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Hearing health, a cornerstone for musical performance and appreciation, often stands at odds with the unique acoustical challenges that musicians face. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, this survey-based study presents an in-depth examination of self-rated hearing health and its contributing factors in 370 professional and 401 amateur musicians recruited from German-speaking orchestras. To probe the nuanced differences between these groups, a balanced subsample of 200 professionals and 200 amateurs was curated, matched based on age, gender, and instrument family. The findings revealed that two-thirds of respondents reported hearing-related issues, prevalent in both professional and amateur musicians and affecting music-related activities as well as social interactions. The comparative analysis indicates that professionals experienced nearly four times more lifetime music noise exposure compared to amateurs and faced more hearing challenges in social contexts, but not in musical settings. Professionals exhibited greater awareness about hearing health and were more proactive in using hearing protection devices compared to their amateur counterparts. Notably, only 9% of professional musicians' playing hours and a mere 1% of amateurs' playing hours were fully protected. However, with respect to their attitudes toward hearing aids, professional musicians exhibited a noticeable aversion. In general, an increase in music-related problems (alongside hearing difficulties in daily life) was associated with a decrease in mental health-related quality of life. This research highlights the importance of proactive hearing health measures among both professional and amateur musicians and underscores the need for targeted interventions that address musicians' specific hearing health challenges and stigmatization concerns about hearing aids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how Chesapeake-based watermen and seafood processors may experience occupational harm from microbial hazards like Vibrio spp. Fishing industry research primarily focuses on musculoskeletal injury, even though microbial hazards present risks to Total Worker Health® that clinicians should consider. This paper provides qualitative insights to address that gap. Commercial fishing is a dangerous profession with known hazards for musculoskeletal injuries, yet minimal examination of microbiological or attendant psychosocial hazards from water- and food-borne pathogens like Vibrio vulnificus and V. parahaemolyticus exists. Improving knowledge of Vibrio -related hazards addresses Total Worker Health® concerns for commercial fisheries workers. Methods: Following a grounded theory approach, we conducted semistructured interviews with watermen and related workers who fish and harvest shellfish in the Chesapeake Bay, USA, to investigate risk perceptions and understanding, and compliance with regulations intended to reduce worker and consumer illnesses and injuries from pathogen exposures. Results: Worker and consumer illnesses and injuries, and threat of fishery closures—with regulatory and organizational factors—influence this workforce. Conclusions: Our findings support interventions that promote monitoring, surveillance, and awareness of Vibrio- related risk among watermen, regulatory officials, medical professionals, and the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Sound pressure level (SPL), fundamental frequency (F0), time dose (Dt), cycle dose (Dc), and distance dose (Dd) are components affecting a vocal demand response. The study aimed to investigate the impact of sound field amplification systems (SFAS) on teachers' vocal parameters and determine the user comfort of SFAS use in teachers. Methods: Twenty female teachers underwent long-term voice dosimetry with Vocal Holter Med (PR.O.Voice Srl) during everyday teaching activities. The SFAS PentaClassRuna (Certes) was installed in classrooms. Voice dosimetry was provided in two different acoustical conditions—without the use of SFAS (one to two days) and with SFAS (one to three days). Teachers underwent voice acoustic and laryngoscopic evaluation before voice dosimetry. Two teachers' groups were formed: teachers with and without vocal nodules. The visual analogue scale measured the user comfort of SFAS. Results: There were no significant differences in vocal parameters and vocal doses between teachers with and without vocal nodules. Voice amplification significantly decreased average F0(−4.4 Hz), Dt%(−3.1%), Dc (−0.4 kcycles), and Dd (−1.3 m) in teachers without vocal nodules and F0 (−8.9 Hz) in teachers with vocal nodules. Vocal doses (Dt%, Dc, Dd) significantly decreased in classrooms with longer reverberation time. The user comfort of the SFAS during the lessons was high in both teachers groups. Conclusions: SFAS was a mediator between the classroom's environment and the teacher's vocal demand response; it changed teachers' voice production parameters and reduced vocal demand response to satisfy the communication requirements. In addition, voice amplification was more beneficial for teachers without vocal fold lesions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are common among nursing professionals and require effective management strategies. Implementing targeted training programs for nurses is a vital approach to reduce these problems. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate problem‐based learning (PBL) effectiveness in reducing work‐related musculoskeletal symptoms (WMSs) among nurses. Methods: Fifty Iranian nurses participated in this interventional study. Some data were collected by a demographic/occupational questionnaire and a Persian version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (P‐NMQ). Some other was gathered by Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) and PBL method. Results: The prevalence of WMSs during the last 12 months in the subjects was related to the lower back (76%), wrists/hands (70%), neck (64%), and knee (64%), respectively. The results showed that the prevalence of WMSs decreased significantly only in the subjects' elbow region in the postintervention (p = 0.031). Although the prevalence decreased in the postintervention stage in other regions, this decrease was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This study showed that the implementation of PBL could reduce the WMSs prevalence and the level of nurses' exposure to risk factors for MSDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zentralblatt fuer Arbeitsmedizin, Arbeitsschutz und Ergonomie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many investigations of biomechanical overload concentrate on upper limbs and manual handling: certain jobs require an evaluation on spinal and lower limb postures. While existing methodologies adequately describe postures, they often poorly consider the organisation. This shortcoming prompted the development of TACOs for spinal and lower limb postures, using organisational factors to adjust the risk indexes. The TACOs is set out in steps: task identification, posture assessment, duration, and a final evaluation also for complex cycles. Given the complexity, tools have been devised, free downloadable, to facilitate evaluation. Studies on the TACOs reliability indicate excellent intra-observer and moderate interobserver agreement. TACOs, defining the task as a measurement unit, offers the advantage of assessing postures more easily and, considering duration, provides precise evaluation of the final risk. While the method does not demonstrate predictive validity regarding related diseases, it nonetheless enables the classification of exposure levels, even in complex multitask scenarios. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: The development of TACOs strategy for posture analysis stems from the need to modulate the intensity of posture risk factors in relation with duration. It estimates final exposure scores in real work through detailed preliminary organisational studies. This involves identifying tasks, assessing postures for type and duration in work period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The body of literature regarding the use of an upper limb exoskeleton during authentic working conditions is sparse. