Safety climate, hardiness, and musculoskeletal complaints: a mediated moderation model

Exploring Musculoskeletal Complaints in a Needle Manufacturing Industry: A Cross-Sectional Study

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) encompass a variety of conditions affecting muscles, joints, and nerves. In Portugal, MSDs are the most prevalent occupational health problem in companies. Based on the relevance of work-related MSD (WMSD), this study aims to assess the prevalence of MSD complaints in a needle manufacturing industry in Northern Portugal, following a cross-sectional approach. Thus, 526 workers from five departments (i.e., operator, tuning, maintenance, administration, and logistics) answered a sociodemographic questionnaire and the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Within the last 12 months, females exhibited a higher frequency of complaints than males across all body parts except for ankles/feet. The body parts eliciting the most percentage of complaints for both genders include the lower back (54.2%), neck (42.2%), shoulders (39.0%), ankles/feet (38.2%), and wrists/hands (35.7%). No significant association was found between Body Mass Index (BMI) and body part complaints. Tuners reported the highest complaint rate, with occupations as substantial predictors of complaints in certain body parts. Likewise, complaints tend to increase with age. The findings advocate for ergonomic interventions that are gender-, age-, and job-sensitive.

Personal, biomechanical, psychosocial, and organizational risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a structural equation modeling approach

This longitudinal study aimed at exploring the direct and indirect relationships between organizational, psychosocial, biomechanical, and personal factors and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in French workers. Between 2002 and 2005, 3710 workers were included in the Cosali cohort. Between 2007 and 2010, 1611 workers were re-examined using the same standardized clinical protocol. Subjects free from CTS at baseline were studied (804 men and 563 women). We used structural equation models to examine the relationships between incident CTS cases and organizational (machine-paced work or work pace dependent on customers' demand), psychosocial (job strain model), biomechanical (Borg's rating perceived exertion, wrist bending, pinching, and hand-transmitted vibrations), and personal factors at baseline. Symptomatic CTS risk was directly increased by biomechanical factors (standardized coefficient = 0.19, P = 0.011), female gender (0.25, P < 0.001), and age (0.15, P = 0.042). No psychosocial factors had a direct impact on CTS, but decision authority and skill discretion had an indirect impact by influencing biomechanical exposure. Exposure to machine-paced work had an indirect impact on increasing CTS, either by raising biomechanical exposure (0.19, P < 0.001) or by lowering decision authority (-0.18, P < 0.001) and skill discretion (-0.20, P < 0.001), which in turn increased biomechanical exposure. Similar complex relationships were observed between risk factors and CTS defined by a more strict case definition. Biomechanical exposure had a direct impact on CTS, while organizational factors and psychosocial factors had an indirect impact on CTS. The findings support conceptual models linking work organization to CTS.

Study of the interrelationships between musculoskeletal disorders and psychosocial risk factors in occupational health and safety technicians

Objectives. The aim of this work is to examine the presence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the exposure to psychosocial risk in a sample of 399 occupational health and safety technicians (OHSTs), deepening the associations between both aspects. Methods. The standardized Nordic questionnaire and the Decore questionnaire were used. Different descriptive and correlational analyses and a multivariate analysis model were carried out. Results. In total, 77.17% of the participants affirmed having suffered some muscle ailments. The most critical psychosocial risk factors are those related to the rewards that the worker obtains for their work, with 54.7% of the technicians in a situation of alert or emergency. It is highlighted that the fact of not feeling professionally valued, working outside working hours, having musculoskeletal discomfort and perceiving a state of poor or fair health increase the global risk index (GRI) score. Conclusions. The study highlights the high exposure of OHSTs to both physical and psychosocial risk factors as well as the significant relationship between these variables. Furthermore, the predictive model shows the variables that best predict the probability of MSDs: gender, training in emerging risks, perceived health and exposure to psychosocial risk.

