Search

Quality scientific communication is key to the effectiveness of scientific research. After creating a scientific paper through scientific research, it is further evaluated and shared with other scientists. Based on these scientific papers, other scientists create new knowledge through new scientific papers. There is also a lot of pressure on scientists to publish papers. In the academic world, there is a certain pressure on scientists to publish the latest research as much and as often as possible. On the one hand, scientists are forced to publish a lot of papers (quantity), while on the other hand, they are required to have as much impact as possible (qual ity). Although the authors of a certain scientific field are familiar with scientific publishing in their field, the emergence of new journals makes it difficult to choose in which journal to publish their work and where a significant problem is created by the so-called predatory journals. The paper will provide an overview of indicators that can help in the selection of journals and how predatory journals can be identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the conventions set by the International Labor Organization with special emphasis on those conventions covering the issues of health and safety at work as universal, written sources governing modern-day (collective and individual) work relations. It is a natural right (human right, right of man) to enjoy just and favorable working conditions that ensure: the rights to pay and compensation, equal for equal working conditions, i.e. of equal value without any discrimination, equality of men and women, decent life of the workers and their families, safe and healthy working conditions, equal opportunities for promotion, limited working hours, the right to rest and holidays, paid holidays and other rights. Despite the variations in the classification of the conventions, the paper presents the conventions of the International Labor Organization that the Republic of Croatia has ratified, (in the chronological order in which they were adopted, for it is the sequence in the passing of the conventions that testifies to the development of the labor law and the care for the working and living conditions of workers. A separate section of this paper addresses the convention in the field of safety and health at work [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The point and scope of this paper is to determine the common goal of the state administration, local and regional administrations and public services that work to ‘meet public interest and needs’, including occupational safety. Described in the paper are the state administration jobs, its organization (including in 2023), focusing in particular on the Ministry of Labour, Pension System, Family and Social Policy (Directorate for Labour and Safety at Work), and State Inspectorate, with special focus on the Labour Inspectorate, including the internal organization of the state administration bodies. A separate section addresses the chronology and development of the state administration bodies (their organization and scope through the ministries, central state offices and state administration organizations related to occupational safety from 1990 to 2023. The Constitution of the Republic of Croatia and the acts in force (as well as those valid from 1990 state the competencies of the state administration including the implementation of state policies, implementation of the law and other regulations and the directly implementable EU regulations, inspection, administrative supervision, and other administrative tasks of the state administration. If the system is to function successfully, the organization of the state administration, among other factors, is essential. The paper focuses on the organization of occupational safety under the authority of the various state administration bodies of the Republic of Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The video game industry is one of the fastest growing industries with a huge potential to employ more and more people all over the world. However, there is a dark side that different studies call attention to, all related to the poor working conditions: too long hours, low pay, discrimination and mobbing, inadequate occupational safety, imbalance between work and family life, etc. Organizing in unions, collective negotiations, various formal and informal collective actions and representations are instruments that may bring about better working conditions, but they are not sufficiently practiced. This is an issue that requires more attention in Croatia. The paper initially analyzes the working conditions of individuals employed in the video game industry, particularly focusing on the results of different studies carried out among the workers. Next, the paper presents individual actions, as well as informal and formal collective actions undertaken by the workers in this industry in different parts of the world. Provisions in the Collective Agreement of the Gamechuck d.o.o. based in Zagreb are analyzed. Findings indicate the importance of organizing in unions and collective negotiations, but also a variety of informal actions for the improvement of the workers’ position and working conditions. The analyzed Collective Agreement shows that a high level of workers’ rights is guaranteed, with more attention needed to arrive at a clearer definition of the working hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of this work is to investigate and analyze the causes of extraordinary events in railway traffic. The purpose of the work is to identify the main causes of the occurrence of extraordinary events so that possible corrective actions result in a maximum increase in the safety of railway traffic. The results of the research are based on secondary data on the causes of extraordinary events on the tracks of Croatian Railway Infrastructure for the period from 2014 to 2019. Scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, methods of descriptive statistics and the Pareto chart were used in the work. The main finding of this paper points to the conclusion that reckless or malicious actions of other persons and technical defects in infrastructure subsystems or vehicles of the infrastructure manager are responsible for 83.7% of extraordinary events on the tracks of Croatian Railway Infrastructure, i.e. more than all other causes combined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The basis of this paper is the Decision on the adoption of the Informatics curriculum for primary schools and gymnasia in the Republic of Croatia and, in particular, its stipulation that health is one of the fundamental values in the educational process. In a broad sense, healthcare and health education involves the understanding of the role of environmental factors, the understanding of health as a prerequisite, a foundation, and an indicator of sustainable development of society as a whole, as well as the understanding and adopting healthy habits, while avoiding the harmful ones. The purpose and the goal is to motivate the adoption of healthy lifestyle and responsible behavior and to provide the necessary knowledge and support. The emphasis is put on the importance of proper lifelong healthcare, on the preservation and improvement of health, on prevention of disease and their consequences, disability, and premature death. It is particularly important to include the content on occupational health and safety into the school course curricula. According to the aforementioned Decision taken in 2018, the pupils in primary schools in grades 1 to 4 will have the possibility to choose Informatics as an optional course from the school year 2020/21 onwards. The first part of the paper presents an excerpt from the Decision, as well as the excerpt from the Informatics curriculum for primary schools and gymnasia as the subject of the said Decision. Both excerpts cover the aspect of preservation and protection of health during work on a computer through adoption of basic terminology, rights and obligations, and the rules of kinesiology that refer to movement, sitting and posture. The second part of the paper presents the analysis of the content of textbooks used for the course informatics in grades 1 to 4 in elementary schools, in particular the parts that help the pupils understand and