The Occupational Characteristics and Health Status of Workers in Geographically Isolated and Confined Areas in the Republic of Korea

BackgroundThis study investigates the safety and health status of geographically isolated and confined workers.MethodsThis study was conducted in Baekryeong Island in Korea in 2020. The age-standardized prevalence ratios (aSPR) for occupational injury, unmet medical needs, psychological status, and lifestyle were estimated from the available data. Also, we compared the aSPRs of workers in Baekryeong Island with a reference study population who participated in a nationally representative survey in Korea.ResultsThe study revealed that Baekryeong Island workers had an increased risk of acquiring health and safety problems compared to the general worker population. The island workers showed a significant increase in unmet medical care (aSPR, 5.319; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.984–6.958) and occupational injury (aSPR, 8.371; 95% CI, 3.820–15.892).ConclusionThis study identified the safety and health problems of geographically isolated workers in Baekryeong Island. The risk of occupational injury and unmet medical care are simultaneously highlighted in the region''s population, thereby underscoring the importance of prevention.     

Watson人性照顾理论在手术室护士职业防护中的应用效果

目的探讨Watson人性照顾理论在手术室护士职业防护中的应用效果。方法采用便利抽样法选择2018年1月—2019年12月在树兰(杭州)医院手术室工作的24名护士为研究对象。本研究为前后对照研究,于2019年1月开始在常规管理的基础上实施基于Watson人性照顾理论的职业防护管理干预。采用自制的护士职业危险风险评估表、护士职业认同量表和护士工作满意度量表比较干预前后护士的职业风险认知能力、职业认同感和工作满意度。结果干预后护士的环境风险、事故风险、生物风险、化学风险、物理风险维度得分高于干预前[(21.7±2.8)vs(.17.5±3.0)、(21.8±3.2)vs.(16.0±2.7)、(16.7±2.6)vs(.14.4±2.5)、(22.0±2.3)vs(.17.8±2.8)、(16.1±2.2)vs(.13.8±2.7)分],差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01);干预后护士的一致感、把握感、患者影响感、自我决定感、自我效力感、有意义感及组织影响感维度得分均高于干预前[(81.5±5.6)vs(.77.8±6.4)、(77.9±4.8)vs(.74.4±5.2)、(81.2±5.0)vs.(76.7±5.5)、(82.2±6.1)vs(.77.2±5.7)、(83.5±5.1)vs(.79.3±4.7)、(84.7±4.5)vs(.80.2±4.9)、(80.1±5.6)vs.(75.7±6.2)分],差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01);干预后护士的工作满意度量表得分为(126.7±12.5)分,高于干预前的(113.2±11.3)分,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论将Watson人性照顾理论应用于手术室护士职业防护中,可提高手术室护士的职业风险认知能力、职业认同感和工作满意度,值得临床推广。     

护士职业应对自我效能的研究进展

护士职业应对自我效能是其在护理工作中对自己应对能力的信心,对护理人员在工作岗位上更好发挥自身优势具有重要作用。目前国内外学者在测量工具、前因后效方面取得了一定的进展,本文通过对现有文献进行总结、归纳,整理出护士职业应对自我效能的概念、常用测量量表,影响因素以及作用并对当前护士职业应对自我效能研究中存在的不足进行展望,以期为护士更好应对护理工作提供参考。     

对工作场所F类铀化合物空气浓度限值的推导探讨

目的 从辐射和化学危害角度分别推算F类铀化合物导出空气浓度,为工作场所职业危害因素的管理与评价提供参考.方法 用模拟计算的方法,分别推算F类铀化合物达到个人年剂量限值、急慢性机体损害效应阈值时工作场所的空气浓度.结果 正常运行情况下,将工作场所空气中F类铀化合物浓度控制在5 μg/m³以内,可以满足辐射危害和化学危害控制的要求;短时间开放性接触时,控制在1.1 mg/m³是可以接受的.结论 制定F类铀化合物空气浓度限值是可行的.     

From the Cover: Supercell tornadoes are much stronger and wider than damage-based ratings indicate

Tornadoes cause damage, injury, and death when intense winds impact structures. Quantifying the strength and extent of such winds is critical to characterizing tornado hazards. Ratings of intensity and size are based nearly entirely on postevent damage surveys [R. Edwards et al., Bull. Am. Meteorol. Soc. 94, 641–653 (2013)]. It has long been suspected that these suffer low bias [C. A. Doswell, D. W. Burgess, Mon. Weather Rev. 116, 495–501 (1988)]. Here, using mapping of low-level tornado winds in 120 tornadoes, we prove that supercell tornadoes are typically much stronger and wider than damage surveys indicate. Our results permit an accurate assessment of the distribution of tornado intensities and sizes and tornado wind hazards, based on actual wind-speed observations, and meaningful comparisons of the distribution of tornado intensities and sizes with theoretical predictions. We analyze data from Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radar measurements of 120 tornadoes at the time of peak measured intensity. In striking contrast to conventional damage-based climatologies, median tornado peak wind speeds are ∼60 m⋅s⁻¹, capable of causing significant, Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF)-2 to -3, damage, and 20% are capable of the most intense EF-4/EF-5 damage. National Weather Service (NWS) EF/wind speed ratings are 1.2 to 1.5 categories (∼20 m⋅s⁻¹) lower than DOW observations for tornadoes documented by both the NWS and DOWs. Median tornado diameter is 250 to 500 m, with 10 to 15% >1 km. Wind engineering tornado-hazard-model predictions and building wind resistance standards may require upward adjustment due to the increased wind-damage risk documented here.

