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Safety Practices (safety + practice)
Selected AbstractsEffect of forklift operation on lower back pain: An evidence-based approachHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 2 2008Heriberto Barriera Viruet Most studies on the occupational hazards associated with forklift operation have examined risks of fatalities and traumatic injuries. Few studies have examined the magnitude of risk of lower back pain. This research deals with an evidence-based approach designed to examine if there is a relationship between whole-body vibration and driver postures with lower back pain among forklift operators and to offer some recommendations to minimize the risk of lower back pain. To accomplish the study goal, an evidence-based approach was adopted from evidence-based medicine. The basic steps of this evidence-based approach were: (1) formulation of a clear research question from a worker-occupational problem; (2) search of the literature for the best evidence with which to answer the question; (3) critically appraise the evidence; and (4) implement useful findings in occupational health and safety practices. In addition, the metarelative risk was calculated and the biological plausibility between whole body vibration (WBV) and operator posture with lower back pain was investigated. Six observational articles satisfied the inclusion criteria adopted in this research. The methodological qualities of the published studies ranged from marginal to average. The metarelative risk was 2.1, indicating that operators exposed to driving forklifts are greater than twice the risk of those not exposed to driving forklifts to experience lower back pain. There are biological mechanisms by which WBV and operator postures could develop lower back pain. Some aspects of the work environment that influenced vibration are seat, speed, track, and tires. Awkward postures and static postures are affected by cab design, seat, time spent seated, and the task performed. It appears that there is a causal relationship between forklift operation and lower back pain. The evidence examined shows a strong association and consistency between all studies and this relationship is biologically plausible. It is recommended that intervention studies be conducted to determine the effectiveness of ergonomic controls. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Consumers' perceptions and awareness of food safety practices in Barbados and Trinidad, West Indies , a pilot studyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2008Ranate Odwin Abstract The objectives of this pilot study were to determine perception and awareness of food safety practices of consumers in Trinidad and Barbados. A structured questionnaire was self-administered to 148 respondents. Data were analysed by descriptive and chi-square analysis. Most (92%) consumers rated having safe food practices as ,very important'. Only 25.7% heard of the acronym ,HACCP' (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point), associated the HACCP approach to safe food preparation (25.7%) and reported it recommendatory in homes (19.6%). More than one-third (45.6%) felt that up to 20% of food poisoning was associated to the home. Over the last 12 months, 18.2% of consumers and/or family members had experienced food-borne illness, but no one associated it to the home. More (P < 0.01) consumers in Trinidad than in Barbados were aware of the HACCP, experienced food-borne illness and allowed pets in the kitchen. This study identified many gaps in proper food safety practices in the homes. [source] PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF FOOD RISK ISSUES AND FOOD RISK MESSAGES ON THE ISLAND OF IRELAND: THE VIEWS OF FOOD SAFETY EXPERTSJOURNAL OF FOOD SAFETY, Issue 4 2005MARTINE DE BOER ABSTRACT Food safety experts have a key role in constructing food risk messages and thus their perceptions will influence how food risk issues are communicated to the public. This research examined the perceptions of food safety experts regarding public understanding of food risk issues and food risk messages on the island of Ireland. It also looked into expert views of the barriers to effective food risk communication and how to improve food risk messages. One hundred and forty-three experts, working in areas related to food safety, completed an online questionnaire. Questionnaire and statement design was guided by the results of four in-depth interviews with food safety experts. The findings indicate that most experts surveyed have little confidence in the public's understanding of food risk issues, their assessment of food risks, their ability to deal with scientific information and their food safety practices. Experts are of the view that the public under-assesses the risk associated with some microbiological hazards and over-assesses the risk associated with other hazards such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and bovine spongiform encephalopathy. The opinion of experts with regard to GMOs is not supported by previous consumer research. Experts noted that the level of education and age were important determinants for the level of understanding of food risk issues and messages. Experts were of the view that early intervention via school curricula was the best method to improve public understanding of food risk messages in the long term. Furthermore, experts are of the view that the media have the ability to improve awareness and knowledge about food risk issues but believe that the media tend to communicate information that is misleading. The majority of experts also believe that they should communicate uncertainty but are not confident that the public is able to cope with this uncertainty. Many of the experts also indicated a desire for