Safety and Health at Work最新文献

{"title":"Biosafety Risk Control Strategies in Laboratory Animal Research","authors":"Shun-tai Weng ,&nbsp;Qu-wen Li ,&nbsp;Ya-dong Gao ,&nbsp;Yu-feng Qiu","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>To understand biosafety's current situation in laboratory animal research and risk factors affecting occupational health. Compliance surveys were conducted by questionnaire via Questionnaire Star (an application app on the Internet) in Chinese. Thirty-nine anonymous questionnaires were collected. The surveyed institution has established 24 types of ABSL (Animal Biosafety Laboratory) and biosafety management organizations and systems equipped with safety equipment. Our study also suggests that the principal of the laboratory establishment fails to perform supervision and inspection responsibilities, the inappropriate design of the animal biosafety laboratory, non-standardized personnel training and health management, non-strict waste management, and insufficient emergency management. The administrative department and work units should address certain safety and occupational health risks in laboratory animal research. The author proposes control strategies based on organizational guarantee, personnel management, emergency management, etc., to help prevent risks and ensure occupational health. Due to regional limitations and small sample size, the results may not be generalisable to all parts of the world. However, some of the key common issues may also be present in other regions, so we believe that this research still has some relevance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 118-122"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S209379112300077X/pdfft?md5=bc4bcba9a0adafd7de2e4cc49bfa25ec&pid=1-s2.0-S209379112300077X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138495581","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Respirable Silica Dust Exposure of Migrant Workers Informing Regulatory Intervention in Engineered Stone Fabrication","authors":"Mahinda Seneviratne ,&nbsp;Kiran Shankar ,&nbsp;Phillip Cantrell ,&nbsp;Aklesh Nand","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2024.01.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2024.01.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Silicosis among workers who fabricate engineered stone products in micro or small-sized enterprises (MSEs) was reported from several countries. Workplace exposure data of these workers at high risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica (RCS) dust are limited.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>We surveyed workers performing cutting, shaping and polishing tasks at 6 engineered stone fabricating MSEs in Sydney, Australia prior to regulatory intervention. Personal exposure to airborne RCS dust in 34 workers was measured, work practices were observed using a checklist and worker demography recorded.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Personal respirable dust measurements showed exposures above the Australian workplace exposure standard (WES) of 0.1 mg/m³ TWA-8 hours for RCS in 85% of workers who performed dry tasks and amongst 71% using water-fed tools. Dust exposure controls were inadequate with ineffective ventilation and inappropriate respiratory protection. All 34 workers sampled were identified as overseas-born migrants, mostly from three linguistic groups.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Workplace exposure data from this survey showed that workers in engineered stone fabricating MSEs were exposed to RCS dust levels which may be associated with a high risk of developing silicosis. The survey findings were useful to inform a comprehensive regulatory intervention program involving diverse hazard communication tools and enforcing improved exposure controls. We conclude that modest occupational hygiene surveys in MSEs, with attention to workers' demographic factors can influence the effectiveness of intervention programs. Occupational health practitioners should address these potential determinants of hazardous exposures in their workplace surveys to prevent illness such as silicosis in vulnerable workers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 96-101"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791124000039/pdfft?md5=326e36967ae270e3247849f4f2e3dc7f&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791124000039-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139680133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circadian Rhythms Characteristics of Nurses Providing Direct Patient Care: An Observational Study","authors":"İlknur Dolu ,&nbsp;Serap Açıkgöz ,&nbsp;Ali Rıza Demirbaş ,&nbsp;Erdem Karabulut","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>In today's modern world, longer working hours, shift work, and working at night have become major causes of the disruption of our natural circadian rhythms. This study aimed to investigate the effects of the type of shift work (rotating vs. fixed day), duty period (on-duty vs. off-duty), and working period within each shift (nighttime vs. daytime) on the circadian rhythm characteristics of nurses who provide direct patient care.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>This cross-sectional study used a purposive sampling method. Cosinor analysis was applied to analyze the actigraphy data of nurses providing direct patient care for seven consecutive days. The linear mixed effects model was then used to determine any variances between shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift for the nurses.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The mesor value did not differ according to nurses' shift type, duty period, and working period within each shift. The amplitude was statistically higher in on-duty nurses and in daytime working hours. The acrophase was significantly delayed in nighttime working hours. As well as nurses in rotating shift had experience.