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an upper limb exoskeleton in reducing muscle strain during authentic industrial construction work. Methods: Fifteen male participants, comprising of roofers, scaffolders, builders, bricklayers, and graders performing overhead work participated in the study. During work without (REF) and with exoskeleton (EXO), muscle activity from 8 muscles, heart rate (HR), metabolic equivalent (MET), and upper arm elevation angles were recorded. Results: When using the exoskeleton, a significant reduction of 20.2% in average muscle activity of 8 muscles was found. The largest effect focused on m. deltoideus, where 46.2 and 32.2% reduction occurred in medial and anterior parts of the muscle, respectively. HR and MET were unaffected. Upper arm elevation angles were similar between REF and EXO, indicating equal biomechanical loading. Conclusions: This study indicates that exoskeletons show great promise in reducing the potential for musculoskeletal strain during authentic overhead construction work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the revision of the Law on Administrative Penalty, in order to optimize business environment and promote economic development, all localities have vigorously promoted inclusive and prudential supervision and flexible law enforcement, and the exemption from administrative penalty is one of the important ways. The targets of occupational health supervision and law enforcement are mainly employers and occupational health technical service providers, which is one of the areas of health supervision and law enforcement that implements the exemption from administrative penalty. This paper described the current situation of practicing the exemption in the field of occupational health, introduced the occupational health violations applicable to the exemption, the scope of effectiveness of normative documents, and the supporting regulatory measures and safeguard mechanisms, and summarized the problems such as no definitive boundaries in the application of the system, unclear criteria for determining required elements, simplification and aggregation of statutory requirements, and excessive protection of the rights and interests of employers. Negative impacts during the process of implementing the system were also analyzed, such as damaging the principle of fairness, weakening employers' awareness of occupational health responsibility, hindering the development of occupational disease prevention work, and infringing workers' occupational health rights and interests. In this regard, we provided suggestions: clarifying the application boundary of the system, establishing a hazard assessment tool for illegal acts, refining the application conditions in combination with characteristics of occupational health, and strengthening post-event supervision measures, so as to provide reference for promoting occupational diseases prevention and high-quality development of occupational health for workers.

Objective To understand the situation of reported cases with suspected occupational diseases in Chongqing from 2018 to 2023, providing data support for health authorities to predict the risk of occupational diseases. Methods The data of suspected occupational disease reports in Chongqing from 2018 to 2023 were extracted from the "Occupational Disease and Health Hazard Monitoring Information System" subsystem of the "China Disease Prevention and Control Information System." These data were combined with the annual employment statistics of various industries published by the Chongqing Statistics Bureau. Statistical analysis was conducted on demographic characteristics, report year, disease type, region, enterprise size, economic type, and industry category. Results From 2018 to 2023, a total of 9 608 suspected occupational disease cases were reported in Chongqing, involving 30 types of occupational diseases across 7 major categories listed in the "Classification and Catalogue of Occupational Diseases." The overall number of suspected occupational diseases showed a declining trend over the years, but the proportion of suspected occupational noise -induced hearing loss increased. The cases were distributed across 39 districts and counties in Chongqing, with 9 164 male cases (95.38%) and 444 female cases (4.62%), predominantly reported in the 40 to 59 age group (8 684 cases, 90.38%). The main disease types were suspected occupational pneumoconiosis and other respiratory diseases (6 076 cases, 63.23%), primarily coal workers' pneumoconiosis (2 708 cases, 44.56%); suspected occupational ear, nose, throat, and oral diseases (3 241 cases, 33.73%), mainly noise -induced hearing loss (3 232 cases, 99.72%); and suspected occupational chemical poisoning (281 cases, 2.92%), mainly benzene poisoning (214 cases, 76.16%). Suspected occupational disease cases were most common in the new areas of the main city, in mining and manufacturing, in medium, small and micro enterprises, and in private enterprises. From 2018 to 2022, the top five industries with the highest incidence rates of suspected occupational diseases were mining (145.063%), manufacturing (3.086%), electricity, heat, gas, and water production and supply (0.739%), scientific research and technical services (0.329%), and water conservancy, environment, and public facility management (0.227%). The mining industry consistently had the highest incidence rate of suspected occupational diseases annually, and the manufacturing industry had the most diverse types of suspected occupational diseases. The proportion of suspected occupational disease reports from foreign-invested enterprises and enterprises invested by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as small and micro enterprises, increased in 2022 and 2023. Conclusions Noise-induced hearing loss became the most common suspected occupational disease, replacing pneumoconiosis in Chongqing, and silicosis became the most common type of suspected occupational pneumoconiosis, replacing coal workers' pneumoconiosis. Occupational disease prevention efforts in Chongqing should focus on the mining and manufacturing industries, medium, small and micro enterprises, and private enterprises, as well as occupational hazards such as production noise and silica dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Dental professionals are exposed to hazardous noise levels on a daily basis in clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to compare the hearing status of dental hygienists who utilize ultrasonic scalers in the workplace compared to age-matched control participants (non-dental hygienists) who were not exposed to ultrasonic noise. Methods A convenience sample of nineteen dental hygienists (experimental) and nineteen non-dental hygienists (control) was recruited for this study. A matched pairs design was utilized; participants in each group were matched based on age and gender to eliminate confounding variables. The testing procedure consisted of an audiologist performing a series of auditory tests including otoacoustic emissions test, pure-tone audiometry, and tympanometry on the experimental and control groups. Results In the right ear, there were notable differences from 1000 Hz -- 10,000 Hz and in the left ear from 6000 Hz -- 10,000 Hz, with higher hearing thresholds in the experimental group of dental hygienists. While 56% of the univariate tests conducted on how many days were worked per week showed statistical significance, the regression line slope indicated those that worked more days had better hearing statuses. The variables for years in practice for dental hygienists, how many of those years were full-time employment, and how many years the dental hygienist had used an ultrasonic scaling device, also had many significant univariate tests for the experimental group only. These variables were more likely to serve as proxies representing true noise exposure. The paired t-test between the groups demonstrated statistically significant differences between the experimental and control group at 9000 Hz in both ears. Conclusion While results from this study demonstrated various qualitative