Cardiovascular load assessment in the workplace: A systematic review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Health and safety hazards and risk factors in the workplace are associated with occupational CVD, though inconsistent evidence of causal associations represents a knowledge gap. The assessment of physical load on the cardiovascular system in relation to work different risk factors and occupational groups is necessary, if preventative measures for occupational CVD are to be better tailored to workers’ needs.The pertinent literature reports the use of different objective and subjective metrics to evaluate the cardiovascular load (CVL). We aimed to identify how cardiovascular stress is assessed in the workplace and to bring together related evidence-based recommendations for preventative measures. Hence, we systematically searched the Google Scholar database for corresponding publications to a) gather metrics used to assess CVL, b) summarize the related risk factors investigated, c) report the occupational groups and activities targeted in these studies, and d) compile recommendations resulting from these studies.The majority of studies reported objective measures, mostly Relative Heart Rate. The identified risk factors included work environment factors, general job features (such as the number of working hours), task-related factors and individual characteristics of the worker. Most studies focused on the industrial sector, namely, the manufacturing industry and construction were the two most frequent occupational groups, due to high exposure to risk factors. Few evidence-based recommendations were identified, though guidelines to promote safety and productivity were proposed. Our results encourage further research on CVL, occupational risk and CVD.     

Compensation for occupational injuries and diseases: its effect upon prevention at the workplace

Abstract

In Switzerland, as in many other industrialized countries, the nature and extent of prevention at the workplace is determined, at least partially, by known cases of compensated occupational injuries and diseases. At both the national and international levels ∥ILO conventions) injuries and diseases that fit appropriate lists and definitions are eligible for compensation. It has been found, based upon an investigation of a representative sample (965 subjects) of the working population in the French-speaking region of Switzerland, that this restrictive view does not take into account the fact that a large proportion of injuries and diseases are claimed by the victims to be caused by their job. These injuries and diseases, responsible for at least one month's absence from work, are not considered to be eligible for compensation but must be covered by the patient's own insurance. Moreover, the survey showed that workers considered the ill effects on health and safety to be a consequence less of the physical working environment than of the work organization, and that this category of risks was not recognized. Thus, in addition to the reduction of hazards by the application of industrial hygiene, an informed improvement of the workplace and the work organization was required. Consequently, laws and regulations on occupational injuries and diseases should be changed in order to emphasize the role of more appropriate preventive tools, which includes ergonomics.     

Electronic surveillance of Internet access in the American workplace: implications for management

Software that enables sophisticated and comprehensive electronic surveillance of employee Internet access is widely used by American businesses. No federal or state statute prohibits private employers from monitoring their employees' email or the websites they access. Corporate managers opt for surveillance to protect their corporations from legal exposure arising from employee misconduct, such as downloading or emailing pornographic material; to protect against the improper disclosure of proprietary information over the Internet; and because surveillance software is inexpensive. While the reasons offered by employers for conducting electronic surveillance may be valid, there are competing considerations. This paper reviews surveillance technologies, discusses arguments for utilizing electronic surveillance, and concludes with legal issues arising from surveillance and implications for management.     

Understanding workplace violence: The value of a systems perspective

Workplace violence is a leading form of occupational injury and fatality, but has received little attention from the ergonomics research community. The paper reports findings from the 2012 New Zealand Workplace Violence Survey, and examines the workplace violence experience of 86 New Zealand organisations and the perceptions of occupational health and safety professionals from a systems perspective. Over 50% of respondents reported violence cases in their organisation, with perpetrators evenly split between co-workers and external sources such as patients. Highest reported levels of violence were observed for agriculture, forestry and construction sectors. Highest risk factor ratings were reported for interpersonal and organisational factors, notably interpersonal communication, time pressure and workloads, with lowest ratings for environmental factors. A range of violence prevention measures were reported, although most organisations relied on single control measures, suggesting unmanaged violence risks were common among the sample.     

