Sharps injuries among healthcare workers in Liberia and Ghana: a cross-sectional survey.

There is little data on sharps injuries among healthcare workers in West Africa despite the region's high rate of Hepatitis B and HIV. The purpose of this study is to investigate healthcare workers' history of sharps injury in Liberia and Ghana. An electronic cross-sectional survey was administered to healthcare workers in Liberia and Ghana from February to June 2022. A link to the survey was texted to participants through professional association membership lists, including nursing, midwifery, and physician assistant organizations in both Liberia and Ghana and a physician organization in Ghana only. 509 participants reported an average of 1.8 injuries per year in Liberia and 1.1 in Ghana (p=<0.01). 15.1% of healthcare workers reported three or more injuries in the past year. Liberia had a higher proportion of frequently injured workers (p = 0.01). Frequently injured workers were evenly distributed across worker types. Workers in this region are vulnerable to sharps injuries. A frequently injured subset of workers likely has distinctive risk factors and would benefit from further investigation and intervention.

Occupational health and safety portrait of lobster fishers from a St. Lawrence Gulf community.

Lobstering industry workers are known to have poor overall health and low safety records, but there is still a gap in information concerning Canadian lobster fishers. This study aimed to report occupational health and safety characteristics of an Atlantic Canada community of lobster fishers and to assess differences between captains and deckhands. Twenty-eight participants (10 captains, 18 deckhands) were questioned and self-reported on lifestyle, general health status, work-related musculoskeletal disorders and traumatic injuries. The data collected reveal both groups' high prevalence of cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal health issues. Captains reported more occupational exposition and health issues, and showed poorer lifestyle habits than deckhands. Fishers reported potential solutions to reduce occupational risks, presented as three types: lifestyle, working behaviours and leadership. This study evaluated a community of Canadian lobster fishers regarding their occupational health and safety. Potential avenues for mitigating occupational risk specific to this community will nurture future implementation.

Assessment of ergonomic risk of work related musculoskeletal disorders among dentist in Kolhapur region.

BACKGROUND: Work-related disability is caused commonly due to musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in dentistry. Prolonged static awkward and repetitive postures cause MSD in dentists. The study was executed to confirm the development of MSD in various body regions as they have to work in a small oral cavity to perform crucial dental procedures with precision and concentration. OBJECTIVE: To assess the occurrence of the MSD in several body regions of dentists and to carry out postural study thereby helping them improve posture. METHODS: Dentists were assessed for their current working postures with various MSD symptoms and its effects. The questionnaire was devised to get musculoskeletal health data from dentists. The postural load was investigated using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). Various risk factors contributing to MSD symptoms were identified after data were statistically analysed using IBM SPSS version 27. RESULTS: According to the current study neck, shoulder, lower back, upper back, wrist hand, elbow, hip, thigh, knee, and ankle were the most affected anatomical regions. Average RULA score for the current study was found to be 6.75 which indicated a need of change of posture while performing dental procedures. There is statistical correlation between gender, Body Mass Index (BMI), uncomfortable positions, stretching, use of ergonomic saddle chair, hand dominance and MSD. There is no statistical correlation between years of experience and MSD. CONCLUSION: Current workstation (Dental Chair) requires immediate improvements as evident from the postural load analysis, thus immediate implementation of intervention program is required.

General surgeons' occupational musculoskeletal injuries: A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Surgeons are expected to work long hours in operating theatres. A high prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal (WRMSK) injuries and pain in healthcare professions exists. We aimed to study WRMSK pain and injuries in general surgeons and study their risk in different surgical techniques comprising open, laparoscopic and robotic-assisted surgery. METHODS: A systematic search was performed in compliance with The PRISMA checklist. Search was performed in PubMed and Cochrane library databases for 6 years to 2024. The search terms used were "disability and surgeon", "occupational injuries and surgeon", and "musculoskeletal pain and surgeons", in addition to MESH terms in PubMed database. Risk of bias was calculated among studies. RESULTS: The search revealed 3648 citations from which a final list of 24 citations were included after application of inclusion and exclusion criteria. The citations comprised over 1900 surgeons including consultants and surgical trainees from different subspecialities. Incorporated citations consisted of 21 cross-sectional 3 observational studies. Most common pain sites, risks and preventative measure for MSK injuries were revealed. CONCLUSION: There is high prevalence of WRMSK pain among general surgeons. Surgeons were primarily affected at physical body parts ranging from the neck, shoulders, upper back and lower back to upper extremity. Robotic-assisted surgery led to lower post-operative discomfort and decreased demanding muscle activity in upper extremities but enhanced static neck position resulting in subjective back stiffness compared with laparoscopic surgery.

