This study investigated teachers’ occupational stress using a comprehensive job stress questionnaire, or the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire, while considering gender differences. A total of 1,825 elementary and junior high school teachers participated in the study. The results revealed that female teachers significantly exhibited more psychological and physical stress reactions and perceived less job resource availability than did male teachers. Moreover, multiple regression analyses demonstrated that support from family and friends was a larger factor associated with mental health outcomes among female teachers than among male teachers. The impacts of marital status also differed between male and female teachers. Job demands were strongly associated with psychological and physical stress reactions among teachers. Meanwhile, job resources were more strongly associated with positive workplace outcomes, such as workplace engagement and social capital than were job demands. Administrators should consider the distinctive nature of teachers’ occupational stress in addition to its gender specific influence. Organizational support, such as securing teachers’ autonomy, encouraging their career development, and acknowledging diversity should be considered to foster teachers’ work engagement and create a cohesive environment in the school workplace.

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This study compared the relative performance of alternative frequency weightings of hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) to predict the extent of cold-induced vasoconstriction in the digital arteries of HTV workers. The cold response of digital arteries was related to measures of daily vibration exposure expressed in terms of r.m.s. acceleration magnitude normalised to an 8-h day, frequency weighted according to either the frequency weighting W_h defined in international standard ISO 5349-1:2001 (A_h(8) in ms^–2 r.m.s.) or the hand-arm vascular frequency weighting W_p proposed in the ISO Technical Report 18570:2007 (A_p(8) in ms^–2 r.m.s.). The measure of daily vibration exposure constructed with the frequency weighting W_p (A_p(8)) was a better predictor of the cold response of the digital arteries in the HTV workers than the metric derived from the conventional ISO frequency weighting W_h (A_h(8)). This finding suggests that a measure of daily vibration exposure constructed with the vascular weighting W_p, which gives more weight to intermediate- and high-frequency vibration (31.5–250 Hz), performed better for the prediction of cold induced digital arterial hyperresponsiveness than that obtained with the frequency weighting W_h recommended in ISO 5349-1 which gives more importance to lower frequency vibration (≤16 Hz).

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Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) can negatively affect patients’ employment and work-life activities with a significant indirect economic impact. The current study aimed to measure unemployment, work productivity, activity impairment, and their associated factors among COPD patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Chest outpatient clinic, Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt. COPD patients completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire including sociodemographic, occupational data, clinical history, medical research council (mMRC) dyspnea scale, the COPD assessment test (CAT), and work productivity and activity impairment Questionnaire (WPAI-COPD). A total 140 patients were included in the study and 22.1% of them gave up their jobs because of their COPD. Due to COPD, the mean percentage of daily activity impairment was 39.8 among all patients. The mean percentages of absenteeism, presenteeism, and overall work impairment among the 84 working patients were 0.07, 24.4, and 24.5. The CAT score was the significant predictor of all components of WPAI. In conclusion, COPD causes early retirement, high work productivity loss, and impaired daily activities. Higher CAT scores and increased disease severity significantly increase absenteeism, presenteeism, overall work, and activity impairment. Thus, timely diagnosis of COPD with appropriate management can help improve outcomes and lower the disease burden and economic impact.

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This study aimed to investigate the circumstances, characteristics, and background factors of mental disorders within the information technology (IT) industry, which is known for the frequent occurrence of mental disorders from overwork and poor psychosocial work environment. The study analyzed 238 cases of mental disorders and suicides in the IT industry from fiscal years 2010 to 2018 on the database constructed by the Japan Research Center for Overwork-Related Disorders. The results showed a higher number of cases among men (n=178, 74.8%) and an increasing number among women. The data for diagnosis of mental diseases indicated a high number of depressive episodes (150 cases, 63.0%). Regarding work-induced psychological burden, 37 cases (15.5%) reported “extremely long working hours” for “special events” and 65 cases (27.3%) reported “constantly long working hours”. For “specific events”, 87 cases (36.6%) reportedly “caused (major) changes in the content and amount of work”. Among women, 13 cases (21.7%) of “sexual harassment” (SH), which showed an increasing trend. Therefore, in the IT industry, the working hours must be properly managed. Mental health measures should also accompany improved psychosocial environment in the workplace, and prohibition of SH at work in particular.

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Regulatory guidance materials for fatigue management typically advise that employees be provided with days or weeks of advance notice of schedules/rosters. However, the scientific evidence underpinning this advice is unclear. A systematic search was performed on current peer reviewed literature addressing advance notice periods, which found three relevant studies. A subsequent search of grey literature to determine the quality of evidence for the recommendation for advance notice periods returned 37 relevant documents. This review found that fatigue management guidance materials frequently advocated advance notice for work shifts but did not provide empirical evidence to underpin the advice. Although it is logical to suggest that longer notice periods may result in increased opportunities for pre-work preparations, improved sleep, and reduced worker fatigue, the current guidance appears to be premised on this reasoning rather than empirical evidence. Paradoxically, it is possible that advance notice could be counterproductive, as too much may result in frequent alterations to the schedule, particularly where adjustments to start and end times of the work period are not uncommon (e.g., road transport, rail). To assist organisations in determining the appropriate amount of advance notice to provide, we propose a novel theoretical framework to conceptualise advance notice.

