Ontario Ministry of Labour

Mercury-dependent gold mining operations expose workers to occupational health and safety hazards due to mercury's toxicity. This study assessed occupational health and safety (OHS) services provided in mercury-based gold mines in Mumbwa District, Zambia, aiming to evaluate compliance with OHS standards and identify prevalent health hazards faced by miners. A sequential mixed-methods approach was used. Data was collected through questionnaires from 108 conveniently sampled miners, while qualitative data was gathered through in-depth interviews with safety supervisors. Observational checklists were also used in the mines. Workers were exposed to dust and particulate matter (98%), and mercury exposure (62.7%), among other hazards. Compliance with OHS standards was lacking: only 23.8% of mines complied with training standards, and 33.3% with health checks. No mines had onsite medical services. Higher compliance rates were observed for reporting systems (66.7%), first aid services (62%), and fire safety measures (66.7%). Miners in gold amalgamation processes faced mercury exposure, respiratory risks from dust, and environmental contamination. Among workers in mercury-based gold mines, satisfaction was significantly higher among those who received training (OR = 4.82, p = 0.002), had access to First Aid services (OR = 5.88, p = 0.006), and possessed greater experience (OR = 2.75, p = 0.036), while education showed a non-significant trend (OR = 1.92, p = 0.097), and neither gender (OR = 2.25, p = 0.240) nor fire safety measures (OR = 0.96, p = 0.944) were statistically associated with satisfaction. Facilitators to compliance included a safe work environment, regulations and enforcement, and management support, while barriers included financial constraints, lack of training and awareness, and resistance to change. There is an urgent need for enhanced training programs, onsite medical services, and improved worker participation through OHS committees. Comprehensive strategies are needed to improve OHS compliance and protect miners' health in Mumbwa, District.

<p>Healthcare organizations around the world are facing unprecedented challenges in providing healthcare services at lower cost, while improving the level of service to their patients. To reduce costs, while meeting the demand for better quality outcomes, emphasis is being placed on preventative efforts, better access, and a personalized patient-centric experience. Canada is moving toward a healthcare model in which the patient is at the centre of care. The lifeblood of meeting these challenges will be regulatory changes, improved data, and technology. Patient empowerment over their healthcare continuum and privacy of their data is now at the forefront of major healthcare decisions. Due to the vast number of elements involved, including government, industry, technology, data sources, facilities, healthcare scenarios and an increasing range of patients' expectations, any solution must be well orchestrated and in concert with the other variables. All advances in healthcare technology, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), real-time monitoring with wearables and injectables, consolidated and enhanced data, point to a very different world of medicine in the near future. A rich and current aggregation of patient data forms the backbone of advanced healthcare. We define data usability as the ability of a clinician to quickly locate and assimilate the right patient data to determine optimal treatment. The key measurements associated with the research are in the area of clinicians saving time and being provided advanced diagnostic capability. This manuscript posits that improving data usability will be key to successfully achieving two objectives, one for the clinician and one for the patient. </p> <p>These objectives are: </p> <ul> <li>Provide a method that allows patients to pre-record and dynamically change their privacy decisions to restrict what data can be viewed by a clinician and allows patients to view who has accessed their data.</li> <li>Develop a data usability framework that will improve the usability of patient healthcare data empowering clinicians to more quickly identify and apply treatment to the benefit of the patient’s health. </li> </ul> <p>In this thesis, there are three contributions to the body of knowledge aligned with improving data usability for clinicians and patients. The first is the development of a new method to allow patients to manage the privacy of their data. The second is the creation of a framework comprised of an orchestration of features that collectively improve data usability for clinicians. The third contribution is the development of a new algorithm for defining and measuring data usability.</p>

Regional labour market analysis is ideally based on functional rather than administrative areas. Travel-to-work data obtained from the 1991 and 2001 Census are used to define a set of functional labour markets for New Zealand. Considerable stability is found in the boundaries of the identified labour markets 1991 and 2001 although with a reduction in the number of areas from 140 to 106. The overall stability in the identified areas suggests that they provide a robust basis for regional analysis. The reduction in the number of areas is explained in part by data deficiencies associated with the 2001 Census and in some instances by changes in commuting patterns.

of Health and Labour, Tallinn; on behalf of the EU Council Presidency It isn't just hype. After a slow start in much of Europe, the advent of digital technology really is transforming healthcare -and, more to the point, is going to transform it even further in the coming decade. Look at the miracle of computerised tomography, and the still greater miracle of how transmitting it over the Internet from radiology centres can put detailed patient information in front of a treating physician even in another hospital.

The objective of this study was to examine the association between Dupuytren's contracture (DC), repetitive handwork (RHW), heavy handwork (HHW), and/or vibration exposure. Frequency and intensity of the three types of handwork were collected and compared between DC patients and controls. Hours of work were weighted by average "frequency," for RHW, and average "intensity," for HHW and use of vibrating tool. Logistic regression was used to evaluate risk of developing DC associated with the above-mentioned factors. Data from 129 cases (74 clinical, 106 controls) was analyzed. Family history, male gender and age (decades) were associated with increased risk of DC. Results indicate that the risk becomes substantial after about 30 years of steady RHW. Independent effects of intensity-weighted HHW and vibrating exposure were not established. Frequency-weighted RHW increases DC risk. Additionally, a strong association between DC, male gender and heredity was found.

L'auteur analyse la portée des transformations technologiques sur les techniques de négociations collectives et de relations industrielles de même que sur le contenu des conventions collectives. A ce sujet, il décrit quelques règlements patronaux-ouvriers d'importance. Puis il traite de l'évolution de la politique gouvernementale en ce qu'elle affecte les relations industrielles, décrivant en particulier le nouveau Service consultatif de la main-d'oeuvre, au Ministère fédéral du Travail. Il conclut en parlant des transformations technologiques et notre régime de relations industrielles.

Raising New Zealand’s growth in productivity (ie output per person employed or hour worked) has become a topic of increasing political and academic debate. This has been driven by recognition that the relative decline in our incomes (compared to those of other developed nations) is a direct consequence of our inability to raise our productivity at a comparable rate. In this paper, we examine issues relating to achievement of productivity growth within organisations. We firstly contextualise this by providing a general overview of productivity trends, including the connection between firm­level and wider productivity. We then outline a framework for considering business practices and how these might affect workplace productivity; review New Zealand research findings about the relationship between workplace practices and firm­level productivity growth; and discuss the results of recent studies (done or funded by the Department of Labour) of change processes within organisations. From this, we conclude that there is a wide range of business improvement options, depending on the needs of the individual organisation; that significant improvements in workplace practices can be achieved; and that these contribute to a range of better operational outcomes. Ultimate benefits in productivity can be expected but are harder to attribute. However, the experience of the organisations studied highlights the challenges inherent in these processes, which require sustained commitment, and buy­in from people at all levels. There were significant differences in outcomes between those organisations that began with positive internal relationships and culture, and management leadership, and those where these conditions were absent.