of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reported having been exposed to verbal violence at the workplace, while more than 20% of them reported physical and sexual violence in the preceding 12 months. There were no statistically significant differences between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, gender, age groups, or countries in relation to exposure to physical, verbal, and sexual violence. The most common perpetrators were identified as patients/clients. More than 90% of pharmacy staff reported they did not receive any kind of support from their employer nor any other help after experiencing a robbery. There is a need for a structured approach to addressing violence in pharmacies including organized support for pharmacy staff. Achieving quality patient care, despite dealing with violent individuals or situations daily, is one of the greatest ethical challenges for healthcare providers in community pharmacies to be empowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine and analyze the extent to which job satisfaction moderates the effect of work safety and health on employee performance at PT. SS. The method used is associative with a quantitative approach, employing moderation regression analysis. The sample size is 92 individuals, and data analysis was conducted using moderation regression tests, the coefficient of determination, and hypothesis significance testing (t-test). The results of the study indicate that work safety and health have a significant impact on employee performance at PT. SS. Therefore, the company must implement work safety and health measures. However, job satisfaction does not moderate the effect of work safety and health on employee performance. Job satisfaction has not strengthened the impact of work safety and health on performance, meaning the rates of workplace accidents and occupational diseases have not been reduced by the interaction of job satisfaction with work safety and health on employee performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Online taxi bike drivers were part of the road users vulnerable to accidents due to a demand that required online taxi bike drivers to work on the highway. Work duration, length of work, and sleep duration could cause the fatigue experienced by online taxi bike drivers. Purpose: See the strength of the relationship between work duration, length of work, sleep duration and work fatigue among online taxi bike drivers in Greater Jakarta. Method: This study was observational with a cross-sectional design involving as many as 52 online taxi bike drivers selected by non-probability sampling from online taxi bike drivers in Greater Jakarta from the end of November 2022 to early December 2022. Result: The majority of respondents (84.6%) were under 40 years old, male (92.3%), worked more than eight hours a day (55.8%), had experience as online taxi bike drivers for more than 3 years (73.1%), sleep duration less than 8 hours (78.8%), and there were 36 online taxi bike drivers (69.2%) reported experiencing high-very high levels of fatigue. The work duration is significantly related to work fatigue (p-value = 0.002). Also, there was no significant relationship between the length of work (p-value = 0.268) and sleep duration (p-value = 0.058) with work fatigue. Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between work duration and work fatigue, and there was no significant relationship between the length of work and sleep duration with work fatigue. The taxi drivers with work duration >8 hours, length of work >3 years, and sleep duration

