The Prevalence of Unsafe Behaviors in Iranian Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Abstract
Background: Unsafe behaviors are the cause of 80% of accidents. However, there has also been no worldwide review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of workers’ unsafe behaviors. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate and estimate the prevalence of unsafe behaviors among Iranian workers using a systematic review and meta-analysis study.
Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted from Nov to Dec 2018. The researchers searched Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Science Direct, and Google Scholar for international articles and four Iranian databases (Scientific Information Database, MagIran, IranMedex, and IranDoc) for Persian articles. The method of reporting this study was based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis) checklist.
Results: Overall, 235 articles from databases were imported to EndNote library. Final screening of the included studies produced a total of 38 studies. Based on the random-effect model, the prevalence of total unsafe behaviors, non-use or inappropriate use of personal protective equipment, and inappropriate work posture was 40.37% (CI 95% = 35.8-44.9), 27.79% (CI 95% = 21.2-34.3), and 14.87% (CI 95% = 10.7-18.9). There was no statistically significant relationship between unsafe behaviors and mean age, mean of work experiences, and year of study.
Conclusion: The prevalence of unsafe behaviors among Iranian workers was relatively high and the most common behaviors were non-use or inappropriate use of PPE; one of the most important causes for this behavior is lack of training, inappropriate working conditions, and lack of positive attitude towards safety. Therefore, further studied are required to investigate the causes of these unsafe behaviors.
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2. ILO (2003). Safety in Numbers: Pointers for a Global Safety Culture at Work. International Labour Organization Geneva; 3rd ed. U.S., pp.: 50-57.
3. Dababneh A, Fouad RH, Majeed AJH (2018). Assessment of occupational safety and health performance indicators for Jordan. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 10 (6S): 162-169.
4. DE NORRE B (2009). 8.6% of workers in the EU experienced work-related health problems. eurostat EROPEAN COMMISSIO. Available from: http://www.puntosicuro.info/documenti/documenti/091202_Rapporto_Eurostat_infortuni_malattie_Europa.pdf
5. Izadi N, Aminian O, Esmaeili B (2019). Occupational Accidents in Iran: Risk Factors and Long Term Trend (2007–2016). J Res Health Sci, 19(2):e00448.
6. Heinrich HW, Petersen D, Roos NJPoAPM-H (1980). Industrial Accident Prevension: A Safety Management Approach. 5th ed. Principles of Accident Prevention McGraw-Hill, U.S., pp.: 55-56.
7. Brauer RL (2016). Safety and health for engineers: 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, U.S., pp.: 33-34.
8. Garavand Z, Kakaei H, Mirzaie F, et al (2017). Identifying unsafe Behaviors with Safety Behavior Sampling Method among Workers of Ilam Gas Refinery in 2013. sjimu, 25 (4): 99-107.
9. Arghami S, Pouya Kian M, Mohammadfam I (2009). Effects of safety signs on the modification of unsafe behaviours.J Adv Med Biomed Res, 17 (68): 93-98.
10. Geller ES (2016). The psychology of safety handbook. 2nd ed. CRC press, U.S., pp.: 67-68.
11. Aksorn T, Hadikusumo B (2007). The unsafe acts and the decision-to-err factors of Thai construction workers. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 12 (1): 1-25.
12. Yule S, Flin R, Murdy AJIJoRA (2007). The role of management and safety climate in preventing risk-taking at work. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 7 (2): 137-151.
13. Choudhry RM, Fang DJSs (2008). Why operatives engage in unsafe work behavior: Investigating factors on construction sites. Safety Science, 46 (4): 566-584.
14. Castilla Ramos OJUP (2012). Observation of unsafe behavior at work: A methodological analysis. Universitas Psychologica, 11 (1): 311-321.
15. Raouf A, Dhillon BS (2009). Safety assessment: A quantitative approach: 1st ed. Lewis Publishers, U.S., pp.: 68.
16. Arghami S, Taghizadeh F (2017). Investigating the Relationship between Employee Safe Behavior and Safety Culture in a Livestock Industry. Journal of Human, Environment and Health Promotion, 2 (3): 193-198.
