Hum Factors

ObjectiveThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Revised Lifting Equation (RNLE) was adapted to derive recommended weight limits (RWLs) for pregnant workers and to develop corresponding guidelines for clinicians.BackgroundIn the past three decades there has been a large increase in the number of women employed outside the home and remaining in the workforce during pregnancy. Practical authoritative guidelines based on accumulated evidence are needed to inform allowable work activity levels for healthy pregnant workers.MethodEmpirically based lifting criteria established by NIOSH to reduce the risk of overexertion injuries in the general U.S. working population were evaluated for application to pregnant workers. Our evaluation included an extensive review of the literature linking occupational lifting to maternal and fetal health. Decision logic and supporting literature are presented, along with computational details.ResultsProvisional RWLs for pregnant workers were derived from the RNLE, along with guidelines for clinicians. The guidelines advise against pregnant workers lifting below midshin and overhead.ConclusionBased on our review of the available evidence, we present lifting thresholds that most pregnant workers with uncomplicated pregnancies should be able to perform without increased risk of adverse maternal and fetal health consequences. Except for restrictions involving lifting from the floor and overhead, the provisional guidelines presented are compatible with NIOSH lifting recommendations adopted in the early 1990s for the general working population.ApplicationImplementation of these provisional guidelines could protect millions of female workers in the work-place from fetal and maternal lifting-related health problems.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2015-10-15T00:00:00Z24669554PMC4606868vault:1332

Am J Obstet Gynecol

Empirically based lifting criteria established by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to reduce the risk of overexertion injuries in the general US working population were evaluated for application to pregnant workers. This report proposes criteria to guide decisions by medical providers about permissible weights for lifting tasks performed at work over the course of an uncomplicated pregnancy. Our evaluation included an extensive review of the literature linking occupational lifting to maternal and fetal health. Although it has been 29 years since the American Medical Association's Council on Scientific Affairs published its report on the Effects of Pregnancy on Work Performance, these guidelines continue to influence clinical decisions and workplace policies. Provisional clinical guidelines derived from the NIOSH lifting criteria that account for recent evidence for maternal and fetal health are presented and aim to improve the standard of care for pregnant workers.20132015-08-28T00:00:00ZCC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States23467051PMC4552317864

Water carrying in hills of Nepal-associations with women's musculoskeletal disorders, uterine prolapse, and spontaneous abortions.

More than a third of women in Nepal have to carry water from source to home to satisfy their families' daily needs. A cross-sectional study was carried out in a hilly area in Nepal to assess water-carrying practices and their association with women's health. Quantitative interviews were conducted with 1001 women of reproductive age and were complemented with health surveys carried out by health professionals and structured observations of water carrying. Multivariate mixed logistic regression models were used to assess the associations between water-carrying-related risk factors and health issues for women. Around 46% of women faced considerably increased to excessive physical stress due to water carrying during the dry season. Women suffered from a disproportionately high prevalence of back pain (61%), with about 18% of this pain being horrible to excruciating; pain in the knees (34%); uterine prolapse (11.3%); and at least one spontaneous abortion (9%). The risk category of water carrying was significantly associated with uterine prolapse (OR = 1.44, 95%CI = 1.12-1.85, p = 0.031) and pain in the hips (OR = 1.69, 95%CI = 1.27-2.26, p<0.001). Receiving help with water carrying during pregnancy and during the first three months after delivery was associated with reduced odds ratios for uterine prolapse (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.01-0.87, p = 0.037), and strong back pain (OR = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.12-0.87, p = 0.026). Improvements to water supply infrastructure and the promotion of social support for carrying water during pregnancy and after delivery are recommended to reduce water-carrying-related health risks

Understanding safe water‐carrying practices during pregnancy and postpartum: A mixed‐methods study in Nepal

