Dataset Information

Workers' Perception Heat Stress: Results from a Pilot Study Conducted in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.

ABSTRACT: Many workers are exposed to the effects of heat and often to extreme temperatures. Heat stress has been further aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic by the use of personal protective equipment to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, workers' risk perception of heat stress is often low, with negative effects on their health and productivity. The study aims to identify workers' needs and gaps in knowledge, suggesting the adaptation of measures that best comply with the needs of both workers and employers. A cross-sectional online questionnaire survey was conducted in Italy in the hottest months of 2020 (June-October) through different multimedia channels. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics; analytical tests and analysis of variance were used to evaluate differences between groups of workers. In total, 345 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The whole sample of respondents declared that heat is an important contributor to productivity loss and 83% of workers did not receive heat warnings from their employer. In this context, the internet is considered as the main source of information about heat-related illness in the workplace. Results highlight the need to increase workers' perception of heat stress in the workplace to safeguard their health and productivity. About two-thirds of the sample stated that working in the sun without access to shaded areas, working indoors without adequate ventilation, and nearby fire, steam, and hot surfaces, represent the main injuries' risk factors.

SUBMITTER: Bonafede M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9266050 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Workers' Perception Heat Stress: Results from a Pilot Study Conducted in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.

Bonafede Michela M Levi Miriam M Pietrafesa Emma E Binazzi Alessandra A Marinaccio Alessandro A Morabito Marco M Pinto Iole I De' Donato Francesca F Grasso Valentina V Costantini Tiziano T Messeri Alessandro A

International journal of environmental research and public health 20220704 13

Many workers are exposed to the effects of heat and often to extreme temperatures. Heat stress has been further aggravated during the COVID-19 pandemic by the use of personal protective equipment to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, workers' risk perception of heat stress is often low, with negative effects on their health and productivity. The study aims to identify workers' needs and gaps in knowledge, suggesting the adaptation of measures that best comply with the needs of both workers a ...[more]

PMID: 35805854

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Project description:Introduction and objectivesThe aims of this study were to assess fatigue in port workers; analyze the association between fatigue and levels of trust in organizations, as well as the association between authorities and risk perception; and examine the official documents governing the studied port, along with the current health and communication status of the port workers.Materials and methodsThis was a descriptive and cross-sectional pilot study, which presented quantitative and qualitative data, and it was carried out among port workers in the city of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Thirty-nine port workers responded to quantitative questionnaires, which collected their socio-demographic data, as well as a risk perception questionnaire, the Chalder Fatigue Scale, and the Checklist of Individual Strength. Five documents from the port regiment were studied and qualitatively analyzed. The health communications consisted of presenting infographics with research data and providing information for reducing fatigue.ResultsFifteen workers (38.5%) were considered fatigued. There was a reduction in fatigue associated with trust in the unions and the labor management body, and there was an agreement that the precarious environment was completely unacceptable. The qualitative data in the documents indicated that it was possible to identify the infrastructure of the port environment, the legislation, the strategies to be adopted in cases of natural disasters, emergency plans, plans for the protection and promotion of workers' health, individual and collective protection plans, the division of the sectors and those responsible for them, and documents detailing the hierarchy within the ports. The qualitative analysis culminated in graphic representations (infographics) created to communicate the research results to port workers, specifically in relation to fatigue, and we presented the ways to prevent fatigue at work. Discussion/Limitations: Studying the risk perceptions and fatigue levels of port workers through research with the active participation of these workers presented their lived experiences, which promoted discussion and perhaps more effective proposals to change their work conditions.