17. Mohammadfam I (2010). Application of safety signs in controlling the rate of unsafe behaviors. J Mil Med, 12 (1): 39-44.
18. Mousavipour S, Safary Variani A, Mirzaei R (2015). A Study of the Unsafe Actions of Staff in the Maintenance and Overhaul Unit at a Petrochemical Complex and the Presentation of Control Strategies. Biotech Health Sci, 3(1): e32561.
19. Oostakhan M, Mofidi A, Talab AD (2012). Behavior-based safety approach at a large construction site in Iran. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal, 10(1): 21-25.
20. Tajvar A, Aghamolaei T, Ghanbarnejhad A, et al (2013). Behavior-Based Safety in Port Industry: a Pretest–intervention–Posttest Study. International Electronic Journal of Medicine (IEJM) , 2 (2): 71-76.
21. Darvishi E, Maleki A, Dehestaniathar S, Ebrahemzadih M (2015). Effect of STOP Technique on safety climate in a construction company. J Res Health Sci, 15 (2): 109-12.
22. ES-HAGHI M, SEPEHR P (2016). Effect of training interventions on the reduction of unsafe behaviors using deming model. International Journal of Occupational Hygiene, 8 (2): 69-77.
23. Mohammadfam I, Bahrami AR, Golmohammadi R, et al (2009). The relationship between job stress and occupational accidents in an automobile manufacturing company. Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, 13 (2); e79801.
24. Abbasi M, Gholamnia R, Alizadeh S, et al (2015). Evaluation of workers unsafe behaviors using safety sampling method in an industrial company. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 8 (28): 1-6.
25. Khandan M, Koohpaei A (2016). Mental health status and its relationship with accident and unsafe behavior in a printing and press industry, 2014. Iranian Journal of Health, Safety and Environment, 3 (4): 592-599.
26. Shamsi M, Pariani A, Shams M, Soleymani-Nejad M (2016). Persuasion to use personal protective equipment in constructing subway stations: application of social marketing. Inj Prev, 22(2):149-52.
27. Khandan M, Maghsoudipour M, Vosoughi S, Kavousi A (2013). Safety climate and prediction of ergonomic behavior. Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 19 (4): 523-30.
28. Ghasemi F, Kalatpour O, Moghimbeigi A, et al (2017). Selecting Strategies To Reduce High-Risk Unsafe Work Behaviors Using The Safety Behavior Sampling Technique And Bayesian Network Analysis. J Res Health Sci, 17(1):e00372.
29. Azadeh A, Fam IM, Nazifkar N (2010). The evaluation and improvement of safety behaviors among contractors of a large steel manufacturing company by fuzzy data envelopment analysis. Journal of the Chinese Institute of Engineers, 33 (6): 823-832.
30. Azadeh A, Mohammad Fam I (2009). The evaluation of importance of safety behaviors in a steel manufacturer by entropy. J Res Health Sci, 9 (2): 10-8.
31. Nouri J, Azadeh A, Fam IM (2008). The evaluation of safety behaviors in a gas treatment company in Iran. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 21 (3): 319-325.
32. Mohammadfam I, Fatemi F (2008). Evaluation of the relationship between unsafe acts and occupational accidents in a vehicle manufacturing. Int J Occup Hyg, 5 (3): 44-50.
33. Negahdari H, Negahdari H (2011). Assessment of Occupational Stress and Unsafe acts Relationship with Occupational Accidents at the Electrical Workers in an Electricity Power Distribution Management. Human & Environment, 9 (4): 7-14.
34. Hashemi Nejad N, Mohammad Fam I, Jafari Nodoshan R, et al (2012). Assessment of unsafe behavior types by safety behavior sampling method in oil refinery workers in 2009 and suggestions for control. Occupational Medicine Quarterly Journal, 4: 25-33.
35. Barkhordari A, Dehghani A, Kianfar A, et al (2015). Safety performance evaluation using proactive indicators in a selected industry. Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering, 1 (4): 49-59.
