Last data update: Jan 27, 2025. (Total: 48650 publications since 2009)
Records 1-13 (of 13 Records) |
Query Trace: Grosch J[original query] |
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Occupational injuries among construction workers by age and related economic loss: findings from Ohio workers' compensation, USA: 2007-2017
Kaur H , Wurzelbacher SJ , Bushnell PT , Bertke S , Meyers AR , Grosch JW , Naber S , Lampl M . Saf Health Work 2023 14 (4) [Epub ahead of print] Background: This study examined age-group differences in the rate, severity, and cost of injuries among construction workers to support evidence-based worker safety and health interventions in the construction industry. Methods: Ohio workers' compensation claims for construction workers were used to estimate claim rates and costs by age group. We analyzed claims data auto-coded into five event/exposure categories: transportation incidents; slips, trips, and falls (STFs); exposure to harmful substances and environments (EHS); contact with objects and equipment (COB); and overexertion and bodily reaction. American Community Survey data were used to determine the proportion of workers by age group. Results: From 2007-2017, among 72,416 accepted injury claims for 166,000 construction full-time equivalent (FTE) per year, nearly half were caused by COB, followed by STFs (20%) and overexertion (20%). Claim rates related to COB and EHS were highest among those 18-24 years old, with claim rates of 313.5 and 25.9 per 10,000 FTE, respectively. STFs increased with age, with the highest claim rates for those 55-64 years old (94.2 claims per 10,000 FTE). Overexertion claim rates increased and then declined with age, with the highest claim rate for those 35-44 years old (87.3 per 10,000 FTE). While younger workers had higher injury rates, older workers had higher proportions of lost-time claims and costs per claim. The total cost per FTE was highest for those 45-54 years old ($1,122 per FTE). Conclusion: The variation in rates of injury types by age suggests age-specific prevention strategies may be useful. |
Broadening the view of workplace ageism
Petery GA , Grosch JW . Work Aging Retire 2022 20 (4) In their thought-provoking commentary, Murphy and DeNisi (2021) stated the available evidence provides little support for the proposition that age stereotypes substantially affect high-stakes decisions made about individuals in organizations (p. 1). Their narrow literature focus could leave the impression that age stereotypes are not complicit in actual personnel decisions. We respectfully disagree and contend there is ample evidence that a host of ageist beliefs operating at the societal, organizational, and individual levels are instrumental in actual workplace ageism (i.e., stereotyping, prejudice, or discrimination; Finkelstein et al., 2018), including personnel decisions. Moreover, the detrimental impact extends beyond the workplace. |
The role of worker age in Ohio Workers' Compensation claims in the landscaping services industry
Alexander BM , Wurzelbacher SJ , Zeiler RJ , Naber SJ , Kaur H , Grosch JW . J Occup Environ Med 2022 64 (9) 766-776 OBJECTIVE: This study employed analysis of workers' compensation (WC) claims in the landscaping services industry to identify occupational factors associated with claims from workers of different ages. METHODS: Private sector claims for 2005-2017 to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (OHBWC) and their free-text descriptions were used along with data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey to examine rates and types of WC claims by worker age. RESULTS: Although the claim rate for younger workers was higher than for older workers overall (593 vs. 261 per 10,000 full-time equivalent employees, p < 0.001), claims from older workers had higher nonzero median cost ($1002 vs. $522, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Analysis of WC claim rates shows significant differences between claims in different age groups. These differences can be used to target safety interventions for the greatest impact. |
Workers' Compensation Claim Rates and Costs for Musculoskeletal Disorders Related to Overexertion Among Construction Workers - Ohio, 2007-2017
Kaur H , Wurzelbacher SJ , Bushnell PT , Grosch JW , Tseng CY , Scholl JC , Meyers AR , Lampl M . MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2021 70 (16) 577-582 Overexertion is a leading cause of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among construction workers. Nearly 90% of construction jobs require manual handling of materials for approximately one half of the worker's time (1). In 2015, overexertion from lifting and lowering materials caused 30% of WMSDs among construction workers; overexertion involving pushing, pulling, holding, carrying, and catching materials caused an additional 37% of WMSDs (1). This study examined the rate and cost of WMSD claims from overexertion among Ohio construction workers during 2007-2017. Workers' compensation claims related to overexertion that were submitted to the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation (OHBWC) by workers in the construction industry for injuries and illnesses occurring during 2007-2017 were analyzed. Rates and costs of allowed claims were measured by age group. Workers aged 35-44 years experienced the highest claim rate: 63 per 10,000 full-time employees (FTEs) for WMSDs from overexertion. However, claims by workers aged 45-54 years and 55-64 years were more costly on average and resulted in more days away from work. Ergonomic design improvements and interventions are needed to ensure that the majority of construction workers can safely perform jobs throughout their careers. Age-specific WMSD prevention and risk communication efforts also might be helpful. |
Potential Scenarios and Hazards in the Work of the Future: A Systematic Review of the Peer-Reviewed and Gray Literatures.
