Risk assessment of fall‐related occupational accidents in the workplace

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to examine effective assessment methods of falls in the workplace.Methods: There were 436 employees (305 males and 131 females) of electrical appliance manufacturers included in this study. In 2014, a baseline survey was conducted using the fall scores questionnaire and the self-check risk assessment of falls and other accidents in the workplace (physical function measurement and questionnaire). In 2015, the occurrence of falls in the past year was investigated. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors relevant to falls.Results: In total, 62 subjects (14.2%) fell during the year, including those who fell during off-hours. The occurrence of falls during that one year was only associated with having experienced falls during the past year in the baseline survey (odds ratio [OR] 5.0; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5-9.7). Falls during that year were also related to the inability to walk 1 km continuously (OR 0.1; 95% CI 0.1-0.6), tripping sometimes (OR 4.0; 95% CI 1.6-9.9), step height differences at home (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.3-6.8), and working in the production section (OR 0.2; 95% CI 0.1-0.5). Measurements of physical functions, such as muscle strength, balance, and agility, were not different between subjects who fell and those who did not. Conclusions: Our results showed that the questionnaire assessing falls during the past year could be useful to assess the risk of falls in the workplace. Annual checks for falls may contribute to fall prevention programs in the workplace.

Analysis of Risk Factors in Occupational Accidents in Brazil

“…In addition, several studies have already shown the association between exposure to noise with increased physical and mental stress. Combined, these risk factors increase the prevalence of road accidents (13,25,26) .…”

Organizational Agility in Industry 4.0: A Systematic Literature Review

“…The systematic literature revealed that agility is an advanced capability which allows different industries to gain competitive advantage and sustain their performance in the long term [12,[131][132][133][134]. It is also confirmed that companies want to build their agility capability through adopting Industry 4.0 technologies [135][136][137]. However, the authors argued whether adopting the Industry 4.0 technologies increase agility in a dynamic way [138,139], or whether adopting the Industry 4.0 technologies presents a change management challenge [140].…”

Association between physical capacity and occupational falls among middle-aged and older farmers in Thailand: Using the self-check risk assessment tool in Japan

“…The use of this tool is currently increasing in the Japanese manufacturing industry because it can safely measure the physical capabilities of older workers without the use of specialized measurement instruments. 17 , 18 …”

“…Because farmers work in outdoor environments, with heavy use of their feet and legs, they may differ from other study populations. 17 , 18 Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to evaluate the relationship between physical capacity and experiences of occupational falls among middle‐aged and older Thai farmers using the Self‐Check Risk Assessment of Falls and Other Accidents in the Workplace tool.…”

“…The use of this tool is currently increasing in the Japanese manufacturing industry because it can safely measure the physical capabilities of older workers without the use of specialized measurement instruments. 17,18 The development of a program for middle-aged and older farmers to assess their risk of occupational falls would be valuable in Thailand. However, the Self-Check Risk Assessment of Falls and Other Accidents in the Workplace tool was developed on the basis of a survey of workers in secondary and tertiary industries, 16 and its validity for farmers has not been assessed.…”