Making occupational health and safety training relevant for farmers: Evaluation of an introductory course in occupational health and safety in Norway

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Work-Family Interference: Nurses in Norway and Finland

The aim of the study is to investigate the level of work–family inter-ference (WFI) for part-time nurses in Norway and Finland. Part-time work is usually cited as a desirable way in which to facilitate work and family harmony. However, the opportunity to work part-time in professions may be associated with greater difficulties and challenges than commonly presumed. Part-time professionals are often stigmatized as being less committed to work and report fewer job rewards than colleagues in full-time positions. This study challenges the notion of the desir-able consequences of work hour flexibility concerning the integration of work and family. Part-time nurses in Norway and Finland report an equal level or even higher levels of interference than nurses in full-time positions. A disproportional distri-bution of inconvenient work schedules appears to be a central explanation for the results reported by Norwegian nurses, but to a lesser degree by Finnish nurses

Agriculture in transition: New strategies for the promotion of occupational health and safety.

It is well documented that farming is a high-risk industry in terms of fatalities and injuries, and with numerous risk factors associated with operating the farm. It has also proved difficult to find evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. Moreover, farming is in transition, with ongoing technological transformations as well as becoming increasingly more globalized. Thus, new perspectives that allow for more systemic understandings in the management and promotion of occupational health and safety (OHS) are needed. Our main objective is to present an integrated theoretical understanding of the farm as an enterprise and an integrated element in the political-economic agricultural system. The main question is how can farmers organize and manage the farm, in order to simultaneously improve efficiency, quality and OHS based on systemic models for OHS and a systemic understanding of the political-economical system of Norwegian agriculture? The framework is adapted to the Norwegian agricultural context, with ongoing transformations both technologically and organizationally, including visions and plans set by Norwegian agriculture itself. However, the framework can be applied irrespective of national context.submittedVersio

Agriculture in transition: New strategies for the promotion of occupational health and safety.

It is well documented that farming is a high-risk industry in terms of fatalities and injuries, and with numerous risk factors associated with operating the farm. It has also proved difficult to find evidence for the effectiveness of interventions. Moreover, farming is in transition, with ongoing technological transformations as well as becoming increasingly more globalized. Thus, new perspectives that allow for more systemic understandings in the management and promotion of occupational health and safety (OHS) are needed. Our main objective is to present an integrated theoretical understanding of the farm as an enterprise and an integrated element in the political-economic agricultural system. The main question is how can farmers organize and manage the farm, in order to simultaneously improve efficiency, quality and OHS based on systemic models for OHS and a systemic understanding of the political-economical system of Norwegian agriculture? The framework is adapted to the Norwegian agricultural context, with ongoing transformations both technologically and organizationally, including visions and plans set by Norwegian agriculture itself. However, the framework can be applied irrespective of national context.submittedVersio

Resultater fra utforskning av Dolley trallen ved UNN - NFR FORREGION prosjekt 333752

Innovasjonsprosjektet «Utvikling, testing og tilpasning av Dolley» omhandler utforskning av en tralle til oppbevaring av pasientenes personlige eiendeler og håndbagasje for enkel håndtering og forflytning på sykehus og/eller institusjoner. Prosjektet har en forskningsdel som utledes om i denne rapporten. Ideen funderes på at det ved dagens sykehus ikke finnes hjelpemidler som kan avhjelpe pasientene med de mest enkle oppgaver som å ha en plass å legge veske, klær, personlige eiendeler og lignende, og samtidig kunne frakte disse med seg rundt på avdelingen. Hovedmålsetning for prosjektet er å utvikle en protype av trallen til en endelig løsning for sykehusmiljøet som tar høyde for spekteret av tilpasningsbehov definert av samtlige involverte/berørte aktører med spenn fra pasienter/brukere via ansatte til ledelsen ved sykehuset.publishedVersio

A System Perspective on Implementation and Usage of the Da Vinci Technology at a Large Norwegian Regional Hospital

The aim of this research paper is to identify advantages and barriers to implementation and usage of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS), specifically the Da Vinci robot, at a larger regional hospital in Norway and from a multiple stakeholder perspective. The identified advantages and barriers are connected to the socio-technical system framework SEIPS, thereby establishing a broader contextual system perspective on RAS implementation and usage. Our findings both align and extend upon existing human factors and ergonomics (HFE) knowledge on RAS in the operating room. In terms of specific future directions, we believe that a pressing concern for both management and current HFE research involving RAS implementation and usage relates to exploring and accounting for the close connections between the organization itself and the external stakeholders that exert a considerable influence on the internal work system and processes and the ability to achieve cost-efficiency and safety levels. We further conclude that the SEIPS framework can be a powerful tool in drawing or eliciting the larger contextual picture of RAS implementation and usage, and we encourage further HFE research to explore its application in different contexts to improve the current knowledge base.publishedVersio

"Når det dirrer i rommet" - sammenhenger mellom arbeidsmiljø og kvalitet i barnehagetjenesten