PT Pertamina Refinery Unit (RU) VI Balongan has contributed significantly to providing good income for PT Pertamina and the country. The large amount of petroleum processing products produced daily causes a high fire risk. Fires and explosions at oil refineries still often occur although large oil companies have occupational safety and health systems. There was no research regarding the implementation of ISO 45001:2018 at PT Pertamina RU VI Balongan; therefore, this research was conducted to evaluate the HSE Management system implemented at PT Pertamina RU VI Balongan based on standards. This research uses a descriptive approach through literature study to collect data and obtain the necessary information by studying various journals, conference proceedings, books, and written references. The research results were obtained by PT Pertamina RU VI Balongan, based on several parameters for implementing ISO 45001:2018, aspects were found that did not meet the standards and could become problems, resulting in potential fires. This writing concludes that PT Pertamina RU VI Balongan must be able to provide firmness in implementing work safety rules or procedures for its employees. Thus, it will minimize the number of work accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry work, which is considered one of the most demanding and dangerous professions in the world, is claiming more and more lives. In a country as small as Austria, more than 50 forestry workers are killed in accidents every year, and the number is increasing rapidly. This serves as a catalyst for us to implement more stringent measures for workplace safety in order to achieve the sustainability objective of SDG 3, which focuses on health and well-being. This study contributes to the analysis of occupational accidents and focuses on two large real-world datasets from both the Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf) and the Austrian Workers' Compensation Board (AUVA). Decision trees, random forests, and fully connected neural networks are used for the analysis. By exploring different interpretation methods, this study sheds light on the decision-making processes ranging from basic association to causal inference and emphasizes the importance of causal inference in providing actionable insights for accident prevention. This paper contributes to the topic of explainable AI, specifically in its application to occupational safety in forestry. As a result, it introduces novel aspects to decision support systems in this application domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged standing at work is associated with health risks. The appearance of lower-limb and lower-back discomfort is one of the most prevalent factors in prolonged standing workers. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of an eight-hour workday on foot pressure and musculoskeletal discomfort in standing workers. Thirty-six assembly-line workers (six women) were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional study to assess foot pressure and surface, foot, knee, and lower-back discomfort before and after a real workday. Baropodometry outcomes (surface and pressure) were evaluated by the pressure platform SensorMedica and musculoskeletal discomfort was evaluated by Cornell's Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionaire. Total foot surface (p = 0.01) and foot discomfort (p = 0.03) increased significantly at the end of the workday. Prolonged standing during 8 h workday increased the foot discomfort and total foot surface in assembly-line workers. No foot pressure variable (forefoot, rearfoot, or total) was significantly modified after the workday in assembly-line workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work safety is an important area of business activity, particularly in industries with the most dangerous risks, such as mining, construction and energy. The aim is to reduce the number of accidents and increase employee awareness of occupational hazards and the principles of safe working practices. One of the most important ways to increase employee awareness and consequently reduce accidents is through training. The effectiveness of training is contingent on proper planning, design and preparation. Design thinking directed towards the use of teaching methods and tools is crucial. Properly planned training is part of the sustainability of companies, which consequently results in higher work safety due to its high efficiency. This article reviews the most common training methods in the area of work safety and evaluates them qualitatively and quantitatively using SWOT and multi-criteria analyses. These analyses can provide important guidance in the selection of training methods, regardless of the business sector. Based on the results obtained, effective training methods included those involving students: active training methods with elements of discussion and gamification, augmented and virtual reality, demonstrations and simulations. However, the best training results can be achieved by combining a number of training methods, while maintaining the right balance to achieve the intended training objectives. This is particularly important in businesses with specific activities such as mining, construction or energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine how employee retention in Indonesian ports is impacted by workload, work-life balance, and safety. The study makes use of primary data and a quantitative methodology. The study's 200 participants are Pelabuhan Indonesia employees. Saturated samples, or sampling strategies that use the entire population as a sample, are the method used in this study. Questionnaires are used to collect data. According to the study's findings, (1) workload is somewhat positively correlated with employee retention (tcalculate > ttable), meaning that (3.261 > 1.65259), with a significance level of 0.01. (2) With a significance level of 0.012, partial work balance has a positive impact on employee retention (tcount > ttable), resulting in (2.533 > 1.6529). (3) There is a partial positive relationship between work safety and employee retention (tcalculate > ttable), resulting in (2.414 > 1.6529) with a significance level of 0.017. (4) Employee retention (Fhitung>Ftabel), or (10.261 > 3.04), is influenced (simultaneously) by workload, work balance, and work safety, with a significance level of 0.000 < 0.05. Based on the research findings, it can be inferred that the workload variable positively affects employee retention in the Port of Indonesia company, as does work balance

This study examines the effects of different levels of immersion in virtual reality (VR) on memory retention and learning outcomes within industrial safety training. A controlled experiment was conducted using a VR simulation of firefighting in an industrial environment, with varying combinations of immersive elements such as audio guidance and visual management cues. Memory retention was assessed immediately after the simulation and re-evaluated three months later. The results indicate that while overall immersion levels did not produce statistically significant differences in memory retention, specific elements, particularly the use of audio guidance and visual management, showed a significant positive impact on short-term memory retention. However, the simultaneous use of these elements occasionally led to cognitive overload, reducing the overall effectiveness. These findings suggest that the design of VR training programs should prioritize a balanced incorporation of immersive elements to optimize learning outcomes without overwhelming participants. The study contributes to the ongoing discourse on the application of VR in industrial training and highlights the nuanced role of individual immersive features in enhancing cognitive processes.

