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<p>Governments of different countries and healthcare organisations working in various areas face enormous challenges when trying to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and protect employees, their families and communities. Workplaces can be high-risk environments in terms of the virus outbreak and transmission. This paper aims to disclose the ways for workplace safety improvement in dentistry in the context of COVID-19. The authors present the theoretical model of workplace safety improvement with regard to COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures. The expectations, fears and tasks of dental employees at their workplace in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated based on the systematic literature review and the qualitative empirical study conducted in Lithuania. The study disclosed that unmet employee expectations could lead to different kinds of fear; the most common sources of anxiety are linked to a higher risk of getting infected, a lack or misuse of protection measures and inadequately performed work. Occupational risks are closely related to the components of a workplace system. Therefore, it is important to apply a holistic approach to improve workplace safety, enhance work performance and minimise the negative effects on an employee, an organisation, a patient and a society.</p>
</abstract>

Governments of different countries and healthcare organisations working in various areas face enormous challenges when trying to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and protect employees, their families and communities. Workplaces can be high-risk environments in terms of the virus outbreak and transmission. This paper aims to disclose the ways for workplace safety improvement in dentistry in the context of COVID-19. The authors present the theoretical model of workplace safety improvement with regard to COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures. The expectations, fears and tasks of dental employees at their workplace in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated based on the systematic literature review and the qualitative empirical study conducted in Lithuania. The study disclosed that unmet employee expectations could lead to different kinds of fear; the most common sources of anxiety are linked to a higher risk of getting infected, a lack or misuse of protection measures and inadequately performed work. Occupational risks are closely related to the components of a workplace system. Therefore, it is important to apply a holistic approach to improve workplace safety, enhance work performance and minimise the negative effects on an employee, an organisation, a patient and a society.

Safety and Health at the Workplace in the Context of COVID-19: The Case of a Dental Clinic

Engineering Management in Production and Services

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Governments of different countries and healthcare organisations working in various areas face enormous challenges when trying to combat the COVID-19 pandemic...

Safety and Health at the Workplace in the Context of COVID-19: The Case of a Dental Clinic

Publicado en línea: 11 jul 2022

Páginas: 95 - 105

Recibido: 15 dic 2021

Aceptado: 13 may 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/emj-2022-0019

Palabras clave
workplace safety, COVID-19 pandemic, dentistry

© 2022 Rūta Čiutienė et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Safety and Health at the Workplace in the Context of COVID-19: The Case of a Dental Clinic

Publicado en línea: 11 jul 2022

Páginas: 95 - 105

Recibido: 15 dic 2021

Aceptado: 13 may 2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/emj-2022-0019

Palabras claveworkplace safety, COVID-19 pandemic, dentistry

© 2022 Rūta Čiutienė et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Palabras clave
workplace safety, COVID-19 pandemic, dentistry