A randomised controlled trial of a self-guided internet intervention promoting well-being

Positive psychology is paving the way for interventions that enduringly enhance well-being and the internet offers the potential to disseminate these interventions to a broad audience in an accessible and sustainable manner. There is now sufficient evidence demonstrating the efficacy of internet interventions for mental illness treatment and prevention, but little is known about enhancing well-being. The current study examined the efficacy of a positive psychology internet-based intervention by adopting a randomised controlled trial design to compare a strengths intervention, a problem solving intervention and a placebo control. Participants (n = 160) completed measures of well-being (PWI-A, SWLS, PANAS, OTH) and mental illness (DASS-21) at pre-assessment, post-assessment and 3-month follow-up. Well-being increased for the strengths group at post- and follow-up assessment on the PWI-A, but not the SWLS or PANAS. Significant changes were detected on the OTH subscales of engagement and pleasure. No changes in mental illness were detected by group or time. Attrition from the study was 83% at 3-month follow-up, with significant group differences in adherence to the intervention: strengths (34%), problem solving (15.5%) and placebo control (42.6%). Although the results are mixed, it appears possible to enhance the cognitive component of well-being via a self-guided internet intervention.     

Explaining non-work-related computing in the workplace: A comparison of alternative models

Our study was initiated to provide a better understanding of the factors influencing employees’ non-work-related computing (NWRC) behavior by comparing two models, one based on Triandis’ theory of interpersonal behavior (TIB) and the other derived from the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Results of the study showed that the TIB-based model had higher explanatory power than the TPB-based model. Specifically, affect, social factors, and perceived consequences significantly influenced employees’ intention to engage in NWRC, while intention to engage in it, habit, and facilitating conditions determined employees’ NWRC behavior. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

A statistical human resources costing and accounting model for analysing the economic effects of an intervention at a workplace

The study had two primary aims. The first aim was to combine a human resources costing and accounting approach (HRCA) with a quantitative statistical approach in order to get an integrated model. The second aim was to apply this integrated model in a quasi-experimental study in order to investigate whether preventive intervention affected sickness absence costs at the company level. The intervention studied contained occupational organizational measures, competence development, physical and psychosocial working environmental measures and individual and rehabilitation measures on both an individual and a group basis. The study is a quasi-experimental design with a non-randomized control group. Both groups involved cleaning jobs at predominantly female workplaces. The study plan involved carrying out before and after studies on both groups. The study included only those who were at the same workplace during the whole of the study period. In the HRCA model used here, the cost of sickness absence is the net difference between the costs, in the form of the value of the loss of production and the administrative cost, and the benefits in the form of lower labour costs. According to the HRCA model, the intervention used counteracted a rise in sickness absence costs at the company level, giving an average net effect of 266.5 Euros per person (full-time working) during an 8-month period. Using an analogue statistical analysis on the whole of the material, the contribution of the intervention counteracted a rise in sickness absence costs at the company level giving an average net effect of 283.2 Euros. Using a statistical method it was possible to study the regression coefficients in sub-groups and calculate the p-values for these coefficients; in the younger group the intervention gave a calculated net contribution of 605.6 Euros with a p-value of 0.073, while the intervention net contribution in the older group had a very high p-value. Using the statistical model it was also possible to study contributions of other variables and interactions. This study established that the HRCA model and the integrated model produced approximately the same monetary outcomes. The integrated model, however, allowed a deeper understanding of the various possible relationships and quantified the results with confidence intervals.     

A statistical human resources costing and accounting model for analysing the economic effects of an intervention at a workplace

The study had two primary aims. The first aim was to combine a human resources costing and accounting approach (HRCA) with a quantitative statistical approach in order to get an integrated model. The second aim was to apply this integrated model in a quasi-experimental study in order to investigate whether preventive intervention affected sickness absence costs at the company level. The intervention studied contained occupational organizational measures, competence development, physical and psychosocial working environmental measures and individual and rehabilitation measures on both an individual and a group basis. The study is a quasi-experimental design with a non-randomized control group. Both groups involved cleaning jobs at predominantly female workplaces. The study plan involved carrying out before and after studies on both groups. The study included only those who were at the same workplace during the whole of the study period. In the HRCA model used here, the cost of sickness absence is the net difference between the costs, in the form of the value of the loss of production and the administrative cost, and the benefits in the form of lower labour costs. According to the HRCA model, the intervention used counteracted a rise in sickness absence costs at the company level, giving an average net effect of 266.5 Euros per person (full-time working) during an 8-month period. Using an analogue statistical analysis on the whole of the material, the contribution of the intervention counteracted a rise in sickness absence costs at the company level giving an average net effect of 283.2 Euros. Using a statistical method it was possible to study the regression coefficients in sub-groups and calculate the p-values for these coefficients; in the younger group the intervention gave a calculated net contribution of 605.6 Euros with a p-value of 0.073, while the intervention net contribution in the older group had a very high p-value. Using the statistical model it was also possible to study contributions of other variables and interactions. This study established that the HRCA model and the integrated model produced approximately the same monetary outcomes. The integrated model, however, allowed a deeper understanding of the various possible relationships and quantified the results with confidence intervals.     

