Centre for Ergonomics, Safety and Health, School of Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia.
Omega (Westport). 2024 Aug;89(3):873-894. doi: 10.1177/00302228221075289. Epub 2022 Apr 5.
Funeral workers (FWs) work within increasingly medicalized and commodified death-management systems. This study explored Worker Health and Safety (WHS) impacts in contemporary death management on Australian and Irish FWs. Mixed methods combined a survey and interviews. Survey data were descriptively summarized, interviews thematically analyzed, and a schematic systems model developed of the combined results. Survey participants ( = 45) reported psychosocial hazards from work pressures, competition, and fatigue. Psychosocial hazards were more frequently reported than physical hazards by Australian FWs. Physical hazards were of greater concern to Irish FWs. Themes from 11 interviews were: , and All FWs reported conflicts between individual capacities, work demands, and resources, resulting in hazardous personal states including difficulty sleeping and stress. Respectfully manually handling human remains and "event management" demands for increasingly elaborate funerals created negative WHS impacts. This research informs risk management for FWs and other workers in the increasingly complex death-care industry.
殡葬工作人员（FWs）在日益医学化和商品化的死亡管理系统中工作。本研究探讨了澳大利亚和爱尔兰 FW 在当代死亡管理中工人健康和安全（WHS）的影响。混合方法结合了调查和访谈。调查数据进行了描述性总结，访谈进行了主题分析，并开发了综合结果的示意系统模型。调查参与者（=45）报告了工作压力、竞争和疲劳带来的心理社会危害。澳大利亚 FW 报告的心理社会危害比身体危害更频繁。身体危害更令爱尔兰 FW 担忧。11 次访谈的主题包括：尊重地手动处理人类遗骸和“活动管理”对越来越复杂的葬礼的需求，导致包括睡眠困难和压力在内的危险个人状态。负责任地手动处理人类遗骸和对日益复杂的葬礼的“活动管理”需求对工人的健康和安全产生了负面影响。这项研究为 FW 和其他在日益复杂的丧葬行业工作的工人的风险管理提供了信息。