36. Adl J, Dehghan N, Abbaszadeh M (2014). The survey of unsafe acts as the risk factors of accidents in using taxis for intercity travelling in Tehran. Safety Promotion Injury Prevention, 2 (1): 39-46.
37. Golmohammadi R, Damyar N, Mohammadfam I, Fardmal J (2014). Evaluation of the relation between noise exposure and occupational stress with unsafe acts and accidents in city bus drivers. Iran Occupational Health, 11 (1): 70-78.
38. Mohammadfam I, Zamanparvar A (2002). The Evaluation of Workers Unsafe Acts in Godazan Foundry in 2000. Avicenna J Clin Med, 9(1): 0-0.
39. Asadi Z, Akbari H, Ghiyasi S, et al (2018). Survey of unsafe acts and its influencing factors in metal smelting industry workers in Kashan in 2016. Iran Occupational Health, 15 (1): 55-64.
40. Khosravi Y, Farshad AA, Arghami S, et al (2008). The Study of Implement of HCS Program at Hazardous Chemicals Knowledge and Safety performance in Tehran refinery’s laboratory unit. Iran Occupational Health, 5: 20-27.
41. Askaripoor T, Jafari M (2015). Behavior-based safety, the main strategy to reduce accidents in the country: a case study in an automobile company. The Journal of Toloo-e-behdasht, 1 (49): 33-42.
42. Mazaheri MA, Heidarnia A, Ghofranipour F, et al (2010). The effect of theory-based intervention on promote workers’ safe behavior in Isfahan Steel Company. Journal of Isfahan Medical School (I.U.M.S), 27 (102): 798-808.
43. Mahmoudi S, Fam I, Afsartala B, et al (2014). Evaluation of relationship between the rate of unsafe behaviors and personality trait Case study: construction project in a car manufacturing company. JHSW, 3 (4): 51-58.
44. Mohammadfam I, Golmohammadi R (2004). Evaluation of safety behavior among coach drivers in Hamadan. Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (Tabib-E-Shargh), 5 (4): 251-260.
45. Soori H, Mortazavi M, Shahesmaeli A, et al (2013). Determination of Workers' Risky Behavior Associated With Sfety and Health in A Car Manufacturing Company in 2011. Arak Medical University Journal (AMUJ), 16(72): 52-61.
46. Mohammad Fam I, Ghorbani, F, Soltanian, et al (2013). Application of dotmocracy technique in assessment and management of unsafe behaviors. JHSW, 2 (4): 1-10.
47. Damyar N (2012). Study of unsafe behaviors among city bus drivers in Hamadan, 2011. JHSW, 1 (1): 53-61.
48. Fam IM, Kianfar A, Mahmoudi S (2010). Evaluation of relationship between job stress and unsafe acts with occupational accident rates in a vehicle manufacturing in Iran. Int J Occup Hyg, 2 (2): 85-90.
49. Fam IM, Azadeh A, Faridan M, et al (2008). Safety behaviors assessment in process industry: a case study in gas refinery. Journal of the Chinese Institute of Industrial Engineers, 25 (4): 298-305.
50. Khosravi Y, Asilian Mahabadi H, Hajizadeh E, et al (2014). Why construction workers involve in unsafe behaviors? Part A: A qualitative research. Iran Occupational Health, 11 (1): 55-69.
51. Asilian-Mahabadi H, Khosravi Y, Hassanzadeh-Rangi N, et al (2018). A qualitative investigation of factors influencing unsafe work behaviors on construction projects. Work, 61(6):1-13.
52. Tang Y, Jing J, Zhang Z, et al (2018). A quantitative risk analysis method for the high hazard mechanical system in petroleum and petrochemical industry. Energies, 11 (1): 14.
53. Mohammad Fam I (2010). Assessment of unsafe behaviors among employees of a petrochemical company. Journal of Iranian Chemical Engineering, 9 (47): 2-13.
54. Suraji A, Duff AR, Peckitt SJ (2001). Development of causal model of construction accident causation. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2001)127:4(337).