Daily carrying of heavy loads of domestic water, especially during pregnancy and postpartum, bears a threat to maternal health in low-income countries. Using an extended health action process approach (HAPA), we examined women's reasons for and psychosocial determinants of safe water-carrying during pregnancy and postpartum. In a mixed-methods study, trained local interviewers conducted 1001 quantitative interviews with women of reproductive age (n = 921 analyzed) and 21 qualitative interviews with women of reproductive age, in-laws, and spouses in rural Nepal. We analyzed the quantitative data with generalized estimating equations to model the HAPA-based psychosocial determinants of avoiding water-carrying during pregnancy and postpartum. Subjective perspectives were investigated with thematic analysis. Outcome expectancies (B = 0.24), self-efficacy (B = 0.20), and injunctive norms (B = 0.23) were significantly associated with the intention to avoid water-carrying. Self-efficacy (B = 0.36) and instrumental support (B = 0.05) are related to behavior (all p < 0.05). Women explained water-carrying during pregnancy by a lack of family support, a shift of health decision-making power to in-laws, and low behavioral control. Overall, the necessity of water, family decision-making structures, and low support make it difficult for women to discontinue water-carrying. Additionally to infrastructural improvements, behavioral interventions may increase women's self-efficacy for safe water-carrying (e.g. reducing weight) and social support

J Am Vet Med Assoc

OBJECTIVETo review publications that address female reproductive health hazards in veterinary practice, summarize best practices to mitigate reproductive risks, and identify current knowledge gaps.DESIGNSystematized review.SAMPLEEnglish-language articles describing chemical, biological, and physical hazards present in the veterinary workplace and associations with adverse reproductive outcomes or recommendations for minimizing risks to female reproductive health.PROCEDURESSearches of the CAB abstracts database were performed in July 2012 and in May 2015 with the following search terms: veterinarians AND occupational hazards and vets.id AND occupational hazards.sh. Searches of the PubMed database were conducted in November 2012 and in May 2015 with the following medical subject heading terms: occupational exposure AND veterinarians; anesthetics, inhalation/adverse effects AND veterinarians; risk factors AND pregnancy AND veterinarians; pregnancy outcome AND veterinarians; and animal technicians AND occupational exposure. Two additional PubMed searches were completed in January 2016 with the terms disinfectants/toxicity AND female AND fertility/drug effects and veterinarians/psychology AND stress, psychological. No date limits were applied to searches.RESULTS4 sources supporting demographic trends in veterinary medicine and 118 resources reporting potential hazards to female reproductive health were identified. Reported hazards included exposure to anesthetic gases, radiation, antineoplastic drugs, and reproductive hormones; physically demanding work; prolonged standing; and zoonoses.CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCEDemographic information suggested that an increasing number of women of reproductive age will be exposed to chemical, biological, and physical hazards in veterinary practice. Information on reproductive health hazards and minimizing risk, with emphasis on developing a safety-focused work culture for all personnel, should be discussed starting in veterinary and veterinary technical schools and integrated into employee training.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2017-11-09T00:00:00Z28358639PMC567895

Health and Safety manual for external companies : coordinating business activities in Barcelona City Council

The statements of responsibility have been based on the credits provided by the responsible areaYou can check the Catalan version at: http://hdl.handle.net/11703/108159You can check the Spanish version at: http://hdl.handle.net/11703/108160Documento de coordinación empresarial en prevención de riesgos laborales (form

Work Related Diurnal Changes in Trunk Mechanical Behavior

The objectives of this study were to analyze effects of day-long exposure to LBP risk factors on lumbo-pelvic coordination (LPC) in nursing occupations and to verify if physical activity level affects diurnal work-related changes in LPC. Thirty-three nurses were recruited into three groups based on workplace physical demands and each completed two data collection sessions, one before and one after their 8-12 hour work shift. Participants completed several stationary trunk forward-bending/backward-return exercises at self-selected “fast” and “slow” rotational speeds, and while holding a 15 lbs. load. Kinematic data collected during these exercises were then used to characterize the timing and magnitude aspects of LPC during each exercise. We did not find any work-related changes in our measures of LPC, however, significant differences among groups were seen in thoracic rotation for all exercises (F\u3e 13.39, p\u3c .03) and pelvic rotation during the slow exercise (F= 3.678, p= .037). Considering earlier reports of changes in LPC following a short period of exposure to a single LBP risk factor, our results suggest that such changes when exposed to multiple risk factors and over the course of work day do not accumulate and likely recover by the end of work day