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Female nurses experience work-family conflict due to performing multiple roles, leading to burnout. Thus, this study aimed to verify the association between burnout and the multiple work and family roles performed among Japanese female nurses. The data for 2,255 nurses at 23 Japanese hospitals obtained from the Work Environment for Nurses Study in Japan were used. The variables included burnout, demographic information, additional work roles, and child-rearing or caregiving. Half of the nurses were categorized under the “no-role” group (NRG), approximately a quarter under the “work-role” group (WRG), 16% under the “family-role” group (FRG), and 7.3% under the “multiple-role” group (MRG). Compared to the NRG, the FRG and MRG showed statistically lower emotional exhaustion (B=−0.79, p<0.05; B=−0.94, p<0.05, respectively) and depersonalization (B=−0.80, p<0.05; B=−1.09, p<0.05, respectively). Personal accomplishment was not statistically different among the four groups. Burnout was relatively low among nurses with family roles, suggesting that family roles may have a positive spillover effect on work-related emotions.

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An imbalance in the key organizational psychology constructs viz. “Workload”, “Reward”, “Community”, “Control”, “Values” and “Fairness” are potential factors leading to negative occupational mental health, i.e. burnout. Burnout, a psychological syndrome is the combination of emotional exhaustion, sense of reduced compassion and accomplishment. To note, the concept of occupational mental health in a nation with second largest workforce is nascent. Further, the utility of existing western tools in Indian subcontinent is limited by culturally inappropriateness, patented, less comprehensible and other factors. Present study attempted to develop tools to screen occupational mental health and workplace areas. Conventional steps involved in psychological tool development, viz. construct identification, drafting of pertinent questions, content validation, field testing of questions and others were adopted. After series of steps, tools for screening occupational mental health and key constructs influencing mental health at workplace (workplace assessment) were developed. The screening tools exhibited adequate test - retest reliability, internal consistency / reliability (cronbach’s α<0.73) and correlation (correlation coefficient < 0.6) with the general mental health in larger evaluation of 153 consenting workers. The proposed simple and easy to administer tool requires development of normative scores thereby aiding early diagnosis and management of those requiring intervention.

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Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited arrhythmogenic disorder predisposing patients to a high risk of sudden cardiac death. Specific guidelines on the health surveillance of BrS workers are lacking. We report here three cases requiring assessment of specific job capacity, investigated with an interdisciplinary protocol including 24-hour Holter electrocardiography with modified precordial leads, pharmacological test with ajmaline, molecular genetic analysis, electrophysiological study with ventricular stimulation, risk stratification, and occupational medicine evaluation: (1) a female 42 yr-old company manager with positive ajmaline test and CACNA1C gene mutation (judged fit for the job with limitations regarding work-related stress); (2) a male 44 yr-old welder with positive ajmaline test, SCN5A gene mutation, and associated OSAS (obstructive sleep apnea syndrome), who was advised to refrain from night shifts and driving company vehicles; (3) a male 45 yr-old electrical technician with inducible ventricular tachyarrhythmia, who was implanted with a biventricular cardioverter defibrillator, and therefore recommended to avoid exposure to electromagnetic fields and working at heights. We conclude that the collaboration between the cardiologist and the occupational physician allows defining the functional capabilities and the arrhythmogenic risk of BrS workers, to optimize job fitness assessment.

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Health checkups are considered to promote occupational and public health. This study aimed to investigate the extent to which participation in social activities encourages middle-aged people to participate in health checkups and adhere to doctor-visit recommendations. We analyzed 337,024 longitudinal observational studies involving 33,420 individuals aged 50–59 years in the baseline year (2005) derived from a nationwide, population-based, 14-wave survey. We estimated fixed-effects logistic models to elucidate how people’s participation in health checkups and recommended doctor visits are affected by participation in social activities. Attending health checkups was positively associated with participation in social activities, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.19 (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.15–1.22) and a marginal effect of 3.3% (95% CI:2.7–3.9%). Adherence to doctor-visit recommendations was also positively associated with participation in social activities, with an OR of 1.15 (95% CI:1.08–1.23) and a marginal effect of 3.3% (95% CI:1.8–4.8%), although the association was observed only among regular employees. These results provide new insights into the effectiveness of health checkups.

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This study was conducted to quantitatively examine the effects of respiratory protective equipment (respirators) and various other types of protectors in preventing the scattering of vocalization droplets. Each of 12 adult male volunteers was asked to vocalize intermittently for 1 minute at a target intensity of approximately 100 dBA in an experimental room adjusted to a humidity of approximately 60–70%. The subjects vocalized while wearing respirators, other types of protectors, or no protectors at all. The droplet concentration in a particle size range of 0.3 to 10 μm was measured under each experimental condition, and the transmitted particle concentration and penetration were calculated. The concentration and penetration of particles transmitted from the respirators were lower than those transmitted from the other protectors examined. The probability of infection reduction through the use of the protectors was estimated from the data obtained on the effectiveness of the protectors in preventing the scattering of droplets. We concluded that there is no need for additional droplet scattering prevention in various work settings when appropriate respirators are used under optimal conditions.