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Our findings revealed that the peak activity of nurses occurs significantly later at night while working and nurses working during nighttime hours may have a weaker or less distinct circadian rhythm. Thus, this study suggests that limits be placed on the number of rotating nighttime shifts for nurses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 102-109"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791123000847/pdfft?md5=6e05c93b25f1f0971161d242565835bf&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791123000847-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138820104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative Study of Exposure Assessment of Dust in Building Materials Enterprises Using ART and Monte Carlo","authors":"Wei Jiang ,&nbsp;Zonghao Wu ,&nbsp;Mengqi Zhang ,&nbsp;Haoguang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.12.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.12.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Dust generated during the processing of building materials enterprises can pose a serious health risk. The study aimed to compare and analyze the results of ART and the Monte Carlo model for the dust exposure assessment in building materials enterprises, to derive the application scope of the two models.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>First, ART and the Monte Carlo model were used to assess the exposure to dust in each of the 15 building materials enterprises. Then, a comparative analysis of the exposure assessment results was conducted. Finally, the model factors were analyzed using correlation analysis and the scope of application of the models was determined.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The results show that ART is mainly influenced by four factors, namely, localized controls, segregation, dispersion, surface contamination, and fugitive emissions, and applies to scenarios where the workplace information of the building materials enterprises is specific and the average dust concentration is greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/m³. The Monte Carlo model is mainly influenced by the dust concentration in the workplace of building materials enterprises and is suitable for scenarios where the dust concentration in the workplace of the building materials enterprises is relatively uniform and the average dust concentration is less than or equal to 6mg/m³.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>ART is most accurate when workplace information is specific and average dust concentration is &gt; 1.5 mg/m³; whereas, The Monte Carlo model is the best when dust concentration is homogeneous and average dust concentration is &lt; 6 mg/m³.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 33-41"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791123000926/pdfft?md5=651e2f915179c5d2a4e8b81e21517e5b&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791123000926-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139071916","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Work Ability Index: Psychometric Testing in Aeronautical Industry Workers","authors":"María Eugenia González-Domínguez ,&nbsp;Elena Fernández-García ,&nbsp;Olga Paloma-Castro ,&nbsp;Regina María González-López ,&nbsp;María Paz Rivas Pérez ,&nbsp;Luis López-Molina ,&nbsp;Jesús García-Jiménez ,&nbsp;José Manuel Romero-Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The Work Ability Index (WAI) is an instrument that measures work ability. The wide dispersion of the WAI internationally has led to its adaptation for use in different countries. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the WAI.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A methodological design was used over an opportunistic sample of 233 workers in the aeronautical industry in Spain. Reliability was evaluated through internal consistency. Factorial validity, known groups, and convergent validity were tested.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The Cronbach's alpha and item-total correlation indicated an adequate internal consistency. The confirmatory factor analysis, performed to evaluate the factorial validity, found adequate fit indices for a two-factor solution with a high correlation between the factors. Factor 1, “Subjectively estimated work ability and resources”, was composed of 3 subscales and factor 2, “Ill-health-related”, of 2 subscales. Subscales 4 and 6 had loading in both factors. Workers under 45 years of age obtained higher significant scores than older ones. Convergent validity was also evidenced since WAI was highly correlated with self-assessment of health status.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>The Spanish version of the WAI has shown evidence of reliability and validity in this study, supporting its use in individual and collective health surveillance by occupational health professionals. The factorial solution that was found has previously been reported in another international context. However, further research is needed to resolve the discrepancies detected in the role of some subscales between other national and international studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 80-86"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791123000835/pdfft?md5=b34084d873a93d104b17a04631dbe875&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791123000835-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138566544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Formulations of Job Strain and Psychological Distress: A Four-year Longitudinal Study in Japan","authors":"Mayumi Saiki ,&nbsp;Timothy A. Matthews ,&nbsp;Norito Kawakami ,&nbsp;Wendie Robbins ,&nbsp;Jian Li","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2024.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2024.