American journal of industrial medicine
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Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) of the upper extremities are a major problem globally, though most relevant studies have been reported from high income countries. ⋯ The study confirms the effects of physical and psychosocial factors on neck and shoulder symptoms among automobile manufacturing workers in a low to middle income country in spite of the relative youth and job insecurity of the population.
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This survey was conducted to provide national incidence rates and risk factors for exposure to blood among paramedics. The present analysis assesses reporting of exposures to employers. ⋯ This survey indicates there is need to improve the reporting of blood exposures by paramedics to their employers, and more work is needed to understand the reasons for under-reporting. Gender, safety culture, perception of risk, and other personal attitudes may all affect reporting behavior.
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Farmworkers and their families are exposed to pesticides through multiple pathways. Few studies have examined the frequency with which farmworkers engage in pesticide safety practices and the factors associated with their adoption. ⋯ These findings call for interventions that involve and engage multiple stakeholders to increase adoption of pesticide safety behaviors and reduce pesticide exposure in farmworkers.
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Problems of improving safety in small business establishments may include a lack of resources, limited unionization, and an informal management structure. ⋯ The presence of a safety committee is the single most important indicator of workplace safety. Self-reported understanding of workplace safety is greater among employees who do not speak English or have lower levels of formal education. Future worksite interventions should consider the need for participatory worksite safety committees. Multilingual training programs would help reach a greater proportion of workers.
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The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence and incidence of job-related illness or injury resulting in lost work time among a national cohort of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) professionals. Also, it was hypothesized that individual and work life characteristics were associated with the occurrence of illnesses or injury. ⋯ Results from this analysis provide estimates of the prevalence and incidence of on the job illness and injury resulting in lost work time among a national cohort of EMS professionals.