A systematic review of passing fit testing of the masks and respirators used during the COVID-19 pandemic: Part 1-quantitative fit test procedures

BACKGROUND

During respiratory infection pandemics, masks and respirators are highly sought after, especially for frontline healthcare workers and patients carrying respiratory viruses. The objective of this study was to systematically review fit test pass rates and identify factors influencing the fitting characteristics.

METHODS

Potentially relevant studies were identified using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct during the COVID-19 pandemic from February 5, 2020, to March 21, 2023. The search strategy using the following keywords was conducted: Quantitative Fit Test, Condensation Nuclei Counter, Controlled Negative Pressure, PortaCount, Sibata, Accufit, Fit, Seal, Mask, Respirator, Respiratory Protective Device, Respiratory Protective Equipment, Protective Device, Personal Protective Equipment, COVID-19, Coronavirus, and SARS-CoV-2. The quality of the included studies was also assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

RESULTS

A total of 137 articles met the eligibility criteria. Fifty articles had a quality score of less than 7 (good quality). A total of 21 studies had a fit test pass rate of less than 50%. 26 studies on disposable respirators and 11 studies on reusable respirators had an FF of less than 50 and less than 200, respectively. The most influential factors include respirator brand/model, style, gender, ethnicity, facial dimensions, facial hair, age, reuse, extensive movement, seal check, comfort and usability assessment, and training.

CONCLUSION

37.36% of the disposable respirator studies and 43% of the reusable respirator studies did not report fit test results. 67.86% of the disposable respirator studies had a fit test pass rate greater than 50%, and 35.84% of these studies had an FF greater than 100. Also, 85.71% of the reusable respirator studies had a fit test pass rate greater than 50%, and 52.77% of these studies had an FF greater than 1000. Overall, the fit test pass rate was relatively acceptable. Newly developed or modified respirators must undergo reliable testing to ensure the protection of HCWs. Subject and respirator characteristics should be considered when implementing fit testing protocols. An optimal fit test panel should be developed prior to respirator design, certification, procurement decisions, and selection procedures.

COVID-19 and offshore oil and gas workers: The role of personality

This qualitative study aimed to identify mental health hazards in the offshore oil and gas industry, as well as the role of the personality types of the Five Factor Model (FFM) in coping with these stressors. A focus group with 8 participants and a pilot study with 5 participants were conducted. Results showed that several stressors are currently present for Australian offshore oil and gas employees, in particular COVID-19 and the resulting negative effects on rosters, working hours, job security and time spent away from home. Other stressors revealed by participants were lack of space, working in a high-risk environment, stigma, helicopter travel and pressure to keep up with production. Poor safety behaviours were associated with neuroticism, extraversion and openness, while risk avoidance appear to be associated with agreeableness and conscientiousness. Tolerance to shift work was positively related to extraversion, yet negatively associated to neuroticism. Furthermore, neuroticism showed a negative association with help-seeking and productivity, as well as higher levels of concern relating to COVID-19 and job uncertainty. As personality traits are enduring throughout life, it is vital that employees are managed effectively through workplace interventions so that they are able to cope effectively, particularly during stressful events.

Contributing effects of individual characteristics, behavioural and job-related factors on occurrence of mining-related injuries: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Occupational health and safety (OHS) is a complex system due to its three components, namely human, technological and organizational factors. The interplay between the three systems causes workplace accidents and, subsequently, injuries. The body of research currently available demonstrates a disparity in the focus on contributors that cause mining-related injuries beyond the presence of hazards.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this paper was to systematically review and synthesise peer-reviewed published studies that have investigated whether certain individual characteristics, behavioural factors and job-related factors predict mining-related injuries.

METHODS

Databases were searched and peer-reviewed publications from 2004 to 2020 were retrieved and analysed. Only 24 from 3073 identified articles were retained for review and synthesis following careful screening. Most identified studies were either cross-sectional or case-control studies, and they were rated as moderate-to-good quality.