differences in hearing status of the control group (non-dental hygienists) and experimental group (dental hygienists), age was found to be the most critical variable. Furthermore, this data demonstrated differences in hearing status based on various frequencies between dental hygienists and age-matched controls that should be further explored with a larger population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Respirator medical evaluations are an important component of occupational health practice. Concepts and practices were established 25-50 years ago. Method: We suggest analysis and discussion of three areas warranting update. Results: a) Shift from disease-based decisions to evaluating the following 12 specific domains: cardiopulmonary, sudden change in condition, thermal, work interference, exacerbating existing condition, donning/doffing, dermatologic, proper utilization, fit testing interference, cultural/religious, arms/legs, and subjective responses. Two distinct evaluation processes are advised--"algorithmic" for the frequent straightforward evaluations and "specialist" for the more complex. b) Acknowledging the importance of subjective responses and clarifying the underlying causes--external stimulus, sensation, perception, interpretation, acceptability, and emotional response. c) Optimizing the organizational structures by explicitly defining the scope of evaluations, modifying the sequencing of assessment, and specifying qualifications of clinicians performing assessments. Conclusions: Reassessing respirator medical evaluation methods is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preventing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) is crucial in reducing their impact on individuals and society. However, the existing mainstream 2D image-based approach is insufficient in capturing the complex 3D movements and postures involved in many occupational tasks. To address this, an improved deep learning-based rapid entire body assessment (REBA) method has been proposed. The method takes working videos as input and automatically outputs the corresponding REBA score through 3D pose reconstruction. The proposed method achieves an average precision of 94.7% on real-world data, which is comparable to that of ergonomic experts. Furthermore, the method has the potential to be applied across a wide range of industries as it has demonstrated good generalisation in multiple scenarios. The proposed method offers a promising solution for automated and accurate risk assessment of WMSDs, with implications for various industries to ensure the safety and well-being of workers. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: This paper proposes a deep learning-based improved rapid entire body assessment (REBA) method for assessing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) risks using 3D pose reconstruction from videos, achieving 94.7% precision, comparable to ergonomic experts, with potential applications across various industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Although the pandemic is nearing its end, the question of whether COVID-19 infection will be considered a work-related or occupational disease remains a legal issue. Therefore, this study aims to provide clarification on this matter. OBJECTIVES: Since the International Labour Organization (ILO) serves as the primary authority on work-related matters, this study is focused on analyzing the ILO's policies regarding the acknowledgment of COVID-19 infections as occupational diseases. It also investigates how States can recognize COVID-19 as such a disease while delving into the connection between the disease or injury and the occupation itself. METHODOLOGY: This study utilizes a doctrinal methodology, focusing on legal research. This approach employs an applied (expository) research method and discusses the topic from a professional constituency perspective, as proposed by Arthurs in 1983. RESULT: The findings indicate that the ILO does not explicitly mention the pandemic or COVID-19 infection as an occupational disease in its list. However, it does include "infectious-related diseases" or "work that carries a particular risk of contamination" as occupational or work-related diseases, which can logically be interpreted as encompassing COVID-19 infection as an occupational or work-related disease. RECOMMENDATION: As the ILO sets guiding principles for its member States, this study recommends that the ILO should establish clear and comprehensive guidelines for member States to recognize COVID-19 infections or any future pandemics as occupational diseases. CONCLUSION: This study will serve as a valuable resource for policymakers who intend to enact or amend national legislation to align with the ILO. Furthermore, it will assist relevant stakeholders in taking necessary actions based on the study's findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Navajo Nation is one of the many reservations that lack access to health care services, leading to increasing chronic health conditions. Navajo rug weaving is a common creative occupation on the reservation. Navajo rug weaving involves multiple steps in creating a beautiful rug. The multiple steps include repetitive gripping, pinching, reaching, pulling, and prolonged sitting. Therefore, weavers are at risk for developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), preventing individuals from participating in meaningful occupations. Occupational therapists have the skills to provide appropriate education through active listening, visual handouts, and family members. However, occupational therapists must demonstrate and understand cultural sensitivity to address cultural occupations. This article will provide strategies for modeling understanding of the Navajo people, Diné, and rug weaving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the potential relationship between the presence of asbestos-related diseases (ARDs) in the region of Kastamonu, Turkey. Methods: The places of birth of patients with ARDs and control subjects diagnosed between 2008 and 2019 and identified in a tertiary hospital in Istanbul. Soil samples were taken from plaster surfaces and quarries. The analysis was done with transmission electron microscopy. Results: ARDs was detected in 55(17.9%) of 307 participants. Patients had a mean age of 68 ± 11 years. Residential proximity to ophiolites increased ARDincidence by 6.2%per kilometer (P = 0.003). Birthplaces were identified as being inside an ophiolitic unit, or if they were not, the Google Earth software was used to determine the beeline distance between the settlement's center and the edge of the closest ophiolitic unit. The appropriate threshold for this case is 12.75 km, with 75% sensitivity and 87% specificity. Conclusion: ARDs due to naturally occurring asbestos (NOA) are present in hitherto unknown places. Geological maps including ophiolites can help locate these places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the work experience and respiratory health of women coal miners in the United States using Coal Workers' Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) data. Methods: Analysis included CWHSP participants with self-reported sex of female between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 2022, and examined radiographic surveillance, demographics, and job history. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health-certified physicians classified chest radiographs. Results: Among 8,182 women participants, most worked <10 years and a majority reported working in non-dusty jobs. Among 3,392 with ≥1 year of coal mining tenure, 18 (0.5%) had evidence of pneumoconiosis, with no cases of progressive massive fibrosis. Conclusion: Women coal miners participating in the CWSHP had short mining careers and low pneumoconiosis prevalence. Few worked in the most dusty jobs, indicating limited exposure to coal mine dust. This underscores the need to explore women's roles in mining, and for improved gender-specific employment reporting. Such changes can enhance health and work conditions for women in male-dominated industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are a major health concern in the construction industry. Occupational exoskeletons (EXOs) are a promising ergonomic intervention to help reduce WMSD risk. Their adoption, however, has been low in construction. To understand the contributing factors to EXO use-intention and assist in future decision-making, we built decision trees to predict responses to each of three EXO use-intention questions (Try, Voluntary Use, and Behavioural Intention), using online survey responses. Variable selection and hyperparameter tuning were used respectively to reduce the number of potential predictors and improve prediction performance. The importance of variables in each final tree was calculated to understand which variables had a greater influence. The final trees had moderate prediction performance. The root node of each tree included EXOs becoming standard equipment, fatigue reduction, or performance increase. Important variables were found to be quite specific to different decision trees. Practical implications of the findings are discussed. Practitioner summary: This study used decision trees to identify key factors influencing the use-intention of occupational exoskeletons (EXOs) in construction, using online survey data. Key factors identified included EXOs becoming standard equipment, fatigue reduction, and performance improvement. Final trees provide intuitive visual representations of the decision-making process for workers to use EXOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) Threshold Limit Values (TLVs) for Lifting is a manual material handling (MMH) assessment method to identify weight limits that nearly all workers may be exposed to without developing work-related low back disorders (LBD). However, this assessment method only applies to lifting with the torso within 30° asymmetry of the sagittal plane. OBJECTIVE: Estimate TLV weight limits while lifting with torso asymmetry greater than 30° beyond the sagittal plane. METHODS: Lifting tasks were performed from various horizontal and vertical locations, at torso asymmetry angles of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°, using ACGIH identified TLVs. Validated MMH assessment methods (NIOSH Lifting Equation, Ohio State University LBD Risk Model) were utilized to estimate TLVs at torso asymmetries greater than 30°. RESULTS: The current ACGIH TLVs resulted in low- to moderate-risk risk levels for torso asymmetries from 0° to 30°, and the risk incrementally increased as torso asymmetry increased to 90°. With the intention to keep the risk levels to that found at 30° torso asymmetry, lower TLV weight limits in the vertical and horizontal zones investigated were estimated for torso asymmetries from 45° to 90°. The resulting adjusted TLVs were consistent with weight limits identified for similar lifting conditions from other assessment methods that account for torso asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS: This research found current ACGIH-defined TLVs possess less than high-risk for LBD, and provided guidance to practitioners for reduced TLVs when torso asymmetry is greater than 30° from the sagittal plane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lobstering industry workers are known to have poor overall health and low safety records, but there is still a gap in information concerning Canadian lobster fishers. This study aimed to report occupational health and safety characteristics of an Atlantic Canada community of lobster fishers and to assess differences between captains and deckhands. Twenty-eight participants (10 captains, 18 deckhands) were questioned and self-reported on lifestyle, general health status, work-related musculoskeletal disorders and traumatic injuries. The data collected reveal both groups' high prevalence of cardiometabolic and musculoskeletal health issues. Captains reported more occupational exposition and health issues, and showed poorer lifestyle habits than deckhands. Fishers reported potential solutions to reduce occupational risks, presented as three types: lifestyle, working behaviours and leadership. This study evaluated a community of Canadian lobster fishers regarding their occupational health and safety. Potential avenues for mitigating occupational risk specific to this community will nurture future implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fatigue is one of the menaces that contribute to the rising number of construction-related accidents and fatalities in projects. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify several strategies that can be adopted to mitigate fatigue in construction projects. This was achieved through a quantitative study. A questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection in the quantitative study. The study revealed that frustration/depression or work pressure is one of the significant causes of fatigue in construction projects. Fatigue risk management education and bonding among workers are some of the underlying strategies that can be used to mitigate the identified causes. Depending on the nature of the fatigue causative elements, the study further established that some mitigation strategies are more effective than others. Therefore, further studies should be conducted by prospective researchers on a range of attributes that may influence the success of fatigue mitigation strategies in construction projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The rising prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders has numerous physical, financial, and mental repercussions for surgeons. This study aims to establish whether the use of a wearable posture device can improve the operating time spent in suboptimal, high-risk postures. Methods: Surgeons were recruited in Phase 1 of this prospective randomised study and baseline postural data was obtained. In Phase 2, participants were randomised to receive either a traditional educational workshop or intraoperative vibrations from the device to correct postural lapses. During minor elective day cases, intraoperative postural data was collected and stratified by forward flexion angle, into five risk categories (negligible to very high). Participants' experience with the sensor was also assessed. Results: A total of 100 surgical procedures (Phase 1: n = 50; Phase 2: n = 50) were performed by eight surgeons of varying seniority. Exposure to the educational intervention increased time spent in suboptimal posture (Phase 1 vs. Phase 2); 47.5% vs. 67.8%, p = 0.05. However, the vibrational intervention significantly reduced this time; 50.0% vs. 20.7%, p = 0.005. Procedure type didn't influence posture although, laparoscopic interventions spent most time in negligible-risk postures; 47.7% vs. 49.3%, compared to open procedures. Surgical consultants spent less time in suboptimal posture compared to fellow/registrars; 30.3% vs. 72.6% (Phase 1) and 33.8% vs. 65.3% (Phase 2). Conclusion: Vibrational intervention from the device significantly decreased the time spent in suboptimal, high-risk postures. As procedure type wasn't correlated with postural changes, surgeon-specific factors in regulating posture are paramount. Finally, surgeon experience was positively correlated with improved surgical ergonomics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study assessed the prevalence and associations of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction in electrical utility workers, with the aim of applying the findings to better prevent and rehabilitate workplace musculoskeletal disorders. Methods: Employees completed an online survey recording their musculoskeletal symptoms across nine anatomical locations for the preceding 12 months. A total of 565 employees, working across eight different electrical utility organisational work units, completed the survey. Consumer and Community Involvement: The study was collaborative and conducted in Australia's largest, wholly government owned electricity company. The study originated from the participating organisation wanting to better understand their musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) risks. Results: Employees who experienced high job stress were 4.06 times (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.78–9.29) more likely to report musculoskeletal symptoms in the shoulder