Local emergency cooperation agreements (LECA) led by local governments have increasingly become an important measure to address public crisis. In China, local governments have also launched such LECA to deal with occupational accidents and diseases. In this study, a quasi‐experimental design was used to evaluate the effects and spatial spillover of LECA on work safety performance improvements. Several econometric models were applied based on provincial panel data (2001–2019). The results show that: (1) LECA reduce both the number and mortality rate of workplace accidents in signatory provinces. (2) LECA can also induce a scale effect, which means that signatories can induce positive spillover effects on work safety performance in neighboring signatory provinces. (3) The analysis also identified negative spillover effects for neighboring non‐signatory provinces, indicating that LECA may lead to spatial spillover of industrial risks. (4) Further analysis indicated that the comprehensive effect of LECA is positive but not significant. (5) The spatial spillover of industrial risks due to LECA mainly occurs in the midwestern region, and positive spillover effect exists between the eastern and western regions due to the economic correlation factors. In addition, general recommendations for regional crisis cooperation among subnational governments are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carrying out professional work is inextricably linked to the risk of accidents while performing tasks at the workplace. Accidents at work involve a number of obligations on the part of the employer. One of the legally prescribed actions taken by employers is the need to indicate the cause or causes that led to the accident at work. Due to the implementation of social benefits and possible issues of civil liability for the events that occurred, it is often necessary to indicate the liability of the employee or employer. For this purpose, among other things, methods of analyzing accidents at work are useful, as they allow us to determine at least the causes, and usually also the primary causes, of the event. The results of this type of analysis can be used to quantify the shared responsibility for the events on the part of the employee and the employer. The aim of the work is to present the possibility of quantitatively determining coresponsibility for an accident at work using the barrier analysis and the in-depth TOL method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. Turkey canceled the daylight saving time (DST) transition and started permanent clockapplication. Considering the effect of this new regulation on working hours, this study examines whether there is a relationship with the increase in the number of workaccidents in shifts. Methods. Data on work accidents were obtained from the Republic of Turkey Social Security Institution (SSI), filed between 2011 and 2020. We estimate accident rates using Poisson regression and log-linear models as a function of a variety of date-based factors. Results. The results show that DST transition is effective (ineffective in terms of gender) on changes in the number of workaccidents. With statistical analyses, the hourly distribution of workaccidents was determined, indicating at which hour the most workaccidents occurred, using the work accident frequency rate. The number of prevented work accidents was calculated as 286,793 for Turkey. Conclusion. The findings from these studies suggest that cancellation of the DST transition does not have a negative effect on the incidence of workaccidents in Turkey; on the contrary, this practice also serves the purpose of preventing workaccidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of GeSec: Revista de Gestao e Secretariado is the property of Sindicato das Secretarias e Secretarios do Estado de Sao Paulo (SINSESP) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacies are exposed to the risk of violence in their workplaces. Studies have shown that workplace violence is affecting their job satisfaction, productivity, and mental health. This study aims to identify the frequency of different types of violence, as well as the common perpetrators that community pharmacy staff in SEE (Southeast Europe) are dealing with. A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire created for this purpose. Selected community pharmacies in Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro participated in this study. In total, 732 responses were collected from 24 pharmacy chains or independent pharmacies including all community pharmacy staff. More than 80% of pharmacists and pharmacy technicians reported having been exposed to verbal violence at the workplace, while more than 20% of them reported physical and sexual violence in the preceding 12 months. There were no statistically significant differences between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, gender, age groups, or countries in relation to exposure to physical, verbal, and sexual violence. The most common perpetrators were identified as patients/clients. More than 90% of pharmacy staff reported they did not receive any kind of support from their employer nor any other help after experiencing a robbery. There is a need for a structured approach to addressing violence in pharmacies including organized support for pharmacy staff. Achieving quality patient care, despite dealing with violent individuals or situations daily, is one of the greatest ethical challenges for healthcare providers in community pharmacies to be empowered.

Workers play a superior role in the production process because they are responsible for its proper functioning (e.g. process efficiency, quality, technical condition of usage machines), and are also responsible for safety at work. The issue of work safety should be a crucial factor in the process of introducing changes in the company. The introduced changes should take into account safe working conditions and reduce the number of potential accidents, therefore employers should implement solutions aimed at improving work safety. One of the tools that can affect work safety is visual management (VM). The use of various forms of VM enables immediate response to emerging problems, which may translate into an increase in employees' awareness of health and safety issues. The article presents the possibilities of using of visual management tools in manufacturing companies in terms of improving work safety. The proposed solutions can be used by enterprises that register accidents at work and take actions to increase employees' awareness of occupational safety and health (OSH).