Structural equation modeling approach for the analysis of ergonomics risk factors and occupational injuries among building construction workers in Bahir Dar City-Ethiopia.

Ergonomic risk factors are a prominent cause of fatality and severe injuries in building constructions. Hence, this study applies a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach to analyze ergonomics risk factors and occupational injuries among building construction workers in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. The results indicate significant relationships between ergonomics risk factors and the prevalence of occupational injuries. This study's findings contribute to the understanding of occupational health and safety in the construction industry, highlighting the need for targeted interventions. A cross-sectional study has been carried out, where data was collected through direct observations and standardized pretested questionnaires. The study recruited 220 participants in the construction industry. The data was analyzed using AMOS to study the direct and indirect effects of the identified variable. SEM has shown that the magnitude of the prevalence of occupational injury was 65.2 %. The results also revealed that the mostly affected body parts were lower arm, lower leg, hand, toe, and knee. Carpenter & roofers, plasterer and daily labors & other helpers were highly injury subjected occupations in respective order. The six leading significant risk factors were, do not tie belt at scaffold, falling stairways & ladders, exposure hazardous substances, tools & machinery, electricity (electric power accidents), repetitive tasks, the layout didn't consider health & safety aspects in the site, and do not provide safety orientation for new workers engaging the job. Employees are mostly affected on their lower body parts which needs more focus to prevent it, especially carpenter & roofers, plasterer and daily labors. Also the findings show that 50 % of respondents agree that the higher priority for safety and health management practices should be given to finishing part of the construction followed by excavation and earth work, masonry, and electrical installations. Therefore, it is recommended that the contractors must focus more on the finishing phase.

Generalizability of a Musculoskeletal Therapist Electronic Health Record for Modelling Outcomes to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders.

PURPOSE: Electronic Health Records (EHRs) can contain vast amounts of clinical information that could be reused in modelling outcomes of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). Determining the generalizability of an EHR dataset is an important step in determining the appropriateness of its reuse. The study aims to describe the EHR dataset used by occupational musculoskeletal therapists and determine whether the EHR dataset is generalizable to the Australian workers' population and injury characteristics seen in workers' compensation claims. METHODS: Variables were considered if they were associated with outcomes of WMSDs and variables data were available. Completeness and external validity assessment analysed frequency distributions, percentage of records and confidence intervals. RESULTS: There were 48,434 patient care plans across 10 industries from 2014 to 2021. The EHR collects information related to clinical interventions, health and psychosocial factors, job demands, work accommodations as well as workplace culture, which have all been shown to be valuable variables in determining outcomes to WMSDs. Distributions of age, duration of employment, gender and region of birth were mostly similar to the Australian workforce. Upper limb WMSDs were higher in the EHR compared to workers' compensation claims and diagnoses were similar. CONCLUSION: The study shows the EHR has strong potential to be used for further research into WMSDs as it has a similar population to the Australian workforce, manufacturing industry and workers' compensation claims. It contains many variables that may be relevant in modelling outcomes to WMSDs that are not typically available in existing datasets.

Trends in severity of work-related traumatic injury and musculoskeletal disorder, Ontario 2004-2017.

