Browsing by Author "Monteiro, Raquel"
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- Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and validity of the Portuguese version of the Brief Norwegian Safety Climate Inventory (Brief NORSCI)Publication . Monteiro, Raquel; Vieira Da Silva, Manuela; Arezes, Pedro; Rodrigues, MatildeThe aim of this study was to translate and validate the Portuguese version of the 11-item Brief Norwegian Safety Climate Inventory (Brief NORSCI) to Portuguese language and test its validity and reliability in a Portuguese LPG plant. The validity was assessed by an Exploratory Factorial Analysis (EFA). The test-retest reliability and internal consistency were determined by using the Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach’s Alpha, respectively. The Brief NORSCI was translated into the Portuguese language using a forward-backward translation design. The Portuguese version was then applied to a sample of 80 workers. After a 2-week period, workers were asked to fill out a second questionnaire to assess the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of Brief NORSCI. In the test-retest, the ICC for the Brief NORSCI total score was moderate (0.70) and the Cronbach’s Alpha showed an acceptable internal consistency (=0.80). In addition, from the EFA resulted three dimensions according to the theoretical assumptions. The Portuguese version of Brief NORSCI was found to be a valid and a reliable tool to assess safety climate.
- Effect of a safety intervention in a gas industry on safety climate levelPublication . Monteiro, Raquel; Balazeiro, Márcia; Vieira Da Silva, Manuela; Rodrigues, MatildeThe oil and gas sector is one of the high-risk sectors. In this sector, catastrophic accidents are not the only problem, since occupational accidents and injuries are equally important. Safety climate has been pointed as an important factor related to the companies’ safety performance. However, interventions to improve it are still limited. The present study aims to design and implement an intervention and assess its effect on the enterprise’ safety climate. Were defined for this study two groups: intervention group, where the intervention was implemented, (n=78) and control group, without intervention, (n=55). The study was carried out in different plants from a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) industry. Workers from the experimental group operated in plant A. Workers from the control group operated in plants B and C. The intervention included psychoeducational sessions, cases studies, accidents scenarios, videos and group discussion. To assess the safety climate, the 11-item Brief Norwegian Safety Climate Inventory (Brief NORSCI) was applied to the workers. The questionnaire was applied prior, immediately afterward and two months later the intervention. The obtained results demonstrated a positive effect of the safety intervention in safety climate. Significant differences were observed in almost all the dimensions of this scale in the experimental group. This study showed that it is possible to improve safety climate by designing an intervention program adapted to the reality of the LPG industry.
- Effects of Noise Frequency on Performance and Well-BeingPublication . Sousa, Jorge; Monteiro, Raquel; Tomé, David; Rodrigues, MatildeThe features of occupational noise, in particular sound pressure levels, the type of noise and its frequency can be related to several physiological and non-physiological effects. However, studies about the influence of occupational noise on non-physiological effects are still scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate effect of intermittent sound patterns with different frequency on subjects’ performance and well-being. Five conditions were simulated and tested through an experimental study: Standard Condition (C0); Industrial noise with alert sounds at 500 Hz (C1); Industrial noise with alert sounds at 1000 Hz (C2); Industrial noise with alert sounds at 2000 Hz (C3); Industrial noise with alert sounds at 3000 Hz (C4). The noise levels were fixed at 45 ± 0.3 dB (A) in C0, and in 68 ± 0.5 dB (A) in the other conditions. The influence of noise on participants’ attention and short-term memory was assessed with the serial recall and response inhibition tests. Discomfort, stress and annoyance were accessed using Visual Analog Scales (VAS). Sixteen undergraduate students were included in this study (8 male; age: M = 22.25 yrs; SD = 0.7 yrs). Higher discomfort, stress and annoyance perceptions were found in condition C4; however, for task performance, no significant differences were found between conditions. This study provided important insights about the influence of different noise frequencies on subject’s performance and well-being. Future research should involve workers and how they react in the field to these conditions.
- Effects of noise frequency on performance and well-beingPublication . Sousa, Jorge; Monteiro, Raquel; Tomé, David; Rodrigues, MatildeIn a previous study we found that intermittent sounds, simulating alarm sounds, have a relevant effect on workers’ performance and wellbeing. As the frequency of these sounds can influence subjects performance and well-being, a new study testing the effect of intermittent sound patterns with different frequency was carried out. Five noise conditions were simulated and tested through an experimental study with 16 undergraduate students. The influence of each condition on participants’ attention and short-term memory was assessed with the serial recall and response inhibition tests. Discomfort, stress and annoyance were accessed using visual analog scales. No significant differences were found between the noise conditions in what regards to subjects performance. However, higher discomfort, stress and annoyance perceptions were found in condition with intermittent sounds at 3000 Hz. This study provided important insights about the influence of different noise frequencies on subject’s performance and well-being.
- The interactive effect of occupational noise on attention and short-term memory: A pilot studyPublication . Monteiro, Raquel; Tomé, David; Neves, Paula; Silva, Daniel; Rodrigues, MatildeIntroduction: Human performance is influenced by several job-related factors and workplace conditions, including occupational noise. This influence can occur at sound pressure levels lower than the ones that cause physiological damage, such as hearing loss, being mediated by the noise characteristics. However, studies concerning this issue are still scarce. Study. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three noise conditions on attention and short-term memory: standard condition (C1), environmental noise without alarm sounds (C2), and environmental noise with alarm sounds (C3). Materials and Methods: First, noise levels were measured during a normal workweek in a fast food establishment. Second, an experiment was designed to simulate the noise normally prevailing in the workplace. The noise levels were fixed at 45 ± 0.3 dB(A) (C1), 60 ± 0.4 dB(A) (C2), and 68 ± 0.4 dB(A) (C3). The influence of noise on participants’ attention and short-term memory was assessed with the following test battery: serial recall, response inhibition, and Stroop interference. Because annoyance, stress, and discomfort perceptions during the tests can influence results, visual analog scales to assess these variables were applied in the end of each trial. Fifteen undergraduate students were included in this pilot study (20–23 years; M = 21.6; SD = 0.8; all female). Results: The results demonstrated that participants’ performance during the tests was lower in C3, that is, the number of errors was higher and the reaction time longer. Participants also experienced higher levels of discomfort, stress, and annoyance perceptions in this condition. However, task performance was not found to be influenced by these perceptions. Conclusion: This study provided important insights about the different noise conditions that workers are exposed in a fast food restaurant, and how they influence participants’ performance. Further research should involve workers, exploring how these conditions are implicated in their performance in the field.