apply the safety recommendations that were given to preserve and protect health during work on a computer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic is the largest source of noise pollution in urban areas and traffic generates approximately 80% of noise pollution. Thus, there are many regulations, guidelines, and laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina and across the region, adopted to reduce noise emissions and the negative effects of noise on people and the environment. This paper, in addition to general information about noise, presents relevant regulations and legal frameworks in the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It provides an analysis of the action plans, the relevant factors, and adopted measures for traffic noise protection. When designing noise protection barriers, many segments must be taken into account, such as the environment, geographical and meteorological characteristics of the terrain, infrastructure, type and purpose of the road, etc. The paper presents aspects that must be considered when selecting and designing noise protection barriers and how they may affect the safety of road users and users of surrounding buildings. These effects are analyzed on examples from the region and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Finally, the safety potential of noise protection barriers, which hasn't been sufficiently researched, still remains an open question. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defined in the paper are the terms such as hazard, incident, accident, near miss and Heinrich’s triangle. The most common and dangerous accident in interior transport is forklift tip-over with the operator working because it may result in serious injuries and even death. The paper focuses on the existence of the protection elements on forklifts and their proper functioning intended to prevent tipping over sideways. For this purpose, a descriptive checklist method was used. The study sample included 127 forklifts, average age about 15 years. The findings show that the safety regarding tipping over sideways is not satisfactory. Discussion of the results offers an expert analysis of the protection elements for the avoidance and reduction of forklift tip-over and its consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological processes in the garment industry cause strain and fatigue as workers assume improper postures to maintain the motor co-ordination of the body, arms and legs, with forced posturing of the body and head. All this is due to the unfavourable work method and poor working environment. The paper presents the characteristics of the work process, the causes of strain and the consequences of the strain on the health and productivity. The results of the study illustrate the strain in the actual work operation using the RULA, REBA and SMART methods. The analyzed results indicate the level of strain and offer guidance on how to reduce the strain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analysis of the basic assumptions of information theory with an emphasis on its impact on the implementation of occupational health and safety. The concept of information is used today in almost all areas within its own context. In doing so, this concept of application is a specific phenomenon that arises from the nature of a scientific discipline. The first part of the paper presents the connection between information theory and the implementation of occupational health and safety, with the definition of the goal, purpose, tasks and research methods. The second part of the paper presents the basic settings of information theory with the definition of information in the field of semiotics. In addition, the syntactic, semantic, pragmatic and aesthetic aspects of information and the impact mentioned in the field of occupational health and safety are considered. The impact of information on the implementation of occupational health and safety is emphasized, especially from the aspect of accurate transmission and understanding of all relevant information. Occupational health and safety are an integral part of every work process, and the importance of transmitting accurate and up-to-date information is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, it is concluded that the impact of information on the implementation of occupational health and safety is very large, and in some situations crucial for the safe performance of work and tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to advances in technology, for the purpose of employment and the exercise of rights and obligations arising from employment, more and more personal data of workers becomes available to employers and third parties. Due to the fact that this can lead to a violation of privacy in labor relations, the paper analyzes the problem of balance between the worker's right to respect for private and family life, home and correspondence on the one hand, and the employer's interest to protect his rights on the other hand. In particular, this paper describes the rules governing the protection of workers' privacy and the conditions that allow surveillance in the workplace, through the views of legal theory and court practice. The paper analyzes situations in which the use of surveillance devices leads to a violation of workers' privacy and when materials obtained in such a way can be used as evidence in court proceedings. The authors conclude that employers are obliged to apply legal regulations that protect the privacy and personal data of employees, and emphasize the need to determine measures for the necessary surveillance of employees. In addition, they emphasize the need to clearly define the extent to which worker's supervision is required and to set specific criteria for the surveillance to be considered legitimate and justified, all for the purpose of balancing supervision measures in the workplace and workers' private lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Musculoskeletal disorders in people who work at the computer are common and affect working capacity. The legislation of the Republic of Croatia regulates the health surveillance of people who perform work working at the computer in order to prevent musculoskeletal problems and reduce physical overload. The aim of this study was to examine the risk of physical overload due to repetitive movements on a computer using a standardized method for risk assessment. Participants (N=25) were interviewed during a periodic health examination in an occupational and sports outpatient clinic using a questionnaire on repetitive movements when working on a computer and the level of risk of physical overload was calculated. Based on the medical history, medical history and physical status of the participant, a diagnosis was determined, which is associated with exacerbation of musculoskeletal problems after the work shift. Nine participants worked on the computer with an increased level of risk, and sixteen with a high level of risk of physical overload. The head and neck (N=24), back (N=22), elbows (N=22) and fingers of the fists (N=25) were in a non-ergonomic position in most participants. Twenty participants were on sick leave due to musculoskeletal problems in the last year since the survey. The most common diagnoses in participants were: back pain (N=14) and carpal canal syndrome (N=4). People who work at the computer and have musculoskeletal problems are physically overloaded and require regular health supervision. Ergonomic adaptation of the workplace is necessary in reducing the risk of physical overload in computer workers. This research is ongoing and the analysis of future data will check and supplement the conclusions of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health care and social work, in Croatia and Europe, and especially in the United States, occupies a high place according to the areas of activity in which the largest number of injuries at work occurs, with a tendency to further growth. Add to this the fact that this activity generates an extremely large number of lost working days and financial losses for both the employer and the state, and over the last decade, a number of experts have paid special attention to this activity. To the extent that new technologies in health care have brought a number of advantages without which today's medicine in