OBJECTIVES: Traumatic injury surveillance can be enhanced by describing injury severity trends. This study reports trends in work-related injury severity for males and females over the period 2004-2017 in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: A weighted measure of workers' compensation benefit expenditures was used to define injury severity, obtained from the linkage of workers' compensation claims to emergency department (ED) records where the main injury or illness was attributed to work. Denominator counts were obtained from Statistics Canada's Labor Force Survey. Trends in the annual incidence of injury, classified as low, moderate, or high severity, were examined using regression modeling, stratified by age and sex. RESULTS: Over a 14-year observation period, there were 1,636,866 ED records included in the analyses. Overall, 57.6% of occupational injury records were classified as low severity, 29.5% as moderate severity, and 12.8% as high severity conditions. There was an increase in the incidence of high severity injuries among females (annual percent change (APC): 1.52%; 95% CI: 0.77, 2.28), while the incidence of low and moderate severity injuries generally declined for males and females. Among females, injuries attributed to animate mechanical forces and assault increased as causes of low, moderate, and high severity injuries. The incidence of concussion increased for both males (APC: 10.51%; 95% CI: 8.18, 12.88) and females (APC: 16.37%; 95% CI: 13.37, 19.45). CONCLUSION: The incidence of severe work-related injuries increased among females in Ontario between 2004 and 2017. The methods applied in this surveillance study of traumatic injury severity are plausibly generalizable to applications in other jurisdictions.

Factors related to Electrical Burn Injuries in Occupational and Non-occupational settings from 2010 to 2021 in Colombia: Cross-sectional Design.

Burns affect 11 million people worldwide annually. Electrical burns are renowned for inflicting extensive harm and long-term consequences that can lead to severe illnesses and fatalities. People in both occupational and non-occupational settings may be exposed to electrical burns, leading to functional or anatomical consequences. We identified sociodemographic features related to electrical burns in both settings. A cross sectional design, using an open dataset of electrical shock injuries occurred in Colombia during 2010-2021 period, was carried out. Sociodemographic features of people injured in occupational and non-occupational settings were described in counts (%), incidence per 100.000 people (I0;95% CI). To identify related factors (age-sex adjusted) with injuries in occupational and non-occupational settings, we applied a Binary Logistic Regression. Over the 12-year period, there were 1.274 electrical burns (I0: 2.47;2.34-2.61), 287 in the occupational setting (I0: 1.35;1.20-1.51) and 987 in the non-occupational setting (I0: 3.25;3.05-3.46). Age median was 31 years, most cases distributed in middle adulthood (52.8%), males (88.1%), high school/technician (42.8%), urban location (73.7%), weekdays (95.3%), and daytime hours (85.5%). Factors related to electrical burns in the occupational setting were males, middle adulthood, high school/technician, Thursday, and daytime hours. Otherwise, factors related to electrical burns in the non-occupational setting were early childhood, primary school, urban location, and weekends. Both settings pose a risk of injuries to individuals. We have identified sociodemographic factors related to these injuries in both occupational and non-occupational settings, which could aid in preventing damages and long-term complications, especially among vulnerable subgroups such as determined above.

Pediatric nurses' fatigue descriptions in occupational injury reports: A descriptive qualitative study1.

Background: Despite the high risks associated with occupational fatigue in healthcare, few organizations require nurses to screen and report fatigue symptoms. As a result, little is known about if and how nurses would report fatigue while on the job. Objective: To determine if hospital-based pediatric nurses reported fatigue as part of an active injury reporting method. Methods: This secondary analysis of qualitative data used a descriptive design with content analysis. Data from the parent study were collected at a U.S. pediatric hospital where nurses verbally reported on-shift injuries or near misses and pre- and post-shift health status via a digital voice recorder. Researchers used content analysis to independently code data for nurses' references to fatigue. Codes were then analyzed for patterns and themes. Results: Approximately 30% (n = 104) of participants reported fatigue-related content. Emergent themes were Work Stressors, Individual Risk Factors, Fatigue Descriptors, Adverse Outcomes from Fatigue, Fatigue Buffers, Descriptors for Buffered Fatigue, and Favorable Outcomes from Buffered Fatigue. Fatigue descriptions align with prior literature, demonstrating the accuracy of the voice recorder data collection method. In addition, nurses expressed uncertainty about the appropriateness of reporting fatigue symptoms. Conclusion: Findings from this study support pediatric nurses will report fatigue, when provided an opportunity. Additional efforts are needed to better understand effective ways to improve fatigue reporting among nurses, including harnessing current technology for real-time reporting and how to change the culture around fatigue reporting.