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Different job strain formulations based on the Job Demand-Control model have been developed. This study evaluated longitudinal associations between job strain and psychological distress and whether associations were influenced by six formulations of job strain, including quadrant (original and simplified), subtraction, quotient, logarithm quotient, and quartile based on quotient, in randomly selected Japanese workers.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>Data were from waves I and II of the Survey of Midlife in Japan (MIDJA), with a 4-year follow-up period. The study sample consisted of 412 participants working at baseline and had complete data on variables of interest. Associations between job strain at baseline and psychological distress at follow-up were assessed via multivariable linear regression, and results were expressed as β coefficients and 95% confidence intervals including R² and Akaike information criterion (AIC) evaluation.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Crude models revealed that job strain formulations explained 6.93–10.30% of variance. The AIC ranged from 1475.87 to 1489.12. After accounting for sociodemographic and behavioral factors and psychological distress at baseline, fully-adjusted models indicated significant associations between all job strain formulations at baseline and psychological distress at follow-up: original quadrant (β: 1.16, 95% CI: 0.12, 2.21), simplified quadrant (β: 1.01, 95% CI: 0.18, 1.85), subtraction (β: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.70), quotient (β: 0.37, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.67), logarithm quotient (β: 0.42, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.72), and quartile based on quotient (β: 1.22, 95% CI: 0.36, 2.08).</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Six job strain formulations showed robust predictive power regarding psychological distress over 4 years among Japanese workers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 59-65"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791124000015/pdfft?md5=64862d70d904862335f1495563531493&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791124000015-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139454376","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Importance of an Integrated Assessment of Functional Disability and Work Ability in Workers Affected by Low Back Pain","authors":"Fabrizio Russo ,&nbsp;Cristina Di Tecco ,&nbsp;Simone Russo ,&nbsp;Giorgia Petrucci ,&nbsp;Gianluca Vadalà ,&nbsp;Vincenzo Denaro ,&nbsp;Sergio Iavicoli","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>This study examines the relationship between functional disability and work ability in workers affected by low back pain (LBP) through an analysis of correlations between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Work Ability Index (WAI). The role of personal and work factors on functional disability/work ability levels has also been studied. LBP is the most common musculoskeletal problem and a major disabling health problem worldwide. Its etiology is multifactorial. Multidisciplinary approaches may help reduce the burden of pain and disability and improve job continuity and reintegration at work.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A cohort of 264 patients affected by LBP from an Italian outpatient clinic were included in a clinical diagnostic/therapeutic trial aiming at rehabilitation and return to work through an integrated investigation protocol. Data were collected during the first medical examination using anamnestic and clinical tools. The final sample is composed of 252 patients, 57.1% man, 44.0 % blue collars, 46.4% with the high school degree, 45.6% married.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>WAI and ODI reported a negative and fair correlation (r = –0.454; p = .000). Workers with acute LBP symptoms have a higher probability of severe disability than those with chronic LBP symptoms. White collars without depressive symptoms reported higher work ability – even in chronic disability conditions-than those with depressive symptoms.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The study found that ODI and WAI have a convergent validity and this suggests that the two tools measure capture distinctive aspects of disability related to personal, environmental, and occupational characteristics. The most important and modifiable prognostic factors found for ODI and WAI were depressive symptoms, workday absence, and intensity of back pain. The study also found a mild association between age and ODI. The study's findings highlight the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach to manage and prevent disability due to LBP.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 66-72"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791123000768/pdfft?md5=3df8ddaf3d2099a650ad352953bc2831&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791123000768-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138495582","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exposure Assessment Study on Lithium-Ion Battery Fire in Explosion Test Room in Battery Testing Facility","authors":"Mi Sung Jo ,&nbsp;Hoi Pin Kim ,&nbsp;Boo Wook Kim ,&nbsp;Richard C. Pleus ,&nbsp;Elaine M. Faustman ,&nbsp;Il Je Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A lithium-ion battery is a rechargeable battery that uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy and is the predominant battery type in many industrial and consumer electronics. The lithium-ion batteries are essential to ensure they operate safely. We conducted an exposure assessment five days after a fire in a battery-testing facility. We assessed some of the potentially hazardous materials after a lithium-ion battery fire. We sampled total suspended particles, hydrogen fluoride, and lithium with real-time monitoring of particulate matter (PM) 1, 2.5, and 10 micrometers (μm). The area sampling results indicated that primary potential hazardous materials such as dust, hydrogen fluoride, and lithium were below the recommended limits suggested by the Korean Ministry of Labor and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists Threshold Limit Values. Based on our assessment, workers were allowed to return to work.