13,244 research outputs found
Proceedings of the Lifesaving Foundationâs 2010 Research Conference & Ireland Medal Ceremony
The Lifesaving Foundation Ltd (2010) These Proceedings are freely available in the public domain for distribution to anyone involved and interested in decreasing drowning deaths around the world. Please share this piece of information with your partners and associates giving credit to the authors
The opinion of emergency medical service personnel regarding safety in pre-hospital emergency care practice
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science in Medicine in Emergency Medicine
Johannesburg, 2015The pre-hospital setting poses a potential threat to safety as emergency care takes place in a dynamic, uncontrolled and ever-changing environment. In addition Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel are generally overworked. All these factors translate to possible errors which may well compromise the health conditions of the patients. This study reflects the opinions of pre-hospital personnel regarding safety and as such the perception of the current state of safety in South African EMS.
A prospective, descriptive and cross-sectional online survey was utilised to obtain opinions from respondents regarding pre-hospital safety in their work environment.
Results
A total of 610 electronic requests to partake in the survey were sent with a yield of 26.9% (n=164). A variety of questions relating to personal safety, patient safety and organisational safety culture were posed to the respondents. The typical respondent was a white (84%, n=134), male (69%, n=109), Advanced Life Support Paramedic (55%, n=86), between the age of 31 and 40 years (44%, n=69), who has between 11 and 15 years of EMS experience and works in in the private sector (62.5%, n=65). Concerns included management support, fatigue, vehicle accidents and interpersonal violence. The majority have been exposed to vehicle accidents (54.2%, n=84) and it is believed that management could do more to ensure vehicle safety. Interpersonal violence should not be considered an anomaly in the EMS. The perceived incidence of violence towards the respondents is 56% (n=88), which is lower than that experienced by their international EMS colleagues. This workplace interpersonal violence was deemed the most important safety concern. Most
respondents did not seem to think that medical adverse events were particularly prevalent in their work environment, but appeared more comfortable admitting to having witnessed others making errors.
Limitations include a convenience sample which does not represent all EMS, and it is recommended that a representative study be completed.
Conclusion
Contributing factors towards safety concerns include lack of management support, poor communication from management, fatigue, interpersonal violence and inadequate staffing. There is evidence of a focus on a patient safety culture within the EMS
Operational Strategies for Establishing Disaster-Resilient Schools: A Qualitative Study
Introduction: Resilient schools can warranty studentsâ health and survival at disasters. It is obligatory that schools be prepared for natural challenges through local programs. Considering the great population of students, disaster-resilient schools can be a safe and suitable environment for students at the time of disaster. Objective: This study aims to identify certain operational strategies for establishing schools resilient to natural disasters. Method: This qualitative study was based on conventional content analysis. Using purposive sampling method, 24 experts in the fields of health in disasters, construction engineering, psychology, teaching, and administrative management participated in the study. Maximum variation sampling continued until data saturation was achieved. The data collected via unstructured interviews were analyzed with Graneheim and Lundmenâs conventional content analysis. Results: Content analysis resulted in four main categories as operational strategies for establishing disaster-resilient schools including: 1) âconstruction and non-construction optimizationâ, with four subcategories of construct risk management, optimization of construct architecture and physical structure, correct construct localization, and promotion of non-construct safety, 2) âpromotion of organizational coordination and interactionsâ with two subcategories, namely improvement in intra-organizational communication and improvement in extra-organizational communication, 3) âimprovement in educationâ with three subcategories of holding educational courses for families and students, holding educational courses for managers and personnel, and holding simulated exercises, and 4) âprocess promotionâ with four subcategories of increased preparedness, correct planning, creation of organizational structure, and rehabilitation facilitation. Conclusion: Various factors affecting schoolsâ response to disasters form operational strategies to establish disaster-resilient schools. These strategies influence pre- and post-disaster preparedness. Awareness of these components followed by preparedness prior to disasters can save studentsâ lives, improve school performance after disasters, and aid in establishing disaster-resilient schools as safe lodgings
Review of On-Scene Management of Mass-Casualty Attacks