Effectiveness of a multidimensional intervention program in improving occupational musculoskeletal disorders among intensive care unit nurses: a cluster-controlled trial with follow-up at 3 and 6 months

Background

Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMDs). Data on occupational injuries indicate the significance of WRMDs among ICU nurses. Intervention programs have previously been developed to reduce WRMDs, but different intervention methods need to be adopted for different groups of people. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multidimensional intervention program to prevent and reduce WRMDs in ICU nurses.

Methods

This study was designed as a two-armed cluster-controlled trial with an intervention group and a control group. The clusters were independent hospital ICUs, and the participants consisted of registered nurses in China. By cluster random sampling, 89 nurses from two ICUs were assigned to the intervention group, and 101 nurses from two other ICUs were assigned to the control group. A multidimensional intervention program based on previous studies was designed. This program combined improving risk perception, health behavior training, and promoting a safe working environment. The multidimensional intervention program was implemented in the intervention group, whereas routine specialist training was implemented in the control group. Baseline and follow-up (3 and 6 months) data were collected using self-reported online questionnaires. The primary outcome was the report rate of WRMDs in the past 7 days. Secondary outcomes were risk perception, application of health behavior, and perception of a safe working environment. The data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 19.0.

Results

A total of 190 nurses provided three recorded outcome measurements (intervention group, N = 89 (94.68%); control group, N = 101 (94.39%)). After 6 months, the intervention group experienced significant improvement relative to the control group in the report rate of WRMDs in the past 7 days (OR = 1.953, p = 0.037), risk perception (OR = 0.517, p < 0.001), application of health behavior (OR = 0.025, p < 0.001), and perception of a safe working environment (OR = 1.637, p = 0.024).

Conclusion

The multidimensional intervention program was superior to routine specialist training in preventing the occurrence of WRMDs in ICU nurses. WRMD training should include multifaceted approaches and pay increased attention to specific department functions.

Distress and worry as mediators in the relationship between psychosocial risks and upper body musculoskeletal complaints in highly automated manufacturing

As a result of changes in manufacturing including an upward trend in automation and the advent of the fourth industrial revolution, the requirement for supervisory monitoring and consequently, cognitive demand has increased in automated manufacturing. The incidence of musculoskeletal disorders has also increased in the manufacturing sector. A model was developed based on survey data to test if distress and worry mediate the relationship between psychosocial factors (job control, cognitive demand, social isolation and skill discretion), stress states and symptoms of upper body musculoskeletal disorders in highly automated manufacturing companies (n = 235). These constructs facilitated the development of a statistically significant model (RMSEA 0.057, TLI 0.924, CFI 0.935). Cognitive demand was shown to be related to higher distress in employees, and distress to a higher incidence of self-reported shoulder and lower back symptoms. The mediation model incorporating stress states (distress, worry) as mediators is a novel approach in linking psychosocial risks to musculoskeletal disorders. Practitioners' Summary With little requirement for physical work in many modern automated manufacturing workplaces, there is often minimal management focus on Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs) as important occupational health problems. Our model provides evidence that psychosocial factors are important risk factors in symptoms of WRMSD and should be managed.

Safety climate and mindful safety practices in the oil and gas industry

INTRODUCTION

The existence of a positive association between safety climate and the safety behavior of sharp-end workers in high-risk organizations is supported by a considerable body of research. Previous research has primarily analyzed two components of safety behavior, namely safety compliance and safety participation. The present study extends previous research by looking into the relationship between safety climate and another component of safety behavior, namely mindful safety practices. Mindful safety practices are defined as the ability to be aware of critical factors in the environment and to act appropriately when dangers arise.

METHOD

Regression analysis was used to examine whether mindful safety practices are, like compliance and participation, promoted by a positive safety climate, in a questionnaire-based study of 5712 sharp-end workers in the oil and gas industry.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that a positive safety climate promotes mindful safety practices.

CONCLUSIONS

The regression model accounted for roughly 31% of the variance in mindful safety practices. The most important safety climate factor was safety leadership.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The findings clearly demonstrate that mindful safety practices are highly context-dependent, hence, manageable and susceptible to change. In order to improve safety climate in a direction which is favorable for mindful safety practices, the results demonstrate that it is important to give the fundamental features of safety climate high priority and in particular that of safety leadership.

