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For people aged 44 and under, the primary cause of loss of life in the U.S. is not due to heart disease or cancer, but to something as common as injuries (U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998). As such, injuries kill an average of 142,000 Americans and require an estimated 62.5 billion dollars in medical attention each year (U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1998). This is close to three people dying and over 170 people sustaining a disabling injury every 10 minutes (National Safety Council, 1999). Every year more than 80,000 Americans are permanently disabled as a result of injury to the brain or spinal cord. Thus, unintentional injury represents a serious public health concern, and a theory-driven community, school, and organizational injury prevention technology is needed to improve the health and safety of individuals. / Ph. D.

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The workplace, in general, has been perceived as a comparatively violence-free environment. There have been many studies conducted on workplace violence in the helping profession in health-related occupations that involve substantial contact with clients, such as pre-hospital care, emergency medicine and nursing. However, there is a paucity of research that has explored the social workers’ experiences of workplace violence in South Africa. Workplace violence inflicted on employees may come from both internal sources, such as co-workers, and clients and external sources, such as robbers or muggers. A qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with 15 social workers from the Limpopo Department of Social Development in the Waterberg District. The study endeavoured to explore the experiences of social workers regarding workplace by external parties. Seven overarching themes and a number of sub-themes emerged from a detailed Thematic Content analysis. The themes highlighted a wide range of psychosocial factors associated with workplace violence. The themes examined are, namely: psychosocial effects on social workers, workplace resources and environment, management of workplace violence and human supervision, and types of workplace violence. The main finding of the study highlighted a lack of organisational resources that contributed to workplace violence and led to frustrations experienced by clients and social workers. This report concludes with a brief discussion of the psychosocial impact of workplace violence and recommendations.

Problem: Nurses are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs (HDs) in their practice. HD exposure is associated with adverse outcomes (reproductive problems, learning disabilities in offspring of nurses exposed during pregnancy, and cancer occurrence). Safe handling precautions (safety equipment and personal protective equipment, [PPE]) minimize exposure to HDs and decrease the potential for adverse outcomes. Despite existing OSHA recommendations, adherence to precautions is below recommendations. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among factors affecting nurses’ use of HD safe handling precautions, to identify factors that promote or interfere with HD precaution use, and to determine nurse managers’ perspectives on use of safe handling precautions. This study used a conceptual model which proposes that both individual and organizational factors influence precaution use. Methods: A cross-sectional, correlational design was used. Nurses (N = 165; 46% response rate) from oncology centers across the US who reported handling chemotherapy completed a mailed survey. Instruments measured HD precaution use, knowledge, self efficacy, barriers, perceived risk, conflict of interest, interpersonal influences and workplace safety climate. Hierarchical regression was used. Twenty managers of nurses handling chemotherapy were interviewed. Results: Nurses were experienced in oncology (M = 15.8 ± 7.6) yrs, well-educated (62.5% ≥BSN), certified in oncology nursing (85%), worked in outpatient settings (69%), and on average treated 6.8 ± 5.2 patients per day. Chemotherapy exposure knowledge was high (M = 10.9, ± 1, 0-12 scale); as was self efficacy for using PPE (M = 20.8 ± 3, 7-24 scale), and perceived risk (M = 3.14 ± .6, 0-4 scale). Total precaution use during HD administration and disposal was low (M = 1.9, SD = 1.1, 0= never to 5 = 100%). Nurse characteristics did not predict HD precaution use. In the final model (R2 = .29, F (2, 155) = 24.6, p < .000), fewer patients per day, fewer barriers and better workplace safety climate were independent predictors of higher precaution use. Conclusions: Results emphasize the importance of organizational influence on nurses’ HD safe handling precaution use and suggest fostering a positive workplace safety climate and reducing barriers as interventions.

In this thesis, methods used at present in occupational health and safety management are analyzed and a model safety management system is developed. History, development and recent occupational safety regulations in the United States of America and European Union are introduced to give a sight on this subject in developed countries. The suggested model is evaluated with work accident data taken from a company and hazard and risk analysis methods are used to investigate these accidents. Preventive measures to eliminate and reduce the consequences of these accidents are recommended. Finally a model safety management system which can be used in all types of industry is developed.

<p> The topic of the study was burnout amongst volunteer emergency service personnel in a Northeastern state. An understanding of the role burnout plays in emergency service professionals exists in the literature; however, the current research expanded the understanding by focusing on volunteers. Years of experience and resilience were studied to determine if a relationship exists with burnout. Data analysis consisted of multiple regression analyses conducted for each subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory &ndash; Human Services Survey (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement) (Maslach, Jackson &amp; Leiter, 1996). Results concluded that resilience, as measured by the Resilience Scale (Wagnild &amp; Young, 1993), was found to be statistically significant in its ability to predict emotional exhaustion and personal achievement, at the p &lt; .05 significance level. Resilience significantly predicted emotional exhaustion subscale scores of the Maslach Burnout Inventory &ndash; Human Services Survey, &beta;= -.25, <i>t</i>(82) = -4.36, <i>p</i> &lt; .001. Resilience and length of service when considered together also explained a significant proportion of variance in emotional exhaustion scores <i>R</i>² = .92, <i> F</i>(2,82) = 9.65, <i>p</i> &lt; .001. Resilience significantly predicted the personal accomplishment subscale, &beta; = .21, <i>t</i>(82) = 5.19 <i>p</i> &lt; .001. Resilience and length of service when considered together also explained a significant portion of the variance in personal exhaustion scores, <i>R</i>² = .25, <i> F</i>(2,82) = 13.91, <i>p</i> &lt; .001. Results concluded that resilience was not a statistically significant predictor of the depersonalization subscale; &beta; = - .07, <i>t</i>(82) = -1.72, <i>p</i> = .090. Length of service was not considered to be a statistically significant predictor for the subscales (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement) at the .05 alpha level. Resilience and length of service when considered together did not explain a significant portion of the variance in depersonalization scores; <i>R</i>² = .04, <i> F</i>(2, 82) =1.90, <i>p</i>=.157. The regression analysis demonstrated that there was a low correlation between predictor variables of resilience, as measured by The Resilience Scale and length of service, <i> r</i> = .123. A stepwise regression analysis was also conducted and confirmed that the predictor variable of resilience held a greater control over the outcome variables in each regression analysis with a significant outcome. Study implications centered around a recognition that volunteer emergency service personnel can be affected by the work they perform in many similar ways as their paid counterparts. Further research is recommended to increase understanding of the relationship that other demographics and factors may play in the depletion of resilience and development of burnout in related professionals.</p><p>

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The thesis is focused on the identification, analysis and assessment of risks in three key areas (quality, environment, occupational safety and health). The paper made a risk analysis according to ISO 31000: 2010 Risk Management - Principles and guidelines. The risk assessment of selected construction technologies were chosen following methods - analysis methods and consequences of failures (FMEA), Pareto diagram, analysis of the causes and consequences (Ishikawa) and analysis of the type of butterfly. Using these methods are evaluated selected risks to propose action to reduce its value and impact. The aim of this thesis is to identify, assess and analyze the risks and handle simple tools for the management and elimination.

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