compared with employees with lower reported job stress. Employees that perceived their work to have high physical demands report lower back musculoskeletal symptoms at 2.64 times the rate of those perceiving their job to be of low physical demand (95% CI = 1.44–4.84). There were significant differences in the lower back musculoskeletal symptoms according to work unit membership. Conclusions: Understanding the prevalence of MSDs is critical to implementing practical prevention and rehabilitation strategies in the workplace. This anonymous survey highlighted that a large proportion of electrical utility workers reported that musculoskeletal symptoms had impacted their ability to perform their job, housework and/or hobbies in the preceding 12 months. Early access to rehabilitation services is essential. However, many workers report barriers to disclosing MSDs; therefore, workplace rehabilitation services may need to be broadened to account for these barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aims to assess the impact of safety footwear (SF) on workers concerning foot-related problems, especially regarding discomfort, foot pain, and skin lesions. Methods: A literature search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Cochrane databases was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting foot-related problems in workers wearing SF were included. Exclusion criteria included non-English papers, reviews, laboratory and animal studies, expert opinions, letters to the editor, and grey literature. The quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Descriptive statistic was used to present data. Result: The initial search results yielded 483 articles; 7 articles were included in the review process. Despite the extensive variety of SF, all studies consistently reported symptomatic discomfort and pain. The discomfort factors included heat, sweating, heaviness, and footwear flexibility, with primary issues in the toes, toecaps, or metatarsal–toe crease region. The pain prevalence ranged from 42.3% to 60.8% in various anatomical regions. Irritant Contact Dermatitis was the most common (97.9%) foot dermatosis, but other foot lesions were reported: dry skin (30.2%), calluses (30%), hard nails (28%), corns (27%), and blisters. Conclusions: Current SFs are designed to comply with safety regulations but are influenced by the frequent occurrence of discomfort and foot problems. The literature review identified weaknesses in certain design features. Recommendations have been proposed to improve SF development. These include addressing issues such as the selection of specific types and designs of SF based on task performance and the working environment, footwear weight, and breathable materials for moisture permeation. Considerations should also encompass distinct sizing for an optimal fit, insole application, especially for prolonged standing users, and education programs to prevent foot-related issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noise from firearms is well known to be harmful to human hearing. This problem has been addressed by various military units through the use of muzzle suppressors. However, as suppressor technology has advanced, shooters report hearing the mechanical action of gas-operated semi-automatic rifles (ArmaLite Rifle Model 15 style aka AR-15) as being louder than the suppressed muzzle noise. This study aims to evaluate if harmful noise is present in the shooter's ear, even when impulse noise emanating from the muzzle is suppressed. To characterize the impulse noise of the firearm action caused by the reciprocation of the bolt carrier group (BCG) and subsequent impact when it returns to battery (the forward locked position), the muzzle of a rifle was placed through a constructed plywood wall, and the noise of the action/breech was measured independently from the muzzle noise. This research finds that the impact of the BCG returning to battery (132 dBZ) has the potential to be harmful to the shooter's hearing even when the noise from the muzzle is effectively suppressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Architecture students maintain uncomfortable body postures for hours while designing and constructing project models, putting them at high risk of developing musculoskeletal pain (MSP). OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to determine the prevalence of MSP among students at the Architecture and Planning College at King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional survey study used a self-administered online questionnaire. A total of 123 students (65 female) aged 19–25 years participated. The survey consisted of eight demographic and health status questions and the Extended Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ-E). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics; Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were used to compare genders at α=.05. RESULTS: Approximately 94.3% of architecture students reported pain in at least one body region in the last 12 months, and 87.0% in the last seven days. The highest reported percentage of MSP was neck pain, followed by lower back pain. No differences in MSP were found between genders, except in elbow and hand pain for the last 12 months and elbow pain for the last seven days. CONCLUSION: There was a high prevalence of MSP among undergraduate architecture students, highlighting the need to prevent occupational health issues at an early stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Union activism, medical lobbying and occupational health and safety prosecutions led to a major public health initiative in Australia - the banning from 1 July 2024 of work with engineered/artificial stone, including manufacturing, supplying, processing and installing it. This editorial contextualises within the history of regulation of workers' exposure to risks of contracting silicosis the growing international awareness of the dangers posed by working with engineered stone, particularly in relation to making and installing kitchen and bathroom benchtops made from engineered stone. It argues that the Australian initiative is an important public health decision that has a sound justification, is likely to save many lives and should be emulated internationally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. The aim of the study was to show the degree of advancement of pain and social problems of medical employees. Material and methods. The study was conducted in one of the hospitals in Lesser Poland. A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1.11.2021 to 31.01.2022. The study group consisted of 106 participants (93 (87.7%) women and 13 (12.3%) men) from hospital wards, emergency ambulance stations, administrative employees and an analytical laboratory. The Standardized Nordic Questionnaire in the Polish version – NMQ survey was used to survey employees. The survey was conducted during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and respondents were included in the research voluntarily. Results. Pain in the last 7 days was confirmed by 65% of the respondents, in more than 65% of the respondents the pain occurs during rest and sleep. In 64% of the subjects, pain was present on both sides of the body. The greatest pain was related to the lumbar spine in 54% of the respondents. The average pain is almost 5.35 on the Visual Analog Scale – VAS scale. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic may have had a negative impact on the physical and mental condition of medical workers. Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders - WRMSD ailments are common and are a serious, constantly growing problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of FACSalud is the property of Revista FACSalud and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effect of corrective exercise intervention (corrective exercise reminding and training software) on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), fatigue, posture and working memory among office workers. Methods: A total of 66 office workers participated in the present study. Data collection was carried out using questionnaires (including the Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire, multidimensional fatigue inventory and Borg rating scale), direct observations of work postures using rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) and rapid office strain assessment, and the n-back test. Results: There was a significant difference between the two groups (intervention and control) in terms of the severity of musculoskeletal discomfort after the intervention. There was a significant decrease in the mean score of trunk posture and the total RULA score in the intervention group after the intervention. The severity of perceived discomfort in all areas except the knee declined during the intervention. There was also a significant difference in physical and mental fatigue scores before and after the intervention. There was a significant difference in the accuracy score of office workers after the intervention compared to before the intervention. Conclusions: Overall, the results confirm the effectiveness of this low-cost, simple and easy-to-use ergonomic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Computer vision syndrome is a major global public health concern affecting >60 million individuals globally. Yoga and naturopathy practices can reduce visual fatigue and strain. The present study attempted to explore the effect of trataka that is, a yogic cleansing technique and cold eye pack on visual strain and fatigue. Subjects: Three hundred volunteers from an IT company were recruited following inclusion and exclusion criteria. Intervention: The subjects were randomly distributed in three groups, that is, trataka, cold eye pack, and waitlist control group with an allocation ratio of 1:1:1. Outcome measure: Visual Fatigue Scale and Visual symptoms checklist (VSC) was administered at baseline and end of 2 weeks. Repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) with Bonferroni corrections was used to test the difference across the groups. Results: All the variables were similar at the baseline among the groups. Significant changes in the within-group analysis occurred in both the trataka and cold eye pack groups. The RM-ANOVA revealed significant differences in the VAS and VSC (p = 0.001) and the post hoc analysis suggested that there were significant differences in both the trataka and cold eye pack group when compared with the control group (p = 0.001); however, there was no differences between the trataka and cold eye pack group in both the scales (p = 1). Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that a trataka and cold eye pack for 14 days improves self-rated visual strain and fatigue among IT professionals with computer vision syndrome. Clinical Trial registration number: CTRI/2020/11/029003 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to respirable dust and crystalline silica (SiO2) has been linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, silicosis, cancer, heart disease, and other respiratory diseases. Relatively few studies have measured respirable dust and SiO2 concentrations among workers at brick kilns in low- and middle-income countries. The purpose of this study was to measure personal breathing zone (PBZ) respirable dust and SiO2 concentrations among workers at one brick kiln in Bhaktapur, Nepal. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 49 workers in five job categories: administration, fire master, green (unfired) brick hand molder, green brick machine molder, and top loader. PBZ air samples were collected from each worker following Methods 0600 (respirable dust) and 7500 (respirable crystalline SiO2: cristobalite, quartz, tridymite) of the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Eight-hour time-weighted average (TWA) respirable dust and quartz concentrations were also calculated. SiO2 percentage was measured in one bulk sample each of wet clay, the release agent used by green brick hand molders, and top coat soil at the brick kiln. The geometric mean (GM) sample and TWA respirable dust concentrations were 0.20 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.16, 0.27) and 0.12 (95% CI: 0.09, 0.16) mg/m3, respectively. GM sample and TWA quartz concentrations were 15.28 (95% CI: 11.11, 21.02) and 8.60 (95% CI: 5.99, 12.34) µg/m3, respectively. Job category was significantly associated with GM sample and TWA respirable dust and quartz concentrations (all p < 0.0001). Top loaders had the highest GM sample and TWA respirable dust concentrations of 1.49 and 0.99 mg/m3, respectively. Top loaders also had the highest GM sample and TWA quartz concentrations of 173.08 and 114.39 µg/m3, respectively. Quartz percentages in bulk samples were 16%-27%. Interventions including using wet methods to reduce dust generation, administrative controls, personal protective equipment, and education and training should be implemented to reduce brick kiln worker exposures to respirable dust and SiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It was found that goldsmiths were highly affected by improper body posture and workload. Twisting, bending over, and over-reaching are the results of poorly designed workstations; this will cause postural abnormality, and later on, this can lead to musculoskeletal-related disorders, in which forward head posture (FHP) is the most common postural abnormality. Therefore, to aware the workers about their musculoskeletal disorder as well as the analysis of the worker suffering from forward head posture (FHP). Materials and Methods: The study took place at the workplace of goldsmith workers in Nagpur, Maharashtra, for 1.5 years. With the confidence interval of 95%, an absolute precision of 15and based on a pilot study and literature reviews, the sample size was estimated to be 35.AGoniometer, camera(for photographic Images), laptop and twosided tape were used to determine the cranio-vertebral angle. Thirty-five goldsmiths participated in the study. The photographic method was used to evaluate cranio-vertebral angle, which helps to determine forward head posture. Result: In this study 35 goldsmith workers were evaluated with a mean age of 37±10 years, a mean working hour of 11±10 hours and a work experience of 18±9.8 years. Out of 35 goldsmiths 25 showed the prevalence of forward head posture, or 71.42% of them had forward head posture. Conclusion: Based on the results the present study which was conducted on goldsmith workers concluded that prevalence of forward head posture was 71.42% among the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To prevent occupational skin diseases, employees are instructed to periodically apply hand protection products as a barrier to protect their hands from water, cleaning agents or other irritants. The aim of this work was to investigate whether bacteria present on the skin at the time of protection product application are enclosed underneath this protective layer, if they can be transferred to other surfaces and if a standard isopropanol-based skin disinfectant can nonetheless reduce the bacterial burden. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in human volunteers based on the European Standard (EN 1500) to assess the burden of microorganisms before and after the application of various protection product formulations and subsequent hand disinfection. Results: All protection products, with the exception of alcohol-based gels, enclosed bacteria underneath a lipid layer which could be transferred onto other surfaces. Still, the hand disinfectant efficiently reduced the bacteria burden. Discussion: In occupations where proper hand hygiene is vital, alcohol-based gels might be the best option for the protection of the skin barrier as well as for reducing the contamination risk. Conclusion: An alcohol-based disinfection agent can dissolve the lipid film of protection products following the standard protocol for hygienic hand disinfection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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BACKGROUND: Aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) have the most difficulty in terms of total workload criteria working in line maintenance. This is a very important problem for the Aircraft Maintenance Organization. A systematic and scientific approach is required for its solution. OBJECTIVE: This study proposes a new Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) based approach to evaluating the total workloads of AMTs to identify the most challenging AMT tasks in the aircraft maintenance organization. METHODS: A new hybrid MCDM approach is proposed by integrating the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity (TOPSIS) methods to compare AMTs on the basis of workloads according to license categories. The hybrid method proposed in this study evaluates the total workload under three main titles: mental, physical, and environmental workload. RESULTS: Focusing on AMTs working in line maintenance of an aircraft maintenance organization, this study revealed that the most important workload criteria determined by the DEMATEL method are lower back strain, upper back strain, time pressure, and air temperature criteria. The results of the TOPSIS method showed that the license categories of AMTs are sorted according to the workloads as follows: A, B2, B1, and B1 + B2. The AMTs holding a "Category A" license have fewer workloads than the other categories. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study reveal some measures that might allow authorities to minimize the workload of AMTs. In addition, the study contributes to the literature because there are few studies that systematically analyze total workloads by using MCDM methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Migrant seasonal agricultural workers face conditions of material vulnerability such as inadequate housing difficulties prevent access to running water supplies. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of professionals involved in the care and support of seasonal migrant agricultural workers, as it relates to water access and water consumption and their impact on these workers' health, in a context of COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative exploratory and descriptive study was conducted in 2021 as part of a larger research project, based on 63 personal semi-structured interviews with professionals who provided support to seasonal migrant agricultural workers in three Spanish autonomous regions. COREQ checklist was used for reporting. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and imported into ATLAS.ti-9 for an inductive thematic analysis. Results: The results have been structured into two main themes: (1) Accessing and obtaining water; and (2) Health problems related to water consumption. Seasonal migrant agricultural workers experience barriers to obtaining safe water for hygiene, cleaning, food preparation and drinking. The implementation of regulations to reduce COVID-19 transmission resulted in improved hygiene levels in the migrants' quarters, including access to safe drinking water. Conclusion: This study suggests that water insecurity experienced by migrant seasonal agricultural workers in Spain results from their poor living conditions and causes health problems related to a lack of hygiene and the use of unsafe water. Sustainable solutions are needed beyond the pandemic in order to provide migrant workers with adequate living conditions and ensure their water needs are fulfilled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural firefighters are responsible for protecting properties and saving lives during emergency operations. Despite efforts to prepare firefighters for these hazardous occupational demands, the unfortunate reality is that the incidence of health morbidities is increasing within the fire service. Specifically, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mental health disorders are among the most documented morbidities in firefighters. Pubmed and Google Scholar search engines were used to identify peer-reviewed English language manuscripts that evaluated firefighters' occupational health threats, allostatic factors associated with their occurrence, and evidence-based strategies to mitigate their impact. This narrative review provides fire departments, practitioners, and researchers with evidence-based practices to enhance firefighters' health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to establish an ambulatory field-friendly system based on miniaturised wireless flexible sensors for studying the biomechanics of human-exoskeleton interactions. Twelve healthy adults performed symmetric lifting with and without a passive low-back exoskeleton, while their movements were tracked using both a flexible sensor system and a conventional motion capture (MoCap) system synchronously. Novel algorithms were developed to convert the raw acceleration, gyroscope, and biopotential signals from the flexible sensors into kinematic and dynamic measures. Results showed that these measures were highly correlated with those obtained from the MoCap system and discerned the effects of the exoskeleton, including increased peak lumbar flexion, decreased peak hip flexion, and decreased lumbar flexion moment and back muscle activities. The study demonstrated the promise of an integrated flexible sensor-based system for biomechanics and ergonomics field studies as well as the efficacy of exoskeleton in relieving the low-back stress associated with manual lifting. This study established and tested a flexible sensor-based ambulatory system for biomechanical evaluation of human-exoskeleton interactions and as a promising new tool for field ergonomics studies in practical or naturalistic settings. Abbreviations: MoCap: motion capture; WMSD: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders; EMG: electromyography; IMU: inertial measurement unit; TES: thoracic erector spinae; LES: lumbar erector spinae; WITH: tasks performed with wearing the exoskeleton; WITHOUT: tasks performed without wearing the exoskeleton; RMS: root mean square; RMSE: root-mean-square error; r: Pearson's correlation coefficient; ASIS: anterior superior iliac spine [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Health care workers (HCWs) in hospitals are at risk of infection with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Prevention measures are necessary to protect HCWs against COVID-19. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the status of occupational risk factors and prevention measures for COVID-19 in hospitals. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Iranian hospitals. Based on the results of reviewing the literature and guidelines, two checklists on occupational risk factors and prevention measures for COVID-19 in hospitals were designed and validated. The status of occupational risk factors and prevention measures against COVID-19 in governmental, non-governmental public, private, and military hospitals were determined using designed checklists. RESULTS: Results confirmed the validity of checklists for assessing the status of COVID-19 prevention measures in hospitals. The military hospitals had the lowest mean risk factors compared to other hospitals, but there was no significant difference in occupational risk factors of infection with COVID-19 among governmental, non-governmental public, private, and military hospitals (P-value > 0.05). In the checklist of occupational risk factors of Covid-19, the type of hospital had a significant relationship with the provision and use of personal protective equipment (P-value<0.05). The mean of implementation of prevention measures among all hospitals were not statistically significant difference (P-value > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The provided checklists could be a suitable tool for monitoring of status of prevention measures for COVID-19 in hospitals. Improving ventilation systems is necessary in most of the hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to propose preventive measures for addressing health issues caused by dust exposure in a construction aggregate crushing plant. Initially, excessive dust emissions from stone crushing and vehicular traffic were identified. Monitoring using the Thermo Scientific VFC-PM10 air sampler showed a concentration value (659.68 μg/m³) exceeding ECA and WHO standards significantly. The VPC300 particle counter detected hazardous concentrations of fine dust particles (0.3 μm to 5.0 μm), indicating high exposure intensity. The quarry, the raw material source, exhibited