RESULTS

The review results showed that there is a diverging view in relation to risk factors that cause mining-related injuries. Some publications suggested that old age, male miners, married miners, less educated miners, less experienced miners, alcohol and drug usage, poor working conditions, poor management or supervision, job dissatisfaction and job stress predict injury events while other studies found contradictory relationships or insignificant statistical associations.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the fact that studied risk factors have been well-established in other industries, there is a significant gap in mining that needs further examination. It is imperative that health and safety intervention strategies are devised and implemented for vulnerable groups.

475Machine learning approach: identifying the impact of heatwaves and air quality on children’s health

Background

Heatwaves, air pollution and their effects on children’s health can vary temporally and spatially. With the emergence of advanced methods such as machine learning, there is an opportunity to improve prediction of children’s health events associated with those exposures.

Methods

Daily records on emergency department attendances (EDA) for children <15 years, heatwaves, landscape fire burns and air pollutants (CO, SO2, NO2, O3, PM10, PM2.5) were collected for Western Australia, 2006-2015. Decision tree, random forest (RF) and geographical RF (GRF) were compared to predict EDA, identify important risk factors and locations at elevated risk. Validation was performed by comparing actual and predicted EDA.

Results

RF was the best model with the lowest root mean squared error (MSE). The best RF validation model had an r-squared (R2) =0.95. The percentage increase in MSE indicated that PM10 and PM2.5 were important predictors of EDA for all children. Number of burns was more important in 5-9 year age group than other groups. GRF models (R2 0.90-0.98) showed that heatwave and PM2.5 were the important predictors in southern part of the study area for all age groups.

Conclusions

The importance of risk factors to predict EDA was varied by age groups and locations. Such differences are important when developing targeted health promotion strategies tailored to age groups and geographical locations.

Key messages

RF predicted EDA better than other models. Evaluation of spatial variation of heatwave and air quality effects on EDA for children by GRF modelling is useful to identify at risk geographical locations.

Risk Factors for the Number of Sustained Injuries in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Operation

Background

The relationship between risk factors and likelihood of occupational injury has been studied. However, what has been published has only provided a limited explanation of why some of the employees working in the same environment as other employees suffered a single-injury event, while other employees experienced multiple-injury events. This article reports on an investigation of whether artisanal and small-scale miners in Migori County of Kenya are susceptible to a single-injury or multiple-injury incidences, and if so, what underpinning parameters explain the differences between the single incident injured and the multiple incident injured group. Mine management commitment to safety in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) operations is also considered.

Materials and methods

The research objectives were achieved by surveying 162 uninjured and 74 injured miners. A structured, closed-end questionnaire was administered to participants after the stratification of the study population and systematic selection of the representative samples.

Results

The results showed that most injured miners suffer a single-injury incident rather than experiencing multiple-injury events, and laceration (28.40%) was the common injury suffered by the miners. The analysis showed that the risk factors for the single incident injured group were not similar to those in the multiple incident injured group. The research also found mine workers have low opinion about mine management/owners commitment to safety.

Conclusion

The study concluded that mine management and miners need to be educated and sensitized on the dangers of this operation. Provision of safety gears and positive safety culture must be a top priority for management.

Joint effects of heatwaves and air quality on ambulance services for vulnerable populations in Perth, western Australia

As the frequency, intensity, and duration of heatwaves increases, emergency health serviceutilization, including ambulance service, has correspondingly increased across the world. The negative effects of air pollution on health complicate these adverse health effects. This research work is the first known study to analyze the joint effects of heatwaves and air quality on the ambulance service in Western Australia (WA). The main objective is to investigate the potential joint effects of heatwaves and air quality on the ambulance service for vulnerable populations in the Perth metropolitan area. A time series design was used. Daily data on ambulance callouts, temperature and air pollutants (CO, SO₂, NO₂, O₃, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) were collected for the Perth metropolitan area, WA from 2006 to 2015. Poisson regression modeling was used to assess the association between heatwaves, air quality, and ambulance callouts. Risk assessments on age, gender, socio-economic status (SES), and joint effects between heatwaves and air quality on ambulance callouts were conducted. The ambulance callout rate was higher during heatwave days (14.20/100,000/day) compared to non-heatwave days (13.95/100,000/day) with a rate ratio of 1.017 (95% confidence interval 1.012, 1.023). The ambulance callout rate was higher in males, people over 60 years old, people with low SES, and those living in coastal areas during period of heatwaves. Exposure to CO, SO₂, O₃ and PM_2.5 increased risk on ambulance callouts and exposure to NO₂ showed joint effect with heatwave and increased risk of ambulance callouts by 3% after adjustment of all other risk factors. Ambulance callouts are an important indicator for evaluating heatwave-related emergency morbidity in WA. As the median concentrations of air pollutants in WA were lower than the Australian National Standards, the interactive effects of heatwaves and air quality on ambulance service need to be further examined, especially when air pollutants exceed the standards.

