ADVANCEMENT OF THE SCIENCE
activity might put them at risk for potential exposure to sewage. Occupational exposure to mold and fungi has been associated with rhinitis, asthma, and allergy (Baxi et al., 2016; Caillaud et al., 2018). Occupational exposure to mold has been reported among occupational groups such as librarians (Baldelli et al., 2021) and museum workers (Wiszniewska et al., 2009). Potential exposure to mold and fungus for EHPs might occur when they access abandoned proper- ties or buildings with poor ventilation. EHPs might be subject to outdoor exposure to mold and fungi as a result of the long hours they spend outside. Paudel et al. (2021) found that an increased duration of outdoor exposure to pollen and mold is linked to climate change. Greater awareness among EHPs about expo- sure risk to mold and fungus—both outdoor and indoor—is necessary to reduce or elimi- nate occupational exposure. Organization Commitment and Support of Occupational Health and Safety Despite the noticeable positive safety percep- tion of EHPs toward their organization’s OHS commitment and support, there were con- cerns about some potentially high-risk tasks, risky situations, and understang. Further investigation is required to identify and understand the type of tasks and situations that EHPs perceive as high risk so that eec- tive strategies can be developed to manage such risks. A considerable part of EH work is highly responsive and can take place in unfa- miliar and challenging environments. These unplanned tasks are associated with many constraints that could give rise to unforeseen risks that might result in serious incidents and injuries (Laberge et al., 2016). Perceived inadequate stang has been as- sociated with musculoskeletal pain in hospi- tal workers (Kim et al., 2014). A study among nurses during the pandemic suggests that un- derstang and loss of expertise jointly shape near misses (Andel et al., 2021). It is important for organizations that employ EHPs to consider the implications of stang levels before they downsize or add new functions to EH services. Psychosocial and Physical Demands in the Workplace According to The American Institute of Stress (2019), approximately 83% of U.S. work-
TABLE 2
Overarching Focus Group Discussion Themes and Illustrative Quotations ( N = 7)
Focus Group Discussion Question What are the common workplace exposures or hazards in your current job?
Theme
Illustrative Quotation From Focus Group
Workplace violence
• The high occurrence of violence against environmental health (EH) scientists throughout the COVID pandemic was terrible. You wouldn’t think the community would attack the very people who were trying to protect them. • I was vilified and abused by protesters during my work at a vaccination clinic. It was scary, and I was concerned for the safety of everybody working that day. • My staff was constantly trolled and vilified on social media by antivaccination groups. Some staff reported that they were being attacked via their personal social media accounts. • A few years back, one of my colleagues was pushed on the floor during an inspection of a food establishment during a heated argument with the owner. • EH work has become more confrontational over the years; this is a dangerous job. • On one occasion, I was confronted by three men under the influence of drugs when inspecting a body art facility. • One occasion we were threatened with physical violence at the office by a customer. The situation escalated and we had to call security. • I’m concerned that young people will not consider a career in EH due to the highly confrontational nature of the job. • The staff shortage is an ongoing issue; everybody is aware of it, but the work has to be done. • Heavy workload is an issue in both smaller and larger work settings. There are limited resources also in some larger state government departments. • Mental health concern at work is an overlooked issue, and it is not well understood. There is slow progress in this area. • We operate in a very stressful environment. • I constantly feel exhausted at work, especially during the COVID pandemic. • You don’t know what you can walk into. • I walked into an unfinished house only to discover that the basement was being used as a meth lab. • In my county, we have to inspect chemical incinerator plants and there are risks associated with that. • In my county, we fluoridate our water supply; some of our officers are directly involved with that.
High work demand
Potential exposure to chemical hazards
continued
ers suer from work-related stress that costs businesses up to $300 billion annually. Based on this statistical trend, it is not surprising that the EHP workforce also reports work- related stress. Mental stress accounted for approximately 21% of all workplace incidents reported by surveyed respondents. Common causes of workplace stress are linked with adverse working conditions and management practices (Bhui et al., 2016).
EHPs in our study expressed that they felt that mental health was not a priority for their employers and was often misconstrued as an issue that aects other workforces but not the EHP workforce. In the focus group dis- cussion, there was general agreement that the environment EHPs have to navigate is stress- ful. One participant stated, “I constantly feel exhausted at work, especially during the COVID pandemic.” Another participant
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Volume 86 • Number 6
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