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Much research has identified safety motivation as an essential individual-level antecedent of safety performance. Recently, scholars have shown interest in workplace support as an essential factor of safety motivation. While support from different sources is theoretically distinct, each is argued to be not just an antecedent, but also an outcome of the other. A similar reciprocal relationship is also expected between support and safety motivation. Our research utilised the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) and Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1988) to examine the role of each source of support on safety motivation; and investigate their reciprocal relationships. We used structural equation modelling to analyse three-wave longitudinal data (three months apart) from 314 firefighters throughout Malaysia. The result confirmed direct relationships and interestingly, denied that reciprocal relationships exist between organisational support, social support, and safety motivation over time. Our study recommends that the fire department should encourage support from all sources, primarily from senior management since it is the catalyst that activates support from other sources.

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Evidence of the impact of domain-specific sitting time (ST) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is currently limited. This study aimed to examine the associations between CRF and domain-specific STs in relation to CVD risk and annual healthcare costs among office workers. This cross-sectional study included 1,749 workers from an insurance company. The Worker's Living Activity-time Questionnaire was used to measure the domain-specific STs, including occupational ST and non-working day ST. Additionally, estimated maximal oxygen uptake as the CRF data was calculated using a validated equation: 59.96 − 0.23× age + 7.39 × sex − 0.79 × body mass index + 0.33 × physical activity score. The company provided medical checkup results for CVD risk factors and healthcare costs. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) for CVD risk. Significantly lower ORs for CVD risk were seen only with high CRF levels, and it was also associated with low annual healthcare costs. There were no associations between domain-specific STs and annual healthcare costs. Further explorations of domain-specific STs, physical activity, and health risks are warranted, and guidelines should focus on increasing CRF to prevent CVD risk among office workers.

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A school teacher’s job is considered one of the most stressful occupations globally. The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has posed further challenges for school teachers. This study aimed to examine the effects of the pandemic on primary school teachers’ stress responses in Japan. We analyzed the data from a nationwide survey of public-school teachers conducted between June 2019 and December 2021. The total numbers of participants were 65,968 in 2019, 72,248 in 2020, and 75,435 in 2021. Working hours and perceived main stressors as well as stress response scores were assessed. Contrary to expectations, the results showed that the stress response scores in primary school teachers did not increase in the first year of the pandemic. Rather, the stress response scores and the proportion of high-stress teachers significantly decreased from the pre-pandemic year (2019) to the first year of the pandemic (2020). However, the stress response scores showed a rising trend in the second year of the pandemic (2021). Participants’ working hours decreased from 2019 to 2021. The findings in relation to main stressors matched these trends. Continuous monitoring of teachers’ stress levels is recommended both during and after the pandemic.

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In Japan, the “Act on the Arrangement of Related Acts to Promote Work Style Reform” was enforced in 2019 to reduce long working hours. However, work style reforms largely depend on workers’ and companies’ awareness and abilities. This study aimed to develop the Work Style Reform scale to assess the competencies required for work style reform and to examine its validity and reliability. This study was conducted with a diverse sample of 1,641 Japanese workers, and 17 questions across three subscales—Work Style, Personal Style, and Work Environment—were developed. After a response bias analysis, some items were discarded based on an exploratory factor analysis; the reliability coefficients were calculated; and a confirmatory factor analysis was performed. The convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated through a multi-trait multi-method analysis. Finally, nine questions remained. Construct validity, reliability and convergent validity were sufficient for all Subscales, and discriminant validity was sufficient only for Work Style. In conclusion, while Work Style was sufficient, issues remained in other subscales. To improve the accuracy of them in the future, it is necessary to examine the validation of discriminant validity using different indicates and the addition of new items to the smallest subscale; Personal Style.

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Work is a major social determinant of health. We conducted a cross-sectional study to explore the association between coronary heart disease (CHD), its risk factors, and the working environment among Japanese male workers. We collected data from 10,572 workers (mean age 49.9) who underwent annual medical check-ups in Toyama, Japan, in 2016. This study included data from health check-ups and questionnaires on medical history of CHD, hypertension, and diabetes, and the use of medication. The working environment included company size and industry categories. Company size was classified into 4 categories according to the number of full-time workers (1–20, 21–100, 101–300, 301–). The industry category was classified into 10 categories. Logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association. In total, 1.5% of patients had a history of CHD and 31.5% and 11.0% of participants were suffering from hypertension and diabetes, respectively. Compared to workers in a large company, those in a smaller company were more likely to have CHD. Moreover, there was a significant association between CHD’s risk factors and working in the transportation industry. Health providers, including medical doctors, should consider employee working environment as a potential risk factor for CHD.

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Despite the increasing need for nursing care services, the turnover rate of care workers is high in Japan. Since the most common reason for quitting nursing care jobs was problems with interpersonal relationships at work, creating psychosocially safe working environments is urgent. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effects of trust in supervisors (TS) on the association between positive feedback (PF)/negative feedback (NF) and work engagement (WE) based on the job demands–resources theory and conservation of resources theory. We conducted anonymous cross-sectional surveys of 469 employees at elderly care facilities in Japan. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate the causal relationships between the variables. The results showed that PF had significant positive effects on WE, directly and indirectly through TS. By contrast, NF had a nonsignificant positive effect on TS or WE. Tucker–Lewis Index [TLI] was 0.917, Comparative Fit Index [CFI] was 0.927, Root Mean Squared Error of Approximation [RMSEA] was 0.096, and Standardized Root Mean squared Residual [SRMR] was 0.042. The study results indicate that sufficient PF is needed to improve subordinates’ WE through TS in elderly care facilities.

