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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Occupational Safety and Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 36535

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Delfina Gabriela Garrido Ramos

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Guest Editor

1. ISEP—School of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto, 4249-015 Porto, Portugal
2. Associate Laboratory for Energy, Transports and Aerospace (LAETA-INEGI), Rua Dr. Roberto Frias 400, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
3. Algoritmi Research Centre/LASI, School of Engineering, University of Minho, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Interests: safety engineering; occupational health and safety management systems; risk management; quality and environmental management systems; sustainability and environmentalism; circular economy; project management; human factors and ergonomics; benchmarking; nanotechnologies; cost–benefit analysis; medical textiles; tourist safety
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The International Labor Organization (ILO), on World Day for Safety and Health at Work (April 28, 2021), called on countries to implement resilient occupational safety and health (OSH) systems for future health emergencies. This will require investments in OSH infrastructure and its integration into comprehensive national crisis emergency preparedness and response plans to protect the safety and health of workers and support business continuity.

According to the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), work and workplaces are constantly changing. In economically difficult times, it is important to bear in mind that poor occupational safety and health cost money. Furthermore, several case studies show that there is a direct relationship between good OSH management in the company and improved performance and profitability.

This Special Edition aims to include current research topics as well as new concepts, approaches, methods, applications, and empirical findings.

We welcome the submission of high-quality, original research papers on the points presented in the keywords within the framework of Occupational Health and Safety. Research methods can be qualitative or quantitative, and contributions must be based on theoretical concepts or empirical evidence.

Dr. Delfina Gabriela Garrido Ramos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

occupational health and safety management systems
risk management
risk assessment
resilient systems
psychosocial factors
human factors and ergonomics
cost-benefit analysis
prevention accidents
emerging risks with health and safety impact (e.g., circular economy, digitization, nanomaterials, green jobs, telework)
artificial intelligence on occupational health and safety management
industry 4.0 (impact on workers' health and safety)

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 297 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Frontiers in Occupational Health and Safety Management

by Delfina Ramos, Teresa Cotrim, Pedro Arezes, João Baptista, Matilde Rodrigues and João Leitão

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10759; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710759 - 29 Aug 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2897

Abstract

This Special Issue of the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is devoted to the “Frontiers in Occupational Health and Safety Management” [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

Research

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12 pages, 1278 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Psychosocial Risks in Teachers from Portugal and England on the Way to Society 5.0

by Ana Pimenta, Delfina Ramos, Gilberto Santos, Matilde A. Rodrigues and Manuel Doiro

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(14), 6347; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20146347 - 12 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1891

Abstract

Being a teacher is one of the most demanding jobs, as a result of this responsibility, these workers face many psychosocial risks. This study aims to characterize and compare psychosocial factors in Portuguese and British teachers and discuss how new developments in technology, namely digital technology can improve education and, in particular, contribute to fewer issues related to mental health. The Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire Medium Version (COPSOQ II) was applied to the teachers of six Portuguese schools (three public schools and three private schools), three British public schools and three private schools with an international British curriculum (Switzerland, Spain and Portugal). The results showed that cognitive, emotional, and quantitative demands, as well as work rhythm and work/family conflict, are the key psychosocial factors among these teachers. Differences were found between the teachers of both countries. Some models are proposed, through the proposals of Society 5.0, for their minimization and/or removal. Society 5.0 is the vision of a new human-centered society in the fifth stage launched by Japan in April 2016, and it is cited in our study with the hope that it will contribute to solving many problems of today’s society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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10 pages, 316 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Managing Nanomaterials in the Workplace by Using the Control Banding Approach

by Delfina Ramos and Luis Almeida

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(11), 6011; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20116011 - 31 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1481

