PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Kazutaka Kogi

Publications and source records attributed to Kazutaka Kogi.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Participatory methods effective for ergonomic workplace improvement.

Recent experiences in using participatory methods for ergonomic workplace improvement are reviewed to know how these methods can be effective in different settings. The review covered participatory programmes for managers and workers in small enterprises, home workers, construction workers and farmers in Asian countries. To meet diversifying ergonomic needs, participatory steps reviewed are found to usually follow a good-practice approach easily adjustable according to local needs. These steps are found to usually focus on low-cost improvements. They can thus lead to concrete results particularly by addressing multiple technical areas together. Typical areas include materials handling, workstation design, physical environment and work organization. Further, the review confirms that the participatory methods are always modified according to each local situation. This is done by developing a group-work toolkit comprising action checklists and illustrated manuals and by building a support network of trained trainers. It is suggested that participatory methods taking a good-practice approach by multi-area low-cost improvements through the group use of locally adjusted toolkits are effective for improving small-scale workplaces including those in developing countries.

Agriculture↗
PubMed2006

Advances in participatory occupational health aimed at good practices in small enterprises and the informal sector.

Participatory programmes for occupational risk reduction are gaining importance particularly in small workplaces in both industrially developing and developed countries. To discuss the types of effective support, participatory steps commonly seen in our "work improvement-Asia" network are reviewed. The review covered training programmes for small enterprises, farmers, home workers and trade union members. Participatory steps commonly focusing on low-cost good practices locally achieved have led to concrete improvements in multiple technical areas including materials handling, workstation ergonomics, physical environment and work organization. These steps take advantage of positive features of small workplaces in two distinct ways. First, local key persons are ready to accept local good practices conveyed through personal, informal approaches. Second, workers and farmers are capable of understanding technical problems affecting routine work and taking flexible actions leading to solving them. This process is facilitated by the use of locally adjusted training tools such as local good examples, action checklists and group work methods. It is suggested that participatory occupational health programmes can work in small workplaces when they utilize low-cost good practices in a flexible manner. Networking of these positive experiences is essential.

Accident Prevention↗
PubMed2006

Development of interactive workplace improvement programs in collaboration with trade associations of small-scale industries.

Serial participatory action programs for reducing occupational safety and health risks were undertaken to know the types of support suited for small-scale industries. Working groups were formed with workplace people and occupational safety and health experts. It was agreed to develop an action-oriented strategy focusing on improving both work environment and productivity by making low-cost improvements through group work. Many workplace improvements achieved by participating enterprises and the group work procedures taken were analyzed. As supporting tools for effectively implementing the workplace improvement action programs, we developed action checklists according to industry and workplace implementation guides. Collections of local good examples also served as part of these support tools. These experiences show that keys to the sustainable action in small-scale industries are: (1) mobilization of the industry-wise network by trade associations, (2) an output-oriented strategy based on interactive group work and (3) the effective use of support tools such as low-cost action checklists and group work methods.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMed2005

International research needs for improving sleep and health of workers.

Research needs in identifying preventive measures dealing with working time arrangements and associated sleep problems are reviewed. These needs are based on the recognition of a range of risk factors for health involving disturbed circadian rhythms leading to various levels of sleep deficits. The review takes account of recent joint change approaches that address both working time arrangements and various relevant intervening factors. As examples of such approaches, voluntary industry-based guidelines for improving shift work are examined. Also reviewed is evidence indicating the effects of improved working time arrangements and sleep hygiene on the tolerance of workers working irregular shifts. Trends in action-oriented risk assessment are further discussed as the effects on health and sleep of these workers may be modified by complex aspects related to working situations, family and social conditions, personal characteristics and social support. Generally relevant are not only the relationships between sleep-affecting factors and health, but also advances in taking the various support measures. The effective use of participatory steps is found important in dealing with working time arrangements and associated health and sleep problems together. It is thus considered important to study (a) the efficacy of joint change approaches addressing complex sleep and health factors, (b) effective procedures for action-oriented health risk assessment in various work life situations, and (c) the relevance of innovative participatory steps to improving health and tolerance of workers. Future research topics mentioned by the participants of the international symposium on night and shift work held in Santos in 2003 are presented, and international efforts to promote research into these aspects in field conditions are discussed. Interactive research involving local people appears crucial.