55. Shen J, Li H-x, editors (2017). Analysis of identification of unsafe behavior in mechanical operation of first line workers. MATEC Web of Conferences, 139:00072.
56. Marras WS, Karwowski W (2006). Interventions, Controls, and Applications in Occupational Ergonomics. 1st ed. Crc Press, U.S., pp.: 53.
2. ILO (2003). Safety in Numbers: Pointers for a Global Safety Culture at Work. International Labour Organization Geneva; 3rd ed. U.S., pp.: 50-57.
3. Dababneh A, Fouad RH, Majeed AJH (2018). Assessment of occupational safety and health performance indicators for Jordan. Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences, 10 (6S): 162-169.
4. DE NORRE B (2009). 8.6% of workers in the EU experienced work-related health problems. eurostat EROPEAN COMMISSIO. Available from: http://www.puntosicuro.info/documenti/documenti/091202_Rapporto_Eurostat_infortuni_malattie_Europa.pdf
5. Izadi N, Aminian O, Esmaeili B (2019). Occupational Accidents in Iran: Risk Factors and Long Term Trend (2007–2016). J Res Health Sci, 19(2):e00448.
6. Heinrich HW, Petersen D, Roos NJPoAPM-H (1980). Industrial Accident Prevension: A Safety Management Approach. 5th ed. Principles of Accident Prevention McGraw-Hill, U.S., pp.: 55-56.
7. Brauer RL (2016). Safety and health for engineers: 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, U.S., pp.: 33-34.
8. Garavand Z, Kakaei H, Mirzaie F, et al (2017). Identifying unsafe Behaviors with Safety Behavior Sampling Method among Workers of Ilam Gas Refinery in 2013. sjimu, 25 (4): 99-107.
9. Arghami S, Pouya Kian M, Mohammadfam I (2009). Effects of safety signs on the modification of unsafe behaviours.J Adv Med Biomed Res, 17 (68): 93-98.
10. Geller ES (2016). The psychology of safety handbook. 2nd ed. CRC press, U.S., pp.: 67-68.
11. Aksorn T, Hadikusumo B (2007). The unsafe acts and the decision-to-err factors of Thai construction workers. Journal of Construction in Developing Countries, 12 (1): 1-25.
12. Yule S, Flin R, Murdy AJIJoRA (2007). The role of management and safety climate in preventing risk-taking at work. International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management, 7 (2): 137-151.
13. Choudhry RM, Fang DJSs (2008). Why operatives engage in unsafe work behavior: Investigating factors on construction sites. Safety Science, 46 (4): 566-584.
14. Castilla Ramos OJUP (2012). Observation of unsafe behavior at work: A methodological analysis. Universitas Psychologica, 11 (1): 311-321.
15. Raouf A, Dhillon BS (2009). Safety assessment: A quantitative approach: 1st ed. Lewis Publishers, U.S., pp.: 68.
16. Arghami S, Taghizadeh F (2017). Investigating the Relationship between Employee Safe Behavior and Safety Culture in a Livestock Industry. Journal of Human, Environment and Health Promotion, 2 (3): 193-198.
17. Mohammadfam I (2010). Application of safety signs in controlling the rate of unsafe behaviors. J Mil Med, 12 (1): 39-44.
18. Mousavipour S, Safary Variani A, Mirzaei R (2015). A Study of the Unsafe Actions of Staff in the Maintenance and Overhaul Unit at a Petrochemical Complex and the Presentation of Control Strategies. Biotech Health Sci, 3(1): e32561.
19. Oostakhan M, Mofidi A, Talab AD (2012). Behavior-based safety approach at a large construction site in Iran. Iranian Rehabilitation Journal, 10(1): 21-25.
20. Tajvar A, Aghamolaei T, Ghanbarnejhad A, et al (2013). Behavior-Based Safety in Port Industry: a Pretest–intervention–Posttest Study. International Electronic Journal of Medicine (IEJM) , 2 (2): 71-76.
21. Darvishi E, Maleki A, Dehestaniathar S, Ebrahemzadih M (2015). Effect of STOP Technique on safety climate in a construction company. J Res Health Sci, 15 (2): 109-12.