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Notifications that related 1st degree burns to reflective striping and impermeable clothing elements did reach the investigators, while the mechanisms behind this phenomenon are still unclear. Material tests for thermal and evaporative resistance, and for heat transmission under dry and wet conditions at low radiation levels were done to evaluate the performance of protective clothing with and without printed logos or reflective striping. The results under the specified conditions showed reduction of heat loss capacity under impermeable elements from dry to wet conditions. Reflective surfaces, even when more impermeable, showed still lower heat transmission through the textile package than materials without striping under tested moisture and radiation combinations. It can be expected that the reported 1st degree burns were related to clothing design and tightness/fit rather than to reflective striping. However, due to the fine balance between clothing thermal and evaporative resistance, outer material emissivity, moisture quantity and location in clothing and applied radiation level, a different setup could lead to different results.

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Job strain is considered a potential risk factor of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Our objective was to examine prospective associations of job strain with CVD mortality using data from the national, population-based Mid-life in the United States (MIDUS) cohort study, while considering changes in job strain. Job strain measure was based on Demand-Control model at Wave 1 in 1995-1996 and Wave 2 in 2004-2006, and CVD mortality data through 2018 were retrieved through linkage to the National Death Index (NDI). Cox proportional hazards regression was applied to assess prospective associations between job strain across MIDUS I and MIDUS II and CVD mortality at follow-up in 1,870 workers free from CVD at MIDUS I. After adjustment for relevant covariates, single measurement of job strain at MIDUS I or MIDUS II, and two measurements of job strain between the two waves were not significantly associated with CVD mortality, while the increase in scores between the two waves (increase vs. no increase) demonstrated stronger prospective associations with CVD mortality (HR and 95% CI=2.37 [0.88, 6.42]). Our findings suggest increased job strain may pose a stronger risk to CVD mortality than single exposure measurement.

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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a sudden switch to remote working that many organisations and workers were unprepared for. The study investigates the perceived impact of remote working on workers’ health and influencing factors. The topic has received limited attention within published studies. A cross-sectional online survey was distributed to IT and communication remote workers in Malta (N=459). Closed-ended questions were analysed quantitatively in order to identify perceived changes in health. Open-ended questions were analysed qualitatively to determine the perceived reasons for such changes. More workers reported that their health had deteriorated than improved during the first 12 months of the pandemic. Greater proportions of remote work were associated with improved levels of health. Several factors were perceived to have influenced levels of health, including: health behaviours, such as physical activity, nutrition, and sleep; the development of disease, particularly mental health issues; work related factors, such as social support, work demands, and the blurring of work-life boundaries; and personal factors, including family life and leisure. The study concludes that remote working can be beneficial for health when workers engage in the correct health-promoting behaviours and are provided with the necessary support, both during their working and private life.

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The home has become a new physical workplace, and can therefore influence the work, health, and life of workers. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the chronology of the effects of work hazards at home on factors such as workers’ health, productivity, and well-being (WB). Information on novice working-from-home (WFH) workers was derived from the “Occupational health of WFH” project. The selected variables in the hypothesis model comprised problems such as perceived indoor environmental quality (IEQ), working conditions (WC), sick house syndrome (SHS), occupational stress (OS), work productivity (WP), and WB. The relationship between these variables was analyzed using a structural equation model. The group analysis results showed the following significant indirect path effects from work environment through WP: IEQ-> SHS->OS->WP. A non-significant direct effect was observed between IEQ and WP. While WC problems could also have a significant direct effect on WP, or be mediated by OS, WP is a significant consequence and a direct effect of WB. In conclusion, the WFH model’s causal impact between home environment, WP, and WB is a physio-psychological pathway. Therefore, creating a healthy home environment and WC, along with OS management, comprise important issues for improving productivity and WB for this new work style.

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This study (1) evaluated the perceptual and objective physical quality of digital radiographic chest images processed for different purposes (routine hospital use, lung cancer screening, and pneumoconiosis screening), and (2) quantified objectively the quality of chest images visually graded by the Japan National Federation of Industrial Health Organization (ZENEIREN). Four observers rated the images using a visual grading score (VGS) according to ZENEIREN’s quality criteria. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were measured. Between groups, differences were assessed using ANOVA (followed by Bonferroni multiple comparisons) or unpaired t-test. The Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated for the correlation between perceptual quality and objective physical image quality. The image quality perceived by the observers and the SNR measurements were highest for the images generated using parameters recommended for lung cancer screening. The images processed for pneumoconiosis screening were rated poorest by the observers and showed the lowest objective physical quality measurements. The chest images rated high quality by ZENEIREN generally showed a higher objective physical image quality. The SNR correlated well with VGS, but CNR did not. Highly significant differences between the processing parameters indicate that image processing strongly influences the perceptual quality of digital radiographic chest images.

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of employees in flexible work from home has increased markedly along with a reliance on information communication technologies. This study investigated the role of an organisational factor, psychosocial safety climate (PSC; the climate for worker psychological health and safety), as an antecedent of these new kinds of demands (specifically work from home digital job demands) and their effect on work-life conflict. Data were gathered via an online survey of 2,191 employees from 37 Australian universities. Multilevel modelling showed that university level PSC to demands, y=−0.09, SE=0.03, p<0.01, and demands to work-life conflict, y=0.51, SE=0.19, p<0.05, relationships were significant. Supporting the antecedent theory, university level PSC was significantly indirectly related to work-life conflict via demands (LL −0.10 UL −0.01). Against expectations PSC did not moderate the demand to work-life conflict relationship. The results imply that targeting PSC could help prevent work from home digital job demands, and therefore, work-life conflict. Further research is needed on the role of digital job resources as flexible and hybrid work takes hold post COVID.