Self-reported musculoskeletal disorder pain: The role of job hazards and work-life interaction

BACKGROUND

Previous research identified an association between work-family conflict and musculoskeletal pain. This study explores how the work-life interface might affect pain experienced by residential aged care staff.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey of 426 employees in residential aged care was analyzed to assess the impacts of workplace hazards, work-family conflict, and work-life balance on self-reported musculoskeletal pain.

RESULTS

Work-family conflict acts as a mediator of the relationships between workplace hazards and the total number of body regions at which musculoskeletal pain was experienced. Work-life balance only acts as a mediator for particular hazards and only if work-family conflict is not taken into account.

CONCLUSIONS

Addressing work-life interaction, and in particular work-family conflict, warrants further investigation as a legitimate means through which musculoskeletal disorder risk can be reduced. Policies and practices to improve work-life interaction and reduce work-family conflict should be considered as integral components of musculoskeletal disorder risk management strategies.

Risk Factors for Shoulder Pain in a Cohort of French Workers: A Structural Equation Model

Shoulder pain is common in the working population and causes loss of productivity, high economic costs, and long absences. Simultaneous evaluation of the complex relationships between work organization (e.g., work pace, application of quality standards), psychosocial and physical risk factors, stress, and shoulder pain is rare. The aim of this study was to explore the direct and indirect relationships between workplace risk factors, perceived stress, and occurrence of shoulder pain in workers of the Cohorte des Salariés Ligériens study. A total of 3,710 workers in a French region were randomly selected for inclusion between 2002 and 2005. They completed a self-administered questionnaire about musculoskeletal symptoms, individual factors, and exposure to work constraints. In 2007, they responded to a follow-up questionnaire. The study sample comprised 1,400 workers free of shoulder pain at baseline. Structural equation models were used. For both sexes, exposure to factors related to work organization had an effect on physical and psychosocial risk factors. Psychological demand was the only psychosocial constraint that increased perceived stress. Shoulder pain was influenced directly by physical risk factors for both sexes and by perceived stress for men. In view of their distal action, work organization is an important target for strategies to prevent shoulder pain in the working population.

Safety climate, worker health and organizational health performance

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between organizational safety climate and organizational health performance outcomes (i.e. absenteeism, presenteeism, health care utilization) mediated by individual worker health. The authors used three pathways to examine this relationship: a physical pathway starting with physical safety climate and mediated by musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), a psychosocial pathway starting with psychosocial safety climate and mediated by emotional exhaustion, and a combined pathway starting with psychosocial safety climate and mediated by both MSDs and emotional exhaustion.

Design/methodology/approach

Three mediational multilevel analyses were conducted using a sample of 8,761 employees working in 177 health care organizations.

Findings

Although the findings did not support the hypothesized physical pathway, they showed that the psychosocial pathway worked satisfactorily for two of the three health performance outcomes (absenteeism and presenteeism). The combined physical and psychosocial pathway explained differences in the third outcome: health care utilization.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies to include both physical and psychosocial pathways that lead to employee health and organizational performance. The results underscore the importance of paying attention to psychological health and safety in the health care workplace. Not only for the psychological health of employees, but also to improve their physical health and subsequent organizational health performance.

Refining Trait Resilience: Identifying Engineering, Ecological, and Adaptive Facets from Extant Measures of Resilience

The current paper presents a new measure of trait resilience derived from three common mechanisms identified in ecological theory: Engineering, Ecological and Adaptive (EEA) resilience. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of five existing resilience scales suggest that the three trait resilience facets emerge, and can be reduced to a 12-item scale. The conceptualization and value of EEA resilience within the wider trait and well-being psychology is illustrated in terms of differing relationships with adaptive expressions of the traits of the five-factor personality model and the contribution to well-being after controlling for personality and coping, or over time. The current findings suggest that EEA resilience is a useful and parsimonious model and measure of trait resilience that can readily be placed within wider trait psychology and that is found to contribute to individual well-being.