Tim Bentley

Slip, trip and fall accidents occurring during the delivery of mail

This study sought to identify causal factors for slip, trip and fall accidents occurring during the delivery of mail. Analysis of in-house data produced information about accident circumstances for 1734 fall cases. The most common initiating events in delivery falls were slips and trips. Slips most often occurred on snow, ice or grass, while trips tended to involve uneven pavements, obstacles and kerbs. Nearly one-fifth of falls occurred on steps, with step falls requiring longer absence from work than falls on the level. Half of all falls occurred during November-February and three-quarters of falls occurred between 7 and 9 a.m. Incidence rates for female employees were 50% higher than for their male colleagues. Accident-independent methods included interviews with safety personnel and managers, discussion groups with delivery employees, and a questionnaire survey of employees and managers. These techniques provided data on risk factors related to the task, behaviour, footwear and equipment. Arising from these accident-independent investigations, it is suggested that unsafe working practices, such as reading addresses while walking and taking shortcuts, increase the risk of falls. Organizational issues include management safety activities, training and equipment provision. Measures are discussed that might lead to a reduction in the incidence of delivery fall accidents.

Identification of risk factors and countermeasures for slip, trip and fall accidents during the delivery of mail

Risk factors for slip, trip and fall accidents (STFA) during the delivery of mail were identified using a range of accident-centred and accident-independent methods. Key factors included slippery underfoot conditions, non-weather related environmental hazards (e.g., uneven paving, steps, inadequate lighting), poor slip resistance from footwear, unsafe working practices, management safety practices, and underlying organisational influences. Intervention measures were recommended that target STFA risks at three levels: slip resistance, exposure to hazardous conditions, and employee behaviour in the face of hazardous conditions. The use of a participative approach to intervention selection and design enabled allowance for the organisational context to be made.

Accidents in the New Zealand adventure tourism industry

Abstract The New Zealand adventure tourism industry was surveyed to determine the incidence of client accidents and injuries and to investigate operators’ accident investigation and reporting behaviour. The 142 adventure tourism operators who responded to the survey represented a wide and diverse range of adventure activities, including kayaking, white water rafting, mountain recreation, horse riding and guided walks. Businesses surveyed were concentrated in locations acknowledged as main centres of adventure tourism activity. Operators were asked a number of questions regarding their accident notification, investigation and reporting behaviour. Poorest accident reporting performance was found for smaller operators, and among operators from the least regulated sectors of the adventure tourism industry. A very low incidence of client injuries was reported by operators, suggesting accidents and injuries are being seriously under-reported in some sectors. Highest client injury-incidence rates were found for activities that involved the risk of falling from a moving vehicle or animal (cycle tours, quad biking, horse riding and white water rafting). Operators from these sectors frequently reported ‘falls from a height’ as accidents involving clients. Slips, trips and falls on the level were common across most sectors of the industry. A conceptual model of operators’ perceptions of common risk factors for accidents/incidents involving clients is presented. Recommendations for intervention and further research are discussed.

Follow-up investigations of slip, trip and fall accidents among postal delivery workers

Abstract A sample of 40 slip, trip and fall accidents occurring during the delivery of mail were subject to detailed follow-up investigation. Interviews were conducted with accident-involved employees as soon as possible after each incident (mean time between accident and interview=9.5 days). Interviews were held at the location of the accident and covered the sequence of events and related individual, equipment and organisational aspects. The study took place October–March, reflecting the period when most accidents occur. The majority of accidents involved snow or ice (70%). A combination of slippery conditions, use of footwear with worn tread, and time-saving behaviour was found in 50% of accidents. It is suggested that a second important combination is the presence of tripping hazards and the unsafe practice of preparing mail for the next delivery while walking. Poor lighting was considered a problem in 20% of cases. Other problems identified included deficiencies with training and a low level of safety-related activity by local managers. It is concluded that there are opportunities for intervention that should reduce the frequency of these accidents.

Recreational tourism injuries among visitors to New Zealand: an exploratory analysis using hospital discharge data.

Abstract New Zealand Health Information Service (NZHIS) morbidity data for the 15-year period, 1982–1996, were analysed to determine the role of recreational and adventure tourism in overseas visitor injuries, and identify recreational activities with greatest injury occurrence. Approximately 19 per cent of all injuries involved recreational/adventure tourism activities, corresponding to 8.4 injuries per 100,000 overseas visitor arrivals. This figure can be compared to that for motor vehicle traffic accidents (12), and suggests a significant recreational tourism injury problem in New Zealand. Injuries were concentrated in regions known to be major centres for adventure tourism in New Zealand, and were most commonly sustained by overseas visitors aged between 20 and 40 years. Tourist injuries were observed most frequently for activities that involve independent, unguided recreation, notably skiing, mountaineering and tramping. Of the commercial adventure tourism activities, horse riding and cycling were the only significant contributors to overseas visitor injuries.

