Workplace Health & Safety

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) frequently encounter traumatic events. Their high-stress profession can contribute to mental health challenges, potentially leading to an increased risk of binge drinking. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of binge drinking among paramedics and EMTs and its association with exposure to traumatic events and job satisfaction.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire collecting data on demographics, substance use patterns, exposure to traumatic events, and job satisfaction. Binge drinking was defined as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks (four for women) on a single occasion. The study included 317 participants. 27 (8.5%) were classified as binge drinkers.

The analysis revealed a significant association between exposure to traumatic events and binge drinking.

Trauma exposure may increase the risk of binge drinking. Job satisfaction was a protective factor against binge drinking.

Preventive interventions and support systems should address paramedics’ and EMTs’ mental health needs to reduce the potential for harmful binge drinking.

Working women in the Arab Gulf states face unique challenges to practicing exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), shaped by workplace environments and sociocultural norms. This study explored the lived experiences of employed Omani mothers, focusing on how workplace facilities and cultural factors influence EBF practices.

A descriptive phenomenological approach was used to examine the breastfeeding experiences of 15 employed Omani women. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed thematically. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory was applied to interpret findings and develop a culturally relevant framework.

Key themes included balancing breastfeeding and work demands, workplace support systems, and motivators/barriers to sustain EBF. Intrinsic motivation grounded in faith, workplace flexibility, and family support emerged as facilitators. Participants highlighted barriers such as limited lactation facilities, lack of professional support, and societal stigmas around breastfeeding at work.

Workplace facilities and employer support remain bottlenecks to achieving EBF among working Arab mothers. Addressing these gaps requires breastfeeding-friendly policies and culturally informed interventions within occupational health frameworks. By adapting ecological systems theory, this study offers a structured approach to designing interventions that address individual, organizational, and societal barriers, empowering working mothers to achieve their breastfeeding goals.

Heat stress injury (HSI) is an occupational hazard for industrial workers. For active-duty Sailors, shipyard conditions of high ambient temperatures, confined spaces, and increased fire-fighting training exacerbate those risks. This evidence-based practice project aimed to decrease Sailor HSI cases on a U.S. Navy ship undergoing multi-year shipyard maintenance after high numbers of HSI events over 5 months.

Three mitigation efforts augmented existing guidelines to decrease HSI rates among Sailors: (1) distribution of oral rehydration solution (ORS) and hydration protocol; (2) scaled personal protective equipment (PPE) wear during firefighting training based on wet-bulb globe temperature; (3) targeted education about HSI risk factors, identification, first aid, and prevention. HSI-related medical response team activations data were collected from ship’s logs at baseline and for 2 years following implementation.

1,700 Sailors received education, 185 drills occurred with scaled PPE, and 35,500 servings of ORS were distributed. Sailor HSI events at baseline were higher (n = 10) than civilians (n = 6; p = .046). After implementation, Sailor HSI events decreased in years 1 (n = 5) and 2 (n = 2) and were not significantly different from civilian HSI rate in years 1 (n = 3, p = .112) and 2 (n = 5, p = .101) who were excluded from interventions. Estimated HSI odds for 2023 Sailors were 70% lower (OR = 0.3, 95% CI [0.02, 4.06]).

Shipyard-specific, multi-pronged interventions effectively reduced HSI events over multiple years, which may be adapted to other occupational environments.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in computer users have multi-faceted etiology. Using narrative analysis, this study explores the strategies that information technology (IT) professionals employ to mitigate the effect of risk factors of MSD in their workplace.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 IT professionals from a state organization in the United States. The findings are summarized through participant profiles. Elements in the narratives were emphasized that show how the participants linked events and experiences related to their work and MSD.

Participant stories are grouped based on themes using rich descriptions that communicate their approach for possible solutions to prevent MSD in the workplace. Themes are individual risk factors for MSD, proactive approaches like individual awareness of posture and behavior while working, workstation design, and mitigating strategies.

IT professionals employ several strategies to mitigate the effect of risk factors of work-related musculoskeletal disorders due to computer use in their workplace that need to be communicated to the management.

Individual stories have highlighted that the participants were self-directed in identifying and exploring mitigating strategies related to work-related MSD. Communication is an important aspect of workplace safety wherein the expertise of the occupational health professionals plays a crucial role. Stories in this study may resonate with other stories of pain and discomfort due to MSD and have implications for organizations and provide us with explicit examples from the manager perspective.