A comparison of parallelism in interface designs for computer-based learning environments

In this paper we discuss an experiment that was carried out with a prototype, designed in conformity with the concept of parallelism and the Parallel Instruction theory (the PI theory). We designed this prototype with five different interfaces, and ran an empirical study in which 18 participants completed an abstract task. The five basic designs were based on hypotheses of the PI theory that for solving tasks on screens all task relevant information must be in view on a computer monitor, as clearly as possible. The condition with two parallel frames and the condition with one long web page appeared to be the best design for this type of task, better than window versions that we normally use for our computer simulations on the web. We do not only describe the results of the abstract task in the five conditions, but we also discuss the results from the perspective of concrete, realistic tasks with computer simulations. The interface with two parallel frames is the best solution here, but also the interface with long web pages (‘virtual parallelism’) is a great favourite in practice when doing realistic tasks.     

A comparison of and future trends in personal computer-based computer-aided design and drafting software

Drawing software has become available on personal computers only within the last year and a half. Given the wide availability and relatively low-cost of personal computers and the great benefits that can be gained from their use as drawing processors, hundreds of thousands of people will within a few years be using these tools. The drawing software that is now available is impressive and in some cases provides better performance than software available on mini-computers. I expect that competitive pressures and a large market for this type of software will continue to encourage manufacturers to enhance the capabilities of their packages. I will be discussing the varieties of drawing processor software that is available on personal computers and in particular personal computers running the MS-DOS operating system and adhering closely to the IBM-PC software and hardware standards. In addition, I will be examining the features that one might expect to get with drawing processor software and what future trends one can expect. In the next few years there will continue to be rapid growth in the variety and power of CAD software running on personal computers. Personal computer CAD workstations will vastly outnumber those on mini-computers within five years. The features available in the personal computer CAD software will equal those available on mini-computer systems today.     

Decisional style and self-reported Email use in the workplace

Inefficient or inappropriate Email use within the workplace can lead to lowered productivity of an organisation. Technological predispositions, decisional style, and self-esteem may potentially influence the extent to which people use Email whilst at work. Higher levels of Email use in the workplace could be predicted by avoidant decisional styles such as procrastination and buck-passing. To understand how decisional style influences Email usage, 90 participants completed an Email Use Survey, the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. Procrastination, buck-passing, vigilance, hypervigilance and self-esteem were employed within separate multiple regressions to predict types of self-reported Email usage. Better-educated procrastinators reported higher levels of total Email usage. Older procrastinators reported more work-related Email usage. Young, better-educated individuals tended to report engaging in more personal Email usage in the workplace.     

Heat stress management: Case study in an aluminum smelter

Heat stress is a recognized hazard in many industries including aluminum smelters. The emphasis of this case study was on the potroom operations in which molten aluminum was made from alumina ore. The case study presents the methods used to evaluate the heat stress, an overview of the controls and an assessment of their effectiveness. To facilitate the evaluation, environmental data were collected and used to develop a prediction model for WBGT levels at target locations in the potrooms based on the temperature and humidity of air entering the potrooms at a representative (reference) location. The prediction model was largely empirical with an accounting for the nonlinear relationship of wet bulb temperature to air temperature at a fixed vapor pressure. The WBGT prediction in combination with metabolic rate and a task analysis was implemented in a spreadsheet scheme for heat stress evaluation of different jobs. Heat stress guidelines were developed to manage the risk of heat-related disorders. The guidelines mapped out the policy, responsibilities and activities. Important among these activities were training, hygiene practices and medical surveillance. The guidelines included environmental thresholds at the reference location for administrative controls and personal protection. The current level of heat stress was broadcast through the potrooms so that appropriate actions could be taken. The success of the guidelines was seen in the reduction of heat-related disorders and overall injuries. Further, physiological measurements demonstrated that there was good control of heat strain.Relevance to industry

Heat stress is a common problem in many industries, and workers are frequently exposed to heat stress above conventional limits. This paper illustrated an approach that protected workers and managed the high exposures without excessive risk of heat-related disorders. Further, the paper presented a method to assess heat stress for complex exposures and time varying conditions.     