Problemstillingen som belyses er: hvilken betydning har arbeidsmiljø for kvaliteten av barnehagetjenesten? Studien er designet som en case-studie i ti barnehager med bruk av kvalitative intervjuer, der både ledere, ansatte og foreldre er intervjuet, til sammen 79 informanter. Som analytisk grep anvender vi en systemteoretisk modell. Hovedfunnet er at arbeidsmiljø og kvalitet er to sider av samme sak nemlig organisering, planlegging og gjennomføring. Barnehager er åpne systemer som organiserer, planlegger og gjennomfører arbeidet basert på de forventinger og krav som samfunnet og ulike aktører i samfunnet setter, gjennom lov og regulering, nasjonale og regionale føringer. Denne åpenheten virker inn både på strukturer og prosesser, og interne sammenhenger og dynamikker i barnehagene. Dette foregår innenfor rammen av lokale tilpasninger, inklusive barn og foreldre som aktører i dette. Arbeidsmiljø og kvalitet blir derfor dynamiske størrelser som samvirker/påvirker hverandre gjennom samspill og tilbakeføringssløyfer. Med dette perspektivet blir organisering noe mer enn en praktisk aktivitet, men omhandler utforming av den enkelte tjeneste med basis i organisatorisk utvikling og læring.publishedVersio

Occupational health and safety in agriculture– a brief report on organization, legislation and support in selected european countries

Introduction and objective: Agriculture and forestry are among the most dangerous professions in Europe, with a high level of accidents affecting the sustainability and viability of the sector. International conventions, EU directives and national legislation build the fundamental basis for prevention. The aim of the study is to describe and categorize national mechanisms of occupational safety and health (OSH) for agricultural workers in Europe, to assess the extent of implementing safety regulation, the body in charge, and to give examples of health and safety initiatives. Material and methods: Results of a questionnaire-survey on basic safety regulations on farms sent by e-mail to the representatives of 30 participating European countries in the context of the Sacurima COST action network (CA 16123) are presented. Due to the complexity, only selected countries are described in this study highlighting the regulative bodies, occupational health services or specific training offers, as well as the complexity of the mechanisms. Results: One of the most serious issues and deficits of EU OSH regulation is the exclusion of self-employed farmers who compose nearly 90% of the farming population. This leads to serious under-reporting of accidents, and because one of the most common measures for the performance of health and safety initiatives are the injury and ill health statistics, better registration systems are urgently needed in almost all countries as a basis for preventive efforts. Conclusions: The results of the study provide a basis for raising awareness about the current OSH systems in Europe, and the importance of developing sector specific OSH strategies. The proposed activities should assist in tackling high accident rates and poor occupational health for self-employed farmers.publishedVersio

Loss of health certificates among offshore petroleum workers on the Norwegian Continental Shelf 2002–2010

Background. A health certificate is required to work on the offshore petroleum installations of the Norwegian Shelf. Loss of health certificate (loss of licence, LOL) may cause economic problems for the individual worker. A private compensation system (OSO) was established for Norwegian offshore workers in 2002, comprising 8000–11,000 individual members of workers organisations: approximately one third of the population offshore. This study aims at describing the reasons for compensation of offshore workers who have lost their certificates. Materials and methods. Of 595 workers who applied for compensation in the period 2002–2010, 38 declined to participate in the study. Of the remaining 557, 507 were granted and 50 were denied compensation. All medical records held by the scheme concerning the 507 compensated applicants were examined. Health data were systematically extracted, analysed, and compared with general population statistics. Results. Musculoskeletal conditions were the most frequent conditions causing LOL for both sexes (42.5%), followed by psychiatric, neurological, and malignant diseases for women, and cardiovascular (19%), neurological, and psychiatric conditions for men. Musculoskeletal disorders were more prevalent than in the general population, and the prevalence of knee problems was particularly high. Among malignant diseases we found a high proportion of brain tumours and renal cancer. The causes are unknown and warrant further investigation in this population. Among women granted compensation, 78% were catering workers, while 50% of the men were process workers, reflecting the gender distribution in these working groups. Conclusions. Musculoskeletal conditions were the most frequent cause of application for LOL compensation for both sexes, followed by psychiatric, neurological, and malignant diseases for women, and cardiovascular, neurological, and psychiatric conditions for men. The cause of the higher incidence of musculoskeletal diseases, brain tumours, and renal cancer found in this study compared to the general population warrants further investigation

Loss of health certificates among offshore petroleum workers on the Norwegian Continental Shelf 2002-2010

Background: A health certificate is required to work on the offshore petroleum installations of the Norwegian Shelf. Loss of health certificate (“loss of licence”, LOL) may cause economic problems for the individual worker. A private compensation system (OSO) was established for Norwegian offshore workers in 2002, comprising 8000–11,000 individual members of workers organisations: approximately one third of the population offshore. This study aims at describing the reasons for compensation of offshore workers who have lost their certificates. Materials and methods: Of 595 workers who applied for compensation in the period 2002–2010, 38 declined to participate in the study. Of the remaining 557, 507 were granted and 50 were denied compensation. All medical records held by the scheme concerning the 507 compensated applicants were examined. Health data were systematically extracted, analysed, and compared with general population statistics. Results: Musculoskeletal conditions were the most frequent conditions causing LOL for both sexes (42.5%), followed by psychiatric, neurological, and malignant diseases for women, and cardiovascular (19%), neurological, and psychiatric conditions for men. Musculoskeletal disorders were more prevalent than in the general population, and the prevalence of knee problems was particularly high. Among malignant diseases we found a high proportion of brain tumours and renal cancer. The causes are unknown and warrant further investigation in this population. Among women granted compensation, 78% were catering workers, while 50% of the men were process workers, reflecting the gender distribution in these working groups. Conclusions: Musculoskeletal conditions were the most frequent cause of application for LOL compensation for both sexes, followed by psychiatric, neurological, and malignant diseases for women, and cardiovascular, neurological, and psychiatric conditions for men. The cause of the higher incidence of musculoskeletal diseases, brain tumours, and renal cancer found in this study compared to the general population warrants further investigation.publishedVersio