Discrepancies Between Implementation and Perceived Effectiveness of Leading Safety Indicators in the US Dairy Product Manufacturing Industry.

Background: In the United States, the dairy product manufacturing industry has consistently had higher rates of work-related nonfatal injuries and illnesses compared to the national average for industries in all sectors. The selection and implementation of appropriate safety performance indicators are important aspect of reducing risk within safety management systems. This study examined the leading safety indicators implemented in the dairy product-manufacturing sector (NAICS 3115) and their perceived effectiveness in reducing work-related injuries.

Workplace Sexual Harassment and Vulnerabilities among Low-Wage Hispanic Women.

Workplace sexual harassment is particularly widespread in industries with many low-wage jobs where Hispanic women are likely to work. This qualitative study examines the experiences of Hispanic women in low-income jobs to identify workplace sexual harassment situations, support seeking actions, barriers to report, and forms of retaliation. A qualitative research design with one-on-one structured interviews provided an in-depth understanding of the experiences of Hispanic women in low-wage jobs regarding workplace sexual harassment situations and potential contributing factors.

Whole-body vibration and back pain-related work absence among heavy equipment vehicle mining operators.

Objective: To determine the association between several whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure estimates and back pain-related work absence.

Methods: Exposures (based on the weighted daily root mean square acceleration, A(8); the daily vibration dose value, VDV(8); and the daily equivalent static compression dose, S(8)) of 2302 workers during 4 years were estimated using each worker's monthly vehicle operation records and WBV measurements from 11 different types of heavy equipment vehicles in a large coal mine. Company payroll data provided work absence during the concurrent 4 years of exposure.

Development of an e-health education program at the workplace using formative research - Technologies for improving quality of life.

Background: e-Learning, a means by which to expand people's access to information can be effective in promoting health in the workplace. This study to present steps in the development of an e-health education program at the workplace.

Objective: This study aimed to present all steps of develop a telehealth education program for computer users using formative research to identify themes to health education for workers.

Engaging Small Residential Construction Contractors in Community-Based Participatory Research to Promote Safety.

Construction is a large employment sector with a high prevalence of small businesses. Despite the high injury rates reported for employees of small construction firms, these firms are under-represented in occupational safety research studies. Such studies are needed to understand barriers experienced by these firms and to examine ways to overcome them.

Evaluation of commercially available seat suspensions to reduce whole body vibration exposures in mining heavy equipment vehicle operators.

As mining vehicle operators are exposed to high level of Whole body vibration (WBV) for prolonged periods of time, approaches to reduce this exposure are needed for the specific types of exposures in mining. Although various engineering controls (i.e.

Assessment of Whole-Body Vibration Exposure in Mining Earth-moving Equipment and Other Vehicles Used in Surface Mining.

This study characterized whole-body vibration exposures in a set of vehicles that operate in open-pit mines and compared three different daily exposure parameters based on the ISO 2631-1:1997 and ISO 2631-5:2004 standards. Full-shift, 6 to 12-hour, continuous whole-body vibration measurements were collected from 11 representative types of vehicles in terms of hours of operation and number of vehicles used. For each type of vehicle, the exposure parameters (A(8), VDV(8), and Sed(8)) were calculated for each axis (x, y, and z), and in addition, shear or horizontal (∑xy) and vector sum (∑xyx) whole-body vibration exposure.

Associations between safety climate and safety management practices in the construction industry.

Background: Safety climate, a group-level measure of workers' perceptions regarding management's safety priorities, has been suggested as a key predictor of safety outcomes. However, its relationship with actual injury rates is inconsistent. We posit that safety climate may instead be a parallel outcome of workplace safety practices, rather than a determinant of workers' safety behaviors or outcomes.

Results of a community-based survey of construction safety climate for Hispanic workers.

Background: Hispanic construction workers experience high rates of occupational injury, likely influenced by individual, organizational, and social factors.

Objectives: To characterize the safety climate of Hispanic construction workers using worker, contractor, and supervisor perceptions of the workplace.

Methods: We developed a 40-item interviewer-assisted survey with six safety climate dimensions and administered it in Spanish and English to construction workers, contractors, and supervisors.