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This study was conducted to check whether benzene is contained inside the petroleum-based cleaning agent used in the printing industry and measure whether it is actually exposed to the air. Benzene was analyzed inside the cleaning agent and air exposure evaluation was done by area sampling. Risk assessment was performed using the CHARM (Chemical Hazard Risk Management) technique. Most products contained benzene based on the results obtained from this study. As a result of collecting air samples and checking whether the workers were exposed to benzene actually, benzene was detected in three samples. As a result of the risk assessment, most of printing businesses scored more than four points. Benzene was detected in all petroleum-based cleaning products. In addition, benzene was detected in some of air samples. Considering the fact that even small exposure level of benzene is dangerous to worker health and most of the printing businesses in South Korea operate on a small scale with fewer than five employees so the health management system is poor, it is necessary to prepare appropriate measures to prevent work diseases provoked by benzene exposure.

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Short rest (<11h) between evening and day shifts – known as quick returns (QRs) – impede recovery and may impair health. Nevertheless, QRs remain popular among some shift workers. This study explores nurses’ and nursing assistants’ perceptions of the merits and demerits of QRs from individual and organizational perspectives. Participants were recruited from eleven wards at two Swedish hospitals as part of a larger quasi-experimental intervention study. The majority (79%) had influence over their work schedules. Frequency distributions of responses are presented. Ninety six undertook a baseline survey regarding recovery, tolerance and work performance in relation to QRs. A majority experienced difficulties unwinding before bedtime (76%), insufficient sleep (80%), and daytime fatigue (72%). A third experienced an increased risk of errors and mistakes. However, QRs appeared to facilitate taking reports from patients and planning work, as this task was more often rated as ‘very easy’ following a QR compared to other shift combinations. Tolerance of QRs varied substantially. In conclusion, QRs seem to benefit continuity in work processes, but may do so at the expense of recovery and safety. Wards planning to reduce QRs –through participatory or fixed schedule models – should consider impacts on work processes.

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Teleworking has been adopted as a response to COVID-19 to reduce the spread of the infection, while continuing business operations. Saudi Arabia was among the countries that adopted stringent teleworking policies accompanying the first documented COVID-19 case. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to explore experiences of employees towards teleworking as a mandated work setting during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. We collected data using a questionnaire that was disseminated via different social media platforms during the partial curfew in the Country. The study sample included 471 participants. Most participants (78%) were satisfied with teleworking and reported higher job efficiency (44%) and work concentration (48%), and better work-life balance (56%) and stress management (55%). The positive experience was dependent on factors, such as gender, age, marital status, educational level, working sector and teleworking mode. Men, bachelor’s degree holders, nonmarried, and employees working in health and education sectors as well as working flexible hours had less positive experience than their respective counterparts. The research contributes to literature about teleworking as a legitimate alternative work arrangement, while approaching teleworking as a means to reduce risks. As the first study conducted within Saudi Arabia, the study’s findings have implications for policy, practice and research.

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This study aimed todetermine the effect of physiotherapists’ physical burden caused by different bedheights during manual therapy. Thirty-three male physiotherapists performedtasks simulating lumbar massage and passive hip abduction range-of-motionexercise (ROM) on the beds with low height (LH) and adjusted height (AH), witheach task performed three times. The anterior inclination angle of thephysiotherapist’s trunk was measured, the surface electromyograms of theerector spinae and trapezius muscles were recorded, and perceived stress wasassessed. The indexes obtained were statistically compared for different bedheights. Additionally, the lumbar disc compression force and flexion torquewere estimated. The lumbar burden caused by the excessive bending and thebiomechanical burden and perceived stress were stronger at LH than AH. In ROM tasks using the right hand, the muscleactivity was lower at the left lumbar region at LH than at AH. At LH, the anteriorinclination angle increased and the lumbar muscle activity declined as the numberof tasks increased. The burden on the shoulders was not significantly differentby bed heights. Our results showed that, when physiotherapists perform manualtherapy, it is necessary to adjust the bed height to reduce physicalburden and ensure higher quality of service.

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When using a local exhaust hood to remove harmful substances from the production process, the exhaust airflow rate must be calculated according to the capturing velocity specified by the relevant regulations. The Numano and ACGIH equations are used in Japan and the US, respectively, for estimating the exhaust airflow rate of slot hoods. However, these equations differ from each other, and when using these equations to calculate the exhaust airflow rate of the capture hood, whether using Japan’s equation or ACGIH, the hood type (slot or rectangular hood) should be distinguished at first. Therefore, this study performs experiments and a CFD simulation to investigate the relationship between the centerline velocity and the aspect ratio for five types of capture hoods. The results showed good agreement between simulated and experimental centerline velocities when the distance from the hood face. A dimensionless velocity was introduced and a significant difference in the relationship between the centerline velocity and the distance from the hood face with different aspect ratios was found. A unified equation was obtained that can express the relationship between exhaust airflow rate and centerline velocity regardless of the aspect ratio of the hood face of the free-standing capture hood.

