دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی شیوه مدیریت ریسک در محل کار برای جلوگیری از اختلالات اسکلتی عضلانی و روانی - نشریه الزویر

ABSTRACT

Introduction: A large body of evidence demonstrates substantial effects of work-related psychosocial hazards on risks of both musculoskeletal and mental health disorders (MSDs and MHDs), which are two of the most costly occupational health problems in many countries. This study investigated current workplace risk management practices in two industry sectors with high risk of both MSDs and MHDs and evaluated the extent to which risk from psychosocial hazards is being effectively managed. Method: Nineteen, mostly large, Australian organisations were each asked to provide documentation of their relevant policies and procedures, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 67 staff who had OHS or management roles within these organisations. Information about current workplace practices was derived from analyses of both the documentation and interview transcripts. Results: Risk management practices addressing musculoskeletal and mental health risks in these workplaces focused predominately on changing individual behaviours through workplace training, provision of information, individual counselling, and sometimes healthy lifestyle programs. There were formal procedures to control sources of risk for workplace biomechanical hazards affecting musculoskeletal risk, but no corresponding procedures to control risk from work-related psychosocial hazards. Very few risk control actions addressed risk from psychosocial hazards at their workplace sources. Practical applications: To reduce the risk of both musculoskeletal and mental health disorders, existing practices need considerable expansion to address risk from all potential psychosocial hazards. Risk controls for both biomechanical and psychosocial hazards need to focus more on eliminating or reducing risk at source, in accord with the general risk management hierarchy.

4. Discussion

Information about the workplace practices used to manage risks of musculoskeletal and mental health disorders (MSDs, MHDs) was documented and evaluated in a sample of 19 organisations from two high-risk Australian industry sectors. Each participating organisation provided several interviewees, including OHS staff and representatives as well as some with broader OHS responsibility as part of their senior management roles. Organisations were also asked to provide all documented OHS policies and procedures that they considered relevant to managing MSD and MHD risks, and 14 of the 19 organisations complied.

There were almost as many aged care organisations as logistics/ transport ones (9 versus 10), but only 26 aged care interviews were conducted compared with 41 for logistics/transport. As seen in Table 1, this discrepancy was largely due to smaller numbers of aged care interviewees who had specific OHS responsibilities either as part of their job (10 versus 17) or as staff-elected elected health and safety representatives (3 versus 9). There were fewer executive level participants from aged care compared to logistics/transport (2 versus 7). Based on researchers’ experiences in recruiting interviewees, these numbers reflected the employment of more staff with OHS technical expertise in the logistics/transport sector. In light of the higher proportion of OHS staff at executive level (mostly Board members) from logistics/transport organisations, larger numbers of staff with OHS expertise might also reflect greater recognition of the importance of OHS in that sector.