Pia Markkanen1, Susan E Peters2,3, Michael Grant4, Jack T Dennerlein5,6, Gregory R Wagner6, Lisa Burke2, Lorraine Wallace2, Glorian Sorensen2,3. 1. Department of Public Health, Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, USA. 2. Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA. 4. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cincinnati, OH, USA. 5. Department of Physical Therapy, Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston MA, USA. 6. Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: With the growth the food service industry and associated high injury and illness rates, there is a need to assess workplace factors that contribute to injury prevention. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this report is to describe the development, application, and utility of a new instrument to evaluate ergonomics and safety for food service workers. METHODS: Starting with a similar tool developed for use in healthcare, a new tool was designed through a collaborative, participatory process with the stakeholders from a collaborating food service company. The new instrument enables the identification and assessment of key safety and health factors through a focused walkthrough of the physical work environment, and structured interviews exploring the organizational work environment. The researchers applied the instrument at 10 of the partnering company's worksites. RESULTS: The instrument identified factors related to both the physical work environment and organizational and contextual environment (e.g., vendor-client relationships) impacting worker safety and health. CONCLUSIONS: Modern assessment approaches should address both the physical and organizational aspects of the work environment, and consider the context complexities in which the worksites and the industry operate.
BACKGROUND: With the growth the food service industry and associated high injury and illness rates, there is a need to assess workplace factors that contribute to injury prevention. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this report is to describe the development, application, and utility of a new instrument to evaluate ergonomics and safety for food service workers. METHODS: Starting with a similar tool developed for use in healthcare, a new tool was designed through a collaborative, participatory process with the stakeholders from a collaborating food service company. The new instrument enables the identification and assessment of key safety and health factors through a focused walkthrough of the physical work environment, and structured interviews exploring the organizational work environment. The researchers applied the instrument at 10 of the partnering company's worksites. RESULTS: The instrument identified factors related to both the physical work environment and organizational and contextual environment (e.g., vendor-client relationships) impacting worker safety and health. CONCLUSIONS: Modern assessment approaches should address both the physical and organizational aspects of the work environment, and consider the context complexities in which the worksites and the industry operate.
Entities:
Keywords:
Human factors; musculoskeletal disorders; occupational injuries; occupational safety and health; risk assessment; safety management; work organization
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