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We aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze the association of employees working in various kinds of open-plan offices with sick leave data, compared to those working in traditional cell offices. Databases of PubMed, PubPsych, and Psyndex were systematically searched following the PRISMA statement. Pooled summary estimates of odds ratio (OR) were calculated comparing sick leave of employees in cell offices with those working in small open-plan offices (4–9 people), and those in various open-plan office solutions (≥ 4 people). We used Forest plots visualizing study-specific estimates and the pooled fixed and random effects estimators. Five studies were identified (2008–2020) with a total of 13,277 (range 469–6,328) participants. Compared with employees working in cell offices, those working in small open-plan offices were associated with higher odds of sick leave days (OR=1.27; 95% CI 0.99–1.54; p=0.046) as well as those working in various kinds of open-plan offices with ≥ 4 colleagues (OR=1.24; 95% CI 0.96–1.51; p=0.004). Our results are consistent with those of earlier reviews focusing on other effects of open-plan office solutions such as health and well-being. Different solutions for office design and architectural lay-out should be the focus of future studies to balance pros and cons of open-plan offices.

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The present study analyses the effect of jobcontrol at work on psychological stress for Indian Middle-Level Managers (MLMs)of a public telecom organisation. 210 MLMs from different parts of India haveparticipated in the survey. Three dimensions of job control visualize controlover work (CoW), control overworking time (CoT1) and control over working days (CoT2), were considered. The validity and reliability were confirmedusing Factor and reliability analysis. A Binary Logistics Regression (BLR) wasperformed to find the effect of job control on behavioural, somatic and cognitive stresscontrolling for age, gender, and experience. The Odds Ratio andAdjusted Odds ratio were calculated. 56% of the participants reported sufferingfrom psychological stress. Results showed that CoT1 had a significantassociation with somatic stress while CoT1 and CoT2 with cognitive stress. LowCoW and low CoT2 were associated with high psychological stress amongmiddle-level managers while low CoT1 to low psychological stress. The findingsindicate that job control have both positive and negative relationships withpsychological well-being depending on its dimension. Increasing job controlcannot entirely ensure the psychological well-being of employees. Therefore, organisations need to assessdifferent dimensions of job control carefully before providing work flexibilityto employees.

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Return to Work (RTW) programmes have become imperative in manpower scarce countries. This paper describes a RTW programme in a Singapore tertiary hospital, reports patient outcomes and discusses the practicality and effectiveness of the programme. Seventy-three workers participated in the programme over a two-year period. A statistically significant increase in work ability and self-perceived overall health status from first contact with worker (baseline) to discharge was observed. Continued programme participation till first RTW was associated with higher work ability and self-perceived overall health status at baseline. The RTW Coordinator-anchored multidisciplinary model which provided holistic support to the worker and addressed stakeholder interests were central to the programme’s success. Greater awareness of RTW programme benefits will improve sustained participation. Our RTW programme features, implementation experiences and participant reported effectiveness may inform the development of improved return to work models.

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To evaluate whetherfinancial aid for acupuncture therapy is beneficial for non-manufacturing jobworkers (office workers) who are aware of reduced job performance due to healthissues (presenteeism), a four-week pragmatic multicenter randomized study was conductedwith office workers who were aware of their presenteeism. The control group onlyimplemented the workplace-recommended presenteeism measures, whereas theintervention group received financial aid for acupuncture therapy of up to 8,000 JPY in addition to implementing the presenteeismmeasures recommended by each workplace. The major outcome measure was the WorldHealth Organization Health and Work Performance Questionnaire relativepresenteeism score. A total of 203 patients were assigned to the intervention(n=103) and control (n=108) groups. The intervention group underwent a medianof 1.0 (interquartile range [IQR], 1.0 to 2.0) sessions of acupuncture for neckdisorders (64%), back disorders (16%), and depressed mood/anxiety/irritation (5%),among others. Results showed that the intervention group had slightly better jobperformance than the control group (effect size [r] = 0.15, p=0.03).Financial aid for acupuncture therapy may help compensate for losses incurredby enterprises in the form of 14,117 JPY per worker a month.

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This study evaluated the differences in respiratory protection between replaceable particulate respirators (RPRs) and powered air-purifying respirators (PAPRs) based on different wearing methods during exercise tasks. Ten participants wore RPRs and PAPRs alternately in ways comparable to those adopted by workers in actual workplaces. We measured the fit factor of the respiratory protective equipment (RPE) during exercise tasks for each wearing variation. The exercise load was set to 80W using an ergometer. The exercise tasks comprised five actions described in the Japan Industrial Standard T8150 in 2018. We compared the results with experimental data obtained at rest in our previous studies. The fit factor of RPRs during exercise was significantly lower than (p<0.001) and about half that measured at rest, indicating inadequate respiratory protection. On the other hand, the fit factor of PAPRs during exercise tasks was also significantly lower than (p<0.001) and about half that at rest, but respiratory protection was maintained. This suggests that the protection provided by PAPRs is independent of wearing method during exercise. PAPRs may thus be better than RPRs for workers who have to wear RPE inappropriately due to health problems.

