In response to elevated risk factors, an opioid hazard awareness training for the sand, stone, and gravel mining sector was developed and embedded in annual safety training.
After positive results ...from a prior study among Massachusetts workers, a revised training was disseminated across the United States. Two hundred post-training surveys were obtained and compared with results from the Massachusetts cohort.
Participants' knowledge about opioid-based medications, confidence in talking to a doctor about opioids and/or to a coworker about their own use of opioids, and ability to refer struggling coworkers to resources improved. Massachusetts respondents had slightly more favorable responses. Both cohorts had strong positive views of the training.
These results highlight the feasibility and effectiveness of opioid hazard prevention training for a high-risk worker population.
In the USA, miners are at higher risk for work-related disorders that could precipitate an opioid prescription, injury-related opioid prescriptions, and opioid overdose. We aimed to support ...prevention of these outcomes with an “opioid hazard awareness” miner safety training module. In January and February 2020, the training module was embedded within required mining safety and health training for stone, sand, and gravel miners in Massachusetts (USA). Training impact and reception were assessed with a pre- and post-training survey of trainee characteristics, training content knowledge, and attitudes. Over 800 miners were trained and over 600 responded to surveys. We found statistically significant improvements in opioid risk factor knowledge and knowledge of resources to help a coworker. Nonstigmatizing attitudes were high both at baseline and following the training. The training was perceived as relevant and useful by trainees. Improving opioid hazard awareness in high-risk worker populations has potential to reduce opioid dependence and downstream impacts including overdose death. Employer injury-prevention efforts should be reinforced while worker health and safety training enhances awareness of opioid-related harms and prevention strategies for miners and other high-risk worker populations.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Worker deaths from heat exposure are unlike heat deaths in the general population; workers tend to be outside in variable temperatures and younger than sixty-five years. Climate change will increase ...the frequency, duration, and variability of hot temperatures. Public health warning systems, such as the Heat Index of the National Weather Service, do not generally account for workers' greater likelihood of exposure to direct sunlight or exertion. Only 28% of the 79 worker heat-related fatalities during 2014–2016 occurred on days when the National Weather Service warning would have included the possibility of fatal heat stroke. Common heat illness prevention advice ignores workers' lack of control over their ability to rest and seek cooler temperatures. Additionally, acclimatization, or phased-in work in the heat, may be less useful given temperature variability under climate change. Workers' vulnerability and context of heat exposure should inform public health surveillance and response to prevent heat illness and death.
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Work factors, including physical job demands, appear to be risk factors for opioid overdoses. We collaborated with unions representing workers in high-risk occupations and offered resources to ...develop tailored educational interventions for their members. An ironworkers’ local, a statewide nurses’ union, and a Teamsters local union participated, at levels higher than we had anticipated. The three unions trained 285 workers, including apprentices, stewards, and those nearing retirement. Short surveys assessed pre- and post-training knowledge, attitudes, confidence in helping others, and related domains. Seventy percent of respondents reported heavy or very heavy physical demands at work, and one-half had experienced work-related pain. After training, participants reported more knowledge about opioids, less concern about stigma related to help-seeking, and more ability to provide help to a co-worker struggling with opioids. Peers with recovery experience provided a unique contribution to training. Tailored job-specific and peer-delivered educational interventions may be able to reduce the potential impact of opioids on working people.
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Mechanisms of action of nonmutagenic carcinogens such as asbestos remain poorly characterized. As pleural mesothelioma is known to have limited numbers of genetic mutations, we aimed to characterize ...the relationships among gene-locus-specific methylation alterations, disease status, asbestos burden, and survival in this rapidly fatal asbestos-associated tumor. Methylation of 1505 CpG loci associated with 803 cancer-related genes were studied in 158 pleural mesotheliomas and 18 normal pleura. After false-discovery rate correction, 969 CpG loci were independently associated with disease status (Q < 0.05). Classifying samples based on CpG methylation profile with a mixture model approach, methylation classes discriminated tumor from normal pleura (permutation P < 0.0001). In a random forests classification, the overall misclassification error rate was 3.4%, with <1% (n = 1) of tumors misclassified as normal (P < 0.0001). Among tumors, methylation class membership was significantly associated with lung tissue asbestos body burden (P < 0.03), and significantly predicted survival (likelihood ratio P < 0.01). Consistent with prior work, asbestos burden was associated with an increased risk of death (hazard ratio, 1.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-1.8). Our results have shown that methylation profiles powerfully differentiate diseased pleura from nontumor pleura and that asbestos burden and methylation profiles are independent predictors of mesothelioma patient survival. We have added to the growing body of evidence that cellular epigenetic dysregulation is a critical mode of action for asbestos in the induction of pleural mesothelioma. Importantly, these findings hold great promise for using epigenetic profiling in the diagnosis and prognosis of human cancers.