Severity and impact of computer user frustration: A comparison of student and workplace users

User frustration with information and computing technology is a pervasive and persistent problem. When computers crash, network congestion causes delays, and poor user interfaces trigger confusion there are dramatic consequences for individuals, organizations, and society. These frustrations, not only cause personal dissatisfaction and loss of self-efficacy, but may disrupt workplaces, slow learning, and reduce participation in local and national communities. Our exploratory study of 107 student computer users and 50 workplace computer users shows high levels of frustration and loss of 1/3–1/2 of time spent. This paper reports on the incident and individual factors that cause of frustration, and how they raise frustration severity. It examines the frustration impacts on the daily interactions of the users. The time lost and time to fix problem, and importance of task, strongly correlate with frustration levels for both student and workplace users. Differences between students and workplace users are discussed in the paper, as are implications for researchers.     

Cardiorespiratory responses of firefighters to a computerized fire strategies and tactics drill during physical activity

Firefighters are subjected to a combination of physical and mental challenges in the course of their occupational responsibilities. However, due to the ecological factors involved with firefighting, it makes it extremely difficult to examine physiological and psychological changes that occur as a result of these combined challenges. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of a computer-based Fire Strategies and Tactics Drill (FSTD) in eliciting psychological and physiological measures of stress in professional firefighters. In one session, participants exercised at 60% VO_2max for 37 min (exercise alone condition, EAC), and in the other session the firefighter exercised for an equal amount of time and responded to the FSTD (dual challenge condition; DCC) while exercising. Cardiorespiratory (heart rate [HR], respiration rate [RR], minute ventilation [V_E], oxygen consumption [VO₂], ventilatory efficiency [V_E/VO₂], and respiratory exchange ratio [RER]) and psychometric measures (State Anxiety Inventory [SAI] and Ratings of Perceived Exertion [RPE]) were obtained throughout the experimental protocols. The NASA Task Load Index was used to assess perceived physical and mental load during each condition. The results demonstrated that the participants perceived overall workload to be higher in the DCC. Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed no differences between the EAC and DCC for VO₂ or RER, but the DCC did elicit significantly greater elevations in HR, RR, V_E, and V_E/VO₂ compared to the EAC. These results suggest that the FSTD utilized in this study provides an effective method for examining the physiological and psychological responses of firefighters in a research laboratory environment.     

Determinants of online safety behaviour: towards an intervention strategy for college students

How can young adults be motivated to enact security precautions? Communication about the risks of Internet use or online safety communication is a context in which personal responsibility is especially salient. The present research builds on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to examine the role of a previously unexplored variable, personal responsibility, in the protective behaviour of college students. Two studies are reported here. In the first (N?=?565), the relationship of personal responsibility to safe (i.e. protective) online behaviour is tested in relationship to standard PMT variables. A multiple regression analysis of survey data shows that personal responsibility explained additional variance in protective behaviour after accounting for the effects of traditional threat and coping appraisal variables. Building on this, the second study (N?=?206) examines the possibility of influencing personal responsibility through an intervention and experimental manipulation among college students. The experimental manipulation of personal responsibility found evidence of a causal relationship between personal responsibility and protective behaviour in the college student sample. Interactions with pre-existing levels of safety involvement and self-efficacy were uncovered. Based on the results, strategies for targeted online safety interventions are suggested.     