this form would not exist, on the other hand, in certain segments, a number of potential dangers have opened up for workers themselves. The aim of this paper, as the first of its kind in this form, was to present the safety indicators of employees of the Children's Hospital Zagreb, a central and unique institution for health care of children and adolescents in Croatia, and compare them with available indicators at the state, European Union and of the United States. In the twelve-year period, 113 injuries at work were recorded, of which 56.64% occurred at the place of work. Most of them were minor injuries (59.29%), and the largest share was related to sprains, strains, and sprains. The largest share of lost working time also related to injuries that occurred at the place of work. The clinic recorded 105 exposure incidents over a nine-year period. Needle-stick injuries generated the largest share (80.95%), and as a branch, nursing was the most affected (69.52%). The occupational disease was diagnosed in 16 people, almost all of whom were caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wildfires have been known to mankind since its inception. Formerly attributed to supernatural powers, today increasingly caused by the human factor, they represent a crisis situation that everyone fears. Great material losses, fear, inability to function normally and human casualties are an integral part of any major wildfire outbreak. Proactive action cannot entirely prevent wildfires, and actions are increasingly focused on reactive action. Aerial firefighting is crucial in many situations so that the fire is thoroughly extinguished or managed in such way that ground forces can successfully suppress the fire. Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is striving to form its own aerial firefighting unit, a complex process that ultimately offers great benefits. The formation of such unit and the selection of the optimal aircraft are described in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was the examination of the police perception of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on police officers and police work - their stress, mental health, life and work satisfaction as well as to examine the police perception of citizens' behaviour during the strictest restrictive measures due to pandemic in Croatia. Research was conducted on a sample of N = 693 Croatian police officers. For the research, a questionnaire was created and was consisted of 5 subscales which examined police perception of citizens' behaviour; functioning of the police system; change in daily habits; looks to the future and mental health of police officers. The study was preceded by a preliminary study (N = 44). The results showed that at the time of the most severe restrictive rules, most police officers did not perceive significant changes in their own mental health. They also estimated that daily rhythm and habits were as same as before, except for example, they saw their loved ones less often. Most police officers estimated that the scope of work was higher and that it was more difficult compared to the time before the pandemic, but that they performed it well and that they managed well challenges of the pandemic. Furthermore, work severity, worries about pay, anxiety, private life, daily habits, and caring about the health of loved ones have been shown to be significant predictors of police stress levels. Concern about pay, stress, private life, daily habits and police solidarity have also been shown to be significant predictors of their life satisfaction. And the latest regression analysis showed that respect for the police by citizens, equipment, police solidarity, private life and stress were significant predictors of police job satisfaction at the time of the most severe restrictive rules during a pandemic. Regarding the police perception of citizens' behaviour - police officers perceived that citizens were irritated, tense, worried and had many more inquiries compared to the time before the pandemic. They also believed that citizens respected police and police powers more and that they respected pandemic rules and instructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many business entities perceive health and safety at work as an important factor of their social responsibility, when it comes to financial investments in this aspect of business the prevailing opinion is that these investments do not offer adequate financial returns. This leads to ignoring the issues of health and safety at work and to minimal investing prescribed by law. Only by monitoring the costs incurred as a result of accidents at work and related injuries, business downtime, court costs, compensations, fines, etc., do business entities recognize the financial interest in investing in the prevention of their occurrence. A distinction should be made between costs incurred as a result of accidents at work and occupational diseases (i.e. corrective costs), and preventive costs incurred in order to achieve both social and financial benefits. These two cost groups are the subject of this paper. The main goal of this paper is to provide an overview of the preventive and corrective costs of health and safety at work and, consequently, to set foundation for a discussion on the financial benefits from investment in that aspect of business. The paper also presents a business model for the protection of workers’ health and safety at work, which, in addition to listing various types of costs, also takes into account the benefits of such investments. The chief conclusion of the research is that all aspects of the protection of health and safety of workers, including the financial and accounting, should be addressed in socially responsible businesses. This specifically means incorporating occupational health and safety costs into the business entity’s financial plans, which will facilitate their monitoring, analysis and interpretation, and also provide reliable support to managers in deciding on investments in health and safety of workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The guiding principles in labour law, including the laws on occupational safety, constitute the legal sources that govern all issues and relations concerning this field. In addition to the universally accepted legal norms, there are specific regulations embedded in the European labour law (primary and secondary in character) as part of the EU legal legacy (acquis communautaire). The EU law makers are the European Parliament and the Council of Europe, with the right of legal initiative belonging to the European Commission, which is especially emphasized in the secondary legal sources (directives, decrees, decisions and agreements). It is the obligation of the EU member states to incorporate certain directives in their legal systems and to “realize the goals indicated in the directives.” In this, the guiding principles precede the legal norms, both in the implementation and in the protection of the legal norms. It is the principle that governs the formulation and the protection of the legal norms (in hypothesis, disposition and sanction). This applies in all matters to both the EU and the national occupational safety legislations. The key guiding principles are stated in the 1989/391/EEC Directive which was then implemented in numerous individual directives governing occupational safety (specific measures, means, activities, etc.). A special section in the paper is devoted to the harmonization of Croatian legislation with the EU directives, regarding occupational safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The legal system on the right to safety at work consists the numerous regulations of universal, regional and national (heteronomous and autonomous character), of different spatial and temporal validity, name and content. Among these regulations, a special place with a number of specific nomotechnical and other markings (characteristics) has the rule book on safety at work, sui generis autonomous general (normative) act - regulation. The immediate reason for writing this paper is the valuable contribution of the editorial board of "Labor Law" (Rosip d.o.o, Zagreb) in the development and publication of the manual "Employer Regulations“ (explanations, example, case law) and the work of the author of this article "Example of Occupational Safety