Fatemeh Sadat Mirnajafi Zadeh, Mojtaba Khosravi Danesh, Ali Nahvi, Abbas Rahimi Foroushani, Mohammad Javad Sheikhmozafari, Adel Mazloumi,
Volume 14, Issue 4 (12-2024)
Abstract
Introduction: Despite advancements in road safety and vehicle design, road accidents remain prevalent, a quarter of which are caused by driver distraction. This issue is particularly critical in the public transport sector, especially among urban bus drivers, as distraction can lead to serious injuries and fatalities. Accordingly, this study explored the factors influencing distraction among urban bus drivers through a qualitative approach and a macroergonomics perspective.
Material and Methods: In this study conducted in 2024 in Tehran, 18 urban bus drivers were selected through cluster sampling. The participants included 10 drivers from bus rapid transit (BRT) system and 8 drivers from non-BRT services. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the drivers as well as on-site observations. Subsequently, a directed qualitative content analysis approach, based on the balance theory model, was used to analyze the collected data.
Results: The findings revealed that the primary sources of distraction belonged to six levels of the work system, the most cited of which were environment, tasks, and organization. Specifically, inappropriate behavior of other street users as an environmental factor and the driver’s interactions with passengers as task-related factors were identified as key sources. Additionally, organizational factors such as interactions with supervisors and colleagues, as well as salary issues, were significantly important. The participants very limitedly expressed using mobile phone while driving as a main distractor to their driving.
Conclusion: The current study identified various influential factors, spanning different levels of the work system, affecting bus drivers’ distraction, including generic factors that impact all urban drivers and specific factors that uniquely affect bus drivers. Addressing these factors through providing appropriate education for both passengers and street users along with implementing management strategies in the organization to enhance intra-organizational relationships and organizational support can lead to the safety of the bus drivers.
Marzieh Mohammadi, Zeinab Kazemi, Marzieh Izadi Laybidi, Mohammad Sadegh Ghasemi,
Volume 14, Issue 4 (12-2024)
Abstract
Introduction: Operating room personnel are involved with occupational physical activities such as repetitive bending, holding surgical tools and standing for long hours that can lead to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Low back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent and costly problem among these disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between occupational physical activity, LBP and disability among operating room personnel.
Material and Methods: A total of 60 operating room personnel voluntarily participated in the study, all of which had at least two years of working experience. At the end of a working week, the degree of disability and pain were assessed by Graded Chronic Pain (GCP) questionnaire. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to evaluate the level of physical activity. Simple linear regression was conducted to investigate the relationship between physical activity, LBP and disability.
Results: The survey using the GCP questionnaire revealed that 58.3% of participants reported experiencing occupational back pain, while 41.7% reported no back pain. Among those with back pain, the average pain intensity was rated 43.11 (18.22) on the scale. Pain remained stable for an average of 2.3 days (standard deviation = 0.95). The average level of disability associated with back pain was 32.09 (27.44). Statistical analysis using simple linear regression showed a significant relationship between back pain and several factors: vigorous physical activity (p-value = 0.02), prolonged sitting time (p-value = 0.01), and chronic pain (p-value < 0.001).
Conclusion: Occupational physical activity characterized by low intensity, but high repetition and standing for a long time in fixed postures were the most significant contributors to lumbar back pain among operating room personnel. Chronic pain in this population was reported as grade 2, indicating severe pain with minimal disability; if left unaddressed, this could lead to movement restrictions.