The burden of working time lost to compensable occupational injury and disease in Australia, 2012-17: a retrospective population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the national burden of working time lost to occupational injury and disease in Australia compensable by workers' compensation schemes; to characterise the distribution of time lost by age, sex, and injury and disease type. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective population-based study; analysis of National Dataset for Compensation-based Statistics (NDS) data. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: Granted workers' compensation claims by people aged 15-100 years including payment of wage replacement benefits for time off work lodged in Australia, 1 July 2012 - 30 June 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Working years lost (WYL) per annum (total number of years of wage replacement benefits paid to injured and ill workers), overall and by sex, age, and injury and disease type; WYL per 10 000 fulltime equivalent (FTE) years worked. RESULTS: A total of 755 330 eligible claims with complete data for analysis variables by people aged 15-100 years were identified, for compensable injuries and disease that led to 41 194 (95% confidence interval [CI], 41 020-41 368) WYL/year. The annual WYL number and rate were each higher for men (25 367 [95% CI, 25 230-25 503] WYL/year; 42.6 [95% CI, 42.1-43.1] WYL/10 000 FTE years) than for women (15 827 [95% CI, 15 720-15 935] WYL/year; 38.8 [95% CI, 38.2-39.4] WYL/10 000 FTE years). Workers aged 45-100 years made 66 742 claims per year (44.1% of all claims) but incurred 21 763 WYL/year (52.8% of all WYL). Traumatic joint and muscle injuries led to 16 494 WYL/year (40.0% of all WYL), musculoskeletal disorders to 8547 WYL/year (20.7%), mental health conditions to 5361 WYL/year (13.0%), fractures to 4276 WYL/year (10.4%), and wounds and lacerations to 3449 WYL/year (8.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Occupational injury and disease covered by workers' compensation result in lost working time in Australia equivalent to more than 41 000 fulltime jobs. Distribution of the burden reflects the greater labour force participation of men, slower recovery of older workers, and the impact of common occupational injuries and diseases. Population-based monitoring of lost working time could support effective occupational health surveillance and allocation of resources for protecting the health of Australian workers.

"On the books" yet "off the record"-occupational injury and migrant women: scoping review findings from OECD countries, with implications for New Zealand.

Introduction: Little appears to be known regarding the work-related injury (WRI) experiences of migrants (those born in a country other than their identified host country) and specifically, women migrants. Methods: As part of a wider PhD project investigating the WRI experiences of New Zealand (NZ) migrants, a review of NZ mainstream media coverage of migrants WRIs was undertaken, which identified no representations of migrant women's WRI experiences. In turn, a scoping review was undertaken to identify peer-reviewed publications reporting empirical findings about WRI experiences and outcomes for migrants in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, including NZ. This paper aims to identify and describe findings for migrant women specifically. From 2,243 potential publications, 383 proceeded to full text review; ultimately 67 were retained. These 67 publications were reviewed to identify findings specifically for occupationally injured migrant women; 22 such publications (from 21 studies) were found. This paper reports: the characteristics of identified studies; characteristics of migrant women within; frameworks and theories used, and knowledge (and gaps) related to occupationally injured migrant women. Results: Publications came from only four OECD countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, and Spain. A range of study designs, and topic areas (working conditions, legal rights, identities, the role of gatekeepers, and precarity), were identified; however, only three studies reported findings for longer-term experiences and outcomes of WRIs. Nine publications considered theoretical models underpinning research, including theories about precarious work, stigmatization, and citizenship. However, there was a paucity of analyses of the WRI experience throughout the life-course, highlighting a gap in understanding of how these experiences are "lived" over the long term by occupationally injured migrant women. Discussion: Scoping review findings were synthesized using a provisional "matryoshka framing narrative" model, to be refined through forthcoming qualitative interviews with occupationally injured NZ migrant women. This model highlights the multitude of influences in WRI experiences, potentially specific to migrant women, suggesting the consequences of WRIs may be uneven, with migrant women experiencing different, and potentially, greater disparities in outcomes. These findings provide an impetus to investigate knowledge gaps and urgently address potential disparities in WRI outcomes for migrant women specifically.

