The optimal location of workplaces plays an important role in the structure of occupational safety. The design of the workspace should ensure the optimal distribution of functions between person and ...machine in order to create safe working conditions, reduce the severity of work and the level of production injuries. Most often, workplace planning is carried out manually, by simple calculation, and then the rationality of workplace planning is evaluated, based on statistics of industrial accidents and occupational diseases, as well as indicators of labor productivity, for example, the ratio of compliance with norms. To solve the problem of optimal placement in the work mathematical models are built that can take into account various regulatory restrictions and are simple for further software implementation. It is proposed to choose the theory of φ-functions as a basis, which can be characterized as measures of proximity of objects. Thus, the set task of optimal placement of workplaces is reduced to the task of mathematical programming. The objective function determines the criterion of optimality – the minimization of the area or perimeter that will be occupied by the objects. This formulation of the problem is relevant because the use of the smallest production area, taking into account safety requirements, is an economic condition for effective production management. The constraint on the relative location of workplaces is set using φ-functions, which defines the decision domain. That, when formalizing restrictions, you can take into account all regulatory safety distances between workplaces, equipment, walls, etc. Thus, the work explores an approach that will allow automatic planning of the placement of a large number of technological objects, workplaces in accordance with occupational safety standards. Use of the software application, which can be implemented on the basis of the φ-functions apparatus, will significantly reduce the time of workplaces planning and increase its efficiency.
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically transformed the work environment and practices worldwide. Long-term infection control practices may increase the psychological distress of workers, ...and, conversely, inadequate infection control practices in the working place may increase the fear of infection. This study aimed to determine the relationship between infection control practices in the working place and employee mental state during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.
Methods
This study was conducted in December 2020 and February 2021. The participants had undergone a preliminary survey, which revealed that they were in a good mental state. Their psychological distress was investigated
via
a second survey, and the factors associated with distress were studied using a logistic model.
Results
The results of the second survey indicated that 15.3% of participants demonstrated psychological distress. This was associated with leave-of-absence instructions, instructions for shortening business hours, and requests to avoid the working place in case of any symptoms.
Conclusion
The study found that while some infection control practices reduce workers' distress, others worsen it. Employers need to consider infection control practices as well as the worsening mental state of employees following a decrease in income caused by such measures. Follow-up studies may be necessary to clarify the long-term effects on workers' mental states.
COVID-19 in Workplaces: Secondary Transmission Sarti, Donatella; Campanelli, Tamara; Rondina, Tommaso ...
Annals of work exposures and health,
11/2021, Volume:
65, Issue:
9
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
Abstract
Objectives
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) contagion at work is well studied for healthcare workers, however it is not enough assessed in other working settings. Very little is known, indeed, ...about the risk of COVID-19 transmission through occupational exposure in non-health working places. This study aims to describe a COVID-19 cluster among workers in an office in Italy.
Methods
This was a retrospective observational study on a cluster of COVID-19 that occurred from 20 November through 3 December 2020 in a group of six colleagues (A–F) working in the same office full time 5 days a week, 8 h a day. The workers used the following prevention measures: social distancing (desks were >1 m, 1.76–5.01 m range), plexiglas panels, hands disinfection, and use of face mask. However, they did not wear face mask when in static position sitting at their desk and they did not aerate the place frequently.
Results
The disease spread from one worker (subject A) to four (80%) of the five colleagues (subjects B–F). Only subject D was negative to COVID-19 on 14 days after last contact with subject A (20 November 2020) as confirmed by nasopharyngeal swab testing. Subject D, in particular, did not contact subject A in the 48 h before symptoms onset. COVID-19 positivity of subject A was promptly communicated to the colleagues, who started self-isolation from their relatives and none of their households were infected. COVID-19 transmission was observed only in households of subject A.
Conclusions
The rapid communication of COVID-19 positivity to the colleagues and the prompt isolation of index case’s close contacts allowed to eliminate the secondary transmission to their households. The contagion of index case’s colleagues occurred from second day before symptoms onset. Distancing of >1 m, use of plexiglass panels, sanitizing hand gel, and inconstant use of face mask may not be enough for infection prevention in closed places with poor ventilation and high occupancy.