Abstract

Nanomaterials offer new technical and commercial opportunities. However, they may also pose risks to consumers and the environment and raise concerns about occupational health and safety. An overview of the standardization in the area of nanomaterials is presented. Focus is given to the standard ISO/TS 12901-2:2014, which describes the use of a control banding approach for controlling the risks associated with occupational exposures to nano-objects and their aggregates and agglomerates greater than 100 nm. The article also presents a case study on a textile finishing company that implements two chemical finishes containing nanomaterials. A risk analysis was conducted to assess the hazards associated with workers handling nanomaterials. Control banding was applied, and measures such as appropriate ventilation and use of protective equipment are proposed to mitigate risks. In some cases, additional measures, such as a closed booth and smoke extractor, are required. The safety data sheets are a primary source of information on how to handle and care for products containing nanomaterials, but the information provided is still limited in terms of the specific hazards and risks posed by nanomaterials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

12 pages, 1445 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence of Comorbidity and Its Effects on Sickness-Absenteeism among Brazilian Legislative Civil Servants

by Francisco Edison Sampaio, Manuel Joaquim Silva Oliveira, João Areosa and Emílio Facas

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5036; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065036 - 13 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1314

Abstract

Studies have shown there is an association of chronic diseases with working days lost, considering the impact of these pathologies on the levels of vulnerability of the individual’s health, with an increased risk of work disability. This article is part of a more comprehensive investigation on the sickness absenteeism of civil servants of the legislative branch in Brazil, with the purpose of determining the comorbidity index (CI) of the individuals and its correlation with days of absence from work. Sickness absenteeism was counted from the data of 37,690 medical leaves, from 2016 to 2109, involving 4149 civil servants. The self-administered comorbidity questionnaire (SCQ) was used to estimate the CI, based on the diseases or chronic health problems declared by the participants. The average number of working days lost per servant per year was 8.73 days, totaling 144,902 days of absence. The majority of the servants (65.5%) declared at least one chronic health condition. A significant association between the CI scores and working days lost was observed (r = 0.254, p-value < 0.01), thus showing that the CI may be an important predictor of sickness absenteeism. Chronic diseases or health problems are a characteristic of the general population, often affecting working capacity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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23 pages, 6024 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regional Regression Correlation Model of Microplastic Water Pollution Control Using Circular Economy Tools

by Valentin Marian Antohi, Romeo Victor Ionescu, Monica Laura Zlati, Catalina Iticescu, Puiu Lucian Georgescu and Madalina Calmuc

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4014; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054014 - 23 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1884

Abstract

Water pollution caused by microplastics represents an important challenge for the environment and people’s health. The weak international regulations and standards in this domain support increased water pollution with microplastics. The literature is unsuccessful in establishing a common approach regarding this subject. The main objective of this research is to develop a new approach to necessary policies and ways of action to decrease water pollution caused by microplastics. In this context, we quantified the impact of European water pollution caused by microplastics in the circular economy. The main research methods used in the paper are meta-analysis, statistical analysis and an econometric approach. A new econometric model is developed in order to assist the decision makers in increasing efficiency of public policies regarding water pollution elimination. The main result of this study relies on combining, in an integrated way, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) data on microplastic water pollution and identifying relevant policies to combat this type of pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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13 pages, 1302 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Return to Work Program for Disabled Workers during the Pandemic COVID-19 Using the Quality of Life and Work Ability Index: Cross-Sectional Study

by Arie Arizandi Kurnianto, Gergely Fehér, Kevin Efrain Tololiu, Edza Aria Wikurendra, Zsolt Nemeskéri and István Ágoston

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3094; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043094 - 10 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1647