The construction sector has been hit hard by the opioid crisis. We describe CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training’s recent efforts to address the challenges of opioid use in the ...construction industry. With support and guidance from the North America's Building Trades Unions Opioid Task Force, CPWR undertook three projects to promote prevention and best practices for struggling construction workers. The first project focused on recommendations for communications that reframe stigmatizing narratives into effective messages about prevention solutions. The second project refined and distributed a one-hour construction worker opioid hazard awareness training module. The third project assessed opportunities and barriers for the expansion and improvement of existing union peer support programs to support workers through treatment and recovery. Additional resources, such as opioid hazard tool box talks, to help reverse the impact on the sector are also described.
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Hispanic workers have higher rates of injury and death on construction worksites than workers of other ethnicities. Language barriers and cultural differences have been hypothesized as reasons behind ...the disparate rates.
We conducted two series of focus groups with union and non-union Hispanic construction workers to ask them about their perceptions of the causes for the unequal rates. Spanish transcripts were translated and coded in QSR NVivo software for common themes.
Workers reported a difficult work environment characterized by supervisor pressure, competition for jobs and intimidation with regard to raising safety concerns. Language barriers or cultural factors were not strongly represented as causative factors behind the rates.
The results of this study have informed the development of an intervention trial that seeks to prevent falls and silica dust exposure by training contractors employing Hispanic construction workers in the elements of safety leadership, including building respect for their Hispanic workers and facilitating their participation in a safety program.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Recent disasters have demonstrated gaps in employers' preparedness to protect employees and promote their well-being in the face of disruptive events. Our objective was to develop a useful strategy ...for advancing comprehensive employer preparedness and to assess employer preparedness in a sample of employers.
A
Employer Preparedness Model was developed to include seven domains: planning, human resources policies, hazard reduction, training, staffing, communications, and resources for resilience. A Survey and scoring Index based upon the Model were administered to human resources professionals in the northeast United States.
Seventy-six responded, representing diverse employment sectors. The mean Index score was 8.8 (out of 23), which is a moderate level of preparedness. Nine scored over 15, indicating greater preparedness. Thirteen scored 0. Employers were most prepared for severe weather events and least prepared for acts of violence. There were no significant differences by sector, size, or reach, although the health-care sector reported higher scores.
This unique attempt to assess TWH Employer Preparedness can serve as the basis of important further study that strengthens the empirical basis of the construct. Additionally, the Model, Survey, and Index can assist employers in advancing their preparedness for all hazards.
Workers: the climate canaries Roelofs, Cora; Wegman, David
American journal of public health
104, Issue:
10
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
In the increasing heat intensity experienced in Central America sugar plantations, more than 20 000 workers have died from chronic kidney disease most likely caused by combined exposure to extreme ...temperature, pesticide exposures, a "piece work" payment system, and other employment conditions that prevent adequate hydration, rest, and protection from chemical exposures.14-19 (Ironically, global sugar agriculture is booming because of the demand for "climate-neutral" biofuels.20) There is no global nor US surveillance system that can detect sentinel cases of climate-related occupational illness and injury, nor one to monitor, report, and respond to cases.5 Employers may not be sufficiently prepared, empowered, educated, concerned, or compelled to protect their employees from the health impacts of climate change.\n24 However, the rare enforcement of the general duty of employers to protect workers from recognized hazards, voluntary standards, and social marketing campaigns for heat stress awareness have not led to adequate worker protection.25 On the contrary, the media reports cases such as the AT&T workers in Texas who are prohibited from using air conditioning in their trucks and Amazon.com warehouse workers who work in 120-degree environments without relief.24,26-28 Part of climate change preparedness must include a frank assessment of the adequacy and gaps in the capacity of government regulatory agencies to protect workers from likely impacts.
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CEKLJ, DOBA, FSPLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, ODKLJ, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
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