Factors that influence occupational physicians’ decision to issue an employer warning in Japan

Abstract

Objectives To elucidate the factors that influence occupational physicians’ decision to issue an employer warning. Methods The interview was conducted with 10 Japan Society for Occupational Health certified occupational physicians (COPs) and certified senior occupational physicians (CSOPs) to create nine fictive scenarios in which an occupational physician may need to consider issuing a warning. Sixteen CSOPs assessed the seriousness of the problem in each of nine scenarios where they may need to consider issuing an employer warning. Next, using a survey questionnaire, 597 COPs and CSOPs were asked to rate how likely they were to issue a warning in each of the nine scenarios, and answer items on their characteristics and number of previously issued warnings. A multilevel logistic regression analysis nested for various scenarios was used to assess the odds ratio (OR) of being likely to issue a warning. Results Valid questionnaires were obtained from 117 participants (19.6%). The ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were as follows: mean score of seriousness of the problem, 5.90 (4.50‐7.75); years of experience as occupational physician, 1.04 (1.02‐1.06); women, 1.75 (1.20‐2.54); being a part‐time occupational physician without in‐house experience, 2.08 (1.31‐3.29); and having previously issued two or more times warnings, 1.99 (1.29‐3.06), compared with those who had never issued a warning. Conclusions Occupational physicians’ likelihood to issue a warning was associated with the seriousness of the problem as assessed in various scenarios, years of experience as occupational physician, gender, employment type, experience as in‐house occupational physician, and number of past warnings.

Effective use of an occupational health physician’s formal recommendation to improve the environment for contractors at a small-scale workplace

“…However, the companies responded as if a formal recommendation had been submitted. In a survey about OHPs' formal recommendations, it was found that these were often issued when the OHP's opinions or instructions had been neglected and the OHP needed to take further action and/or there had clearly been a violation of the legislation 9,10) . In this case study, the background to the OHP notifying the company that they might issue a formal recommendation included: (i) the significant risk of damage to employees' health; (ii) the violation of laws about working environment management; and (iii) the company's agreement to receive a formal recommendation.…”