The Association between Mental Workload and Work-related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Workers of Ahvaz Kavian Steel Company

Background: One of the most important problems in modern industries is the high mental workload which can affect the health and hygiene of workers in these industries. This study was carried out to investigate the association between mental workload and work- related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) in a case study among workers of Ahvaz Kavian Steel Company, Ahvaz, Iran, in 2016. Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 240 workers of Ahvaz Kavian Steel Company participated. Data collection tools were the Nordic Musculoskeletal Disorders Questionnaire (NMQ) and NASA-TLX mental workload questionnaire, filled out through interviewing participants in the work place. Data were analyzed by using independent-samples t-test and chi-square in SPSS19. Results: During the last 12 months, 75.8% of workers experienced musculoskeletal disorder symptoms. "Physical demand" (P=0.002) and "Effort" (P=0.015) from the NASA-TLX questionnaire and shift work, among demographic features, (P=0.025) were significantly associated with MSDs prevalence in these workers. Conclusion: Musculoskeletal disorders had a high prevalence in workers of Ahvaz Kavian Steel Company. Because of the significant relation between of some dimensions of mental the work load index and demographic characteristics with musculoskeletal disorders; creating proper working conditions, utilizing ergonomic based designed implements and providing more staff training programs, can help prevent musculoskeletal disorders

Needle Stick Injuries and their Related Safety Measures among Nurses in a University Hospital, Shiraz, Iran

Background: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors related to needle stick injuries (NSIs) and to assess related safety measures among a sample of Iranian nurses. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a random sample of 168 registered active nurses was selected from different wards of one of the hospitals of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (SUMS). Data were collected by an anonymous questionnaire and a checklist based observational method among the 168 registered active nurses. Results: The prevalence of NSIs in the total of work experience and the last year was 76% and 54%, respectively. Hollow-bore needles were the most common devices involved in the injuries (85.5%). The majority of NSIs occurred in the morning shift (57.8%) and the most common activity leading to NSIs was recapping needles (41.4%). The rate of underreporting NSIs was 60.2% and the major reasons for not reporting the NSIs were heavy clinical schedule (46.7%) and perception of low risk of infection (37.7%). A statistically significant relationship was found between the occurrence of NSIs and sex, hours worked/week, and frequency of shifts/month. Conclusion: The study showed a high prevalence of NSIs among nurses. Supportive measures such as improving injection practices, modification of working schedule, planning training programs targeted at using personal protective equipment, and providing an adequate number of safety facilities such as puncture resistant disposal containers and engineered safe devices are essential for the effective prevention of NSI incidents among the studied nurses

The Impact of Job Stress and Job Satisfaction on Workforce Productivity in an Iranian Petrochemical Industry

Background: Job stress and job satisfaction are important factors affecting workforce productivity. This study was carried out to investigate the job stress, job satisfaction, and workforce productivity levels, to examine the effects of job stress and job satisfaction on workforce productivity, and to identify factors associated with productivity decrement among employees of an Iranian petrochemical industry. Methods: In this study, 125 randomly selected employees of an Iranian petrochemical company participated. The data were collected using the demographic questionnaire, Osipow occupational stress questionnaire to investigate the level of job stress, Job Descriptive Index to examine job satisfaction, and Hersey and Goldsmith questionnaire to investigate productivity in the study population. Results: The levels of employees' perceived job stress and job satisfaction were moderate-high and moderate, respectively. Also, their productivity was evaluated as moderate. Although the relationship between job stress and productivity indices was not statistically significant, the positive correlation between job satisfaction and productivity indices was statistically significant. The regression modeling demonstrated that productivity was significantly associated with shift schedule, the second and the third dimensions of job stress (role insufficiency and role ambiguity), and the second dimension of job satisfaction (supervision). Conclusion: Corrective measures are necessary to improve the shift work system. “Role insufficiency” and “role ambiguity” should be improved and supervisor support must be increased to reduce job stress and increase job satisfaction and productivity