https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/2539 2026-04-15T16:38:29Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/101127 Title: Nail technician awareness of the exposure to chemicals and airborne particles in nail salons in Malta Abstract: The aim of this study was to understand the level of awareness of nail technicians in Malta in relation to the exposure of chemicals and airborne particles during the course of their work at nail salons. Adverse occurrences may be manifested due to the procedure itself as a response to the chemical substances used in nail cosmetics. The service includes a number of steps and the use of various products which can be hazardous to health, if suitable and sufficient mitigation measures are not in place. Consequently the study focused on the number of years doing the job and the amount of hours performed, in relation to the duration of exposure to the chemical substances. Of due significance was the training that nail technicians followed in relation to the knowledge and interest on the hazards of product components. In this respect the importance given by the nail technicians to the type of air they breathe in and whether or not they were ensuring adequate salon ventilation was considered. Respondents were also questioned on their perception of wearing personal protective clothing, the type used, and first aid knowledge including fire safety. The older generation of nail technicians was more apprehensive about health issues implicated during the performance of their work, although they were not sufficiently aware of the hazardous properties of the chemical substances used in nail cosmetics. The concept of ventilation which is of the utmost importance for a safe breathing environment was lacking. The system adopted by the majority of the salons was insufficient to reduce contaminants in the salon. Many accepted to become compliant if more guidance and education was readily available. It was concluded that the work of a nail technician can only be done safely if safe systems of work are adopted and the right steps followed. These include proper training and education which is the key to improving awareness, some common sense applied to the work practices and appropriate ventilation systems. Description: DIP.SOC.STUD. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100891 Title: A study of psychological harassment among public sector workers in Malta Abstract: The topic of psychological harassment at the workplace is one which is generating an increasing amount of attention in recent years. Although many studies have been done across Europe and North America, very little information is available regarding the local situation. This gap in information provided the motivation behind this study, which set out to investigate psychological harassment among public sector workers in Malta. This quantitative study was conducted by means of an online questionnaire, which was completed by 118 workers. The questionnaire first measured awareness and prevalence of psychological harassment and subsequently, respondents were asked how often they had been victims of bullying in the six months prior to the survey according to a provided definition. Those respondents who responded affirmatively were asked to provide details of the perpetrator. On the whole, a high level of awareness of psychological harassment was reported, with prevalence varying greatly from item to item. When considering exposure to at least one of the negative acts, 25% of respondents were found to be victims of psychological harassment on a regular basis. In contrast, when using the given definition of bullying, this figure dropped to just two per cent. The significant difference between methods indicates that although respondents are exposed to negative acts, they are hesitant to label themselves as victims of psychological harassment. The level of awareness of psychological harassment differed slightly according to the characteristics of the respondents, while that of prevalence (considering respondents who had been exposed to at least one negative act in the six months prior to the survey) differed significantly. Bullies were found to be predominantly male, older than the victim, and occupying a higher position than the victim. The study provides an overview of the situation in the Maltese Public Sector and sets the scene for more detailed research to be carried out in the future in the Private Sector. Description: DIP.SOC.STUD. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100881 Title: Health and safety issues faced by survey interviewers at the National Statistics Office Abstract: Researchers conducting fieldwork among private households constantly put themselves in perilous situations, rarely stopping to think about the risks they are potentially facing. A number of physical and psychological risks are present in the field, and these have received little attention in the research conducted to date (Bloor, Sampson, & Fincham, 2007). With this in mind, and the knowledge that survey interviewers at the National Statistics Office (NSO) receive no preparatory training in this regard, this study set out to investigate the subject fmiher. A sample of survey interviewers were asked to complete a questionnaire asking them which items, from a provided list, they considered to be potential risks in the course of their fieldwork, and which they had been exposed to. They were then asked if they had ever been in a situation where they felt their health or safety were compromised and how they dealt with it if they were. An analysis of the results revealed that survey interviewers considered a number of the listed items, such as personal injury or attack by pets, to be potential risks, while others such as personal injury due to falls from height were not considered to be an issue. The risks that survey interviewers felt they were most exposed to were emotional distress in response to participants' disclosures, accidents due to travel by personal transport and personal injury or attack by pets. However, the level of exposure to these risks was relatively low. Eight respondents replied that they had been in a situation they considered hazardous to their health or safety, and each had varying ways of dealing with such a situation. The majority believed that nothing could be done to prevent situations like these occurring, while a few suggested that preparatory training would be beneficial. Description: DIP.SOC.STUD. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/100646 Title: Health and safety attitude amongst construction site workers : age as a contributing factor Abstract: The construction industry is an evolving industry, with mechanical innovations replacing manual work in certain circumstances. Despite this, such industry is still considered as one of the most high risk work environments, confirmed also by official statistical information. Given the numerous health and safety issues characterizing the construction industry, coupled with the fact that the age of construction site workers is relatively varied, the main aim of this study is to assess vis-a-vis a questionnaire study whether a relationship exists between the attitude of construction workers towards health and safety and their respective ages. Secondary importance is given to another research area, whereby through the same questionnaire study, workers' fears and concerns were assessed and compared to the workers' health and safety attitude. The general findings show that a relatively clear relationship does exist between the attitude towards health and safety at work of construction site workers and their age, particularly those workers who are aged 55 years and over exhibit a far more careless attitude compared to the other age cohorts. On the other hand, no con-elation is found between the fears and concerns expressed by the chosen sample of workers and their corresponding health and safety attitude. Results show that there is a mismanagement of training on some of the local construction sites, whereby not all workers are receiving training related to health and safety at work equally and uniformly. By giving to 'equality between age groups' the importance it merits, employers might achieve successful results in reducing accidents at the place of work. The author declares that the material presented and printed in this dissertation is authentic, aimed to fulfill the purposes and objectives of this dissertation. Any text cited from other sources is referred to and cited accordingly. Description: DIP.SOC.STUD. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z