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To clarify the combined effect of the sub-factors of organizational commitment, this study examined the relationships between organizational commitment profiles and work engagement, psychological distress, and turnover intention among nurses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted; 455 nurses (38 men and 417 women) were included in the statistical analysis. We extracted six clusters through k-means cluster analysis and applied a one-way analysis of variance and chi-square test for work engagement, psychological distress, and turnover intention. Consequently, significant differences were found in work engagement and turnover intention (both p <0.05), and no significant difference was found in psychological distress. These results indicate the formation of affective and normative commitment among nurses in working energetically or preventing turnover. Additionally, no negative effects related to increases in continuance commitment were identified in this study.

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Potential insomnia in healthcare workers is a public health concern as it may degrade the quality of patient care. We examined the prevalence of insomnia symptoms in healthcare workers and their perceived need for a sleep intervention. Participants were 62 nurses working full-time at a U.S. hospital. These nurses were asked about background characteristics, perceived stress, sleep concerns, and need for a sleep intervention. They also participated in 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and actigraphy sleep study. A qualitative analysis showed that the majority (92%) of participants reported at least one sleep concern with insomnia-related concerns being most prevalent (68%). Quantitative analyses indicated that those with insomnia-related concerns had higher perceived stress overall and lower EMA sleep sufficiency and sleep quality. Moreover, participants with insomnia concerns had shorter actigraphy-measured nap duration prior to non-workdays than those without. Nearly all (95%) expressed interest in participating in a sleep intervention; an online format and mindfulness contents were most preferred. Our results suggest a high prevalence of insomnia symptoms and a high interest in a sleep intervention in nurses. Information obtained from this study could be used to deliver a tailored sleep intervention for nurses whose role in public health is essential.

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RETRACTION The following article withdrrawn due to the request of the authors on December 17,2016.

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This article has been retracted by the Editorial Board of INDUSTRIAL HEALTH due to violation of our publishing policies and procedures as of September 26, 2014.

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This article has been retracted by the Editorial Board of INDUSTRIAL HEALTH due to violation of our publishing policies and procedures as of September 26, 2014.

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This study evaluated whether cold-induced deterioration in neuromuscular function can be restored by intermittently increasing the workload. We examined the level of muscular strain, agonist-antagonist co-activation, the occurrence of EMG gaps and neuromuscular efficiency in wrist flexor and extensor muscles at 21°C (TN) and 4°C (C₁₀) with a 10%MVC workload. During second exposure to 4°C (C₅₀) the workload was increased every fourth minute to 50%MVC. The results indicated that muscular strain and co-activation was the highest and the amount of EMG gaps and neuromuscular efficiency the lowest at C₁₀. By intermittently increasing the workload at C₅₀ we were able to reduce muscular strain and co-activation (p<0.05) and induce a trend like increase in EMG gaps and enhance neuromuscular efficiency in relation to C₁₀ (NS). It may be concluded that intermittently increasing the workload, i.e. breaking the monotonous work cycle was able to partially restore neuromuscular function.

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Leukotrienes (LTs) are involved in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis and were increased in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) of the patients with pneumoconiosis. However the possible influence of extra-pulmonary disorders on the EBC markers is not known. Therefore in parallel with EBC, LTs’ levels in the plasma and urine were measured in patients with pneumoconiosis (45x asbestos exposure, 37x silica exposure) and in 27 controls. Individual LTs B4, C4, D4 and E4 were measured by liquid chromatography - electrospray ionization - tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS). In EBC, LT D4 and LT E4 were increased in both groups of patients (p<0.001 and p<0.05), comparing with the controls. Both LT B4 and cysteinyl LTs were elevated in asbestos-exposed subjects (p<0.05). Asbestosis with more severe radiological signs (s1/s2-t3/u2) and lung functions impairment has shown higher cysteinyl LTs and LT C4 in the EBC (p<0.05) than mild asbestosis (s1/s0-s1/s1). In addition, in the subjects with asbestosis, cysteinyl LTs in EBC correlated with TLC (-0.313, p<0.05) and TLCO/Hb (-0.307, p<0.05), and LT C4 with TLC (-0.358, p<0.05). In pneumoconioses, EBC appears the most useful from the 3 fluids studied.

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Many work activities include hazards to workers, and among these biological risk is particularly important, mostly because of different types of exposure, contact with highly dangerous agents, lack of limit values able to compare all exposures, presence of workers with defective immune systems and therefore more susceptible to the risk. Bioaerosols and dust are considered important vehicles of microganisms at workplaces and interaction with other occupational agents is assumed. Moreover, biological risk can be significant in countries with increasing economic development or particular habits and some biological agents are also classified as carcinogenic to human. Specific emerging biological risks have been recently pointed out by Risk Observatory of the European Agency for Safety and Health at work, and we must consider the worker’s attitude and behaviour, influenced by his own perception of risk more than his real knowledge, that could over-underestimate the risk itself. Therefore, biological risk at work requires a complex approach in relation to risk assessment and risk management, made more difficult due to the wide variety of biological agents, working environments and working techniques that can determine the exposures.

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The mental health problems of employees have become a major occupational health issue in Japan. External employee assistance program providers (EAP) have become important in mental health care for workers, but their activities are poorly documented. This descriptive study was undertaken to clarify the status and future tasks of EAP in Japan. The subjects were all EAP (n=27) registered in the Japanese Chapter of Employee Assistance Professionals Association. The questionnaire survey was conducted in January 2007. We received 13 replies, a response rate of 54.2%. Most EAP provided seminars, stress checks, stress management, counseling, and support for a return to work. The number of EAP contracted with small-scale enterprises was small. EAP communicated infrequently with companies. To promote the use of EAP, their advertising, education and training of staff, accumulation of scientific evidence, development of an official certification system for staff, and improvement of contents of EAP services were cited.

