What is a good job? Modelling, measuring and improving job quality

Job quality is important: there is a substantial evidence base which illustrates the potential risks of poor quality work. These arise from the occurrence of accidents and disease due to unmanaged hazards, as well as from psychosocial factors such as poor pay and security, shift working or the combination of low control and high demands. There is also a body of evidence which demonstrates a positive impact from good quality work, with contributions to longevity, improved health and happiness, and business success. Despite this recognition of the importance of job quality, there is a lack of agreement around exactly what it is: particularly when trying to define it as a single construct. This research aimed to address this insufficiency by exploring the concept of the good job, and seeking to define job quality from an ergonomics perspective. This approach encourages a broad outlook, taking account of the physical and psychosocial aspects of work, the interactions between them, and the impact of individual variation. A theoretical model is presented to summarise the concept of job quality based on these considerations: this was applied to a study of three bus companies using both a quantitative survey tool and qualitative methods. In developing the model, an initial study was undertaken using repertory grid interviews to explore notions of work and job quality, and to identify the most important areas for further investigation. Interviews were conducted with individuals (n=18) who were employed in a wide range of jobs, and varied substantially in their priorities and preferences. Job content and relationships were often identified as more important than pay levels; but there was also evidence of compromise, where interviewees had prioritised jobs which met their practical needs. Also, individuals perceived a good job differently from one which was good for their health, and overall did not consider good health to be an essential outcome of a good job. Two subsequent studies were undertaken with a focus on jobs commonly done by those with low formal education, who may have more to gain from improved job quality. Semi-structured interviews were carried out firstly with cleaners and manufacturing employees (n=30) and then with bus drivers (n=80). A number of job features such as safety and job/employment security were found to be important for almost all interviewees, and thus were identified as core features of a good job. Other factors such as autonomy and preferences for particular working patterns were more variable, highlighting the importance of job-employee fit. The theoretical model of job quality constructed was based on these findings and the literature. The model was applied in a qualitative study of bus and coach drivers in three companies to assess whether this was a good job, whether it could be a good job, and what the barriers to this might be. In two of the companies bus driving was found to be a poor job, with low pay and inadequate health and safety management. In the third company it was better but there were still challenges: particularly time pressures, low physical activity, and varied and unsociable working patterns. It was identified that some of the barriers to good job quality for bus drivers and potentially in jobs more generally are difficult to address as they are intrinsic to the job. The best solution to these difficulties is to ensure a good fit between job and employee. Other barriers were identified which appeared to be financial, such as low pay in the two smaller companies, but they could also reflect cultural factors within the organisation or within wider society. A final study considered the measurement of job quality, in the light of the importance and extent of individual variation highlighted throughout the research. The DGB-Index (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund Index), a questionnaire tool designed and used in Germany which specifically accounts for this, was used in the same three bus companies (n=423). The results were compared with those from the qualitative study and reached similar conclusions, thus confirming the utility of the DGB-Index for job measurement and comparison when translated into English. The research demonstrated that it is possible to define and measure job quality and to compare it between organisations. The model of a good job constructed to facilitate this differs from those found in the literature: it takes into account the variation between individuals and the fact that they construe good jobs in different ways. Thus it highlights the importance to job quality of a good fit between job and individual in addition to the need for work to be good in terms of the more universal features such as job security, safety and adequate pay

Nanotechnology in construction and demolition: What we know, what we don’t

Self-cleaning windows, very high strength concrete and thin, super-efficient insulation are just three examples of new building materials promised by nanotechnology, which manipulates matter at the atomic level. But for all their purported benefits, little is known about the risks posed by very small, engineered particles and fibres. Some long and very thin strands might act like asbestos if they are inhaled, for instance. To begin addressing this knowledge gap, the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) sponsored a research team at Loughborough University, led by Professor Alistair Gibb and Dr Wendy Jones, to investigate where these materials are used, how widespread this use is, what the potential risks are and how workers in construction and demolition might manage them. The executive summary of that report, released in January, is reproduced here with IOSH’s permission

The education of girls and women in Nottingham between 1870 and 1914: with special reference to domestic ideology and middle class influence

The basis of the thesis is the education of working class girls, as seen against the background of the national educational pattern in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and includes the various educational agencies and opportunities on offer to girls, such as prizes and scholarships; higher, adult and private education; and careers in teaching. This inevitably involves examining the differences and similarities between the education of male and female scholars. and of working class and middle class girls. The central form of the study is the issue of domestic subjects tuition and the influence of middle class educators, especially at local level, who determined the actual content of education. The study also explores the various problems of access to education, such as attendance and absence from school, punishments, medicals and illness etc. Evidence from a variety of sources has been used, both recent and contemporary secondary sources including fiction of the era, manuscript and original sources, official reports and oral evidence taken from local residents. The thesis provides a coherent picture of the education of girls in Nottingham between 1870 and 1914

Raising the bar for occupational health management in construction

Construction-related ill-health, including respiratory conditions, hand−arm vibration syndrome, musculoskeletal disorders and stress related issues, has enormous personal and financial cost. Following research on major construction projects, a range of interventions are proposed in this paper, illustrated by examples from the Thames Tideway Tunnel project in London, UK. It is concluded that a consistent approach to occupational health management and health surveillance is needed across construction, with a commitment to better training and improved portability of occupational health data. Major projects are critical to raising health management standards but good practices need to be universally adopted in small- to medium-sized enterprises to achieve lasting improvement

British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines on sedation in gastrointestinal endoscopy

Over 2.5 million gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures are carried out in the United Kingdom (UK) every year. Procedures are carried out with local anaesthetic r with sedation. Sedation is commonly used for gastrointestinal endoscopy, but the type and amount of sedation administered is influenced by the complexity and nature of the procedure and patient factors. The elective and emergency nature of endoscopy procedures and local resources also have a significant impact on the delivery of sedation. In the UK, the vast majority of sedated procedures are carried out using benzodiazepines, with or without opiates, whereas deeper sedation using propofol or general anaesthetic requires the involvement of an anaesthetic team. Patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy need to have good understanding of the options for sedation, including the option for no sedation and alternatives, balancing the intended aims of the procedure and reducing the risk of complications. These guidelines were commissioned by the British Society of Gastroenterology (BSG) Endoscopy Committee with input from major stakeholders, to provide a detailed update, incorporating recent advances in sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy.This guideline covers aspects from pre-assessment of the elective 'well' patient to patients with significant comorbidity requiring emergency procedures. Types of sedation are discussed, procedure and room requirements and the recovery period, providing guidance to enhance safety and minimise complications. These guidelines are intended to inform practising clinicians and all staff involved in the delivery of gastrointestinal endoscopy with an expectation that this guideline will be revised in 5-years' time.</p