Neutralizing workplace bullying: the buffering effects of contextual factors.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the direct and buffering effects of three workplace contextual factors – constructive leadership, perceived organizational support, and organizational anti‐bullying initiatives – on bullying and its relationships with relevant criteria. Further, the paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of organizational initiatives against bullying as perceived by targets and non‐targets.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 727 employees in nine New Zealand healthcare organizations. Of these, 133 employees were classified as bullied, as they had experienced at least two negative acts per week over the last six months.Findings – Correlations revealed negative relationships between the three contextual work factors and bullying. Moderated regression showed that perceived organizational support buffered the relationship of bullying with self‐rated job performance, and that organizational initiatives against bullying buffered the relationship of bullyi...

Investigating risk factors for slips, trips and falls in New Zealand residential construction using incident-centred and incident-independent methods

Slip, trip and fall (STF) incidents, particularly falls from a height, are a leading cause of injury in the New Zealand residential construction industry. The most common origins of falls from a height in this sector are ladders, scaffolding and roofs, while slipping is the most frequent fall initiating event category. The study aimed to provide detailed information on construction industry STF risk factors for high-risk tasks, work equipment and environments, as identified from an earlier analysis of STF claims data, together with information to be used in the development of interventions to reduce STF risk in New Zealand residential construction. The study involved the use of both incident-centred and incident-independent methods of investigation, including detailed follow-up investigations of incidents and observations and interviews with workers on construction sites, to provide data on a wide range of risk factors. A large number of risk factors for residential construction STFs were identified, including factors related to the work environment, tasks and the use and availability of appropriate height work equipment. The different methods of investigation produced complementary information on factors related to equipment design and work organization, which underlie some of the site conditions and work practices identified as key risk factors for residential construction STFs. A conceptual systems model of residential construction STF risk is presented.

The role of latent and active failures in workplace slips, trips and falls: An information processing approach

The vast majority of the published workplace slips, trips and falls (STF) literature is exceedingly narrow in its focus and often ignores wider systems issues in workplace STF aetiology. There is little recognition within the published literature of the importance of latent failures or the upstream organisational and cultural contexts within which workplace STF occur. This is unfortunate, as a systems approach to workplace STF analysis, that is inclusive of latent design and work organisation factors that often shape worker behaviour patterns related to STF risk (e.g. rushing, risk taking), is fundamental to the development of effective prevention measures. The aims of this paper are to provide an understanding of workplace STF causation that is cognisant of the potential role of both active and latent failures in STF causation. The paper presents an ergonomics model for workplace STF analysis that highlights information processing in STF aetiology, the STF incident process and the interaction between latent and active failures in STF causation. The paper draws upon ergonomics research conducted in a range of occupational contexts to illustrate the key features of the model as it applies to workplace STF. Implications of the model for analysis and prevention of STF are discussed.

The role of the New Zealand forest industry injury surveillance system in a strategic Ergonomics, Safety and Health Research Programme

Forestry is among the most hazardous of all industry sectors internationally. In New Zealand, highest work-related morbidity and mortality incidence rates are found in the logging sector. The New Zealand Forest Industry Accident Reporting Scheme (ARS) is a forestry injury surveillance system maintained by the Centre for Human Factors and Ergonomics (COHFE). The paper highlights the pivotal role of an industry-wide injury surveillance system in an industry-specific strategic research programme, giving examples of the use of ARS data in identification of priority areas for ergonomics, safety and health research attention, for safety awareness feedback to the industry, and in the evaluation of injury countermeasures. An analysis of injury patterns and trends for one high-risk forestry operation (skid work) is presented to illustrate both the capabilities and limitations of the ARS in its present stage of development.

Workplace bullying in New Zealand: A survey of employee perceptions and attitudes†

Bullying at work, a severe form of anti-social behaviour, has become an issue of major concern to workers, organisations, unions and governments. It has also received considerable attention in organisational behaviour and human resource management research over the past 20+ years. Research has been conducted on the prevalence of bullying at work and factors which contribute to bullying, but less attention has been accorded to personal coping with bullying and organisational-level responses to counteract bullying. The present paper reports findings from a survey of over 1700 employees of 36 organisations in New Zealand. We describe the reported incidence of bullying at work, along with relevant work attitudes and experiences, including psychological strain, ratings of subjective well-being, and levels of commitment to the organisation. Personal experience of bullying was reported by 17.8% of respondents, and was significantly correlated with higher levels of strain, reduced well-being, reduced commitment to their organisation, and lower self-rated performance. Personal coping strategies were generally unrelated to these outcomes. On the other hand, the perceived effectiveness of organisational efforts to deal with bullying was considered an important contributor to both the occurrence of bullying and reduced negative effects of bullying. Overall, our findings illustrate the importance of developing organisational-level strategies to reduce the incidence of bullying and to counteract its negative impact, rather than expecting individuals to develop personal strategies to cope with this problem.