TY - JOUR
T1 - Improving fit to work assessments for rail safety workers by exploring work limitations
AU - Boschman, J. S.
AU - Hulshof, C. T. J.
AU - Frings-Dresen, M. H. W.
AU - Sluiter, J. K.
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - We aim to provide evidence for improving fit to work assessments for rail safety workers and raised the question whether adding an assessment of work limitations is useful. Therefore, we assessed differences in the proportions of perceived work limitations and reported health complaints and whether older age or having health complaints are risk factors for having work limitations. Job requirements for rail safety workers are 'vigilance and clear judgment', 'good communication abilities', 'sufficient eye sight' and 'task-required physical abilities'. We invited 1000 workers to fill in a questionnaire about perceived work limitations and health problems related to their job requirements. Proportions of the two were compared by using the McNemar test. Associations were analyzed by using univariate logistic regression. Among 484 rail safety workers, we found statistically significant differences between the proportions of reported health complaints (2-26 %) and work limitations (10-32 %). No significant associations were found between older age and work limitations, except for workers in the age group 40-50 years regarding physical abilities. This was not found for the age group over 50 years. For each age category, workers reporting health complaints related to 'vigilance and clear judgment' and 'sufficient physical abilities' had a statistically significant increased risk for reporting work limitations as well (ORs 2.4-17.9). Our results indicate that fit to work assessments should include both health complaints and work limitations. Our results do not substantiate the assumption that workers over 40 years of age are at increased risk for work limitations in general
AB - We aim to provide evidence for improving fit to work assessments for rail safety workers and raised the question whether adding an assessment of work limitations is useful. Therefore, we assessed differences in the proportions of perceived work limitations and reported health complaints and whether older age or having health complaints are risk factors for having work limitations. Job requirements for rail safety workers are 'vigilance and clear judgment', 'good communication abilities', 'sufficient eye sight' and 'task-required physical abilities'. We invited 1000 workers to fill in a questionnaire about perceived work limitations and health problems related to their job requirements. Proportions of the two were compared by using the McNemar test. Associations were analyzed by using univariate logistic regression. Among 484 rail safety workers, we found statistically significant differences between the proportions of reported health complaints (2-26 %) and work limitations (10-32 %). No significant associations were found between older age and work limitations, except for workers in the age group 40-50 years regarding physical abilities. This was not found for the age group over 50 years. For each age category, workers reporting health complaints related to 'vigilance and clear judgment' and 'sufficient physical abilities' had a statistically significant increased risk for reporting work limitations as well (ORs 2.4-17.9). Our results indicate that fit to work assessments should include both health complaints and work limitations. Our results do not substantiate the assumption that workers over 40 years of age are at increased risk for work limitations in general
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1117-7
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-016-1117-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 26867594
SN - 0340-0131
VL - 89
SP - 803
EP - 811
JO - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
JF - International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health
IS - 5
ER -