Biomedical Research↗
PubMed2004

Linking better shiftwork arrangements with safety and health management systems.

OBJECTIVE: Various support measures useful for promoting joint change approaches to the improvement of both shiftworking arrangements and safety and health management systems were reviewed. A particular focus was placed on enterprise-level risk reduction measures linking working hours and management systems. METHODS: Voluntary industry-based guidelines on night and shift work for department stores and the chemical, automobile and electrical equipment industries were examined. Survey results that had led to the compilation of practicable measures to be included in these guidelines were also examined. The common support measures were then compared with ergonomic checkpoints for plant maintenance work involving irregular nightshifts. On the basis of this analysis, a new night and shift work checklist was designed. RESULTS: Both the guidelines and the plant maintenance work checkpoints were found to commonly cover multiple issues including work schedules and various job-related risks. This close link between shiftwork arrangements and risk management was important as shiftworkers in these industries considered teamwork and welfare services to be essential for managing risks associated with night and shift work. Four areas found suitable for participatory improvement by managers and workers were work schedules, ergonomic work tasks, work environment and training. The checklist designed to facilitate participatory change processes covered all these areas. CONCLUSIONS: The checklist developed to describe feasible workplace actions was suitable for integration with comprehensive safety and health management systems and offered valuable opportunities for improving working time arrangements and job content together.

Circadian Rhythm↗
PubMed2004

Participatory approaches to improving safety and health under trade union initiative--experiences of POSITIVE training program in Asia.

The participatory, action-oriented training program in occupational safety and health named POSITIVE (Participation-Oriented Safety Improvements by Trade Union InitiatiVE) was established in Pakistan and extended to other countries in Asia. The steps taken in the development of the POSITIVE program included collecting local good examples in safety and health, developing an action-checklist, testing a participatory training program, and conducting follow-up activities to examine local achievements. Training manuals were compiled to provide workers with the practical, easy-to-understand information on safety and health improvements and on the positive roles of trade unions. Trade union trainers trained in the methodology conducted serial POSITIVE training workshops in Pakistan and then in Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines and Thailand and recently in China. These workshops resulted in many low-cost improvements at the workplace level. These improvements were carried out in the technical areas of materials handling, workstations, machine safety, physical environment, and welfare facilities. The trade union networks have been vital in reaching an increasing number of grass-root workplaces and in expanding the program to other countries. This included the visits to Mongolia and Thailand of Pakistani trade union trainers to demonstrate the POSITIVE training. The participatory training tools used in the POSITIVE program such as the action checklist and group discussion methods were commonly applied in different local situations. Participatory approaches adopted in the POSITIVE program have proven useful for providing practical problem-solving measures based on the local trade union initiative.

Asia↗
PubMed2002

Work improvement and occupational safety and health management systems: common features and research needs.

There is a growing trend in re-orientating occupational health research towards risk management. Such a trend is accelerated by the increasing attention to occupational safety and health management systems. The trend, also seen in many Asian countries, is offering new opportunities for strengthening primary prevention. Useful examples are provided from recent work improvement projects dealing with technology transfer, small workplaces and rural areas. Common features of both these work improvement projects and accepted occupational risk management principles are reviewed based on recent experiences in Asian countries. Such features seem highly relevant in examining the occupational health research strategies. These experiences clearly show that locally adjusted procedures for risk assessment and control must be developed. There are new research needs concerning (a) the effective ways to encourage voluntary control at the workplace; (b) practical methods for local risk assessment; and (c) the types of participatory steps leading to continual improvements in the varying local context. Criteria of action-oriented research that can contribute to more effective risk control in different settings are discussed. Six relevant criteria may be mentioned: (a) adaptive risk management; (b) work/risk relationships; (c) action-oriented risk assessment; (d) use of collective expertise; (e) participation of local people; and (f) mutual learning. It appears crucial to stimulate research into the practical risk control procedures adjusted to the local situation.

Asia↗