Project description:First responders are front-line healthcare workers who are potentially exposed to different infectious agents. Characterizing their knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) towards immunization, therefore, has the potential to significantly improve occupational health and safety. A cross-sectional study was performed in October 2018 using a sample of 161 first responders from the Parma Province (mean age 45.1 ± 14.1 years; seniority 10.8 ± 8.6 years). The participants were questioned on three recommended vaccinations (i.e., the seasonal influenza, measles, and pertussis vaccines) and on meningococcal vaccines (not officially recommended for first responders). The participant's knowledge status and risk perception were assessed as percentage values through a specifically designed questionnaire. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for factors associated with vaccination status were calculated by means of a binary logistic regression analysis. The internal consistency result, calculated using a general knowledge test, was good (Cronbach's alpha = 0.894), but the corresponding score was unsatisfying (46.5% ± 32.4), evidencing uncertainties surrounding the recommendations for measles and meningococcal vaccines (39.1% and 34.2% incorrect answers, respectively). While the large majority of respondents were favorable towards the meningococcal (89.4%), measles (87.5%), and pertussis vaccines (83.0%), 55.3% exhibited a favorable attitude toward the seasonal influenza vaccine, the uptake of which in 2018, was reported by 28.0% of respondents, compared to the self-reported lifetime status for meningitis (26.1%), measles (42.2%), and pertussis (34.8%). Not coincidentally, all assessed infections were associated with a low-risk perception score, particularly influenza (33.9% ± 18.4). Interestingly enough, neither knowledge status nor risk perception were associated with vaccination rates. More precisely, the main predictor for being vaccinated against seasonal influenza in 2018 was a seniority of ≥10 years (aOR 3.26, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.35-7.91), while both pertussis and measles were positively associated with higher educational achievement (aOR 3.27, 95%CI 1.29-8.30; and aOR 2.69, 95%CI 1.09-6.65, respectively). The reasons for vaccination gaps among the sampled first responders, apparently, did not find their roots in inappropriate knowledge status and risk perception alone. However, the very low rates of sampled immunization lead us to recommend stronger and more appropriate information campaigns.

Project description:BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the mental health of health care workers, increasing the rates of stress, moral distress (MD), and moral injury (MI). Virtual reality (VR) is a useful tool for studying MD and MI because it can effectively elicit psychophysiological responses, is customizable, and permits the controlled study of participants in real time.ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate the feasibility of using an intervention comprising a VR scenario and an educational video to examine MD among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and to use our mobile app for longitudinal monitoring of stress, MD, and MI after the intervention.MethodsWe recruited 15 participants for a compound intervention consisting of a VR scenario followed by an educational video and a repetition of the VR scenario. The scenario portrayed a morally challenging situation related to a shortage of life-saving equipment. Physiological signals and scores of the Moral Injury Outcome Scale (MIOS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were collected. Participants underwent a debriefing session to provide their impressions of the intervention, and content analysis was performed on the sessions. Participants were also instructed to use a mobile app for 8 weeks after the intervention to monitor stress, MD, and mental health symptoms. We conducted Wilcoxon signed rank tests on the PSS and MIOS scores to investigate whether the VR scenario could induce stress and MD. We also evaluated user experience and the sense of presence after the intervention through semi-open-ended feedback and the Igroup Presence Questionnaire, respectively. Qualitative feedback was summarized and categorized to offer an experiential perspective.ResultsAll participants completed the intervention. Mean pre- and postintervention scores were respectively 10.4 (SD 9.9) and 13.5 (SD 9.1) for the MIOS and 17.3 (SD 7.5) and 19.1 (SD 8.1) for the PSS. Statistical analyses revealed no significant pre- to postintervention difference in the MIOS and PSS scores (P=.11 and P=.22, respectively), suggesting that the experiment did not acutely induce significant levels of stress or MD. However, content analysis revealed feelings of guilt, shame, and betrayal, which relate to the experience of MD. On the basis of the Igroup Presence Questionnaire results, the VR scenario achieved an above-average degree of overall presence, spatial presence, and involvement, and slightly below-average realism. Of the 15 participants, 8 (53%) did not answer symptom surveys on the mobile app.ConclusionsOur study demonstrated VR to be a feasible method to simulate morally challenging situations and elicit genuine responses associated with MD with high acceptability and tolerability. Future research could better define the efficacy of VR in examining stress, MD, and MI both acutely and in the longer term. An improved participant strategy for mobile data capture is needed for future studies.Trial registrationClinicalTrails.gov NCT05001542; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05001542.International registered report identifier (irrid)RR2-10.2196/32240.

