Self‐employed individuals performing different types of work have different occupational safety and health problems

Abstract

The self-employed are a heterogeneous group of individuals. We suggest development of specific strategies that focus on workers performing "Physical work" to improve the health and safety of self-employed workers in Korea.

Sex and Gender Differences in Occupational Hazard Exposures: a Scoping Review of the Recent Literature

“…Eight out of sixteen studies reported a higher prevalence among men of exposure to ergonomic and biomechanical risks including repetitive tasks, uncomfortable postures, prolonged sitting or standing at work, and working at high speed [ 16 – 23 ]; four studies reported that women were more exposed to these hazards [ 2 , 18 , 22 , 24 ] while four studies found no differences in these exposures between men and women [ 25 – 28 ]. Ten out of thirteen studies reported a higher proportion of men exposed to physically demanding work including lifting and manual material handling [ 15 , 16 , 19 , 21 , 24 , 27 , 29 – 32 ], and three studies reported a higher prevalence of these hazards in women [ 18 , 19 , 33 ]. A higher proportion of men were exposed to occupational noise [ 2 , 27 , 31 , 34 ], vibration [ 21 , 27 , 29 , 35 ], ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure [ 31 , 36 ], radiation exposure from radioactive substances and diagnostic medical devices [ 31 , 37 ], and work-related falls [ 38 ]; no study showed women having a higher exposure than men to these occupational hazards.…”

“…Ten out of thirteen studies reported a higher proportion of men exposed to physically demanding work including lifting and manual material handling [ 15 , 16 , 19 , 21 , 24 , 27 , 29 – 32 ], and three studies reported a higher prevalence of these hazards in women [ 18 , 19 , 33 ]. A higher proportion of men were exposed to occupational noise [ 2 , 27 , 31 , 34 ], vibration [ 21 , 27 , 29 , 35 ], ultraviolet radiation from sun exposure [ 31 , 36 ], radiation exposure from radioactive substances and diagnostic medical devices [ 31 , 37 ], and work-related falls [ 38 ]; no study showed women having a higher exposure than men to these occupational hazards. One study reported a higher prevalence of work-related heat stress among men [ 39 ] while another study reported a higher prevalence for women exposed to uncomfortable working temperatures [ 33 ].…”

“…Nine studies found more women were exposed to higher levels of stress indicators (e.g., high job strain, effort-reward imbalance) [ 17 , 20 , 29 , 30 , 55 – 59 ], six studies reported that women were more exposed to higher levels of perceived stress and emotional demands at work [ 45 , 47 , 53 , 60 – 62 ], and three studies reported that women were more exposed to lower support from colleagues or superiors [ 37 , 58 , 60 ]. Five studies reported men having higher job stress and psychosocial demands [ 2 , 21 , 58 , 63 , 64 ], two studies reported men exposed to higher levels of different stress indicators [ 19 , 20 ], and two studies reported more men exposed to a lack of social support from colleagues or superiors [ 62 , 29 ]. No differences between men and women for various psychosocial exposures were also reported [ 20 , 23 , 26 , 27 , 31 , 63 , 65 , 66 ].…”

“…Ten out of thirteen studies reported more men exposed to hazardous chemical substances, smoke, and gas fumes [ 2 , 21 , 27 , 31 , 35 , 67 , 70 – 73 ]; two studies reported more women exposed to these hazards [ 74 , 75 ]; while one study reported similar exposures between men and women [ 76 ]. Studies reported more men exposed to pesticides and herbicides from agricultural work [ 68 , 72 , 77 ], while one study reported more women exposed [ 78 ] and another found men and women had comparable exposures to pesticides and herbicides [ 76 ].…”

Factors Related to Psychological Well-Being as Moderated by Occupational Class in Korean Self-Employed Workers

“…We also found that self-employed individuals who performed office work had more education, higher incomes, and the least exposure to physical, chemical, and ergonomic workplace hazards. In contrast, manual workers were older, less educated, had lower incomes, had greater exposure to workplace hazards, and had more health problems [ 20 ]. Thus, comparing workers in different occupational classes may be important for understanding the mental well-being of the self-employed population.…”