22. ES-HAGHI M, SEPEHR P (2016). Effect of training interventions on the reduction of unsafe behaviors using deming model. International Journal of Occupational Hygiene, 8 (2): 69-77.
23. Mohammadfam I, Bahrami AR, Golmohammadi R, et al (2009). The relationship between job stress and occupational accidents in an automobile manufacturing company. Journal of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, 13 (2); e79801.
24. Abbasi M, Gholamnia R, Alizadeh S, et al (2015). Evaluation of workers unsafe behaviors using safety sampling method in an industrial company. Indian Journal of Science and Technology, 8 (28): 1-6.
25. Khandan M, Koohpaei A (2016). Mental health status and its relationship with accident and unsafe behavior in a printing and press industry, 2014. Iranian Journal of Health, Safety and Environment, 3 (4): 592-599.
26. Shamsi M, Pariani A, Shams M, Soleymani-Nejad M (2016). Persuasion to use personal protective equipment in constructing subway stations: application of social marketing. Inj Prev, 22(2):149-52.
27. Khandan M, Maghsoudipour M, Vosoughi S, Kavousi A (2013). Safety climate and prediction of ergonomic behavior. Int J Occup Saf Ergon, 19 (4): 523-30.
28. Ghasemi F, Kalatpour O, Moghimbeigi A, et al (2017). Selecting Strategies To Reduce High-Risk Unsafe Work Behaviors Using The Safety Behavior Sampling Technique And Bayesian Network Analysis. J Res Health Sci, 17(1):e00372.
29. Azadeh A, Fam IM, Nazifkar N (2010). The evaluation and improvement of safety behaviors among contractors of a large steel manufacturing company by fuzzy data envelopment analysis. Journal of the Chinese Institute of Engineers, 33 (6): 823-832.
30. Azadeh A, Mohammad Fam I (2009). The evaluation of importance of safety behaviors in a steel manufacturer by entropy. J Res Health Sci, 9 (2): 10-8.
31. Nouri J, Azadeh A, Fam IM (2008). The evaluation of safety behaviors in a gas treatment company in Iran. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 21 (3): 319-325.
32. Mohammadfam I, Fatemi F (2008). Evaluation of the relationship between unsafe acts and occupational accidents in a vehicle manufacturing. Int J Occup Hyg, 5 (3): 44-50.
33. Negahdari H, Negahdari H (2011). Assessment of Occupational Stress and Unsafe acts Relationship with Occupational Accidents at the Electrical Workers in an Electricity Power Distribution Management. Human & Environment, 9 (4): 7-14.
34. Hashemi Nejad N, Mohammad Fam I, Jafari Nodoshan R, et al (2012). Assessment of unsafe behavior types by safety behavior sampling method in oil refinery workers in 2009 and suggestions for control. Occupational Medicine Quarterly Journal, 4: 25-33.
35. Barkhordari A, Dehghani A, Kianfar A, et al (2015). Safety performance evaluation using proactive indicators in a selected industry. Journal of Occupational Hygiene Engineering, 1 (4): 49-59.
36. Adl J, Dehghan N, Abbaszadeh M (2014). The survey of unsafe acts as the risk factors of accidents in using taxis for intercity travelling in Tehran. Safety Promotion Injury Prevention, 2 (1): 39-46.
37. Golmohammadi R, Damyar N, Mohammadfam I, Fardmal J (2014). Evaluation of the relation between noise exposure and occupational stress with unsafe acts and accidents in city bus drivers. Iran Occupational Health, 11 (1): 70-78.
38. Mohammadfam I, Zamanparvar A (2002). The Evaluation of Workers Unsafe Acts in Godazan Foundry in 2000. Avicenna J Clin Med, 9(1): 0-0.
39. Asadi Z, Akbari H, Ghiyasi S, et al (2018). Survey of unsafe acts and its influencing factors in metal smelting industry workers in Kashan in 2016. Iran Occupational Health, 15 (1): 55-64.