Regulations Published in that journal No. 6/20. Published "regulations" require a review of the most complex tasks of legal creation - the adoption of new regulations and respect for nomotechnical and other prerequisites for this process (procedure) and relationship. That is the subject (content) of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the articles published in the Journal Safety by using the basic bibliometric indicators. The sample consisted of 250 categorized articles published over a ten year period, from 2005 until 2015. The analysis has shown that the most common articles were review papers (32.4%), then professional papers (32%), original scientific papers (25.2%), preliminary notes (9.2%), conference papers (0.8%) and professional views (0.4%). Most articles were written in the Croatian language (90%) indicating a regional character of the Journal. Journal Safety is included in the multidisciplinary bibliographic and citation database Scopus from vol. 51, 2009, multidisciplinary database Academic Search Complete (ASC) from EBSCO Corps-led database of 50 vol. 2008. Also, it is fully indexed in the disciplinary database ProQuest Biological Science & Health Professional completely from 1992. Visibility Magazine Security is enabled by providing access to full texts of publications available through the Portal of Scientific Journals of Croatia - Hrčak from vol. 47 (2005), No. 1. was included in Hrčak on March 1, 2006. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this research are extraordinary events in railway traffic. Consequences of extraordinary events can be death, serious injury, minor injury, material damage, environmental damage, and traffic disturbances. The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship between the volume of production of railway services, the number of executive railway workers and the number of extraordinary events in railway traffic and their consequences. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of the occurrence of extraordinary events in order to comprehensively and effectively approach the management of railway safety. Scientific methods of descriptive statistics and statistical method of correlation analysis were used to find answers to the research questions. The research results are based on secondary data sources. The main finding of this paper indicates that there is a strong negative relationship between the volume of production of railway services and the number of executive railway workers with the number of extraordinary events in railway traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern design of manual hand tools has to meet all requirements of usability, safety and comfort. Today's use of new technologies in design, prototyping and production enables the development of hand tools that, with their form, material and finish, enable better interaction between the user and his tool. This paper describes the process of designing and evaluating a hammer handle that would increase the performance, comfort and safety of the operator and at the same time prevent musculoskeletal disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garment sewing is an industry with closed type workplaces where the workers continuously perform similar operations. The work requires sitting at a sewing machine, with the worker using his hands and performing machine-hand operations. The hands and the upper body manipulate the actual fabric and the feet/legs activate the sewing machine at short intervals that, when repeated for the entire duration of the working day, put a strain on the worker. The actual operations depend on the type and character of the garment, the type and technological performances of the sewing machine and on the worker’s skills for the job. The paper outlines the different body postures required for different operations (placing, lining up the pieces, sewing, straightening, depositing the garment in a suitable place) observed in nine different workplaces, using REBA (Rapid Entire Body Assessment) and OWAS (Ovaco Working Analysing System) methods. The results indicate that strain is present in all the studied workplaces, thus requiring interventions in the workplace design. The redesigning of the workplaces involves also coming up with a correct design of the overall work system (man-machine-environment) in keeping with the static and dynamic anthropometric characteristics of individual workers, as well as implementing the most favourable work process in order to ensure less strain and less fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an approach to risk - based information security management and multivariate analysis with defined criteria and an emphasis on preventive and proactive management of business risks. The security of a management system depends directly on managing the risks of the business. For these reasons, ISO 9000: 2015 defines risk as the effect of uncertainty, ie deviation from what is expected - in a positive or negative sense, which means the degree of achievement of the business objectives. ISO 9001: 2015 primarily requires that the risks of a business be preventively managed but not conditional which management methods and models. ISO 31000 (Risk Management Systems), on the other hand, advocates in addition to preventive and proactive management of business risks and information. This request is very justified because it allows to react in a timely manner to the occurrence of any information threats. The preconditions for effective implementation of a risk-based management approach are additional management skills and the availability of tools (software) for multivariate risk analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of exposure to harmful vibrations in forestry arises with the use of the first chainsaws in logging and construction. Although working with chainsaws was many times faster, more productive, and physically less demanding than manual felling, chainsaws emitted large amounts of vibration and over time had a negative impact on the health of forest workers. White finger disease (Raynaud's syndrome) has become a real problem with great potential for reducing workers' working ability. Along with the use of chainsaws, some operations still require hand tools in forestry. The main theme of this paper is to compare daily vibration exposure in cleaning operations when operating a chainsaw and billhook. EU Directive 2002/44/ EC clearly establishes limit values for daily vibration exposure, A(8), which serve as a measure against excessive vibration exposure. In this paper, the A(8) values for working with a chainsaw and working with a billhook in cleaning are estimated. The timeshares of individual cleaning operations were obtained using time study methods on videos of effective work. The result of the time analysis indicates that the worker spends 46.7% of his time in cutting, while the rest of the time is spent in different ways of carrying a chainsaw. In working with the billhook, the worker makes an average of 27 cuts per minute. Vibration levels were recorded with a Brüel & Kjaer 4447 vibrometer and calculated according to ISO 5349 standards. A(8) values of 4.9 m/s2 on the right hand and 3.4 m/s2 on the left hand when operating the chainsaw were obtained, and 13.7 m/s2 on the right hand when operating the billhook. The results point to a serious misconception when organizing work and using human resources. The common belief that working with a billhook, to which workers with disabilities are mostly allocated, is "easier" than working with a chainsaw and can have serious health consequences for the health of workers. The results of this study indicate the direction in which the forestry profession should be guided in organizing cleaning operations that will comply with the applicable regulations for the protection of the health of workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fundamental social right of a worker is the right to the working conditions that will not jeopardise his/her safety, health and dignity. The paper analyses the principle of worker protection and protection of labour and occupational rights, in addition to the presentation of legal theory and court practice. The paper also describes the court proceedings arising from the violation of workers' rights to occupational health and safety and safe working