Occupational safety and health among young workers in the Nordic countries: A systematic literature review

Publication date: Available online 21 December 2018Source: Safety and Health at WorkAuthor(s): Therese N. Hanvold, Pete Kines, Mikko Nykänen, Sara Thomèe, Kari A. Holte, Jukka Vuori, Morten Wærsted, Kaj B. VeierstedAbstractThis review aimed to identify risk factors for occupational accidents and illness among young workers in the Nordic countries, and to attain knowledge on specific vulnerable groups within the young working force that may need special attention. We conducted a systematic review from 1994-2014 using five online databases. Of the 12,528 retrieved papers, 54 met the review criteria and were quality assessed, in which data were extracted focusing on identifying occupational safety, health risk factors and vulnerable groups among the young workers. The review shows that mechanical factors, such as heavy lifting, psychosocial factors, such as low control over work pace and organizational factors such as safety climate are all associated with increased injury risk for young Nordic workers. Results show that exposures to chemical substances were associated with skin reactions, e.g. hand eczema. Heavy lifting and awkward postures were risk factors for low back pain and high job demands were risk factors for mental health outcomes. The review identified young unskilled workers including school drop-out workers as particularly vulnerable groups when it comes to occupational accidents. In addition, apprentices and young skilled workers were found vulnerable to work-r...
Source: Safety and Health at Work - Category: Occupational Health Source Type: research