Arborists work in high-risk environments, particularly when climbing trees, where a combination of grip strength and resistance to psychological stress are important attributes for safety. This study investigated the physical and cognitive activities of arborists combined with selected workload factors such as blood pressure, pulse, handgrip strength, and other anthropometric measurements, including manual dexterity and spatial awareness. The sample included 10 participants aged 17–48 years. Blood pressure was negatively correlated with handgrip strength after the activity had been performed. Different types of arborist activities led to various types of physiological feedback, as shown by the analysis of variance. According to our results, there is a difference between physical workloads, associated with activities such as tree felling, tree climbing, or chainsaw maintenance, and cognitive workloads, such as supervision or observation, in relation to blood pressure. Blood pressure was higher for activities that involved a cognitive workload. Before and after any activity, handgrip strength was positively associated with hand size. After any activity, greater changes in handgrip strength of the participant's right hand were associated with needing more time to successfully complete a peg test, which represents a greater cognitive burden. Our results suggest that arborists deal with physical activities such as tree felling, tree climbing, working with a chainsaw, and mental activities (supervising or observing) which were identified as two different groups correlated with hand grip strength, blood pressure, manual dexterity, and spatial awareness. In conclusion, the tree-climbing activity appeared to be the least stressful, and psychological stress appeared to have a greater impact on the health of observers and supervisors in the study group. This can be applied to other professions in many fields, including industries where workers face both physical and cognitive workloads.

Forestry contractors perform the majority of forestry work in Sweden. Many contractors have small financial margins and may therefore be sensitive to disturbances. Recent years have been extraordinary due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the objective of this study was to clarify how Swedish logging contractors were affected by it. In 2022, a survey was sent to 1175 companies registered to perform logging, and finally, the responses of 205 contractors were analyzed. The results show that 32% of the contractors experienced a higher absence of personnel during the pandemic. A correlation between the number of employees and the degree to which the company suffered from personnel absenteeism was identified. The majority of contractors implemented safety measures to reduce the risk of infection, usually concerning personal hygiene and social contacts in the workplace. At the time of the study, 51% of the logging contractors perceived that their financial situation was worse than before the pandemic, with those primarily engaged in logging having been hit harder than those with a more varied range of services. The study concludes that, overall, the contractors seem to have handled the pandemic quite well, but high fuel prices and inflation pose major challenges to their finances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forestry work, which is considered one of the most demanding and dangerous professions in the world, is claiming more and more lives. In a country as small as Austria, more than 50 forestry workers are killed in accidents every year, and the number is increasing rapidly. This serves as a catalyst for us to implement more stringent measures for workplace safety in order to achieve the sustainability objective of SDG 3, which focuses on health and well-being. This study contributes to the analysis of occupational accidents and focuses on two large real-world datasets from both the Austrian Federal Forests (ÖBf) and the Austrian Workers’ Compensation Board (AUVA). Decision trees, random forests, and fully connected neural networks are used for the analysis. By exploring different interpretation methods, this study sheds light on the decision-making processes ranging from basic association to causal inference and emphasizes the importance of causal inference in providing actionable insights for accident prevention. This paper contributes to the topic of explainable AI, specifically in its application to occupational safety in forestry. As a result, it introduces novel aspects to decision support systems in this application domain.

Purpose: Work safety is a big responsibility for every company, especially the safety of motorists who operate within the Multinational Company Workshop Area. This study examines the extent of employees' understanding of driving safety regulations through driver briefing policies in the Multinational Company Workshop area. Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from the results of the questionnaire survey of motorists at Multinational Company Workshop using the questionnaire survey method to find answers. Data retrieval technique using the Purposive Sampling method is collected through online surveys given directly to respondents. After that, the data collection results in Analysis use the web spider method to find the comparison before and after the policy is improved. The population in this study were employees of Multinational Company Workshop in Batam with 70 respondents. Findings: Based on a survey conducted by many employees, many still need to become more familiar with the driving regulations within the Multinational Company Workshop Area. However, some employees already understand and understand the content of the safety briefing themselves. Research limitations/implications: The implementation of research in this paper is tried as much as possible by the intentions and objectives of the research and does not damage the company's image. Data collection in this study was based only on the questionnaire results, so there might have been fewer objective elements in the filling process, such as concurrent mutual filling in the questionnaire. Practical implications: This driver briefing policy applies to creating a healthy and safe work environment to reduce the probability of work accidents or diseases due to negligence resulting in demotivation and deficiency. Originality/value: This paper is an original work Paper type: Research paper