training on how to interact with the media. The results may be used by those experts who are involved in the construction of food risk messages to improve the design and communication of food risk messages. [source] Food Safety Education Using Music ParodiesJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 3 2009Carl K. Winter ABSTRACT:, Musical parodies of contemporary songs with their lyrics altered to address current food safety issues were incorporated into a variety of food safety educational programs and the effectiveness of the music was evaluated by semiquantitative and qualitative measures. Audiences receiving the music-enriched curricula included school foodservice supervisors, school foodservice managers, culinary arts instructors, culinary arts students, Family and Consumer Sciences teachers, and youth aged 8 to 12 y and studies were conducted in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Delaware. Among school foodservice supervisors, school foodservice managers, and culinary arts students, most participants were able to recall the main points of each song that was introduced in the curriculum. The culinary arts students were less likely to recall the main points of each song than were the other 2 groups, possibly because of the lack of prior knowledge of food safety practices as well as a lack of preference for the style of songs used. Family and Consumer Sciences teachers were enthusiastic about the use of the music but also identified potential barriers to the successful use of the music, due to the potential lack of appropriate audiovisual equipment, a lack of skills in using such equipment, and time constraints for the use of music in curricula due to the strong emphasis on end of year testing. Participants in the summer youth groups demonstrated significant increases between pre- and posttest examinations of safe food handling behaviors and most were able to quote lines or phrases from the songs. [source] Short-wave diathermy: current clinical and safety practicesPHYSIOTHERAPY RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2002Nora Shields MISCP Abstract Background and Purpose Short-wave diathermy (SWD) is widely available, yet a comprehensive examination of current clinical practice remains absent from the literature. The present paper aims to assess clinical and safety issues in continuous (CSWD) and pulsed (PSWD) short-wave diathermy application and subsequently indicate areas for future research. Method A postal survey was carried out among 116 senior physiotherapists in 41 Irish hospital-based physiotherapy departments. Results The response rate to the study was 75%. Analysis found that PSWD was the preferred mode of treatment with 27% of respondents using it more than once daily. Respondents considered both modes of treatment indicated for a variety of conditions. CSWD was rated as an effective treatment for chronic osteoarthritis, polyarthritis, non-specific arthrosis and haematomas. PSWD was reported an effective modality for acute soft tissue injury, haematomas, acute osteoarthritis, sinusitis and rheumatoid arthritis. Dose selection varied greatly but tended to be based on the type, nature and duration of the condition. Analysis of safety practices uncovered concerning findings. Although a high level of agreement was found on measures for patient safety, 30% of respondents reported that no measures for operator safety were taken and only five respondents stated they remained a specified distance from SWD equipment. Measures to ensure the safety of other personnel in the physiotherapy department were also lacking. Conclusions Given the availability of SWD equipment and its apparent efficacy in certain conditions, future research should aim to establish this by means of controlled clinical trials. The findings on safety practices underline the urgent need for comprehensive guidelines to ensure the safety of operators, patients and the general public during SWD application. Copyright © 2002 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] All-Terrain Vehicle Safety and Use Patterns in Central Illinois YouthTHE JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2010John W. Hafner MD Abstract Context: All-terrain vehicles' (ATVs) popularity and associated injuries among children are increasing in the United States. Currently, most known ATV use pattern data are obtained from injured youth and little documented data exist characterizing the typical ATV use patterns and safety practices among American children in general. Purpose: To describe the typical ATV safety and use patterns of rural youth. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous mail survey was conducted of youth participants (ages 8-18) in the 4-H Club of America in four Central Illinois counties. Questions examined ATV use patterns, safety knowledge, safety equipment usage, crashes, and injuries. Findings: Of 1,850 mailed surveys, 634 were returned (34% response rate) with 280 surveys (44% of respondents) eligible for analysis. Respondents were principally adolescent males from farms or rural locations. Most drove ,1 day per week (60.2%) and used ATVs for recreation (36%) or work (22.6%) on farms and/or private property (53.4%). Most never used safety gear, including helmets (61.4%), and few (14.6%) had received safety education. Of the 67% who experienced an ATV crash, almost half (44%) were injured. Children with safety training had fewer crashes (P= .01), and those riding after dark (P= .13) or without adult supervision (P= .042) were more likely injured. Conclusions: ATV use is common in a rural 4-H population. Most child ATV users were adolescent boys, had little safety training and did not use safety equipment or helmets. ATV injury prevention efforts should focus on these areas. [source] | ||||||||||