Schulte PA , Streit JMK , Sheriff F , Delclos G , Felknor SA , Tamers SL , Fendinger S , Grosch J , Sala R . Ann Work Expo Health 2020 64 (8) 786-816 It would be useful for researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to anticipate the hazards that workers will face in the future. The focus of this study is a systematic review of published information to identify and characterize scenarios and hazards in the future of work. Eleven bibliographic databases were systematically searched for papers and reports published from 1999 to 2019 that described future of work scenarios or identified future work-related hazards. To compile a comprehensive collection of views of the future, supplemental and ad hoc searches were also performed. After screening all search records against a set of predetermined criteria, the review yielded 36 references (17 peer-reviewed, 4 gray, and 15 supplemental) containing scenarios. In these, the future of work was described along multiple conceptual axes (e.g. labor market changes, societal values, and manual versus cognitive work). Technology was identified as the primary driver of the future of work in most scenarios, and there were divergent views in the literature as to whether technology will create more or fewer jobs than it displaces. Workforce demographics, globalization, climate change, economic conditions, and urbanization were also mentioned as influential factors. Other important themes included human enhancement, social isolation, loneliness, worker monitoring, advanced manufacturing, hazardous exposures, sustainability, biotechnology, and synthetic biology. Pandemics have not been widely considered in the future of work literature, but the recent COVID-19 pandemic illustrates that was short-sighted. Pandemics may accelerate future of work trends and merit critical consideration in scenario development. Many scenarios described 'new' or 'exacerbated' psychosocial hazards of work, whereas comparatively fewer discussed physical, chemical, or biological hazards. Various preventive recommendations were identified. In particular, reducing stress associated with precarious work and its requirements of continual skill preparation and training was acknowledged as critical for protecting and promoting the health and well-being of the future workforce. In conclusion, the future of work will be comprised of diverse complex scenarios and a mosaic of old and new hazards. These findings may serve as the basis for considering how to shape the future of work. |
Advancing safe and healthy work for all ages
Grosch JW . Ind Health 2020 58 (2) 89-90 The year 2020 marks the first time in human history when the number of adults 60 yr and older is projected to exceed the number of children younger than five years of age1). This remarkable change in global age structure will continue into the foreseeable future and has profound implications for the many countries with a declining birth rate and an adult population that is growing older. At the heart of the matter is the need for longer and healthier working lives. This editorial provides a brief overview of the aging workforce issue and describes current efforts at NIOSH in the United States focusing on the goal of productive aging. |
Availability of and participation in workplace health promotion programs by sociodemographic, occupation, and work organization characteristics in US workers
Tsai R , Alterman T , Grosch JW , Luckhaupt SE . Am J Health Promot 2019 33 (7) 890117119844478 PURPOSE: To examine how the availability of and participation in workplace health promotion programs (WHPPs) vary as a function of sociodemographic, occupation, and work organization characteristics. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: 2015 National Health Interview Survey and Occupational Health Supplement. PARTICIPANTS: The study sample included 17 469 employed adults who completed the WHPP questions. MEASURES: The 2 dependent outcome measures were availability of WHPPs and participation in these programs when available. Independent variables included occupation and 8 work organization and employment characteristics: company size, hours worked, supervisory responsibility, hourly pay, paid sick leave, health insurance offered by employer, work schedule, and work arrangement. ANALYSIS: Poisson regression analyses were conducted with SUDAAN 11.0.1. RESULTS: Overall, 57.8% of 46.6% employees who have WHPPs available reported participating in these programs. This study found that adults who worked </=20 h/wk, worked regular night shifts, were paid by the hour, or worked for temporary agencies were less likely to participate in WHPPs. Workers who supervised others were 13% more likely to participate than nonsupervisors. Borderline associations were seen for having access to employer-sponsored health insurance and working at a site with <10 employees. CONCLUSION: Despite the potential for improving physical and mental health, only 58% of US workers participated in WHPPs. Since barriers to WHPP participation (eg, time constraints, lack of awareness, and no perceived need) may vary across occupations and work organization characteristics, employers should tailor WHPPs based on their specific work organization characteristics to maximize participation. |