Incidence rates of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers have been on the rise globally in recent decades. While there has been a select focus on personal sun protection awareness, to our knowledge, there is a paucity of legislation in place to help support citizens' efforts to protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Given this, we conducted a comprehensive review of legislation and guidelines pertaining to a variety of sun protection-related topics in countries of the Group of Seven (G7), Australia and New Zealand. Australia was the only country to have banned tanning beds for individuals of all ages, while other select countries have instituted bans for minors. In workplace policy, there is very little recognition of the danger of occupational UVR exposure in outdoor workers, and thus very few protective measures are in place. With regard to sports and recreation, certain dermatological/professional associations have put forward recommendations, but no legislation was brought forward by government bodies outside of Australia and New Zealand. With regard to youth, while there are various guidelines and frameworks in place across several countries, adherence remains difficult in the absence of concrete legislation and standardization of procedures. Finally, only Australia and a few select jurisdictions in the United States have implemented sales tax exemptions for sunscreen products. In light of our findings, we have made several recommendations, which we anticipate will help reduce the rates of melanoma and keratinocyte cancers in years to come. However, minimizing UVR exposure is not without risk, and we, therefore, suggest the promotion of vitamin D supplementation in conjunction with sun protective practices to limit potential harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The construction sector is a challenging sector where many stakeholders have to work together to ensure occupational health and safety. Workers are the most important actors in ensuring a safe climate. Therefore, the workers’ perceptions of work safety are very substantial in a construction site. This study aims to investigate the work safety perceptions of the workers having different job descriptions in the construction industry. A questionnaire was applied to 130 workers in different job positions at a residential building construction site in Turkey. The workers’ perceptions were asked in four categories: construction work safety, coworkers’ safety attitude, occupational health and safety specialists’ safety attitude, and site manager’s safety attitude. For analysis, the relative importance index was calculated, and ANOVA analysis was used. The results showed that (1) the workers’ work safety perceptions were limited with their job description, (2) the cultural structure of the employees may prevent workers from being impartial in evaluating safety issues, (3) and considering different workgroups’ safety needs and ensuring participation in the safety issues are compulsory for safety managers. The findings of the study are expected to contribute to improvements in safety management practices of safety management actors.

Background: Pregnant Health Care Professionals (HCPs), who serve as front-line warriors of COVID-19 will invariably experience a stressful pregnancy period. Ensuring their well-being during this COVID-19 pandemic period is a big challenge and guidelines or standard operating procedures (SOP) for the same are non-existent or are scarce. Objectives: To explore the challenges and experiences of pregnant HCPs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted among 19 pregnant HCPs (14 Doctors and 5 staff nurses) working in Pondicherry, who were selected using purposive sampling for in-depth interviews. After obtaining informed written consent, face-to-face interviews were conducted until the attainment of the point of saturation. Audio recordings of the interviews were transcribed in English. Transcripts were proofread and manually analyzed for content. Codes obtained from the analysis of transcripts were merged to form broad categories. Results: The majority 15 (78.9%) of HCPs belonged to the clinical department and had work experience from 2--4 years. The mean age of the respondents was 29.4 ± 3.6 years. Four broad categories (of challenges), namely, Personnel level (Fear of infection in workplace, Inadequate antenatal care), Family level (Family pressure to quit job, Guilt of spreading the infection to family members), society level (Criticism by neighbor for working, Stigma), and work level challenges (Fear of losing the job, Uncomfortable work environment) emerged from the study. Conclusion and Recommendations: Challenges faced by the pregnant HCPs due to their nature of work remain by and large not addressed. Hence, specific guidelines or SOPs addressing these issues of pregnant health care workers and their swift and strict implementation are the need of the hour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work accidents can occur due to unsafe action and unsafe condition factors. This type of research is a combination of qualitative and quantitative research (mix method) with a phenomenological approach that aims to determine the risks of patient transfer practices to the safety of nurses and patients. This research was conducted at the TNI AU Dody Sardjoto Hospital with a total sample of 51 people, the sampling technique is simple random sampling. Then in-depth interviews will be conducted on key informants, ordinary informants, and additional informants. Quantitative data analysis using chi square test and multiple linear regression. The results of the study found that the history of disease (p = 0.010), physical activity (0.026), facilities and infrastructure (0.011), SOP (p = 0.000), and the environment (p = 0.000) influenced the safety of nurses. The results also showed that compliance with SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) was the most influential variable with B of 0.675. It is also known that the results of the path test have an indirect influence between nurse safety and patient safety is E2 = 0.887 or 88.7%. It is hoped that the results of this study can be a reference to reduce the risk of patient transfer practice events to the safety of nurses and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accidents at work related to the operation of technological machinery are recorded in the steel industry in Poland. A reduction of accidents is possible through the implementation of technical and organizational measures. As regards the elimination of hazards at workplaces, it is possible to apply the Training Within Industry (TWI) program. One of its modules, i.e., Safety (JS), is aimed at creating a safe workplace by the acquisition of the skills of identification and elimination of the causes of hazards leading to accidents. This article aims to present the possibilities of the use of the TWI-JS method to prevent accidents at work in the steel industry.

