The World Health Organisation's workplace health and safety guidelines for COVID-19 are "unacceptably complacent" in parts and overlook evidence on workplace outbreaks, according to an occupational health academic, who fills in some of the "gaps".
Social media denoting COVID-19 as a "killer virus" creates a sense of danger and distress among frontline workers. Employers should reduce these mental health risks by providing more consistent information and better training, researchers say.
A study of frontline COVID-19 workers has found psychological training and guidance can turn distressing experiences into positive personal growth, reducing the adverse effects of traumatic work events.
Work issues can increase the risk of pregnant workers going on to experience postpartum depression, and employers are being urged to train up "family-supportive supervisors" to support work-life balance and returning to work after maternity leave.
One-on-one training dramatically improves the effectiveness of workers' hearing protection devices, reducing the likelihood of improper fit and hearing loss, Canadian researchers have found.
In a timely study for Australian workplaces, with summer approaching, US researchers have found providing electrolyte beverages to those working in hot and humid conditions can prevent muscle damage and associated complications.
"Technical" interventions like changing a worker's workstation and redesigning tasks are the most effective for reducing and preventing lower back pain, a major review has found.
Employers are being urged to proactively "minimise feelings of uncertainty" during the COVID-19 pandemic, with researchers finding the unprecedented job losses caused by COVID-19 are causing high levels of depression among employed workers.
Not intervening when a co-worker is being bullied causes the non-intervener psychological distress and can lead to mental ill health, according to European researchers, who urge employers to encourage active "helping behaviour".
A quarter of the 3.6 million Australians exposed to carcinogens at work are exposed to five or more different cancer-causing substances, according to researchers who have identified those most at risk.