Project description:IntroductionExposure to chemical compounds occurs in numerous occupational settings, among which the research and healthcare laboratories have not been adequately investigated. These settings are characterized by an extreme variability of the used compounds and by the frequent turnover of young researchers. The main objectives of the study were to explore the occupational exposure to hazardous chemical substances among research laboratory workers; to assess their awareness and perceptions regarding chemical hazards; to investigate adherence to guidelines on safe handling of chemical compounds; and to analyze the effects of several factors on these outcomes of interest.MethodsThe survey was conducted among research laboratories workers who were exposed to chemical substances during their activity. Subjects completed a questionnaire exploring knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to chemical hazards involved in research activities.ResultsEnrolled subjects were 237, for an 81.7% response rate. More than 90 hazardous chemical substances were used in the surveyed laboratories. A correct knowledge on hazardous chemicals was significantly more likely in younger researchers, in those manipulating a higher number of hazardous chemicals, and in those with a higher number of years of training in the attended laboratory; 54.4% of the workers said they felt very exposed to chemical risk. Correct practices in the laboratories were significantly more likely in researchers who perceived to have a low exposure to chemicals, but a high exposure to biological risk, who agreed with the statement that colleagues handle chemicals following safety procedures and who perceived to have received an adequate training in the management of accidents and first aid.ConclusionsOur results showed significant gaps in knowledge and scarce preparedness in the adherence to safety processes to prevent and contain risks related to use of chemical compounds in research laboratories.

Project description:BackgroundThere is growing attention on occupational heat stress in Central America, as workers in this region are affected by a unique form of chronic kidney disease. Previous studies have examined wet bulb globe temperatures and estimated metabolic rates to assess heat stress, but there are limited data characterizing heat strain among these workers.ObjectiveThe aims were to characterize heat stress and heat strain and examine whether job task, break duration, hydration practices, and kidney function were associated with heat strain.MethodsWe used data from the MesoAmerican Nephropathy Occupational Study, a cohort of 569 outdoor workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua who underwent workplace exposure monitoring, including continuous measurement of core body temperature (Tc), heart rate (HR), physical activity, and wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT), over the course of three days in January 2018 - May 2018. Participants represented five industries: sugarcane, corn, plantain, brickmaking, and construction.ResultsMedian WBGTs were relatively high (>27 °C) at most sites, particularly when work shifts spanned the afternoon hours (e.g., 29.2 °C among plantain workers). Sugarcane workers, especially cane cutters in both countries and Nicaraguan agrichemical applicators, had the highest estimated metabolic rates (medians: 299-318 kcal/hr). Most workers spent little time on break (<10% of the shift), as determined by physical activity data. Overall, sugarcane workers-particularly those in Nicaragua-experienced the highest Tc and HR values. However, a few workers in other industries reached high Tc (>39 °C) as well. Impaired kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate <90 mL/min/1.73 m2) was associated with higher Tc and HR values, even after adjustment.SignificanceThis is the largest study to-date examining heat stress and strain among outdoor workers in Central America. Workers at sugar companies regularly experienced Tc > 38°C (76.9% of monitored person-days at Nicaraguan companies; 46.5% at Salvadoran companies). Workers with impaired kidney function had higher measures of Tc and HR.Impact statementThis study examined levels of occupational heat stress and heat strain experienced among outdoor workers in five industries in El Salvador and Nicaragua. We characterized heat stress using wet bulb globe temperatures and estimated metabolic rate and heat strain using core body temperature and heart rate. Sugarcane workers, particularly cane cutters and Nicaraguan agrichemical applicators, performed more strenuous work and experienced greater levels of heat strain. Impaired kidney function was associated with higher heart rates and core body temperatures.

Dataset Information

Workers' Perception Heat Stress: Results from a Pilot Study Conducted in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.

Publications

Workers' Perception Heat Stress: Results from a Pilot Study Conducted in Italy during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020.

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