Citation

Fubini L, Pasqualini O, Ferro E, Marino M, Santoro S, Tosco E, Gilardi L. Occup. Med. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

DoRS - Centro di Documentazione per la Promozione della Salute, ASL TO3 - Regione Piemonte, Grugliasco (TO), Italy.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/occmed/kqz135

PMID

31677390

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Storytelling is an effective information source when coupled with technical-scientific evidence. It can promote a structured relationship between evidence-based knowledge and field experience of workplace safety and prevention services (WSPS) inspectors. This is key to identifying the causes of workplace injuries and to set priorities for prevention strategies. AIMS: The main aim was to describe and report how story collection can be used for deriving validated indications for injury prevention. The specific objectives were to report the results of the creation and dissemination on the web of the story collection and the experience of setting up a community of practice (CoP) to develop preventive recommendations.

METHODS: WSPS inspectors from local health boards in Piedmont (northwest Italy) were asked to write injury stories. They identified the key elements of their stories and developed a narrative of witness accounts to explore the critical issues identified during the investigation. In sessions with the CoP, the inspectors validated the indications for prevention elaborated in each story to reduce bias and standardize recommendations.

RESULTS: Between 2012 and 2017, 60 WSPS inspectors wrote 53 injury stories which were collected and published on the institutional website. Twenty-two stories were selected for discussion during peer review sessions in the CoP and the indications for prevention were transformed as preventive solutions.

CONCLUSIONS: Occupational safety and health prevention can benefit from a narrative-based approach that provides a more comprehensive look at health and safety by facilitating knowledge improvement and sharing.

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Language: en

Keywords

Education; narration; occupational injuries; prevention; storytelling