Occupational patterns of opioid-related harms comparing a cohort of formerly injured workers to the general population in Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: The role of work-related injuries as a risk factor for opioid-related harms has been hypothesized, but little data exist to support this relationship. The objective was to compare the incidence of opioid-related harms among a cohort of formerly injured workers to the general population in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: Workers' compensation claimants (1983-2019) were linked to emergency department (ED) and hospitalization records (2006-2020). Incident rates of opioid-related poisonings and mental and behavioural disorders were estimated among 1.7 million workers and in the general population. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated, adjusting for age, sex, year, and region. RESULTS: Compared to the general population, opioid-related poisonings among this group of formerly injured workers were elevated in both ED (SIR = 2.41, 95% CI = 2.37-2.45) and hospitalization records (SIR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.50-1.59). Opioid-related mental and behavioural disorders were also elevated compared to the general population (ED visits: SIR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.83-1.89; hospitalizations: SIR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.38-1.47). Most occupations and industries had higher risks of harm compared to the general population, particularly construction, materials handling, processing (mineral, metal, chemical), and machining and related occupations. Teaching occupations displayed decreased risks of harm. CONCLUSION: Findings support the hypothesis that work-related injuries have a role as a preventable risk factor for opioid-related harms. Strategies aimed at primary prevention of occupational injuries and secondary prevention of work disability and long-term opioid use are warranted.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIFS: Le rôle des accidents du travail en tant que facteur de risque pour les méfaits liés aux opioïdes a été supposé, mais il existe peu de données pour étayer cette relation. L'objectif était de comparer l'incidence des méfaits liés aux opioïdes dans une cohorte de travailleurs anciennement blessés à la population générale de l'Ontario, au Canada. MéTHODES: Les dossiers de demandes d'indemnisation des travailleurs (1983‒2019) ont été reliés aux dossiers des services d'urgence et d'hospitalisation (2006‒2020). Les taux d'incidence des empoisonnements liés aux opioïdes et des troubles mentaux et comportementaux ont été estimés parmi 1,7 million de travailleurs et dans la population générale. Les ratios d'incidence standardisés (RIS) et les intervalles de confiance (IC) à 95 % ont été calculés en tenant compte de l'âge, du sexe, de l'année et de la région. RéSULTATS: Comparativement à la population générale, les empoisonnements liés aux opioïdes chez ce groupe de travailleurs anciennement blessés étaient élevés dans les dossiers des services d'urgence (RIS = 2,41, IC à 95 % = 2,37-2,45) et d'hospitalisation (RIS = 1,54, IC à 95 % = 1,50-1,59). Les troubles mentaux et comportementaux liés aux opioïdes étaient également élevés par rapport à la population générale (visites aux urgences RIS = 1,86, IC à 95 % = 1,83-1,89; hospitalisations RIS = 1,42, IC à 95 % = 1,38-1,47). La plupart des professions et des secteurs d'activité présentaient des risques de méfaits plus élevés par rapport à la population générale, en particulier la construction, la manutention, le traitement (minéral, métallique, chimique) et l'usinage des matières premières et activités connexes. Les professions de l'enseignement présentaient des risques de méfaits moindres. CONCLUSION: Les résultats confirment l'hypothèse selon laquelle les accidents du travail constituent un facteur de risque évitable pour les méfaits liés aux opioïdes. Des stratégies visant la prévention primaire des accidents du travail et la prévention secondaire de l'incapacité de travail et de la consommation d'opioïdes à long terme sont justifiées.

Pectoralis Major Tendon Rupture in an Occupational Medicine Setting: A Case Report.

