Laboratory studies have shown that exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) increases physical and mental fatigue, which are common issues professional drivers face. The objective of this study was to determine whether altering WBV exposures had any effect on driver vigilance and discomfort. A repeated measures crossover design of five truck drivers with regular 10-h routes was used. Active and passive suspension truck seats were evaluated. For each seat, WBV exposures were measured. Participants completed a discomfort questionnaire and a reaction time task before and after their shift for two weeks, one week per seat. Compared with the passive seat, the active seat significantly reduced WBV exposures, decrements in the optimal and mean reaction times (p = 0.02, 0.047, respectively), and discomfort in the lower back and wrist(s)/forearm(s) (p < 0.01, 0.01, respectively). Study results indicated that reducing WBV helps reduce discomfort and maintain vigilance, which may improve drivers' health and reduce the risk of truck collisions. Practitioner Summary: The active suspension seat used in this study reduced truck drivers' exposure to whole-body vibration (WBV) by over 33% in relation to their current industry standard passive suspension seat. This study demonstrated that reducing truck drivers' exposure to WBV reduced fatigue and discomfort development over a workday.

No abstract

This scoping review identified what kinds of work disability policy issues are critiqued in articles published in countries with cause-based versus comprehensive welfare systems. Drawing on a review of work disability policy research, we identified 74 English-language, peer-reviewed articles that focused on program adequacy and design. Articles on cause-based systems dwelled on system fairness and policies of proof of entitlement, while those on comprehensive systems focused more on system design complexities relating to worker inclusion and scope of medical certificates. Overall, we observed a clear difference in the nature of problems examined in the different systems. Gaps in work disability policy literature are identified, and challenges for comparative policy research are discussed.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed various aspects of our lives, including how we work. Since the start of the pandemic, numerous organizations in Canada have mandated their employees to work from home (WFH) on a full-time basis. The rapid rise in the number of remote workers and the possibility for WFH continuing in the future signifies the importance of understanding the health and well-being of employees working from home over the course of the pandemic in Canada. We present the findings of two surveys (initial and 6-month follow-up) to examine the health and well-being of WFH employees during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. We analyzed the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees who were working from home between two time points during the pandemic. Methods Initial survey was completed between October 2020 and December 2020 (n = 1617); follow-up survey was completed between May 2021 and June 2021 (n = 382). We calculated the frequencies for survey questions involving demographics, WFH preferences, workstation setup training, employment situation, provision of hardware technologies, provision and usage of software technologies, and organization’s return to work plan. We conducted Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to analyze the within-individual changes in mental and physical health and well-being of the 382 respondents who completed both the initial and follow-up surveys. Results Our analyses showed significant changes in various aspects of employee mental and physical health and well-being. Burnout, stress, general mental health, and job insecurity levels significantly decreased between the two time periods. Work-related sedentary behaviour reduced over time; however, the average proportion of time spent sitting during work hours was more than 80% in both surveys. Employees received more help and feedback from their colleagues and experienced a better sense of community with their co-workers over time. Conclusion The findings can inform workers and organizations on the changes in mental and physical health and well-being of employees working from home during the pandemic. By understanding the changes in worker health and well-being, employers can develop effective strategies and implement policies that help protect employees’ health and well-being.

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) personnel face a disproportionally high risk for fatality and injury due to the nature of their work; and current ambulance and EMS equipment design standards do not adequately safeguard EMS personnel from sacrificing personal safety for patient care, a known human factors and ergonomic (HFE) design challenge. Despite the desire to include HFE interventions or considerations into a standard, the effectiveness of existing HFE interventions for EMS is unclear. Objective: Therefore, this study aimed to synthesize the peer-reviewed literature on the design features of patient compartments and EMS equipment that affect EMS personnel's performance or well-being. Methods: A scoping review methodology was applied to systematically search and screen for relevant articles, and extract data. Three databases (EmBase, Scopus and PubMed) were searched, and search results were screened for articles that pertained to the performance or well-being of EMS personnel when interacting with the patient compartment or its associated equipment. Results and Discussion: Of the 4125 search results, 48 relevant articles were retained, and then sorted into one of three categories: general design, patient handling, and patient transport. It was concluded that, although research has progressed over the past 15 years, more research, development, and resources are needed. Newer generations of ambulances have not been shown to be safer during collisions and there is a knowledge gap in how occupants and contents of a patient compartment behave during a collision. Crash-tests have been performed with restrained occupants and supplies, however, that scenario is unrealistic in the field. While the existing literature provided initial ideas and innovations for improving the HFE of patient