Framework for considering productive aging at work
Schulte PA , Grosch J , Scholl JC , Tamers SL . J Occup Environ Med 2018 60 (5) 440-448 OBJECTIVES: The U.S. population is experiencing a demographic transition resulting in an aging workforce. The objective of this article is to elucidate and expand an approach to keep that workforce safe, healthy and productive. METHODS: This article elucidates the framework for the National Center for Productive Aging at Work of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Subject matter experts used a snowball method to review published literature to substantiate elements in the framework. RESULTS: Evidence-based literature supports a productive aging framework for the workforce involving the following elements: 1) life span perspective; 2) comprehensive and integrated approaches to occupational safety and health; 3) emphasis on positive outcomes for both workers and organizations; and 4) supportive work culture for multigenerational issues. CONCLUSIONS: The productive aging framework provides a foundational and comprehensive approach for addressing the aging workforce. |
The role of occupational status in the association between job strain and ambulatory blood pressure during working and nonworking days
Joseph NT , Muldoon MF , Manuck SB , Matthews KA , MacDonald LA , Grosch J , Kamarck TW . Psychosom Med 2016 78 (8) 940-949 OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine whether job strain is more strongly associated with higher ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) among blue-collar workers compared with white-collar workers, to examine whether this pattern generalizes across working and nonworking days and across sex, and to examine whether this pattern is accounted for by psychosocial factors or health behaviors during daily life. METHODS: A total of 480 healthy workers (mean age = 43 years, 53% female) in the Adult Health and Behavior Project-Phase 2 completed ABP monitoring during 3 working days and 1 nonworking day. Job strain was operationalized as high psychological demand (> sample median) combined with low decision latitude (<sample median; Karasek model; Job Content Questionnaire). RESULTS: Covariate-adjusted multilevel random coefficient regressions demonstrated that associations between job strain and systolic and diastolic ABP were stronger among blue-collar workers compared with white-collar workers (b = 6.53 [F(1,464) = 3.89, p = .049] and b = 5.25 [F(1,464) = 6.09, p = .014], respectively). This pattern did not vary by sex, but diastolic ABP findings were stronger when participants were at work. The stronger association between job strain and ABP among blue-collar workers was not accounted for by education, momentary physical activity, or substance use, but was partially accounted for by covariation between higher hostility and blue-collar status. CONCLUSIONS: Job strain is associated with ABP among blue-collar workers. These results extend previous findings to a mixed-sex sample and nonworking days and provide, for the first time, comprehensive exploration of several behavioral and psychosocial explanations for this finding. |
Individual and work factors related to perceived work ability and labor force outcomes
McGonagle AK , Fisher GG , Barnes-Farrell JL , Grosch JW . J Appl Psychol 2015 100 (2) 376-98 Perceived work ability refers to a worker's assessment of his or her ability to continue working in his or her job, given characteristics of the job along with his or her resources. Perceived work ability is a critical variable to study in the United States, given an aging workforce, trends to delay retirement, and U.S. policy considerations to delay the age at which full Social Security retirement benefits may be obtained. Based on the job demands-resources model, cognitive appraisal theory of stress, and push/pull factors related to retirement, we proposed and tested a conceptual model of antecedents and outcomes of perceived work ability using 3 independent samples of U.S. working adults. Data regarding workers' job