Pectoralis major (PM) rupture is a rare injury, commonly misdiagnosed, that affects mostly young male athletes aged 20-40 years. This type of injury is typically associated with weight lifting, especially bench pressing. In an occupational medicine setting, it is extremely rare and not much reported in the literature. We present the case of a 30-year-old trauma technician male who presented with right shoulder and chest pain following a popping sensation while pushing in full momentum a patient on a gurney accidentally set on break mode. PM rupture was suspected clinically. Magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the diagnosis and revealed a complete rupture of the sternal head of PM. Surgical reconstruction was performed to restore the anatomy and functionality of the shoulder girdle.

The effects of standing foot-transmitted vibration on self-reported discomfort ratings.

BACKGROUND: Occupational foot-transmitted vibration (FTV) exposure is common in industries like mining, construction, and agriculture, often leading to acute and chronic injuries. Vibration assessments require technical expertise and equipment which can be costly for employers to perform. Alternatively, researchers have observed that self-reported discomfort can be used as an effective indicator of injury risk. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of standing FTV exposure on self-reported ratings of discomfort, and whether these subjective ratings differed by body area and exposure frequency. METHODS: Participants (n = 30) were randomly exposed to standing FTV at six frequencies (25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 Hz) for 20-45 seconds. Following each exposure, participants rated discomfort on a scale of 0-9 in four body areas: head and neck (HN), upper body (UB), lower body (LB), and total body. RESULTS: Results indicated that participants experienced the most discomfort in the LB at higher frequencies (p < 0.001), consistent with the resonance of foot structures. The HN discomfort tended to decrease as the exposure frequency increased, although not statistically significant (p > 0.0167). The UB discomfort remained relatively low across all frequencies. CONCLUSIONS: The study suggests a potential connection between resonant frequencies and discomfort, potentially indicating injury risk. Although self-reported discomfort is insufficient for directly assessing injury risk from FTV, it provides a simple method for monitoring potential musculoskeletal risks related to vibration exposure at resonant frequencies. While professional vibration assessment remains necessary, self-reported discomfort may act as an early indicated of vibration-induced injuries, aiding in implementing mitigation strategies.

Electronic Health Records for Predicting Outcomes to Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Scoping Review.

PURPOSE: Through electronic health records (EHRs), musculoskeletal (MSK) therapists such as chiropractors and physical therapists, as well as occupational medicine physicians could collect data on many variables that can be traditionally challenging to collect in managing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The review's objectives were to explore the extent of research using EHRs in predicting outcomes of WMSDs by MSK therapists. METHOD: A systematic search was conducted in Medline, PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase. Grey literature was searched. 2156 unique papers were retrieved, of which 38 were included. Three themes were explored, the use of EHRs to predict outcomes to WMSDs, data sources for predicting outcomes to WMSDs, and adoption of standardised information for managing WMSDs. RESULTS: Predicting outcomes of all MSK disorders using EHRs has been researched in 6 studies, with only 3 focusing on MSK therapists and 4 addressing WMSDs. Similar to all secondary data source research, the challenges include data quality, missing data and unstructured data. There is not yet a standardised or minimum set of data that has been defined for MSK therapists to collect when managing WMSD. Further work based on existing frameworks is required to reduce the documentation burden and increase usability. CONCLUSION: The review outlines the limited research on using EHRs to predict outcomes of WMSDs. It highlights the need for EHR design to address data quality issues and develop a standardised data set in occupational healthcare that includes known factors that potentially predict outcomes to help regulators, research efforts, and practitioners make better informed clinical decisions.

The association between safety climate and noncombat injury events among United States Air Force workers.