Tornadoes cause direct harm to people, infrastructure, and communities (1). Quantifying tornado risk requires accurate knowledge of their wind speeds and the size of the areas at risk from these intense winds. However, since direct measurements of tornado winds are rare, tornado intensity and size are nearly always inferred indirectly from postevent damage surveys applying the Fujita (F) or Enhanced Fujita (EF) scales (2–5) to infer maximum wind speeds. Statistics concerning tornado frequency, intensity, and size are derived from these surveys. However, because most tornadoes do not damage well-engineered structures, from which the most intense wind speeds can be inferred, and many occur in primarily rural areas, damage-based tornado wind speed and size estimations are likely severely low biased (6–11). A limited climatology (12), using Doppler On Wheels (DOW) radar data (13–15), suggested that tornadoes may be larger and more intense than indicated by these surveys. In-situ observations of wind speeds reliably demonstrable to be inside the radius of maximum winds of tornadoes are very rare (16, 17) and inadequate for deriving a statistically meaningful climatology. It is no exaggeration to state that, until now, statistics concerning even the most basic characteristics of tornadoes, including intensity and size, could not be quantified with confidence.     

Cardiac arrest in the workplace and its outcome: a systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionOut-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) in the workplace appears to be managed more effectively than OHCA occurring in other places. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the available epidemiological data was performed, comparing the rate of survival for OHCA in the workplace, versus survival in other locations.MethodsFour databases (Pub-Med, Scopus, Web of science, “Base de Données de Santé Publique”, BDSP, i.e. the French Public Health Database) were searched from 01/2000 to 03/2015, using the key words: (”Cardiac arrest”) and (“occupational” OR “workplace” OR “public location”). A two stage process with two independent readers was used to select relevant papers. Numbers of subjects who suffered from OHCA in the workplace versus other locations were extracted when possible, as well as their respective outcomes (admitted alive to the hospital, discharged alive, good neurological outcome). Metarisks were calculated using the generic variance approach (meta-odds ratios metaOR).ResultsAfter full-text reading, 17 papers were included, from 9 countries, mostly published after 2005, and coming mostly from prospective registers. “Workplace” was defined differently in different studies, mostly in terms of industrial sites and offices. The workplace was an exceptional location for occurrences of OHCA (from 0.3% to 4.7% of all OHCA, from 1.3 to 23.8 events per million people per year), based on 2077 OHCA. In the quantitative analyses (survival available, 10 studies), MetaOR were found to be relatively consistent and high (from 1.9 (1.5–2.3) to 5.9(2.7–13.0)). When OHCA occurring at workplaces were compared to other public sites, no significant differences were found.ConclusionThere is sufficient evidence to support the view that there will be better outcomes for OHCA cases that occur in the workplace than for those occurring elsewhere. Requirements for occupational health and safety should include prevention of such major (albeit rare) events.     

Occupational Characteristics of Adults with Pediatric-Onset Spinal Cord Injury

Background:

Employment rates among individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) are lower than in the general population and little is known about the specific occupations in which they are employed.

Objectives:

To describe specific occupations of adults with pediatric-onset SCI using the 2010 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system and to determine associations between SOC occupations and demographic factors.

Methods:

Cross-sectional data specific to education and employment were collected from the last interviews of a larger longitudinal study. Occupations were categorized according to the 2010 SOC system. SOC groups were compared within gender level of injury and final education.

Results:

Of the 461 total participants 219 (47.5%) were employed and specific occupations were available for 179. Among the SOC groups Education Law Community Service Arts and Media Occupations were most prevalent (30.2%) followed by Management Business and Finance Occupations (21.1%) Computer Engineering and Science Occupations (10.6%) Administrative and Office Support Occupations (10.0%) Service Occupations (7.3%) Healthcare Practitioners and Technical Occupations (3.9%) and Production Occupations (3.4%). Differences were found in the distribution of SOC groups between gender levels of injury and final education groups.

Conclusion:

A wide variety of occupations were reported in adults with pediatric-onset SCI generally in concordance with final education and functional ability levels.     

北京郊区医务人员艾滋病职业暴露与防护现况

目的了解北京郊区医务人员艾滋病职业暴露及防护情况。方法采取现况调查的方法,按多阶整群抽样的原则,于2005年12月-2006年1月抽取北京郊区的医务人员进行问卷调查。结果2 021名医务人员中有21.8%参与过艾滋病诊疗服务,5.6%一年内接触过HIV阳性病人,38.9%一年内曾被医疗器械(皿)刺破皮肤,52.0%一年内经常接触引起血液、体液飞溅的操作;职业暴露防护不规范率为12.3%~62.1%;职业暴露后局部处理、预防性用药知识知晓率分别为4.6%、15.3%。结论北京郊区医务人员普遍存在艾滋病职业暴露危险,防护相关行为有待进一步培训、规范,推广普遍性防护原则势在必行。     

Japanese guidelines for occupational allergic diseases 2020

Occupational allergic diseases are likely to worsen or become intractable as a result of continuous exposure to high concentrations of causative allergens. These are socioeconomically important diseases that can lead to work interruptions for patients and potentially job loss. We published the first guideline for managing occupational allergic diseases in Japan. The original document was published in Japanese in 2013, and the following year (2014) it was published in English. This guideline consists of six chapters about occupational asthma, occupational allergic rhinitis, occupational skin diseases, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, occupational anaphylaxis shock, and the legal aspects of these diseases. Providing general doctors with the knowledge to make evidence-based diagnoses and to understand the occupational allergic disease treatment policies, was a breakthrough in allergic disease treatment.Due to the discovery of new occupational allergens and the accumulation of additional evidence, we published a revised version of our original article in 2016, and it was published in English in 2017. In addition to including new knowledge of allergens and evidence, the 2016 revision contains a “Flowchart to Diagnosis” for the convenience of general doctors.We report the essence of the revised guidelines in this paper.