Abstract

Background: Occupational accidents are rising, but there is little evidence on the outcomes of patients who received case management during Return to work (RTW) programs. This study examined the case management-based on RTW program features that improve the work ability index (WAI) and quality of life (QoL). Methods: This cross-sectional research involved 230 disabled workers due to an occupational injury in Indonesia, 154 participated in RTW, and 75 did not participate in RTW (non-RTW) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic and occupational factors were used to examine the RTW results. We used the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health’s WAI questionnaires to measure the work ability index and World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) for quality of life. Results: The study found a statistically significant difference in working duration and preferred treatment for RTW between the groups (p-value = 0.039). Furthermore, the quality of life in the domain of environmental health and work ability index score also demonstrated a significant difference between the groups (p-value = 0.023 and 0.000, respectively). Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, this study found that the RTW program improved the quality of life and work abilities of disabled workers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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16 pages, 3311 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Green Jobs: Bibliometric Review

by Łukasz Jarosław Kozar and Adam Sulich

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 2886; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20042886 - 7 Feb 2023

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2784

Abstract

Among the visible effects as Sustainable Development (SD) transitions from theory into practice, there are Green Jobs (GJs). There are multiple variants in naming this phenomenon in the labor market. Among them are green collars, green employment, and sustainable employment, all indicating a profound inconsistency in the GJ definition. This article aims to identify keyword-specified areas around which the topic of GJs revolves in the scientific literature indexed in the Scopus database. The usage of two methods has achieved this goal. First is the Structured Literature Review (SLR) variation with queries, and it is used to explore the scientific database to determine GJ’s definition consistency by the queries syntax. The second method is the search results analysis performed in the Scopus database online to identify the most cited publications and most contributing authors. Then the bibliometric analysis was performed to create bibliometric maps of the most critical keywords in VOSviewer software. The combination of those two approaches allowed this research to indicate the most influential research directions on GJs. The results are presented in graphical forms, and tables with main co-occurring keyword clusters were identified. GJs are a key part of green economy development, where green self-employment and green entrepreneurship play a pivotal role. The presented results can inspire other researchers who are looking for a research gap or describing the state of the art. Politicians and decision-makers can be influenced by the presented contextualization of green job’s meaning in the labor market. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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21 pages, 4784 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Occupational Exposure to Incidental Nanomaterials in Metal Additive Manufacturing: An Innovative Approach for Risk Management

by Marta Sousa, Pedro Arezes and Francisco Silva

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(3), 2519; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20032519 - 31 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1461

Abstract

The benefits of metal 3D printing seem unquestionable. However, this additive manufacturing technology brings concerns to occupational safety and health professionals, since recent studies show the existence of airborne nanomaterials in these workplaces. This article explores different approaches to manage the risk of exposure to these incidental nanomaterials, on a case study conducted in a Portuguese organization using Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology. A monitoring campaign was performed using a condensation particle counter, a canning mobility particle sizer and air sampling for later scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis, proving the emission of nano-scale particles and providing insights on number particle concentration, size, shape and chemical composition of airborne matter. Additionally, Control Banding Nanotool v2.0 and Stoffenmanager Nano v1.0 were applied in this case study as qualitative tools, although designed for engineered nanomaterials. This article highlights the limitations of using these quantitative and qualitative approaches when studying metal 3D Printing workstations. As a result, this article proposes the IN Nanotool, a risk management method for incidental nanomaterials designed to overcome the limitations of other existing approaches and to allow non-experts to manage this risk and act preventively to guarantee the safety and health conditions of exposed workers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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21 pages, 955 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Safety Management and Safety Performance Nexus: Role of Safety Consciousness, Safety Climate, and Responsible Leadership

by Farida Saleem and Muhammad Imran Malik

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13686; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013686 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3231

Abstract

Drawing from social system theory, social identity theory, and social exchange theory, this study examines how safety management practices are linked with employee safety performance through safety consciousness and safety climate. Furthermore, responsible leadership is introduced as a boundary condition in the safety consciousness—safety performance and safety climate—safety performance relationships. Data were collected from employees belonging to pharmaceutical firms located in different industrial zones of Lahore, Pakistan. The support is found for full mediation of safety consciousness and safety climate for the safety management and safety performance relationships. Responsible leadership moderates the safety consciousness—safety performance and safety climate—safety performance relationships so that when the safety climate is weak or the safety consciousness is low, a high level of responsible leadership enhances safety performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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17 pages, 615 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Burnout and Quality of Work Life among Municipal Workers: Do Motivating and Economic Factors Play a Mediating Role?