conditions according to the laws of the Republic of Croatia and the relevant EU regulations. In particular, the paper analyses the statistical data on specific labour disputes and the court practice of the Municipal Court in Split. The protection and exercise of human rights and freedoms is a complex and delicate issue, and the international law, universal and regional system of protection of human rights and freedoms represents a legal foundation for an efficient protection thereof. In this paper, we emphasised the need to analyse the EU sources of law and the case law of the EU Court of Justice in the process of delivering a judgement in order to achieve a higher level of legal security and uniformity of decisions. The authors concluded that a regular and timely implementation of prescribed measures concerning occupational health and safety of the participants in the work process decreases the violation of workers' rights and, consequently, reduces the number of court disputes arising from the violation of workers' rights to occupational health and safety and safe working conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of laminated timber load bearing elements in the past few decades is increasing due to their better characteristics when compared to other bearing elements - smaller weight (400 to 600 kg/m3), good mechanical properties in relation to weight (compressive strength 40 to 80 MP, tensile strength up to 180 MP), feasible production of lengths up to 100 m, production of variety of forms, flat, curved, circular). The production process of laminated timber load bearing elements differs depending on the technology used - classic or sophisticated (automated) technology. Production lines using classic and sophisticated technologies are presented in this paper. Also presented are the safety aspects in the production of laminated timber load bearing elements using the mentioned technologies, with focus on safety and health of the workers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The production process is investigated for each of the two technologies indicating the likely risks and types of hazards to safety and health. The paper proposes important and much needed measures to assure safety at work in this production. Their implementation lessens the production costs and the expenses incurred by litigation and sick leaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this paper is the analysis of the possibilities of further design of the national information infrastructure in the field of occupational safety. The foundations of this in frastructure were laid through the initial development of the Information System of Occupational Safety and Health (IS OSH) under the leadership of the Ministry of Labor. Through the analysis of: national legislation and EU guidelines in the field of occupational safety, the possibilities of applying global network services, successful examples of development of national information systems in the field of public administration and health; the foundations for a speculative ap proach to the analysis of further development of this national information infrastructure were created. The idea of predictable further development and structure of the future central Informa tion System of Occupational Safety and Health was conceived and presented. It relies on the central register of data and resources for safety at work (initially called Data Collector) and all necessary functionalities that guarantee security, ubiquity and longitudinal electronic records. This guarantees the improvement of safety at work in the Republ ic of Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational safety expert is an adequately trained individual designated by the top management to perform occupational safety and health activities. Pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the occupational safety expert provides professional guidance to the management, authorized persons, workers, and safety commissioners thus facilitating the implementation and promotion of occupational safety and health. In addition to this basic task, the occupational safety expert is entrusted with numerous other tasks. The importance and role of occupational safety and health and the role of occupational safety expert in the institutions of higher education is specific and has so far been under-valued, so this paper deals with the tasks and responsibilities of occupational safety experts in higher education. Training workers to work in a safe manner, particularly in jobs with specific working conditions, and other occupational safety tasks differ according to the business activity of the enterprise, and this holds true for the institutions of higher education. In conclusion, it can be said that taking care of employees' safety at work, we take care of their health and life, which is a fundamental right of every person, making the role of the occupational safety expert very important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changed work conditions caused by the world-wide pandemic have brought about the need to review risk assessment in this new situation. The development of illness is directly related to the number of persons occupying the place of work at the same time. In that respect, the jobs that had previously been assessed as low risk have with the onset of the pandemic become much more high risk, often including deaths. For this reason, risk of office work must be reassessed, particularly in contact centres where many workers may occupy the premises at the same time. The paper presents a method for risk assessment on the example of a contact centre, with focus on biological hazard, as well as offering a set of measures to be implemented in order to reduce the risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the methods used in determining the place of origin and cause of fire, such as inspection (review of the scene), reconstruction and expertise of the material. A real case of fire is presented, as recorded by an expert with suitable technical training, describing the use of the above methods in determining the cause of fire in a residential building, i.e. family house. In litigation to compensate the damage caused by the fire, the expert was tasked to determine the cause of the fire on the basis of the court documents. The expert was also provided with eyewitness material that was excluded from the court file. Based on the information in the file and the opinion on the excluded material, the expert submitted his findings and opinion in writing, which he defended in the court hearing. In order to supply new evidence, it was suggested that an inspection of the site and reconstruction be carried out. The reconstruction of the event showed that the fire could have occurred as a result of a fault in the electrical wiring, rather than due to a faulty replacement of the old electric meter with a new one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The procedure of correlation analysis is based on the determination of direction and strength indicators between the observed phenomena or variables. Correlation analysis, in addition to determining the numerical indicator (linear correlation coefficient), includes a graphical representation (scatter diagram, scatter plot) from which it is seen whether or not there is a connection of the observed phenomena and if so, what is the shape, direction and strength of this connection. The paper also describes the procedure for conducting a test of the significance of the calculated linear correlation coefficient. Based on statistical data, the relationship between the number of sick days and the number of injuries at work in the Republic of Croatia and in Karlovac County in the period from 2012 to 2019 was analyzed. The conducted correlation analyzes indicate a strong correlation between the number of used sick days and the number of injuries at work (total number of injuries at work and injuries at work) both in the Republic of Croatia globally and in Karlovac County locally. On the other hand, it has been shown that there is a weak correlation between the number of injuries on the way to / from the place of work and the total number of injuries at work, both in Karlovac County and at the level of the Republic of Croatia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime transport has a negative impact