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 114-117"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791123000793/pdfft?md5=c4747f926a82fa1ad339a60081992e84&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791123000793-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138495583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of Korean Representative Headforms for the Total Inward Leakage Testing on Filtering Facepiece Respirators","authors":"Ah Lam Lee ,&nbsp;Xin Cui ,&nbsp;Hayoung Jung ,&nbsp;Hee Eun Kim ,&nbsp;Eun Jin Jeon ,&nbsp;Hyungjin Na ,&nbsp;Eunmi Kim ,&nbsp;Heecheon You","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2023.11.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The lack of headforms that accurately reflect the head characteristics of Koreans and the demographic composition of the Korean population can lead to inadequate FFR testing and reduced effectiveness of FFRs.</p></div><div><h3>Method</h3><p>Direct measurements of 5,110 individuals and 3D measurements of 2,044 individuals, aged between 9 and 69 years, were sampled from the data pool of Size Korea surveys based on the age and gender ratios of the Korean resident demographics. Seven head dimensions were selected based on the ISO 16976-2, availability of Size Korea measurements, and their relevance to the fit performance of FFRs. A principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using the direct measurements to extract the main factors explaining the head characteristics and then the main factors were standardized and remapped to 3D measurements, creating five size categories representing Korean head shapes. Lastly, representative 3D headforms were constructed by averaging five head shapes for each size category.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>The study identified two main factors explaining Korean head characteristics by the PCA procedure specified in ISO 16976-2 and developed five representative headforms reflecting the anthropometric features of Korean heads: medium, small, large, short &amp; wide, and long &amp; narrow.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This study developed representative headforms tailored to the Korean population for conducting total inward leakage (TIL) tests on filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs). The representative headforms can be used for TIL testing by employing robotic headforms to enhance the performance of FFRs for the Korean target population.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 42-52"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791123000756/pdfft?md5=7c77e20ebd054bf6165c51b04f4d514a&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791123000756-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135509747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigation of Working Conditions and Health Status in Platform Workers in the Republic of Korea","authors":"Hyoungseob Yoo ,&nbsp;Munyoung Yang ,&nbsp;Ji-Hun Song ,&nbsp;Jin-Ha Yoon ,&nbsp;Wanhyung Lee ,&nbsp;Jinhee Jang ,&nbsp;Minjoo Yoon ,&nbsp;Mo-Yeol Kang","doi":"10.1016/j.shaw.2024.01.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.shaw.2024.01.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>The present study aimed to analyze several aspects of the working conditions and health status of platform workers in the Republic of Korea, such as ergonomic and emotional hazards. We also compared the health status of the platform workers with that of the general population.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A total of 1,000 platform workers participated in this survey from August 7 to August 17, 2022. The participants included 400 designated drivers, 400 food-delivery drivers, and 200 housekeeping managers. A face-to-face survey with a structured questionnaire was conducted by researchers who had received specific instructions. The focus of the survey extended to the work environment, encompassing factors such as workplace violence, as well as physical, chemical, and ergonomic hazards. Health-related data for the previous year were also collected, covering a range of issues such as hearing problems, skin problems, musculoskeletal symptoms, headaches, injuries, mental health issues, and digestive problems. Subsequently, we compared the health symptom data of the responders with those of the general population in the Republic of Korea.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Platform workers, including designated drivers, food-delivery drivers, and housekeeping managers, existed in the blind spot of social insurance, facing frequent exposure to physical and chemical hazards, ergonomic risk factors, and direct or indirect violence. The prevalence of health problems, including musculoskeletal symptoms, general fatigue, and depressive symptoms, in each occupational group was statistically higher than that in the general population after standardization for age and gender.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>The results revealed unfavorable working environment and inferior occupational health of platform workers compared with those of the general population.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":56149,"journal":{"name":"Safety and Health at Work","volume":"15 1","pages":"Pages 17-23"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2093791124000027/pdfft?md5=343d3005a6036c1a3c1af76b06871226&pid=1-s2.0-S2093791124000027-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139508991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}