by Dina Pereira, João Leitão and Ludovina Ramos

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13035; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013035 - 11 Oct 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2698

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between burnout and quality of work life among municipal workers subjected to higher levels of stress and emotional exhaustion, impacting their occupational health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. With a sample of 459 municipal workers, the relationship between burnout and quality of work life is tested by considering the isolated mediating effect of the feeling of contributing to productivity and the combined effects of two mediators representing the feeling of contributing to productivity and receiving an appropriate salary. The main findings include a negative association between the three dimensions of burnout: emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism, and a sense of being less effective, and the mediators: contribution to productivity and appropriate salary. Also detected was an important mediating role associated with the effects of not feeling contributive at work, as well as not being well paid, on the relation between the burnout syndrome dimension of low effectiveness and quality of work life. For future action by public authorities and public managers, the need is highlighted to create innovative human resource management frameworks and flexible work organization, with remuneration plans based on productivity goals and aimed at an improved balance between personal life and work. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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12 pages, 352 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Employee Mental Health and Job Performance: Mediation Role of Innovative Behavior and Work Engagement

by Xifeng Lu, Haijing Yu and Biaoan Shan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(11), 6599; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19116599 - 28 May 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5989

Abstract

The relationship between employee mental health and job performance has been one of the key concerns in workplace. However, extant studies suffer from incomplete results due to their focus on developed economies’ contexts and the unclear path of employee mental health’s impact on performance. In this paper, we investigate the mechanism of employee mental health influencing job performance. We use the data of Chinese firms to test these hypotheses. Drawing on a sample of 239 firms from China, we find that employee mental health positively impacts job performance, and such relationship is mediated by innovative behavior and work engagement. The findings not only enrich the discipline’s knowledge on mental health in an emerging economy setting but also extend the implications of mental health, innovative behavior, and work engagement to job performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

Review

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13 pages, 1816 KiB

Open AccessReview

Knowledge of Medical Imaging Professionals on Healthcare-Associated Infections: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Suresh Sukumar, Shovan Saha, Winniecia Dkhar, Nitika C. Panakkal, Visakh Thrivikraman Nair, Tulasiram Bommasamudram, K Vaishali, Ravishankar Nagaraja, Sneha Ravichandran and Rajagopal Kadavigere

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4326; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054326 - 28 Feb 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1509

Abstract

Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are a significant concern for both healthcare professionals and patients. With recent advances in imaging modalities, there is an increase in patients visiting the radiology department for diagnosis and therapeutic examination. The equipment used for the investigator is contaminated, which may result in HCAIs to the patients and healthcare professionals. Medical imaging professionals (MIPs) should have adequate knowledge to overcome the spread of infection in the radiology department. This systematic review aimed to examine the literature on the knowledge and precaution standard of MIPs on HCIAs. This study was performed with a relative keyword using PRISMA guidelines. The articles were retrieved from 2000 to 2022 using Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest databases. The NICE public health guidance manual was used to assess the quality of the full-length article. The search yielded 262 articles, of which Scopus published 13 articles, PubMed published 179 articles, and ProQuest published 55 articles. In the present review, out of 262 articles, only 5 fulfilled the criteria that reported MIPs’ knowledge of Jordan, Egypt, Sri Lanka, France, and Malawi populations. The present review reported that MIPs have moderate knowledge and precautionary standards regarding HCIAs in the radiology department. However, due to the limited studies published in the literature, the current review limits the application of the outcome in the vast MIPs population. This review recommended further studies to be conducted among the MIPs worldwide to know the actual knowledge and precaution standards regarding HCIAs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Occupational Health and Safety Management)

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