Tendência dos padrões de atividade física de gestantes residentes nas capitais brasileiras

OBJETIVOS Descrever a tendência da atividade física (AF) em quatro domínios realizada por gestantes residentes nas capitais brasileiras e no Distrito Federal (DF) e verificar a associação entre fatores sociodemográficos e a prática de atividade física de lazer entre 2007 e 2017. MÉTODOS Estudo de tendência temporal realizado com dados do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco para doenças crônicas por inquérito telefônico (Vigitel). Foram estudadas 3.730 gestantes no período, considerando as variáveis sociodemográficas (idade, macrorregião, trabalho, estado civil, escolaridade, cor) e de atividade física nos quatro domínios (lazer, trabalho, deslocamento, doméstico – sim/não). Para as gestantes que realizavam atividade física de lazer, foi questionada a duração, expressa na variável AF ≥ 150 minutos/semana (sim/não). A tendência temporal foi avaliada por regressão linear ponderada pela variância (variação anual média foi expressa em pontos percentuais – p.p.) e a associação de fatores sociodemográficos com a atividade física de lazer por regressão de Poisson, com estimativa da razão de prevalência (RP). RESULTADOS A prevalência de gestantes com 12 anos ou mais de estudo aumentou no período analisado (+1,37 p.p./ano), assim como a prevalência de gestantes com mais de 35 anos (+1,11 p.p./ano) e aquelas que trabalham (+0,75 p.p./ano). A prevalência de atividade física de lazer pelas gestantes aumentou de 29,3%, em 2007, para 37,6%, em 2017 (+1,37 p.p./ano), e de AF ≥ 150min/semana de 2,3% para 20,6% (+2,33 p.p./ano), respectivamente, e houve redução de atividades físicas domésticas de 63,9% para 38,9% (-1,65 p.p./ano). A prevalência da prática de atividade física de lazer foi superior entre as gestantes com mais de 12 anos de estudo (RP = 2,22; IC95% 1,73–2,84), quando comparadas àquelas com menos de 8 anos, e menor entre gestantes pretas/pardas/indígenas, comparadas às brancas/amarelas (RP = 0,87; IC95% 0,78–0,97). A prevalência da AF ≥ 150min/semana aumentou conforme os anos de escolaridade e idade. CONCLUSÕES A prevalência da prática de atividade física de lazer e sua realização por ≥ 150minutos/semana aumentou no período analisado, e ambas se associaram diretamente à maior escolaridade.OBJECTIVES To describe the trend of physical activity (PhA) in four domains performed by pregnant women living in Brazilian capitals and the Federal District (FD) and to verify the association between sociodemographic factors and the practice of leisure-time physical activity between 2007 and 2017. METHODS Time trend study carried out with data from the Surveillance System of Risk Factors for chronic diseases by telephone survey (Vigitel). A total of 3,730 pregnant women were interviewed in the period, considering sociodemographic variables (age, macro-region, work, marital status, schooling, skin color) and physical activity in the four domains (leisure-time, work, commuting, domestic – yes/no). For pregnant women who performed leisure-time physical activity, its duration was inquired, expressed in the variable PhA ≥ 150 minutes/week (yes/no). The time trend was evaluated by variance-weighted linear regression (average annual variation was expressed in percentage points – pp) and the association of sociodemographic factors with leisure-time physical activity by Poisson regression, with prevalence ratio (PR) estimation. RESULTS The prevalence of pregnant women with 12 years of schooling or more increased in the analyzed period (+1.37 pp/year), as well as the prevalence of pregnant women with more than 35 years of age (+1.11 pp/year) and those who work (+0.75 pp/year). The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity by pregnant women increased from 29.3% in 2007 to 37.6% in 2017 (+1.37 pp/year), and of PhA ≥ 150min/week from 2.3% to 20.6% (+2.33 pp/year), respectively, and there was a reduction in domestic physical activities from 63.9% to 38.9% (-1.65 pp/year). The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity was higher among pregnant women with more than 12 years of schooling (PR = 2.22; 95%CI: 1.73–2.84) as compared to those with less than 8 years of age, and lower among black/brown/indigenous pregnant women, compared to white/yellow ones (PR = 0.87; 95%CI: 0.78–0.97). The prevalence of PhA ≥ 150min/week increased according to years of schooling and age. CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of leisure-time physical activity and its performance for ≥ 150 minutes/week increased in the analyzed period, and both were directly associated with greater schooling