on the global climate and on air quality as a result of the carbon dioxide (CO2 ) and other greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions that it generates. As climate changes are causing environmental degradation, consequently posing a safety risk to human health and well-being, decisive action must be taken to reduce emissions. All sectors of economy have to contribute to achieve emission reductions, including the international maritime transport sector that represents around 13% of the overall EU greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. In this paper are presented the EU regulations and procedures for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) emissions in maritime transport, together with all the associated processes, known as the EU ETS (EU Emission Trading System) compliance cycle. Reducing GHG emissions from the shipping industry could result in a spectrum of beneficial impacts: economic (reduced fuel consumption), social (human health improvement due to lesser exposure to pollutants), administrative (reducing administrative barriers), and ecological (cleaner air end environment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The health sector has undergone numerous changes in recent decades that have led to a number of new threats to the health of nurses, as well as new challenges that the field of occupational safety and health needs to overcome. Nursing is the largest of the healthcare professions that is, due to the nature of work, exposed to a large number of potentially dangerous situations and substances. Nursing is characterized by a high sense of personal satisfaction and achievement, but a dynamic work environment witch involving different employee profiles and highly specialized technology, can led to significant health risk, while healthcare sector need healthy nurses to provide quality care to patients. This paper will outline the most important critical points of nursing injury risk, which include various stressors associated with direct patient care such as ergonomic, biological, chemical, physical and psychosocial risks. For this review and analysis, we did a comprehensive literature search in Croatia, Europe and the world by searching the PubMed, Google Scholar, Elseviar, UpToDate and other keyword-based databases from 2000 to 2019. The literature review shows that the occupational safety and health of nurses is very complex and requires in-depth analysis and identification of risks and persons at risk, risk evaluation and prioritization, planning of preventive actions, implementation of actions, and documentation, monitoring and verification of results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiation is the energy that travels through space and is present everywhere around us. Life on earth evolved in an environment of ionizing radiation. The discovery of ionizing radiation marks the beginning of a significant period in medical diagnosis and treatment. The discovery of X-rays and their use in medicine prompted a growing awareness of their adverse effects on the human body. Increased use of ionizing radiation increases the likelihood of harmful health hazards if it is not used properly. In healthcare settings, ionizing radiation is used in diagnostic and interventional radiology, nuclear medicine and oncology. Ongoing development of medical radiology brings new insights related to diagnosis and treatment, and thus to the refinement of certain procedures. Nurses/technicians exposed to ionizing radiation on a daily or occasional basis during their work may reduce the risk of undesired radiation exposure with adequate occupational safety measures that will prevent unnecessary exposure to high doses. The paper aims to review and contribute to the preservation and protection of the health of nurses/ technicians exposed to ionizing radiation sources and their safe work. Prevention, education, and ionizing radiation protection measures to be taken to reduce exposure are presented, including adverse effects on human health. Exposure to ionizing radiation has been shown to be harmful and its effects are mutagenic, teratogenic and carcinogenic. These effects can occur in different forms and in different time spans. Nurses/technicians' exposure to ionizing radiation is associated with a number of health risks. In order to reduce the negative effects, a good professional education is needed as a first prerequisite for protection. It involves thorough knowledge of the consequences of radiation, and of all means and methods for reducing radiation exposure. Occupational safety for nurses/technicians includes the use of protective clothing, wearing dosimeters and regular medical check-ups. It is important to maintain the equipment and its parts in compliance with the advised regulations, keep safe the environment where imaging is performed, supervise the education of the staff, ensure regular medical check-ups, make sure that the staff wear protective clothing and that adequate protective clothing is always available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on a real accident and on the report as to the causes leading to the electric shock, drafted by an expert in electrical engineering. Described are the circumstances surrounding the accident and the methods of treatment of the materials found on the accident site. In addition, safety measures are outlined that need to be observed on sites where an accident involving electric shock can occur. The authors provide data on the impacts of electricity on human organism in the event of electric shock, which is the field of court medical experts. Expert reporting on the cause of electric shock requires an expert in electrical engineering and a medical expert. One such court hearing is presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain employees of general hospitals are exposed to radiation from diagnostic units while performing everyday tasks. Any adverse event that may occur because of improper implementation of the measures and principles of radiation protection represents social loss and a certain loss for the institution itself. The paper covers the research addressed to study the impact of using measures and principles of radiation protection on received dose for professionally exposed employees. The main research method used was the descriptive method with the aim to collect and process data and to obtain research results, while the source of research was the actual practical implementation of occupational safety. The experimental part was based on the observation during a period of five years in which the received doses of radiation were measured according to type of work assignments for each of 111 employees. The research results, which are shown in this paper, indicate that received radiation doses for exposed employees are in accordance with legislation, provided that everyone abides by the basic measures of protection and regulations relevant for the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In numerous companies asbestos was used in the production or realization of the registered business activity, so workers working for these employers were exposed to the risk of the consequences of such work. For some of these workers, the consequences were devastating because asbestosis and other diseases deteriorated their health. Many employers closed down their businesses and some of their legal successors have been out of business since 2005 when asbestos was banned. A serious problem (large number of social cases) is how to compensate (if at all possible) workers who have been exposed to asbestos. States act as the "guarantor" of payment of cash benefits as a form of compensation. The Republic of Croatia is bound by national and regional regulations (ILO Conventions, EU directives), as well as by national regulations governing these issues and relations. The regulations are in force and they form the legal basis in often elaborate and demanding court processes in which financial considerations determine the resolution. Namely, consequences of exposure to asbestos can occur even as late as 30 or 40 years after exposure. The aim of this paper is to shed light on the gravity of the social and legal aspects of this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial ecology focuses on the transformation of industrial processes from the