Currently, the available studies on the prediction of building energy performance and real occupancy data are typically characterized by aggregated and averaged occupancy patterns or large thermal ...zones of reference. Despite the increasing diffusion of smart energy management systems and the growing availability of longitudinal data regarding occupancy, these two domains rarely inform each other. This research aims at understanding the potential of employing real-time occupancy data to identify better cooling strategies for activity-based-working (ABW)-supportive offices and reduce the overall energy consumption. It presents a case study comparing the energy performance of the office when different resolutions of occupancy and thermal zoning are applied, ranging from the standard energy certification approach to real-time occupancy patterns. For the first time, one year of real-time occupancy data at the desk resolution, captured through computer logs and Bluetooth devices, is used to investigate this issue. Results show that the actual cooling demand is 9% lower than predicted, unveiling the energy-saving potential to be achieved from HVAC systems for non-assigned seating environments. This research demonstrates that harnessing real-time occupancy data for demand-supply cooling management at a fine-grid resolution is an efficient strategy to reduce cooling consumption and increase workers’ comfort. It also emphasizes the need for more data and monitoring campaigns for the definition of more accurate and robust energy management strategies.
Abstract
In line with the sustainability issue, the current research related to lighting has been focused on maintaining the health and well-being of the workers, not only for energy saving ...considerations. This preliminary research observed the effect of artificial light below the recommended illuminance levels for the workplace on the workers’ moods and their physiological condition. The researchers employed a quasi-experimental approach by observing the participants’ sleepiness state, mood, and physiological condition related to their cortisol levels in the first two and last two hours of their work shift. The research subjects were five male printing workers who worked in the basement of an office building in Sleman Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia. As the room was below the ground floor, to accommodate their work activities, the employees relied on artificial lighting, complemented by a small amount of natural lighting entering the basement. The lighting was measured on the illuminance level of 250s lx and the CCT of 5000s K. The research revealed that there is no complaint or problem regarding the illuminance level, no effect on the individuals’ state of sleepiness, or on their moods. However, the cortisol level tended to decrease faster than the normal circadian curve. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that even though ‘insufficient’ lighting levels can accommodate activities, the physiological condition of the subjects shows different results which indicate a negative increment.
Non-agricultural employment plays a significant role in alleviating regional poverty. Using the micro data of the China Labor-Dynamics Survey (CLDS), this paper empirically analyzes the impact of the ...accessibility of rural transportation infrastructure on the non-agricultural employment choices of rural laborers by using the entropy method and the ordered Logit model. The results show that there is a significant positive correlation between the accessibility of rural transportation infrastructure and the non-agricultural employment of rural laborers. The study also finds that the laborers participating in non-agricultural employment in villages with good transportation infrastructure will prefer to be employed in nearby locations, and the development of the rural non-agricultural economy is an important reason. Further analysis clearly shows that gender, the family dependency ratio, and rural terrain characteristics affect the choices made by laborers with respect to non-agricultural employment. Based on the research results, focusing on a transportation and industry model and considering the construction of transportation infrastructure as a guide, especially in areas with poor terrain, promoting the development of rural non-agricultural industries can help solve the problem in rural areas and in women’s employment where family members or accompanying personnel are left behind, and can promote the orderly transfer of rural laborers.
Physical inactivity is prevalent in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may exacerbate their clinical symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of 4-h regular ...versus more dynamic standing sessions while performing routine desktop activities as a non-exercise physical activity intervention in older adults with T2DM to increase non-exercise activity.
Twelve older adult patients with T2DM (3 female; age 71 ± 4 years; Body mass index 34 ± 5 kg/m
) completed three sessions (baseline sitting followed by "static" or "dynamic" desktop standing sessions). Participants stood behind a regular height-adjustable desk in the "static" standing session. An upright dynamic standing desk, which provides cues to make small weight-shifting movements, was used for the "dynamic" standing session. Oxygen consumption, cognitive performance, as well as net standing duration, total movement activity, and musculoskeletal discomfort were assessed during all three sessions.
All participants were able to complete all sessions. Oxygen consumption and overall movements progressively increased from sitting to static and dynamic standing, respectively (p < 0.001). The duration of breaks during standing (p = 0.024) and rate of total musculoskeletal discomfort development (p = 0.043) were lower in the dynamic standing compared to static standing sessions. There was no evidence of executive cognitive worsening during either standing session compared to sitting.
Prolonged 4-h standing as a simple non-exercise physical intervention is feasible in older adults with T2DM and may have metabolic (oxygen consumption) benefits. Increasing movement during desktop standing may offer incremental benefits compared to regular standing. Prolonged desktop standing might provide an effective intervention in T2DM older participants to target sedentariness.
ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04410055), retrospectively registered May 27, 2020.
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