Regulatory system reform of occupational health and safety in China

With the explosive economic growth and social development, China’s regulatory system of occupational health and safety now faces more and more challenges. This article reviews the history of regulatory system of occupational health and safety in China, as well as the current reform of this regulatory system in the country. Comprehensive, a range of laws, regulations and standards that promulgated by Chinese government, duties and responsibilities of the regulatory departments are described. Problems of current regulatory system, the ongoing adjustments and changes for modifying and improving regulatory system are discussed. The aim of reform and the incentives to drive forward more health and safety conditions in workplaces are also outlined.     

Workplace health and safety concerns in service organizations in the inner city

These is little known about occupational health and safety concerns or programs in workplaces in the inner city. This work was part of a needs assessment for development of occupational health and safety programs for workplaces in the inner city. Its key objective was to identify inner-city worker concerns regarding specific hazards. The work involved two phases. The first sampled workers in an inner-city hospital and church, and the second involved both paid and volunteer workers in inner-city community outreach programs. The key concerns raised by inner-city workers were infectious disease and personal safety and violence. Occupational health and safety programs need to address infectious disease and personal safety issues in this environment. Further research is needed regarding workplace health and safety in inner-city workplaces, both regarding hazards particular to the inner city and occupational health programs for the workers, both paid and volunteer, who work there. Drs. Holness and Sinclair, Ms. Gadeski, and Mr. Mastandrea are with the Metropolitan United Church.     

Point of view. Occupational safety and health: The years ahead

Many lawyers, scientists, lawmakers, and industrial and labor leaders have expressed concern about the escalating problems in dealing with occupational safety and health. This paper discusses problems, explores the ways in which the current administration may deal with the issues, and suggests a course of action.     

The Italian system of data reporting in agriculture occupational health: a critical appraisal

Background Agriculture is one of the most hazardous sectors in both developing and industrialized countries. Agricultural workers suffer markedly higher rates of accidents and fatal injuries than other workers, with very few resources available for compensation. One of the difficulties in dealing with agriculture is that it is a very complex and heterogeneous sector. Due to inadequate and non-standardized recording and notification systems, official data on the incidence of agricultural occupational accidents and diseases are imprecise, notoriously underestimated, unsatisfactory and inadequate as an indicator for measuring the effect of interventions. Aim To explore the peculiarities of data reporting systems among agricultural sector focusing on the Italian situation. Results and conclusion In recent decades far-reaching national efforts in the sector of occupational safety and health have led to redefinitions and shifts in national policies and priorities, with wide-scale involvement of public and social bodies, field experts, companies, trade unions, public and private insurance agencies. Even so, compared to workers in other sectors, agricultural workers are still under-protected. Occupational safety and health in agriculture need to be addressed with a well-defined strategy and must be integrated into a rural development policy. Integration into the primary health care structure is strongly recommended.     

Approaches to sharing occupational safety and health information on a global scale

BACKGROUND: The global burden of occupational morbidity and mortality is staggering. Information sharing has been identified as a major way of reducing this burden. Past and current approaches to such sharing and application are worth examining in order to guide future efforts. METHODS: Recent literature from international agencies and others was examined to identify examples of information sharing and to determine the status of such sharing and related issues. Literature was included from the areas of surveillance, priority setting, research, dissemination, and risk management. RESULTS: Examples of global information sharing were identified and lessons were drawn from the issues attendant to them. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that a broad range of efforts actively promote the global distribution of occupational safety and health information. To advance global approaches to the sharing of occupational and safety and health information, it is critical to improve the opportunity and capacity to access information. Important objectives in achieving this goal are developing coherent and transparent information policies, conducting research on dissemination, adaptation, and utilization of information, and overcoming barriers to information and training.     

我国职业卫生与安全工作现状与展望

在推进社会可持续发展的进程中,职业卫生与安全工作的不尽如人意已成为制约国家、社会、企业、家庭健康态的一个重要因素,由此带来许多诸如"带血产量"的严酷事实。该文通过对国内职业卫生与安全工作现状和对国际标准化工作实践进行梳理,从中归纳出当前国家职业卫生与安全工作的宏观存在状况,旨在找出问题,提出建议。     

Occupational health and safety policy and psychosocial risks in Europe: The role of stakeholders’ perceptions

Introduction

Psychosocial risks are now largely acknowledged throughout Europe as important challenges in occupational health and safety. However, there appear to be wide gaps in perception between experts and the general population on the nature and the relevance of psychosocial risks that have a potential impact on policy development and implementation in this area.

Methods

This study investigated the level of knowledge among European stakeholders, of legislation on occupational safety and health, focusing particularly on psychosocial risk factors. 75 members of employers’ associations, trade unions and government institutions from 21 countries in the European Union (EU) participated in the study. In addition, to further elaborate the findings of the survey, focus groups were organised during a 2-day stakeholder workshop.