linear systems, shown as an open-loop type where resources and capital investments move through the system ending as waste at the end, to the circular, i.e. closed-loop systems, where the resulting waste is used in new processes. Circular economy is a model of production and consumption that involves re-use, restoration, and recycling of existing products in order to extend their useful life and to reduce the amount of waste. There are a number of different concepts relating to the basic concept of circular economy, one of those being 'cradle-to-cradle' concept which imitates nature and the harmony of ecosystems in the attempt to completely eliminate waste. The paper analyzes the relevant scientific literature with the objective to formulate the concepts of industrial ecology and circular economy and stresses the advantages of their implementation, such as resource cost minimization, easier storage and disposal, in particular industrial disposal, with the end goal of achieving sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to examine the sources of social support to police officers (family, colleagues, superiors) and the role of social support in relation to burnout, health, police work and general stress. The following questionnaires were used: Social Support Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory - MBI-HSS, Organizational and Operational Police Stress Questionnaires (PSQOrg, PSQ-Op), while life stress and 4 aspects of health (general, physical, mental, and health since joining the police) were examined using questions constructed for this research. Results showed that police officers report having the greatest support from colleagues, followed by family, while the least support is received from their superiors. Significant differences were found between police officers who estimated that they had less support and those who estimated that they had greater support with regard to burnout, health, police work, and general stress. A significant moderating influence of family support on the relationship between operational stress and physical health was also found. Police officers estimate organizational stressors to be more stressful in comparison to operational ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In successful implementation of regulations governing occupational safety and health at work, it is essential to ensure a great degree of cooperation of all participants in the process including the employer, employees, occupational safety service and occupational medicine specialists. The paper gives an account of examples of good practise in protecting the workers handling dangerous substances in two companies, LUSH manufaktura d.o.o. and Genera d.d. In their efforts to implement and improve safety in handling dangerous substances, both companies opt for the recommended pyramidal approach, meaning that they primarily implement organisational and technical measures to reduce the exposure of workers to dangerous substances. In this, exchange of information among all participants is the key factor for improvements, which also helps to identify problems in risk assessment for different work places and supplements inadequate toxicology data on the technical lists that accompany dangerous substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropometrics is a branch of anthropology focused on measuring the human body dimensions and their assessment. The objective is to measure as precisely as possible the human body in order to identify its physiological and morphological characteristics. In the course of human life, the body is subject to numerous influences that change its characteristics. The monitoring of the changes in the human body and in its dimensions and forms is ensured by continuing anthropometric measuring. Results of such measurements give insight into the morphological, developmental and health indicators characteristic of a population, as well as providing an insight into the changes observed in monitoring successive generations. The paper aims to determine the health risks to the subjects based on the measurements of their waist and hips. The study was carried out on a sample including 799 women and 686 men, aged 20 to 85, divided into seven age groups. The conclusions are grounded in the statistical analysis using the descriptive method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of soundscape was introduced to modify and complement noise assessment and the effect of different sound environments on people. Soundscape research poses a somewhat different problem than the study of noise as such, for it is a more complex phenomenon that requires a multidisciplinary approach. Therefore, sound environments study is not a study of noise but of the conditions and causes, the level of perception and the effects on people. Any sound environment will be subjected to a substantial number of sound sources that affect ordinary human activities, people's concentration and mood. Most people today spend a great deal of time at work, so it would be desirable that their work environment is acoustically pleasant in order to ensure effective work and satisfaction of the workers. The paper discusses four sound environments: kindergarten, expressway, industrial plant, and shopping centre. These four have been selected for they are generally perceived as stressful for the employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Section Fighting Fires and Cooling of Aboveground Tanks of the Croatian Ordinance on Flammable Liquids (OFL) is not in concert with the European and American standards and recommendations pertaining to this field of fire protection. OFL was published in 1999, but even at the time of its publication it was not in concert with the existing recommendations and good technical practice in the world. In the meantime, based on the requirements in OFL many designs have been made and firefighting systems built for tanks containing crude oil and liquid hydrocarbons both in Croatia and in the neighbouring countries established after disintegration of SFR Yugoslavia. Value and expected efficacy of these systems in case of fire is questionable. In the paper, main differences between OFL and European & Croatian standard Fixed Firefighting Systems - Foam Systems - Part 2: Design, Construction and Maintenance (EN 13565-2) have been shown. Some differences to the equivalent American standard NFPA 11:2016 Standard for Low-, Medium-, and High-Expansion Foam are also pointed out. Starting from 1922, NFPA 11 has undergone more than 20 revisions and has been frequently used as the basis for writing such standards all over the world. With respect to firefighting and cooling of aboveground tanks, relevant and world accepted standards API and relevant European publications and recommendations have also been consulted. Section Fighting Fires and Cooling of Aboveground Tanks of the Croatian OFL is wrong in conception, as it contains requirements for foam systems which are not precise enough or are even wrong, and overestimates water cooling requirements. Withdrawal and replacement by EN 13565-2:2009 and CEN/TS 14816:2008 Fixed Firefighting Systems -Water Spray Systems. Design and Installation. is proposed. Knowing that the existing systems in many cases do not warrant acceptable level of protection in case of fire, revision of all systems for foam firefighting and cooling of aboveground tanks for flammable liquids designed and constructed according to OFL is suggested. It is recommended that the volume of bunds is checked too, because their volume is mainly sufficient for the volume of the tank content only, but is not big enough for storing of rain water, cooling water and firefighting foam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim is to develop, model and implement a system guaranteeing fewer occupational injuries of postal workers in Croatia. The paper presents the plan (Gantt chart) for modelling and introduction of the system in Croatian postal service using the method of modelling suitable for the theoretical development of the ONR_min system. Furthermore, an analysis was conducted as to its suitability based on the data showing occupational injuries of Croatian postal workers prior to its introduction in 2014 and following up through to 2017. Several case studies indicate the actual effects of the model with financial indicators and