Surprising Incentive: An Instrument for Promoting Safety Performance of Construction Employees

Fakhradin Ghasemi,Iraj Mohammadfam,Alireza Soltanian,Shahram Mahmoudi,Esmaeil Zarei 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2015 Safety and health at work Vol.6 No.3

Background: In comparison with other industries, the construction industry still has a higher rate of fatal injuries, and thus, there is a need to apply new and innovative approaches for preventing accidents and promoting safe conditions at construction sites. Methods: In this study, the effectiveness of a new incentive systemdthe surprising incentive systemdwas assessed. One year after the implementation of this new incentive system, behavioral changes of employees with respect to seven types of activities were observed. Results: The results of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between the new incentive system and the safety performance of frontline employees. The new incentive system had a greater positive impact in the first 6 months since its implementation. In the long term, however, safety performance experienced a gradual reduction. Based on previous studies, all activities selected in this study are important indicators of the safety conditions at workplaces. However, there is a need for a comprehensive and simple-to-apply tool for assessing frontline employees’ safety performance. Shortening the intervals between incentives is more effective in promoting safety performance. Conclusion: The results of this study proved that the surprising incentive would improve the employees’ safety performance just in the short term because the surprising value of the incentives dwindle over time. For this reason and to maintain the surprising value of the incentive system, the amount and types of incentives need to be evaluated and modified annually or biannually.

Surprising Incentive: An Instrument for Promoting Safety Performance of Construction Employees

Ghasemi, Fakhradin,Mohammadfam, Iraj,Soltanian, Ali Reza,Mahmoudi, Shahram,Zarei, Esmaeil Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2015 Safety and health at work Vol.6 No.3

Background: In comparison with other industries, the construction industry still has a higher rate of fatal injuries, and thus, there is a need to apply new and innovative approaches for preventing accidents and promoting safe conditions at construction sites. Methods: In this study, the effectiveness of a new incentive system-the surprising incentive system-was assessed. One year after the implementation of this new incentive system, behavioral changes of employees with respect to seven types of activities were observed. Results: The results of this study showed that there is a significant relationship between the new incentive system and the safety performance of frontline employees. The new incentive system had a greater positive impact in the first 6 months since its implementation. In the long term, however, safety performance experienced a gradual reduction. Based on previous studies, all activities selected in this study are important indicators of the safety conditions at workplaces. However, there is a need for a comprehensive and simple-to-apply tool for assessing frontline employees' safety performance. Shortening the intervals between incentives is more effective in promoting safety performance. Conclusion: The results of this study proved that the surprising incentive would improve the employees' safety performance just in the short term because the surprising value of the incentives dwindle over time. For this reason and to maintain the surprising value of the incentive system, the amount and types of incentives need to be evaluated and modified annually or biannually.

Applications, Shortcomings, and New Advances of Job Safety Analysis (JSA): Findings from a Systematic Review

Ghasemi Fakhradin,Doostiirani Amin,Aghaei Hamed 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2023 Safety and health at work Vol.14 No.2

Background: Job safety analysis (JSA) is a popular technique for hazard identification and risk assessment in workplaces that has been applied across a wide range of industries. This systematic review was conducted to answer four main questions regarding JSA: (1) which sectors and areas have used JSA? (2) What has been the aim of employing JSA? (3) What are the shortcomings of JSA? (4) What are the new advances in the field of JSA? Methods: Three main international databases were searched: SCOPUS, Web of Science, and PubMed. After screening and eligibility assessment, 49 articles were included. Results: Construction industries have used JSA the most, followed by process industries and healthcare settings. Hazard identification is the main aim of JSA, but it has been used for other purposes as well. Being time-consuming, the lack of an initial list of hazards, the lack of a universal risk assessment method, ignoring hazards from the surrounding activities, ambiguities regarding the team implementing JSA, and ignorance of the hierarchy of controls were the main shortcomings of JSA based on previous studies. Conclusion: In recent years, there have been interesting advances in JSA making attempts to solve shortcomings of the technique. A seven-step JSA was recommended to cover most shortcomings reported by studies.

Framework for Continuous Assessment and Improvement of Occupational Health and Safety Issues in Construction Companies

Mahmoudi, Shahram,Ghasemi, Fakhradin,Mohammadfam, Iraj,Soleimani, Esmaeil Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute 2014 Safety and health at work Vol.5 No.3

Background: Construction industry is among the most hazardous industries, and needs a comprehensive and simple-to-administer tool to continuously assess and promote its health and safety performance. Methods: Through the study of various standard systems (mainly Health, Safety, and Environment Management System; Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 180001; and British Standard, occupational health and safety management systems-Guide 8800), seven main elements were determined for the desired framework, and then, by reviewing literature, factors affecting these main elements were determined. The relative importance of each element and its related factors was calculated at organizational and project levels. The provided framework was then implemented in three construction companies, and results were compared together. Results: The results of the study show that the relative importance of the main elements and their related factors differ between organizational and project levels: leadership and commitment are the most important elements at the organization level, whereas risk assessment and management are most important at the project level. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the framework is easy to administer, and by interpreting the results, the main factors leading to the present condition of companies can be determined.

Predicting needlestick and sharps injuries and determining preventive strategies using a Bayesian network approach in Tehran, Iran

Hamed Akbari,Fakhradin Ghasemi 한국역학회 2018 Epidemiology and Health Vol.40 No.-

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown that the rate of needlestick and sharps injuries (NSIs) is unacceptably high in Iranian hospitals. The aim of the present study was to use a systematic approach to predict and reduce these injuries. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 5 hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Eleven variables thought to affect NSIs were categorized based on the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) framework and modeled using a Bayesian network. A self-administered validated questionnaire was used to collect the required data. In total, 343 cases were used to train the model and 50 cases were used to test the model. Model performance was assessed using various indices. Finally, using predictive reasoning, several intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were recommended. RESULTS: The Bayesian network HFACS model was able to predict 86% of new cases correctly. The analyses showed that safety motivation and fatigue were the most important contributors to NSIs. Supervisors’ attitude toward safety and working hours per week were the most important factors in the unsafe supervision category. Management commitment and staffing were the most important organizational-level factors affecting NSIs. Finally, promising intervention strategies for reducing NSIs were identified and discussed. CONCLUSIONS: To reduce NSIs, both management commitment and sufficient staffing are necessary. Supervisors should encourage nurses to engage in safe behavior. Excessive working hours result in fatigue and increase the risk of NSIs.

Framework for Continuous Assessment and Improvement of Occupational Health and Safety Issues in Construction Companies

Shahram Mahmoudi,Fakhradin Ghasemi,Iraj Mohammadfam,Esmaeil Soleimani 한국산업안전보건공단 산업안전보건연구원 2014 Safety and health at work Vol.5 No.3

Background: Construction industry is among the most hazardous industries, and needs a comprehensiveand simple-to-administer tool to continuously assess and promote its health and safety performance. Methods: Through the study of various standard systems (mainly Health, Safety, and EnvironmentManagement System; Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 180001; and British Standard,occupational health and safety management systems-Guide 8800), seven main elements were determinedfor the desired framework, and then, by reviewing literature, factors affecting these main elementswere determined. The relative importance of each element and its related factors was calculated atorganizational and project levels. The provided framework was then implemented in three constructioncompanies, and results were compared together. Results: The results of the study show that the relative importance of the main elements and theirrelated factors differ between organizational and project levels: leadership and commitment are themost important elements at the organization level, whereas risk assessment and management are mostimportant at the project level. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the framework is easy to administer, and by interpretingthe results, the main factors leading to the present condition of companies can be determined.