characteristics were from self-report and Occupational Information Network measures. Results from relative importance analysis indicated that health and sense of control were consistently and most strongly related to work ability perceptions relative to other job demands and job and personal resources when perceived work ability was measured concurrently or 2 weeks later in samples with varying occupations. Job demands (along with health and sense of control) were most strongly related to work ability perceptions when perceived work ability was measured in a manufacturing worker sample 1.6 years later. Perceived work ability also predicted lagged labor force outcomes (absence, retirement, and disability leave) while controlling for other known predictors of each. Consistent indirect effects were observed from health status and sense of control to all 3 of these outcomes via perceived work ability. |
Mental work demands, retirement, and longitudinal trajectories of cognitive functioning
Fisher GG , Stachowski A , Infurna FJ , Faul JD , Grosch J , Tetrick LE . J Occup Health Psychol 2014 19 (2) 231-42 Age-related changes in cognitive abilities are well-documented, and a very important indicator of health, functioning, and decline in later life. However, less is known about the course of cognitive functioning before and after retirement and specifically whether job characteristics during one's time of employment (i.e., higher vs. lower levels of mental work demands) moderate how cognition changes both before and after the transition to retirement. We used data from n = 4,182 (50% women) individuals in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative panel study in the United States, across an 18 year time span (1992-2010). Data were linked to the O*NET occupation codes to gather information about mental job demands to examine whether job characteristics during one's time of employment moderates level and rate of change in cognitive functioning (episodic memory and mental status) both before and after retirement. Results indicated that working in an occupation characterized by higher levels of mental demands was associated with higher levels of cognitive functioning before retirement, and a slower rate of cognitive decline after retirement. We controlled for a number of important covariates, including socioeconomic (education and income), demographic, and health variables. Our discussion focuses on pathways through which job characteristics may be associated with the course of cognitive functioning in relation to the important transition of retirement. Implications for job design as well as retirement are offered. |
Advancing workplace health protection and promotion for an aging workforce
Loeppke RR , Schill AL , Chosewood LC , Grosch JW , Allweiss P , Burton WN , Barnes-Farrell JL , Goetzel RZ , Heinen L , Hudson TW , Hymel P , Merchant J , Edington DW , Konicki DL , Larson PW . J Occup Environ Med 2013 55 (5) 500-6 OBJECTIVE: To explore issues related to the aging workforce, including barriers to integrating health protection and promotion programs, and provide recommendations for best practices to maximize contributions by aging workers. METHODS: Workgroups reviewed literature and case studies to develop consensus statements and recommendations for a national approach to issues related to older workers. RESULTS: Consensus statements and actions steps were identified for each of the Summit goals and call-to-action statements were developed. CONCLUSIONS: A national dialogue to build awareness of integrated health protection and promotion for the aging workforce is needed. Workers will benefit from improved health and performance; employers will realize a more engaged and productive workforce; and the nation will gain a vital, competitive workforce. |
Safety climate: new developments in conceptualization, theory, and research
Huang YH , Chen PY , Grosch JW . Accid Anal Prev 2010 42 (5) 1421-2 Although the important role of safety climate in safety outcomes has been established and many studies have been done by scholars in different disciplines and across different cultures, there are still gaps in the literature. The articles in this Special Issue explore the topics of new developments in the conceptualization of safety climate and occupational/industry-focused studies of safety climate, with the goal of identifying different challenges and findings that arise within or across various occupations or industries. We are pleased to have a closing article by Dr. Dov Zohar on "Thirty Years of Safety Climate Research: Reflections and Future Directions." |
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