40. Khosravi Y, Farshad AA, Arghami S, et al (2008). The Study of Implement of HCS Program at Hazardous Chemicals Knowledge and Safety performance in Tehran refinery’s laboratory unit. Iran Occupational Health, 5: 20-27.
41. Askaripoor T, Jafari M (2015). Behavior-based safety, the main strategy to reduce accidents in the country: a case study in an automobile company. The Journal of Toloo-e-behdasht, 1 (49): 33-42.
42. Mazaheri MA, Heidarnia A, Ghofranipour F, et al (2010). The effect of theory-based intervention on promote workers’ safe behavior in Isfahan Steel Company. Journal of Isfahan Medical School (I.U.M.S), 27 (102): 798-808.
43. Mahmoudi S, Fam I, Afsartala B, et al (2014). Evaluation of relationship between the rate of unsafe behaviors and personality trait Case study: construction project in a car manufacturing company. JHSW, 3 (4): 51-58.
44. Mohammadfam I, Golmohammadi R (2004). Evaluation of safety behavior among coach drivers in Hamadan. Zahedan Journal of Research in Medical Sciences (Tabib-E-Shargh), 5 (4): 251-260.
45. Soori H, Mortazavi M, Shahesmaeli A, et al (2013). Determination of Workers' Risky Behavior Associated With Sfety and Health in A Car Manufacturing Company in 2011. Arak Medical University Journal (AMUJ), 16(72): 52-61.
46. Mohammad Fam I, Ghorbani, F, Soltanian, et al (2013). Application of dotmocracy technique in assessment and management of unsafe behaviors. JHSW, 2 (4): 1-10.
47. Damyar N (2012). Study of unsafe behaviors among city bus drivers in Hamadan, 2011. JHSW, 1 (1): 53-61.
48. Fam IM, Kianfar A, Mahmoudi S (2010). Evaluation of relationship between job stress and unsafe acts with occupational accident rates in a vehicle manufacturing in Iran. Int J Occup Hyg, 2 (2): 85-90.
49. Fam IM, Azadeh A, Faridan M, et al (2008). Safety behaviors assessment in process industry: a case study in gas refinery. Journal of the Chinese Institute of Industrial Engineers, 25 (4): 298-305.
50. Khosravi Y, Asilian Mahabadi H, Hajizadeh E, et al (2014). Why construction workers involve in unsafe behaviors? Part A: A qualitative research. Iran Occupational Health, 11 (1): 55-69.
51. Asilian-Mahabadi H, Khosravi Y, Hassanzadeh-Rangi N, et al (2018). A qualitative investigation of factors influencing unsafe work behaviors on construction projects. Work, 61(6):1-13.
52. Tang Y, Jing J, Zhang Z, et al (2018). A quantitative risk analysis method for the high hazard mechanical system in petroleum and petrochemical industry. Energies, 11 (1): 14.
53. Mohammad Fam I (2010). Assessment of unsafe behaviors among employees of a petrochemical company. Journal of Iranian Chemical Engineering, 9 (47): 2-13.
54. Suraji A, Duff AR, Peckitt SJ (2001). Development of causal model of construction accident causation. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management,DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9364(2001)127:4(337).
55. Shen J, Li H-x, editors (2017). Analysis of identification of unsafe behavior in mechanical operation of first line workers. MATEC Web of Conferences, 139:00072.
56. Marras WS, Karwowski W (2006). Interventions, Controls, and Applications in Occupational Ergonomics. 1st ed. Crc Press, U.S., pp.: 53.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 50 No 2 (2021) | |
| Section | Review Article(s) | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.18502/ijph.v50i2.5338 | |
| PMCID | PMC7956081 | |
| PMID | 33747989 | |
| Keywords | ||
| Unsafe behaviors Meta-analysis Systematic reviews Iran | ||
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How to Cite
1.
MALAKOUTIKHAH M, RABIEI H, HASSANIPOUR S, JAHANGIRI M. The Prevalence of Unsafe Behaviors in Iranian Workers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Iran J Public Health. 2021;50(2):257-270.