Background: The scene of a mass-casualty attack (MCA) entails a crime scene, a hazardous space, and a great number of people needing medical assistance. Public transportation has been the target of such attacks and involves a high probability of generating mass casualties. The review aimed to investigate challenges for on-scene responses to MCAs and suggestions made to counter these challenges, with special attention given to attacks on public transportation and associated terminals. Methods: Articles were found through PubMed and Scopus, "relevant articles" as defined by the databases, and a manual search of references. Inclusion criteria were that the article referred to attack(s) and/or a public transportation-related incident and issues concerning formal on-scene response. An appraisal of the articles' scientific quality was conducted based on an evidence hierarchy model developed for the study. Results: One hundred and five articles were reviewed. Challenges for command and coordination on scene included establishing leadership, inter-agency collaboration, multiple incident sites, and logistics. Safety issues entailed knowledge and use of personal protective equipment, risk awareness and expectations, cordons, dynamic risk assessment, defensive versus offensive approaches, and joining forces. Communication concerns were equipment shortfalls, dialoguing, and providing information. Assessment problems were scene layout and interpreting environmental indicators as well as understanding setting-driven needs for specialist skills and resources. Triage and treatment difficulties included differing triage systems, directing casualties, uncommon injuries, field hospitals, level of care, providing psychological and pediatric care. Transportation hardships included scene access, distance to hospitals, and distribution of casualties. Conclusion: Commonly encountered challenges during unintentional incidents were added to during MCAs, implying specific issues for safety, assessment, triage, and treatment, which require training. Effectively increasing readiness for MCAs likely entail struggles to overcome fragmentation between the emergency services and the broader crisis management system as well as enabling critical and prestige-less, context-based assessments of needed preparatory efforts
Operational Strategies for Establishing Disaster-Resilient Schools: A Qualitative Study
Introduction: Resilient schools can warranty studentsâ health and survival at disasters. It is obligatory that schools be prepared for natural challenges through local programs. Considering the great population of students, disaster-resilient schools can be a safe and suitable environment for students at the time of disaster. Objective: This study aims to identify certain operational strategies for establishing schools resilient to natural disasters. Method: This qualitative study was based on conventional content analysis. Using purposive sampling method, 24 experts in the fields of health in disasters, construction engineering, psychology, teaching, and administrative management participated in the study. Maximum variation sampling continued until data saturation was achieved. The data collected via unstructured interviews were analyzed with Graneheim and Lundmenâs conventional content analysis. Results: Content analysis resulted in four main categories as operational strategies for establishing disaster-resilient schools including: 1) âconstruction and non-construction optimizationâ, with four subcategories of construct risk management, optimization of construct architecture and physical structure, correct construct localization, and promotion of non-construct safety, 2) âpromotion of organizational coordination and interactionsâ with two subcategories, namely improvement in intra-organizational communication and improvement in extra-organizational communication, 3) âimprovement in educationâ with three subcategories of holding educational courses for families and students, holding educational courses for managers and personnel, and holding simulated exercises, and 4) âprocess promotionâ with four subcategories of increased preparedness, correct planning, creation of organizational structure, and rehabilitation facilitation. Conclusion: Various factors affecting schoolsâ response to disasters form operational strategies to establish disaster-resilient schools. These strategies influence pre- and post-disaster preparedness. Awareness of these components followed by preparedness prior to disasters can save studentsâ lives, improve school performance after disasters, and aid in establishing disaster-resilient schools as safe lodgings
COVID-19-related mental health effects in the workplace: A narrative review
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has deeply altered social and working environments in several ways. Social distancing policies, mandatory lockdowns, isolation periods, and anxiety of getting sick, along with the suspension of productive activity, loss of income, and fear of the future, jointly influence the mental health of citizens and workers. Workplace aspects can play a crucial role on moderating or worsening mental health of people facing this pandemic scenario. The purpose of this literature review is to deepen the psychological aspects linked to workplace factors, following the epidemic rise of COVID-19, in order to address upcoming psychological critical issues in the workplaces. We performed a literature search using Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, selecting papers focusing on workers' psychological problems that can be related to the workplace during the pandemic. Thirty-five articles were included. Mental issues related to the health emergency, such as anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and sleep disorders are more likely to affect healthcare workers, especially those on the frontline, migrant workers, and workers in contact with the public. Job insecurity, long periods of isolation, and uncertainty of the future worsen the psychological condition, especially in younger people and in those with a higher educational background. Multiple organizational and work-related interventions can mitigate this scenario, such as the improvement of workplace infrastructures, the adoption of correct and shared anti-contagion measures, including regular personal protective equipment (PPE) supply, and the implementation of resilience training programs. This review sets the basis for a better understanding of the psychological conditions of workers during the pandemic, integrating individual and social perspectives, and providing insight into possible individual, social, and occupational approaches to this "psychological pandemic"
Review of On-Scene Management of Mass-Casualty Attacks