INTRODUCTION: Work-related injuries are a common lagging safety indicator whereas safety climate assessments can help identify constructs serving as leading indicators. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) partnered with the U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF) Safety Center to examine the association between perceptions of safety climate survey constructs and the number of injury events within the DAF workforce. METHODS: The DAF administers voluntary, anonymous, occupation-specific safety climate surveys to DAF workers using the internal Air Force Combined Mishap Reduction System (AFCMRS). Survey responses from 2014 to 2018 provided by DAF workers and injury events in maintenance, support, and operations occupations were shared with NIOSH. Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed five constructs: Leadership and Communication; Organizational Safety Priority; Error Management; Resource Adequacy; and Deployment/Official Travel Impact. Squadron-level analysis included bivariate correlations and estimated Rate Ratios (RRs). RESULTS: 1,547 squadrons administered the survey, averaging 144 workers and 15.8 reportable injuries per squadron. Higher (more favorable) squadron-level construct scores were consistently correlated with fewer reported injuries (p < 0.001). Controlling for the number of workers, RRs revealed significant reductions in injury rates with each one-unit increase in responses: Leadership and Communication RR = 0.40 (95%CI: 0.32-0.48); Organizational Safety Priority RR = 0.50 (95%CI: 0.40-0.64); Error Management RR = 0.37 (95%CI: 0.30-0.47); Deployment/Official Travel Impact RR = 0.36 (95%CI: 0.29-0.45). Resource Adequacy revealed a non-significant lower injury rate RR = 0.87 (95%CI: 0.73-1.04). CONCLUSIONS: This unique study quantified safety climate and the association with injuries across a multi-year period. While safety climate measurements may be limited by frequent turnover and the self-reported, voluntary, anonymous nature of AFCMRS, the strength of this study is in the census of injuries. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Future research should include longitudinal analyses to examine the impact on injuries when squadron leaders are provided feedback on safety climate survey results.

Global Patterns of Agricultural Machine and Equipment Injuries- A Systematic Literature Review.

OBJECTIVES: Agriculture is the one of the hazardous industries in the world. Though there is significant investment in agricultural safety, machine injuries continue to be the leading cause of agriculture injuries worldwide. The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive literature review on global patterns in agricultural machine injuries and establish a framework for future research aimed at addressing safety concerns in the agriculture sector. METHODS: The existing scholarship on farm machine injuries can be categorized into three main areas: a) farming machine/equipment injuries, b) factors associated with these injuries, and c) injury patterns. RESULTS: Overall, the findings highlight that farm tractors are the primary source of injuries for both fatal and non-fatal incidents regardless of region. Other common sources of injuries were harvesting machinery and hand/power tools in Asia, ATVs in North America and woodworking machinery in Europe. Inadequate training in operating farm equipment was reported as the most likely factor contributing to machine-related injuries. Lastly, the patterns of injuries vary based on the interaction between humans and machinery. For instance, rollovers often result in severe head and fracture injuries, while thresher incidents can lead to amputation of hands, arms, and other body parts. CONCLUSION: Addressing these injuries by implementing safety protocols will not only enhance the well-being of farm workers but potentially attract more workers to the sector, which is currently experiencing labor shortages due to machine-related injuries.

Descriptive summary of fatal work-related injuries, Western States, 2011-2017.

Work-related deaths are a persistent occupational health issue that can be prevented. However, prevention opportunities can be hampered by a lack of adequate public health resources. The Western States Occupational Network (WestON) is a network of federal, state, and local occupational health professionals that includes a 19-state region of the United States. To encourage public health collaboration, WestON partners examined work-related fatalities within the region. Fatality counts (numerators) were obtained from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries restricted-access research files for all workers ages ≥15 years and fatally injured in WestON states from 2011 through 2017. Estimates of full-time equivalent hours worked (FTE) (denominators) were retrieved from the BLS Current Population Survey. Annual average fatality rates were calculated as number of fatalities per 100,000 FTE over the study period. Rates were stratified by state, select demographics, industry sector, and event/exposure types. Pearson chi-squared tests and rate ratios with 95% confidence probability limits were used to assess rate differences. All analyses were conducted using SAS v.9.4. From 2011 through 2017, the annual average overall occupational fatality rate for the WestON region was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 FTE, comparable to the overall U.S. fatality rate. Male workers had a fatality rate almost 10 times higher than female workers in the region. Fatality rates increased with successive age groups. Alaska and New Mexico had significantly higher fatality rates for all racial/ethnic groups compared to respective regional rates. Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana had the three highest occupational fatality rates among foreign-born workers. Agriculture/forestry/fishing, mining/oil/gas extraction, and transportation/warehousing/utilities were industry sector groups with the three highest fatality rates regionally. Transportation-related incidents were the most frequent event type associated with occupational fatalities for all 19 states. Work-related fatalities are a crosscutting occupational public health priority. This analysis can be an impetus for collaborative multistate initiatives among a dynamic and varied occupational public health network to better meet the needs of a rapidly changing workforce.