A new mathematical model of the spine and its relationship to spinal loading in the workplace

A knowledge of the loads imposed on the spine during manual work and of the postures in which the spine is least stressed while performing a particular task are of considerable importance for the design of a safe and comfortable working environment. Spinal loads are intrinsically very difficult to measure and so are generally calculated from mathematical models of the spine. These models are based on assumptions of how the spine functions mechanically, and the forces calculated are dependent on the particular model used. A new model, which assumes that the spine functions in a similar way to an arch, is discussed. This model shows that spinal stresses are not as great as previously calculated using the traditional cantilever model and that, even when no external loads are being carried, the stress is strongly dependent on posture. The arch model re-interprets the role of intra-abdominal pressure and shows that it acts together with the lumbar lordosis to strengten the spine. Maintaining a lumbar lordosis is then important when lifting heavy loads.     

Personal predictors of the longest episode of occupational sitting and their interaction with workplace support for health among workers in Accra: A cross-sectional analysis with sensitivity analyses

Many studies have identified personal factors associated with occupational sitting time, but none of them focused on the longest episode of occupational sitting (hereby referred to as continuous occupational sitting time) nor considered whether workplace support for health moderates the associations between these factors and continuous occupational sitting time. This study aimed to identify personal factors predicting continuous occupational sitting time and ascertained whether workplace support for health moderates the associations between these factors and continuous occupational sitting time. A cross-sectional design and an adapted hierarchical linear regression analysis was employed. The participants were 991 employees of public and private organizations in Accra, Ghana. Results were presented with hierarchical linear regression analysis. The ultimate predictors of continuous occupational sitting time at a minimum of p < 0.05 include age, job type, and job income. Workplace support for health significantly moderated the primary associations, which means that workplace support for health altered the strength of the associations between all predictors (except tenure) and continuous occupational sitting time. This study concludes that there are inequalities in continuous occupational sitting time between employee groups that can be modified by workplace support for health.     

Examining the relationship between job design and worker strain over time in a sample of office workers

This study examines relationships between job design variables and worker strain. Office workers from a public service organization participated in a three-year study. Once during each of the three years, the same questionnaire was handed out to the subjects to examine job design and worker strain. The results indicate that the bivariate relationships between job design and worker strain change over time. At round 1, quantitative workload, work pressure and supervisor social support were the most important predictors of the worker strain variables. At round 2, task clarity, supervisor social support, and job future ambiguity were the most important predictors of worker strain. At round 3, task clarity, attention, and job future ambiguity were the most consistent predictors of worker strain. The results of the canonical correlation analysis were relatively similar for rounds 1 and 3, but not for round 2. There appears to be some consistency in the overall underlying structure of the relationships between job design and worker strain, but there is also some inconsistency in terms of which specific job design factors are related to specific measures of worker strain.     

Analyzing the effects of emotion management on time and self-management in computer-based learning

Emotional learning involves the acquisition of skills to recognize and manage emotions, develop care and concern for others, make responsible decisions, establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively. Time is an important variable in learning context and especially in the analysis of teaching-learning processes that take place in collaborative learning, whereas time management is crucial for effective learning. The aim of this work has been to analyze the effects of emotion management on time and self-management in e-learning and identify the competencies in time and self-management that are mostly influenced when students strive to achieve effective learning. To this end, we run an experiment with a class of high school students, which showed that increasing their ability to manage emotions better and more effectively enhances their competency to manage the time allocated to the learning practice more productively, and consequently their learning performance in terms of behavioral engagement and achievement and partly, in terms of cognitive engagement and self-regulation. Teacher affective feedback was proved to be a crucial factor to enhance cognitive engagement.     

AI and computer-based methods in performance evaluation of sporting feats: an overview

Performance evaluation is a complex process, usually involving the analyses of large amounts of possibly subjective information. The complexity increases when the performances of more than one athlete are being evaluated. For example a coach in charge of twenty divers should be able to remember the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete. Given these difficulties, it is therefore not surprising that a number of computer-based systems have been developed to speed-up and improve the quality of performance evaluation. Most of these systems are visually based such that individuals working on performance analysis first record the motion in question by electronic means and then input these images into a computer for quantification and subsequent analysis. There seems to be enormous potential for AI (i.e. Artificial Intelligence) technologies to make a significant contribution in the analysis phase. Indeed AI technologies have been applied to performance evaluation in recent years, though their applicability has been limited for a variety of reasons. The main factor has been a lack of characterisation of the domain of performance evaluation. This paper reviews selected research and applications of computational models and AI technologies in particular in performance evaluation of sporting feats for individual based events.