a high SiO2 concentration (95.67% to 98.05%). A worker survey assessed personal susceptibility factors for dust-related health conditions. Control measures to mitigate dust emissions and administrative actions to reduce occupational diseases have been proposed based on these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory workplace interventions to improve workforce musculoskeletal health are infrequently analysed regarding why they work, for whom or under what circumstances. This review sought to identify intervention strategies which achieved genuine worker participation. In total, 3388 articles on participatory ergonomic (PE) interventions were screened; 23 were suitable to analyse within a realist framework identifying contexts, mechanisms of change, and outcomes. The interventions which succeeded in achieving worker participation were characterised by one or more of these contexts: workers' needs as a core starting point; a positive implementation climate; clear distribution of roles and responsibilities; allocation of sufficient resources; and managerial commitment to and involvement in occupational safety and health. Interventions that were organised and delivered in this way generated relevance, meaning, confidence, ownership and trust for the workers in an interrelated and multi-directional manner. With such information, PE interventions may be carried out more effectively and sustainably in the future. Practitioner summary: This review focuses on the question: which mechanisms support genuine worker participation, in what context and with which necessary resources, to reduce musculoskeletal disorders. Results emphasise the importance of starting with workers' needs, making the implementation climate egalitarian, clarifying the roles and responsibilities of all involved, and providing sufficient resources. Abbreviations: PE: participatory ergonomic(s); WMSD: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders; EU: European Union; MSD: Muskuloskeletal disorders; OSH: Occupational health and safety; C: context; M: mechanism; O: outcome; CMOCs: CMO configurations; NPT: Normalization process theory; OECD: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: EU-OSHA: European Occupational Safety and Health Agency [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of ESTUDAM Public Health Journal is the property of ESTUDAM Public Health Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Musicians are a distinct population with a high rate of developing musculoskeletal and neurological disorders affecting their ability to participate in music-based occupations. These injuries negatively affect the musician's health and well-being in physical, financial, psychosocial, and emotional dimensions. Given music's complex and integrated role in the musicians' life, treatment must be multi-dimensional, considering aspects of the person, the type of instrument, environment, context, and social obligations. Occupational therapy providers are uniquely qualified to treat musicians because of their focuse on holistic, occupation-based, and client-centered care. This manuscript describes the role of occupational therapy in this client population based on the best available evidence. It discusses the literature regarding the upper-extremity health challenges in musicians and the associated physical and psychosocial risk factors. Furthermore, the manuscript elucidates the foundational elements of occupational therapy in relation to musician-clients supporting this profession's profound role in musician health care. In addition, the manuscript employs the Person-Environment-Occupation-Performance model and the Occupational Adaptation frame of reference to promote an occupation-based and client-centered approach to musician-client care. With this information, occupational therapy providers will recognize the importance of client-centered and evidence-based care in this population and their role in caring for musicians with hand and upper extremity disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Occupational noise exposure is a significant health problem. In addition to hearing impairments, noise as a stressor may cause cardiovascular problems. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of exposure to workplace noise on cardiovascular disease risk factors. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted in 2021 in a power plant in Iran. In this study, the health status of 406 employees in both exposed (n = 203) and non-exposed (n = 203) to noise groups was examined for cardiovascular disease risk factors. Also, the trend of changes in the studied variables from 2012 to 2020 in exposed employees was examined. Data were collected from participants' annual physical examinations and occupational noise exposure measurements. To measure the noise in the present study, the KIMO-DB300 noise level meter was used. Data were analyzed in SPSS-26 software. RESULTS: The results revealed that mean fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride, liver enzyme (SGOT), blood pressure, and body mass index were significantly different in the two groups (p-value<0.05). There was no significant difference in the mean of creatinine, cholesterol, and liver enzyme (SGPT) between the two groups (p-value>0.05). In the exposed group, the mean of all studied variables except diastolic blood pressure was statistically different during the study years (p-value<0.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that exposure to noise above the permissible level can affect the cardiovascular disease risk factors, so it is recommended to apply engineering and management measures like using Hearing Conservation Programme (HCP) to reduce the risk of these diseases with periodically assessing the health status of employees and timely diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The current study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the research landscape on the risk factors and preventive approaches to occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Methods: A comprehensive search strategy was developed and used in the Scopus Database for the study period from 1993 to 2022. Results: A total of 1,132 articles underwent analysis and mapping. Scholars from the United States made the largest contribution, while the Danish institution "National Research Center for the Working Environment" ranked first in the field. The map showed that the nursing profession was the most researched profession with regard to occupational MSDs. The top-100 cited articles included research themes focusing on risk factors, interventions and preventive strategies, and specific body regions affected. Conclusions: More longitudinal research is needed to identify and confirm the causal relationship between different risk factors and occupational MSDs and more research is needed regarding the effectiveness of various interventional methods on occupational MSDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Studies show conflicting evidence on the association of age and occupational injury in agriculture, and few studies have addressed the effect of age on work-related chronic conditions or preventive practices among farmers. Methods: We examined the probability of injury, work-related stress, musculoskeletal symptoms (MSS), and preventive practices for MSS as a function of aging using surveillance data of 7,711 farm and ranch operators in the central United States. Findings: Segmented regression analyses of men (85% of sample) indicated that the probability of all four outcomes increased up to a certain age and then decreased; the changepoints in years of age being 59.6 for injury, 55.4 for work-related stress, 59.6 for MSS, and 67.9 for MSS preventive practices. Female operators had an increasing trend for stress up to age 29.7, while they showed no changepoints across their age spectrum in the proportion of injury, MSS, and prevention techniques. Conclusion/Application to Practice: These findings emphasize the need for preventive efforts particularly among younger and middle-aged farmers and ranchers, and the need to modify work duties to match work abilities at older ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]