Results

The level of application of European Directive 89/391 for the assessment and management of psychosocial risks and work-related stress was largely reported by the stakeholders as inadequate. This opinion was more marked in the new EU27 countries than the older EU15, and the difference was significant as regards the impact of the Directive on the assessment and management of psychosocial risks. Overall, psychosocial risks and work-related stress were reported to be important occupational health and safety concerns; however there were important differences among stakeholders in different countries.

Conclusions

Despite the development of knowledge and activities on both the policy and practice levels in recent years, further work is still needed to harmonize stakeholder perceptions in this area in the various EU member states.     

Occupational health and safety in hospitals accreditation system: the case of Lebanon

Introduction: Hospital accreditation can be an incentive to improve occupational health and safety (OHS) performance.

Objective: This study assesses the relationship between status of accreditation among private Lebanese hospitals and compliance with OHS accreditation standards.

Methods: A survey was administered to 68 private Lebanese hospitals to assess accreditation status and specific indicators related to each of the 9 OHS codes in the Lebanese accreditation manual. Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and independent sample t-tests compared the OHS standards between accredited and non-accredited hospitals.

Results: Fifty-six percent of participating private hospitals were accredited. Accredited hospitals reported statistically better OHS performance than non-accredited hospitals based on the standards outlined in the accreditation manual. However, there was inconsistent performance on numerous OHS indicators among participating hospitals.

Conclusion: The gaps in OHS performance suggest the need for strengthened OHS guidelines in the national accreditation process to safeguard workers’ health. Strategies to fortify OHS performance include tying service reimbursement to OHS compliance and linking OHS standards with national labor legislation.     

Assessment of occupational safety and health programs in small businesses

BACKGROUND: Occupational safety and health (OSH) programs are a strategy for protecting workers' health, yet there are few peer-reviewed reports on methods for assessing them, or on the prevalent characteristics of OSH programs, especially in small businesses. METHODS: We adapted an occupational safety and health administration (OSHA) survey instrument to assess: management commitment and employee participation, workplace analysis, hazard prevention and control, and education and training. This was supplemented by a series of open-ended questions. We administered the survey in 25 small worksites. RESULTS: Scores for each element ranged widely, with distribution of most scores being positively skewed. Barriers to addressing OSH included lack of time and in-house expertise, and production pressures. External agents, including corporate parents, liability insurers, and OSHA, played an important role in motivating OSH programs. CONCLUSIONS: Small businesses were able to mount comprehensive programs, however, they may rely on outside resources for this task. Being small may not be a barrier to meeting the requirements of an OSHA program management rule.     

Hospital support services and the impacts of outsourcing on occupational health and safety

Background: Outsourcing labor is linked to negative impacts on occupational health and safety (OHS). In British Columbia, Canada, provincial health care service providers outsource support services such as cleaners and food service workers (CFSWs) to external contractors.

Objectives: This study investigates the impact of outsourcing on the occupational health safety of hospital CFSWs through a mixed methods approach.

Methods: Worker’s compensation data for hospital CFSWs were analyzed by negative binomial and multiple linear regressions supplemented by iterative thematic analysis of telephone interviews of the same job groups.

Results: Non-significant decreases in injury rates and days lost per injury were observed in outsourced CFSWs post outsourcing. Significant decreases (P < 0.05) were observed in average costs per injury for cleaners post outsourcing. Outsourced workers interviewed implied instances of underreporting workplace injuries.

Conclusions: This mixed methods study describes the impact of outsourcing on OHS of healthcare workers in British Columbia. Results will be helpful for policy-makers and workplace regulators to assess program effectiveness for outsourced workers.     

Comparison of U.S. occupational safety and health administration standards and german berufsgenossenschaften guidelines for preventive occupational health examinations

Thirty-three U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards contain mandated medical service provisions. The German Berufsgenossenschaften Guidelines for Preventive Occupational Health Examinations currently comprise 38 guidelines, which contain mandated medical service provisions. Based on a previously published method for scoring several medical program elements, the Berufsgenossenschaften guidelines were compared with the OSHA standards. Specific program elements were combined to generate and compare quality control scores, screening scores and surveillance scores. The asbestos standard/guidelines were compared in more detail (e.g., physical examination, laboratory tests, examination schedule, eligibility). The German medical requirements consistently ranked higher than their U.S. counterparts for overall scores and the scoring indices for quality control, screening, and surveillance. However, this comparison also reveals that few surveillance features have been incorporated into the medical requirements of either country, suggesting that neither country is making full use of workplace medical services for primary prevention. Am. J. Ind. Med. 31:373–388, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Tradeswomen's perspectives on occupational health and safety: A qualitative investigation