The article analyzes factors that may have an impact on Occupational Safety in a construction company and the issues of work safety in construction were discussed. An attempt was made to analyze the management of work safety in construction companies in order to identify important factors and determine the significance of their participation in the occurrence of accidents at work. The research was carried out on the basis of data obtained from the register kept at the District Labor Inspectorate in Krakow. Cases which were discussed included accident protocols prepared pursuant to the law, as well as cases found in protocols of ad hoc inspections carried out on construction sites. There were quantitative and qualitative features in the analyzed data set. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data to build the model. Such action made it possible to model and determine the significance of the influence of individual variables characterizing the way of managing work safety in construction companies, in the case of an accident. The results obtained, and in particular the significance of factors shown in the model, even not directly related to the construction site, may be an indication for creating a functional strategy in the enterprise. The strategy assuming: smaller number of accidents or adverse events, shorter downtime will build a reputation of an institution that cares for the employee. This will allow the construction company to become more competitive and shall attract the best professionals available on the labor market. The end result is the identification of key factors that have a direct impact on work safety and the competitiveness of a construction company.

The mining and geological conditions in which coal mining is carried out are highly variable, which results in dynamic rock manifestations. These include rock mass dynamic failure (seismicity), causing dynamic impacts and also quasi-static rock movements that do not result in seismicity but increases pressure in the powered roof support. The paper analyses the resulting damage to the stabilisation actuator of the cap piece. The analysis was carried out based on the research results conducted in real conditions (a mining longwall). This research study aims to obtain information about the pressure created in hydraulic actuators. Exceeding the design pressure limits caused damage to the bolt holes of the cap piece actuator. The pressure in the sub-piston space of the hydraulic prop was also analysed. The previous research conducted on mechanically powered roof supports focused mainly on bench tests. The results of the analysis carried out under real testing conditions currently comprise the starting point for the development of a new method to reduce adverse effects. Under the mining and geological conditions where the research was carried out, a high load on the roof's side was under the load applied directly on the powered roof support. The load of the test's results identified problems related to the safety valve in the sub-piston space of the actuators as it did not reach its opening time during the build up of the load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drones present numerous advantages in the construction industry, including enhanced work safety, cost-effectiveness, and reduced carbon emissions. However, their current limitations must be addressed to unlock their potential fully. Despite these challenges, the utility of drones in construction projects is expected to increase significantly in the future. This study is a valuable resource for construction managers to familiarize themselves with these emerging technologies and for researchers to further explore drone applications in construction engineering management. By embracing drones, construction professionals can embrace their benefits and stay at the forefront of technological advancements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for mineral resources, including hard coal, requires the continuous improvement and development of technologies to improve safety, productivity and performance. The implementation of automation and digitization in mines has been ongoing for several years. Machinery and equipment development and improvement is also ongoing. The authors discuss the development and improvement of powered roof support, which is a critical part of the longwall system. The powered roof support is responsible for the safety of equipment and people working in the longwall. It supports the face and immediate roof and moves the longwall system forward as the shearer removes the coal and the roof collapsing (goafing) behind the shields. The aim of this study was to examine the human factors involved in the development and improvement of the hydraulic support system of powered roof support. The research was carried out among employees in hard coal mines using mainly surveys. The research allowed the authors to examine and analyze the information provided by the miners concerning powered roof support in the era of Industry 4.0 (the Fourth Industrial Revolution). According to the research findings, miners expect improvement in the reliability of the powered roof support, and they want the key operating parameters, especially the required load capacity, to be monitored in real-time so adjustments and improvements can be made. The results of the research point out the needs and expectations of miners. Their opinions should determine the direction and any research gaps into powered roof support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]