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The present study analyzes the effect of work stressors, personal strain and coping resources on burnout among Chinese medical professionals. A total of 2,721 medical professionals were selected using the stratified cluster sampling method. A Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey was used to measure burnout, whereas the Occupation Stress Inventory-Revised Edition was used to evaluate work stressors, personal strain, and coping resources. The structural equation model (SEM) was established to test the effect of work stressors, personal strain, and coping resources on burnout. Among the predictive factors for burnout, work stressors and personal strain were the primary risk factors, whereas coping resources make up the important protective factor. The result from SEM indicated that work stressors had both direct and indirect effects on burnout, with the indirect effect mediated by both personal strain and coping resources. Coping resources only affected burnout indirectly, as mediated by personal strain, whereas personal strain affected burnout independently. The results suggest that work stressors, personal strain, and coping resources play important roles in burnout among medical professionals. To prevent burnout, such countermeasures as controlling the work stressors, reducing personal strain, and strengthening coping resources are recommended.

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This study examines predictors of sickness absence in patients presenting to a health practitioner with acute/subacute low back pain (LBP). Aims of this study were to identify baseline-variables that detect patients with a new LBP episode at risk of sickness absence and to identify prognostic models for sickness absence at different time points after initial presentation. Prospective cohort study investigating 310 patients presenting to a health practitioner with a new episode of LBP at baseline, three-, six-, twelve-week and six-month follow-up, addressing work-related, psychological and biomedical factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify baseline-predictors of sickness absence at different time points. Prognostic models comprised ‘job control’, ‘depression’ and ‘functional limitation’ as predictive baseline-factors of sickness absence at three and six-week follow-up with ‘job control’ being the best single predictor (OR 0.47; 95%CI 0.26–0.87). The six-week model explained 47% of variance of sickness absence at six-week follow-up (p<0.001). The prediction of sickness absence beyond six-weeks is limited, and health practitioners should re-assess patients at six weeks, especially if they have previously been identified as at risk of sickness absence. This would allow timely intervention with measures designed to reduce the likelihood of prolonged sickness absence.

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The WBGT heat stress index has been well tested under a variety of climatic conditions and quantitative links have been established between WBGT and the work-rest cycles needed to prevent heat stress effects at the workplace. While there are more specific methods based on individual physiological measurements to determine heat strain in an individual worker, the WBGT index is used in international and national standards to specify workplace heat stress risks. In order to assess time trends of occupational heat exposure at population level weather station records or climate modelling are the most widely available data sources. The prescribed method to measure WBGT requires special equipment which is not used at weather stations. We compared published methods to calculate outdoor and indoor WBGT from standard climate data, such as air temperature, dew point temperature, wind speed and solar radiation. Specific criteria for recommending a method were developed and original measurements were used to evaluate the different methods. We recommend the method of Liljegren et al. (2008) for calculating outdoor WBGT and the method by Bernard et al. (1999) for indoor WBGT when estimating climate change impacts on occupational heat stress at a population level.

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This study investigated the distinctiveness between workaholism and work engagement by examining their longitudinal relationships (measurement interval=7 months) with well-being and performance in a sample of 1,967 Japanese employees from various occupations. Based on a previous cross-sectional study (Shimazu & Schaufeli, 2009), we expected that workaholism predicts future unwell-being (i.e., high ill-health and low life satisfaction) and poor job performance, whereas work engagement predicts future well-being (i.e., low ill-health and high life satisfaction) and superior job performance. T1–T2 changes in ill-health, life satisfaction and job performance were measured as residual scores that were then included in the structural equation model. Results showed that workaholism and work engagement were weakly and positively related to each other. In addition, workaholism was related to an increase in ill-health and to a decrease in life satisfaction. In contrast, work engagement was related to a decrease in ill-health and to increases in both life satisfaction and job performance. These findings suggest that workaholism and work engagement are two different kinds of concepts that are oppositely related to well-being and performance.

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29 physicians (A1-Group) and 24 physicians (A2-Group) attending the 1st and 2nd “Asian Intensive Reader of Pneumoconiosis” (AIR Pneumo) training course, respectively, and 22 physicians (B-Group) attending the Brazilian training course took the examination of reading the 60-film set. The objective of the study was firstly to investigate the factor structure of physiciansf proficiency of reading pneumoconiosis chest X-ray, and secondly to examine differences in factor scores between groups. Reading results in terms of the 8-index of all examinees (Examinee Group) were subjected to the exploratory factor analysis. A 4-factor was analyzed to structure the 8-index: the specificity for pneumoconiosis, specificity for large opacities, specificity for pleural plaque and shape differentiation for small opacities loaded on the Factor 1; the sensitivity for pneumoconiosis and sensitivity for large opacities loaded on the Factor 2; the sensitivity for pleural plaque loaded on the Factor 3; the profusion increment consistency loaded on the Factor 4. 4-Factor scores were compared between each other of the three groups. The Factor 2 scores in A1 and A2 groups were significantly higher than in B-Group. Four factors could reflect four aspects of reading proficiency of pneumoconiosis X-ray, and it was suggested that 4-factor scores could also assess the attained skills appropriately.

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