Qualitative research methods were used to determine the health and safety concerns of women employed in the construction trades. Major categories of concern were identified, including: 1) exposure to chemical and physical agents; 2) injuries from lifting/bending/twisting, falling, and lacerations; 3) lack of proper education and training; and 4) the health and safety risks related specifically to tradeswomen. Many of the issues identified by the workers are amenable to change through either engineering, behavioral, or administrative interventions. (This article is a US Government work and, as such, is in the public domain in the United States of America.) © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The impact of the introduction of market incentives on occupational health services and occupational health professionals: experiences from The Netherlands

OBJECTIVES: This paper describes the reform of the regulations on safety and health in the Netherlands towards a more competitive market and its impact on occupational health services (OHSs) and the health professionals over the period 1994-2005. Aims are to identify the crucial factors that bring about the intended effects (such as lower disability rates) and to evaluate the outcomes from the perspective of the occupational health professional. The paper contributes to the discussion of how the professionals could define and contain their professional identity and credibility in competitive circumstances. METHODS: Open interviews were completed with 12 key persons and secondary analyses were made on documents and various monitors. RESULTS: The reform changed the OHS safety market fundamentally. OHSs were transformed from medium sized regional units into business organizations mostly operating on a national level. Private insurance companies became key players. Only after the development of an effective social infrastructure, however, intended effects (lower absenteeism and disability) occurred. Occupational health professionals were initially opposed but by redefining their professional domain and identity, they finally succeeded in gaining negotiating power in order to preserve and develop expertise and professional integrity. CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the introduction of market incentives depends strongly on their social embeddedness. Health professionals should adapt their strategy to the conditions of the competitive market, in order to preserve a credible and professional identity.     

Workers compensation and occupational health and safety in the Australian agricultural industry

Objectives:  The objective of this paper is to review the available workers compensation and occupational health and safety data and the legal framework in relation to the agricultural industry to explore whether any factors highlight the need to pay special attention to the particular circumstances of those engaged in the industry.
Design:  This paper explores some of the special features of the agricultural industry, looking first at agricultural worker fatalities and injuries as a matter of ongoing concern for all participants in this industry, government, as well as occupational health and workers compensation authorities. The paper analyses how occupational health and workers compensation laws may have special application to this industry. Finally, the paper considers some workers compensation provisions that have particular application to the agricultural industry.
Conclusions:  Our survey of the available data and literature leads to the conclusion that the dangerous nature of agricultural work and the special legal and economic framework in which that work is undertaken identify the agricultural industry as presenting Australian Governments and specialist authorities with particular challenges in relation to improving workplace safety and reducing workplace injury.     

Individual,occupational, and workplace correlates of occupational health and safety vulnerability in a sample of Canadian workers

Objective

To describe OH&S vulnerability across a diverse sample of Canadian workers.

Methods

A survey was administered to 1,835 workers employed more than 15 hrs/week in workplaces with at least five employees. Adjusted logistic models were fitted for three specific and one overall measure of workplace vulnerability developed based on hazard exposure and access to protective OH&S policies and procedures, awareness of employment rights and responsibilities, and workplace empowerment.

Results

More than one third of the sample experienced some OH&S vulnerability. The type and magnitude of vulnerability varied by labor market sub‐group. Younger workers and those in smaller workplaces experienced significantly higher odds of multiple types of vulnerability. Temporary workers reported elevated odds of overall, awareness‐ and empowerment‐related vulnerability, while respondents born outside of Canada had significantly higher odds of awareness vulnerability.

Conclusion

Knowing how labor market sub‐groups experience different types of vulnerability can inform better‐tailored primary prevention interventions. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:119–128, 2016. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Psychosocial aspects of interventions in occupational safety and health

Attention to psychosocial hazards in work environments should become an increasingly important component of occupational safety and health interventions. Research findings have linked a number of measurable psychosocial characteristics with negative psychological and physiological consequences. Some serious physical health hazards have also been found to have psychosocial components. Several economic trends indicate that more jobs will be created with high levels of psychosocial hazards. These economic trends include a decline in wages, a move away from a manufacturing base, increased hours of work, a decline in unionization rates, and poorly implemented technological changes. Intervention strategies developed to reduce psychosocial stressors must address the multiple cause of psychosocial hazards and the multiple symptoms they produce. Additional challenges include assessing psychosocial changes within the sometimes contradictory framework of organizational and social changes. Nevertheless, comprehensive efforts to improve both the health and safety and the overall quality of working life need to incorporate psychosocial variables into their designs. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The occupational safety and health activities of UK environmental health officers—accident investigation

UK Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) are currently employed by local authorities to, inter alia discharge their duty of enforcing the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at certain prescribed work activities. To be effective in this role, EHOs must be able to identify and act upon failures in work systems. This requires communication with and participation of the workforce. This paper describes part of the findings of an investigation into the extent of EHO‐trade union safety representative contact. Accidents reported to three local authorities were analysed to indicate the present effectiveness of EHOs in identifying actual, as opposed to potential, failures in work systems. These analyses showed classic failures in work systems which were not reliably uncovered by the EHOs. This appeared to stem from their failure to use a logical, problem solving method of investigation.