Journal of Health and Safety at Work

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Introduction: There are some tensions in occupational activities that are caused by harsh conditions and occupational violence is considered one of these tensions. Workplace violence is a global problem. Healthcare workers are globally exposed to the workplace violence more than any other workers. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between some individual and job variables with exposure to occupational violence among health care workers in the hospitals in Yazd province, Iran.
 

Material and Method: This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in eight educational hospitals in Yazd province, Iran. Research population (600 participants) consisted of all healthcare personnel employed in hospitals affiliated to the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd and were selected by stratified sampling. The Negative Act Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) was used to investigate occupational violence and data analysis was performed using multiple logistic regression tests.
 

Result: The average score of occupational violence was 19.3. Among individual factors, gender (male) and educational level (MSc degree), and among job factors, shift work (morning shift) and type of work environment (genecology and pediatrics wards) had significant relationships with the incidence of violence among the employees.
 

Conclusion: The importance of these findings is in planning and deployment of intervention measures using educational training with regard to the ways of preventing violence, decreasing the coworkers’ aggression, dealing with and increasing awareness about personal and civilian rights in order to reduce the phenomenon of violence among employees.

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Introduction: Phytoremediation is one of the available techniques for removing the volatile organic compound from the air. Benzene and toluene are volatile organic compounds that exist in many occupational environments. Plants are able to reduce benzene and toluene in the air and the use of plants is a simple and consistent solution for the nature to reduce these compositions in the air and improve the air quality of work environments. The phytoremediation potential of Dannae racemosa and Hedera helix were evaluated for remediation of benzene and toluene in air.
Material and Methods: Dannae racemosa and Hedera helix  were exposed to exposed benzene(250ppm) and toluene(250ppm) each time alone in a chamber and to examine the decrease amount of benzene and toluene during 6 days. Then plants were exposed to 250ppm and 250ppm of benzene three times with a rest day and the processes of reduction were investigated.
Results: Dannae racemosa was able to remove all of benzene and toluene concentrations from the air after 6 days. Hedera helix was able to reduce all of benzene and toluene concentration from the air after 6 and 5 days, respectively. The differences in Benzene and toluene remediation were assessed between the first and the third subsequent exposure and the results showed that the reduction rate increased for Dannae racemosa.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that the Dannae racemosa and Hedera helix could be used for benzene and toluene phytoremediation.

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Introduction: Nurses play a crucial role in hospital settings, often undertaking demanding tasks that exceed their physical and cognitive capacities. The Structured Multidisciplinary Work Evaluation Tool (SMET) is an instrument for evaluating and identifying risks in workplace environments. The objective of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian (Farsi) version of the SMET.
Material and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the face and content validity of the questionnaire were evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively by a panel of 13 experts. Quantitative content validity was performed using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI). Reliability was measured using Cronbach’s alpha and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC).
Results: The face validity assessment revealed that questions 3, 4, 6, 23, and 24 required clarification. The CVI for all items was calculated to be above 0.79. However, several questions had a CVR below 0.54, indicating that specialists considered some questions unnecessary or repetitive. Consequently, these questions were either removed or merged with similar items based on the scores and subsequent reviews. Cronbach’s alpha and ICC values for the entire questionnaire and its dimensions were above 0.7, indicating acceptable to strong reliability.
Conclusion: The Persian version of the SMET questionnaire demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties for comprehensive multifactorial evaluation of healthcare workplaces.

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Introduction: Fungal contaminants in workplace environments pose significant biological hazards to employee health across various industries. This narrative review aims to explore the types of contaminating fungi, their health impacts, and strategies for prevention and control in occupational settings.
Material and Methods: This study was designed as a narrative review, with scientific literature sourced from databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and local databases like Magiran and SID, covering the period from 2000 to March 2025. Keywords such as “fungal contaminants,” “occupational health,” and “mycotoxins” were used. Data were qualitatively analyzed and organized into thematic categories.
Results: Fungi such as Aspergillus, Penicillium, Cladosporium, and Stachybotrys are prevalent in environments with high humidity, poor ventilation, and abundant organic material, causing respiratory diseases, allergies, fungal infections, and chronic toxic effects. Identification methods include air sampling, molecular analysis, and mycotoxin assessment. Effective control measures encompass humidity management, enhanced ventilation, and personal protective equipment.
Conclusion: Effective management of fungal contaminants requires integrated approaches, including accurate identification, environmental control, and employee training. These measures can enhance worker health and reduce economic and social costs.