savings given in conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ergonomics is a scientific discipline that explores the interaction between man, working systems and environment. Persons engaged in work activities should be protected according to workplace safety regulations by means of appropriate clothing, footwear and equipment specifically designed to meet ergonomic requirements. Protective clothing, footwear and equipment should be designed and engineered in such a way that their size and shape follow the dimensions and shape of the user's body. In order to achieve this, it is necessary to make static and dynamic measurements of the user's body. Based on static and dynamic anthropometry we have identified ergonomically favourable positions for pockets and zippers and the optimum length of sleeves, jackets, trousers, overalls, etc., as well as ergonomically favourable positions for incident-related equipment (e.g. devices for maintaining radio connections, lamp, breathing apparatus, etc.). In addition, it was established that some garments should overlap in order to avoid injury due to exposure of body parts. The paper provides examples of functional clothing designed for protection against heat and fire. The examples meet ergonomic requirements by identifying favourable pocket and zipper positions and sizes as well as by ensuring that some parts of protective clothing overlap to provide safety and protection. The paper also describes the method used for testing the ergonomic requirements of protective clothing and equipment, and presents the results of the survey that measured fire fighters' satisfaction with this kind of protective clothing. The survey was conducted in three public fire brigades - two in Zagreb (Centre and Dubrava) and one in Karlovac, as well as two volunteer fire brigades (Dubrava and Karlovac). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though electric shocks are not common causes of accidents and deaths, when they do happen they are investigated by electrical engineering experts and doctors or pathologists. An electrical engineering expert examines the accident scene, determines the circumstances of the accident, finds evidence and proceeds to identify the electrical installation or device malfunction that could have caused the electric shock. A medical doctor examines the person who has suffered an electric shock, drawing conclusions on the cause of injury based on body marks and additional examinations. In case of death, a pathologist gives his report on the cause of death based on the autopsy. This paper describes the methods used by electrical engineering experts to determine the technical functionality of electrical installations and equipment in order to find defects that could lead to electric shock. Several real-life examples from electrical experts' experience are presented in the paper describing defects caused by low voltage and high voltage electric shocks. In conclusion, an analysis of the reviewed examples is offered identifying the possible causes of these electric shock workplace accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Regulations on the Protection from Electromagnetic Fields, all parts of electric power systems (EPS) with voltages exceeding 1 kV are sources of low frequency electromagnetic fields. The European Union has in place the 2013/35 EU Directive governing the identification of work places subject to significant electromagnetic field values as well as identification of workers in jobs where they may be exposed to the impact of such fields. To assist employers, workers and their representatives in gaining a better understanding and implementation of the Directive, Chief Directorate for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion of the European Commission has drafted the Guidelines on good practice in implementing the 2013/35 EU Directive. The paper outlines the regulations for the protection from electromagnetic fields. Also listed are the maintenance jobs in electric power systems with risk of exposure to electromagnetic fields and the proper methods of measuring and calculating the levels of electromagnetic fields in each section of an EP system. Measuring and calculation of the levels of electromagnetic fields and appropriate worker protection from risk requires expertise and skill, thus this paper is purely informative in character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The workplace is the environment where people spend the greatest part of their active life. Day-to-day events in the work environment, the treatment of workers at the workplace and the general atmosphere in an organization affect to a great extent not only the state of mind, the productivity and efficacy of the workers, but very often their health, too. Discrimination at the workplace is one of the negative, humiliating and degrading forms of treatment. Its consequences are great and impact the individual and his mental health, his family, the work organization and society as a whole. Thus, discrimination deserves that special attention be paid to the causes and consequences of this undesirable behaviour. Special accent should be placed on finding adequate methods of preventing discrimination in order to eradicate it or at least reduce its occurrence to a minimum. Various discrimination prevention models have been implemented so far and the most successful ones proved to be those that acknowledge individual differences and regard them not as obstacles to overcome but as useful potential for the development of a work organization and a basis for creating pleasant working atmosphere and increasing work quality and productivity. The paper purports to promote a model of building cultural tolerance by implementing positive measures and diversity management as methods for dealing with differences among people in working environments, but it also recognizes the importance of the anti-discrimination laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Republic of Croatia, as EU member, is obligated to carry out the planning and realization of an integrated municipal solid waste management system, which represents the direct implementation of the circular economy principles. This paper describes the procedure for defining the mathematical model of an integrated municipal solid waste management system in the Republic of Croatia using the material flow analysis (MFA) method and substance flow analysis (SFA) method. In the simulation model three different predictions of solid municipal waste generation trends are assumed. System simulation covers the period of 15 years, from 2015 to 2030. On the example of the system simulation results for 2020, it can be concluded that there is a great potential for long-term sustainability of the system. The obtained results from system simulation indicate that from the input mass flow rate 25.6% is processed into various recyclables, 7.5% is processed into compost, and only 19.5% of waste is disposed at landfills. The results indicate that significant electricity production potential is possible using biogas and solid recovered fuel (SRF) in appropriate energy plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Addressed in the paper is the occurrence of dog bites as a frequent type of occupational injury in universal postal services. An analysis of this type of injury over five years is provided in the introductory sections. The obtained results were then used to propose suitable protection measures for delivery personnel (postmen, couriers, etc.). Following the implementation of the proposed measures, a survey was conducted among postal delivery personnel to determine the efficacy of these measures. Statistical analysis showed that the measures were only partly efficient in actual implementation, and improvements were suggested to protect postal service workers from dog bites. Subsequently, reported dog bite injuries were analysed after implementation of these improved measures. However, further investigation is recommended. In conclusion, the paper states that the proposed and implemented measures are in essence adequate and have had positive results. Advances are recommended (organisational, technical and educational) to raise the level of protection for postal service workers from dog bite injuries sustained during work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]