Background: The scene of a mass-casualty attack (MCA) entails a crime scene, a hazardous space, and a great number of people needing medical assistance. Public transportation has been the target of such attacks and involves a high probability of generating mass casualties. The review aimed to investigate challenges for on-scene responses to MCAs and suggestions made to counter these challenges, with special attention given to attacks on public transportation and associated terminals. Methods: Articles were found through PubMed and Scopus, ârelevant articlesâ as defined by the databases, and a manual search of references. Inclusion criteria were that the article referred to attack(s) and/or a public transportation-related incident and issues concerning formal on-scene response. An appraisal of the articlesâ scientific quality was conducted based on an evidence hierarchy model developed for the study. Results: One hundred and five articles were reviewed. Challenges for command and coordination on scene included establishing leadership, inter-agency collaboration, multiple incident sites, and logistics. Safety issues entailed knowledge and use of personal protective equipment, risk awareness and expectations, cordons, dynamic risk assessment, defensive versus offensive approaches, and joining forces. Communication concerns were equipment shortfalls, dialoguing, and providing information. Assessment problems were scene layout and interpreting environmental indicators as well as understanding setting-driven needs for specialist skills and resources. Triage and treatment difficulties included differing triage systems, directing casualties, uncommon injuries, field hospitals, level of care, providing psychological and pediatric care. Transportation hardships included scene access, distance to hospitals, and distribution of casualties. Conclusion: Commonly encountered challenges during unintentional incidents were added to during MCAs, implying specific issues for safety, assessment, triage, and treatment, which require training. Effectively increasing readiness for MCAs likely entail struggles to overcome fragmentation between the emergency services and the broader crisis management system as well as enabling critical and prestige-less, context-based assessments of needed preparatory efforts
Broadening Responsibilities: Consideration Of The Potential To Broaden The Role Of Uniformed Fire Service Employees
What is this report about? This report, commissioned by the National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services (NJC), aims to identify what impact, if any, firefighters can have on the delivery of emergency medical response and wider community health interventions in the UK. What are the overall conclusions? Appropriately trained and equipped firefighters co-responding1 to targeted, specific time critical medical events, such as cardiac arrest, can improve patient survival rates. The data also indicate that there is support from fire service staff â and a potential need from members of the public, particularly the elderly, isolated or vulnerable â to expand âwider workâ. This includes winter warmth assessments, Safe and Well checks, community defibrillator training and client referrals when staff believe someone may have dementia, are vulnerable or even, for example, have substance dependencies such as an alcohol addiction. However, there is currently insufficient data to estimate the net benefit of this work
Emergency first responders and professional wellbeing: a qualitative systematic review
Emergency first responders (EFRs) such as police officers, firefighters, paramedics and logistics personnel often suffer high turnover due to work-related stress, high workloads, fatigue, and declining professional wellbeing. As attempts to counter this through resilience programmes tend to have limited success, there is a need for further research into how organisational policies could change to improve EFRsâ professional wellbeing. Aim: To identify the factors that may contribute to or affect EFRsâ professional wellbeing. Methods: A systematic literature review has been carried out. Three databases (Science Direct, ProQuest, and PubMed) were searched using keywords developed based on the PICo (population, interest, and context) framework. A total of 984 articles were extracted. These were then critically appraised for the quality of the evidence presented, leading to a total of five being ultimately included for review. Results: Thematic analysis revealed that although EFRs may be exposed daily to traumatic events, factors that contribute to a decline in professional wellbeing emerge from within the organisational environment, rather than from the event itself. Conclusion: The study concludes that organisational and team relations factors significantly impact EFRs ability to cope with stress. As such, organisational policy should evolve to emphasise team relations over resilience programmes
Heat Safety in the Workplace:Modified Delphi Consensus to Establish Strategies and Resources to Protect U.S Workers
The purpose of this consensus document was to develop feasible, evidenceâbased occupational heat safety recommendations to protect the US workers that experience heat stress. Heat safety recommendations were created to protect worker health and to avoid productivity losses associated with occupational heat stress. Recommendations were tailored to be utilized by safety managers, industrial hygienists, and the employers who bear responsibility for implementing heat safety plans. An interdisciplinary roundtable comprised of 51 experts was assembled to create a narrative review summarizing current data and gaps in knowledge within eight heat safety topics: (a) heat hygiene, (b) hydration, (c) heat acclimatization, (d) environmental monitoring, (e) physiological monitoring, (f) body cooling, (g) textiles and personal protective gear, and (h) emergency action plan implementation. The consensusâbased recommendations for each topic were created using the Delphi method and evaluated based on scientific evidence, feasibility, and clarity. The current document presents 40 occupational heat safety recommendations across all eight topics. Establishing these recommendations will help organizations and employers create effective heat safety plans for their workplaces, address factors that limit the implementation of heat safety bestâpractices and protect worker health and productivity
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