Joint effect of heatwaves and air quality on emergency department attendances for vulnerable population in Perth, Western Australia, 2006 to 2015

BACKGROUND

As global warming and the frequency and intensity of heatwaves increases, health service utilization, including emergency department attendances (EDA) have correspondingly increased across the world. The impact of air quality on health adds to the complexity of the effects. Potential joint effects between heatwaves and air quality on EDA have been rarely reported in the literature, prompting this study.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the potential joint effect of heatwaves and air quality on the EDA for vulnerable populations in the Perth metropolitan area, Western Australia.

METHODS

A time series design was used. Daily data on EDA, heatwaves (excess heat factor>0) and air pollutants (CO, SO₂, NO₂, O₃, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5) were collected for Perth, Western Australia from 2006 to 2015. Poisson regression modelling was used to assess the associations between heatwaves, air quality, and EDA. Risk assessments on age, gender, Aboriginality, socio-economic status (SES), and joint effect between heatwaves and air quality on EDA were conducted.

RESULTS

The EDA rate was higher in heatwave days (77.86/100,000/day) compared with non-heatwave days (73.90/100,000/day) with rate ratio of 1.053 (95% confidence interval 1.048, 1.058). The EDA rate was higher in males, people older than 60 years or younger than 15 years, Aboriginal people, and people with low SES. Exposure to CO, SO₂, O₃ and PM_2.5 increased risk on EDA and exposure to PM_2.5 showed joint effect with heatwave and increased risk of EDA by 6.6% after adjustment of all other risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS

EDA is an important indicator to evaluate heatwave related morbidity for emergency medical service as EDA rate increased during heatwaves with relative high concentrations of air pollutants. As all air pollutants measured in the study were lower than the Australian National Standards, the joint effect of heatwaves and air quality needs to be further examined when it exceeds the standards.

Women's Experience in the Workers' Compensation System

INTRODUCTION

Gender differences is a question of major importance within workers' compensation given the increased role of women in the workforce over the past several decades. This article reviews literature relating to women's experiences following work injury.

METHODS

An Australian study is used as background to exploring the broad issue of the question of gender equity in workers' compensation. In doing so it takes account of historical, legal and medical issues.

RESULTS

Women's experience in the workers' compensation system is different to that of men due to a range of factors. It is heavily influenced by the industrial environment in which they work. Women are paid less than men in many instances and work in gender-segregated circumstances, which often reduces their industrial bargaining power. Women also suffer different forms of injury and disease to men because of the different nature of their work.

CONCLUSION

The Australian experience suggests that as a consequence of the combination of lesser industrial bargaining power, lower wages and differing forms of injury and disease women often receive less than men in compensation payments, struggle to obtain equity in the dispute resolution process and experience greater difficulties in returning to work following injury or disease.

Radical psychology institutionalized: a history of the Journal Psychologie & Maatschappij [psychology & society]

Starting out as a newsletter for radical psychologists, the Dutch journal Psychologie & Maatschappij (Psychology & Society) moved in the past decade toward the theoretical mainstream within psychology. In this paper, the major changes in the journal are described and analyzed, as well as the features that did not change: an emphasis on theory and history, an interdisciplinary approach, and an emphasis on discussion. The main transformations were from psychology as instrumental toward the goals of the progressive movement in the Netherlands, then to extreme criticism of all scientific and professional psychological activities, and finally to adherence to the most advanced approaches within academic psychology.