Hum Factors

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of the revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health lifting equation (RNLE).BackgroundThe RNLE has been used extensively as a risk assessment method for prevention of low back pain (LBP). However, the impact of the RNLE has not been documented.MethodsA systematic review of the literature on the RNLE was conducted. The review consisted of three parts: characterization of the RNLE publications; assessment of the impact of the RNLE; and evaluation of the influences of the RNLE on ergonomic standards. The literature for assessing the impact was categorized into four research areas: methodology, laboratory, field and risk assessment studies using the Lifting Index (LI) or Composite LI (CLI), both of which are the products of the RNLE.ResultsThe impact of the RNLE has been both widespread and influential. We found 24 studies that examined the criteria used to define lifting capacity used by the RNLE, 28 studies that compared risk assessment methods for identifying LBP, 23 studies that found the RNLE useful in identifying the risk of LBP with different work populations, and 13 studies on the relationship between LI/CLI and LBP outcomes. We also found evidence on the adoption of the RNLE as an ergonomic standard for use by various local, state, and international entities.ConclusionThe review found 13 studies that link LI/CLI to adverse LBP outcomes. These studies showed a positive relationship between LI/CLI metrics and the severity of LBP outcomes.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2017-08-01T00:00:00Z26822795PMC499182

Maximum acceptable frequency of lift for combined manual material handling task in Malaysia

Background : Extensive studies have been carried out over the years to determine the maximum acceptable weight that a worker is capable of lifting in a given situation among Occidental populations across Europe and US. Nonetheless, studies that place emphasis on using lifting frequency as the quantifying task parameter, especially in developing countries such as Malaysia, appear to be in scarcity. Hence, this study determined the maximum acceptable frequency of lift (MAFL) for combined manual material handling (MMH) tasks amongst Malaysian males. Method : Two lifting loads were considered in this study: 1 kg and 5 kg. Each subject adjusted his frequency of lifting using a psychophysical approach. The subjects were instructed to perform combined MMH task as fast as they could over a period of 45 minutes without exhausting themselves or becoming overheated. The physiological response energy expenditure was recorded during the experimental sessions. The ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) for four body parts (forearms, upper arm, lower back and entire body) were recorded after the subjects had completed the instructed task. Results : The mean frequencies of the MMH task had been 6.8 and 5.5 cycles/minute for lifting load of 1 and 5 kg, respectively, while the mean energy expenditure values were 4.16 and 5.62 kcal/min for 1 and 5 kg load, respectively. These displayed a significant difference in the Maximum Acceptable Frequency of Lift (MAFL) between the two loads, energy expenditure and RPE (p < 0.05) whereby the subjects appeared to work harder physiologically for heavier load. Conclusion : It can be concluded that it is significant to assess physiological response and RPE in determining the maximum acceptable lifting frequency at varied levels of load weight. The findings retrieved in this study can aid in designing tasks that do not exceed the capacity of workers in order to minimise the risk of WRMSDs