Patient handling training interventions and musculoskeletal injuries in healthcare workers: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Workplace injuries are a serious issue for the health and social care industry, with the sector accounting for 20 % of all serious claims reported. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether patient handling training interventions that included instruction on patient transfer techniques are effective in preventing musculoskeletal injuries in healthcare workers. Methods: Electronic databases MEDLINE (Ovid), EMBASE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO) and Health and Safety Science Abstracts (ProQuest) were searched for controlled trials from January 1996-August 2022. Risk of bias was evaluated using the PEDro scale and overall certainty of evidence assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation for each meta-analysis. Results: A total of nine studies (3903 participants) were included. There is moderate certainty evidence that could not conclude whether patient handling training affects the 12-month incidence of lower back pain (OR = 0.83, 95 % CI [0.59, 1.16]). There is low certainty evidence that patient handing training does not prevent lower back pain in health professionals without pre-existing pain (MD = -0.06, 95 % CI [-0.63, 0.52]) but may reduce lower back pain in those with pre-existing pain (MD = -2.92, 95 % CI [-5.44, -0.41]). The results also suggest that there may be a positive effect of training incorporating risk assessment on musculoskeletal injury rates; however the evidence is of very low certainty. There is low certainty evidence from a single study that training may have a short-term effect on sickness absences.) Conclusions: There is a lack of evidence to support patient handling training when delivered to all healthcare staff. Training in its current form may be an ineffective strategy for reducing musculoskeletal injuries and pain. High quality disinvestment studies or trials incorporating risk assessment strategies are warranted. Practical Applications: This review suggests health service managers question the effectiveness of current patient handling training practices and consider evaluating current practices before allocating resources to meet employee risk reduction obligations.

Occupational injuries in orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Austria.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and type of injuries during the career of orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Austria. The hypothesis was that the percentage of occupational injuries among orthopedic and trauma surgeons aligns with the incidence reported in the United States, thus indicating the need for a workplace prevention program. METHODS: A web-based survey was created to collect all necessary data and was sent to all orthopedic and trauma surgeons in Austria via e-mail. Relevant parameters included the surgeons' age, work experience, severity of pain, type of injury, and current pain. Descriptive and explorative statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: A web-based survey was sent to 1122 board-certified orthopedic surgeons and residents in Austria via e-mail. In total, the response rate was 135 (12%). Seventy-two surgeons (54%) had suffered from one or more occupational injuries during their career. We detected a significant raise of occupational injuries related to the work life duration in which operations were performed and the prevalence of injuries. Most injuries of surgeons were reported between 21 and 30 years of their professional life. According to the frequency at different locations, the distribution in descending order was 25% with injuries of the hand, 22% of finger(s), 12% of the foot, 10% of the spine, 2% of the neck, 3% of the head, and 2% of the abdomen. A causality of incapacity to work through injuries at the workplace was given as 4%. Four percent stated a sick leave of at least 3 weeks. In 7% of the facilities, there was no optimization of preventive measures following an occupational injury. We found no correlation of injuries and resident status. CONCLUSION: Orthopedic surgeons in Austria show a high incidence of occupational injuries in line with the findings of colleagues from the United States. The impact on the health system consists of absenteeism in the workplace of highly specialized health service providers as well as the incapacity to work of a high quality, highly trained workforce of at least 4%. With more preventive measures and more attention and care in the rehabilitation phase after such injuries, a positive effect could be achieved. We believe that residents should be specifically trained on how to avoid such injuries.