0920-0953 Focus Group Discussion Guide For Employees

Attachment B

Focus Group Discussion Guide For Employees

Introduction 5 minutes

Purpose: Explain research, ground rules of the discussion

Thanks for taking the time to speak with us today. My name is [Insert facilitator name], and I was contracted by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to conduct this focus group. NIOSH is a research institute that aims to better understand workplace safety and health.

We are trying to understand how to better protect and promote the health and safety of construction workers, such as yourselves, and we’d like to talk about your views and experiences related to receiving safety and health information about work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDS) and Slips, trips and falls (STFs). WMSDs is a technical term for injuries to muscles, tendons, and nerves, such as tendonitis and carpal tunnel syndrome. WMSDs also include ankle sprains, back pain, or any kind of strain to the muscles, joints, and tendons. These types of injuries can occur during long periods of awkward or repetitive type of work.

Everything said today is completely confidential, and we want to encourage you to speak openly about your ideas. Please respect each other’s privacy and do not share anything that is discussed today with others outside this group.

• Moderator intro, expectations from participants, rules to follow: 90 minutes, talk one at a time, participation.

• There are no right or wrong answers. Everything you say is important. Your insights will help us better understand how to prevent WMSDs and STFs in construction.

• This session is being video recorded so that later on I can take a look at what was said. Your privacy will be respected I will report on what was said, not who said what.

• Introduction of participants: name, occupation, how long in that job and specifically what do they like and dislike the most about their current job

• And based on this topic we’ll present to you some messages and videos to determine the best ways to communicate information to people like you to help prevent these types of injuries in the workplace.

Public reporting burden of this collection of information is estimated to average 90 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to - CDC/ATSDR Reports Clearance Officer; 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333 ATTN: PRA (0920-0953).

Brief background and experience of respondents 10 minutes

So, let’s start our conversation. From now on I want you to please think specifically about your job and how do you go about doing it…,

• What type of injuries do you commonly see in your worksite?

• In your opinion, how well are workers informed about preventing workplace muscle and joint injuries and STFs?

• In your place of work, do you get information about muscle and joint injuries and STFs and how to prevent them?

• (If Yes) Do you know where this information comes from? In other words what is the source? Who provides it to you?

• In what way or ways does this information come to you? e.g. posters, letters, etc.

• From your perspective what are the best ways of getting information to you about preventing muscle and joint injuries and STFs?

• How important it is to you that this type of information is conveyed to you by your employer?

• Now tell me what you like and dislike about how you currently receive information about muscle and joint injuries.

Identify effective messaging 10 minutes

Purpose: Identify key message components that prompt action and refute myths and misconceptions

Based on your own experience in the workplace…

• What information or training would help you the most to avoid muscle and joint injuries and STFs?

• What topics would be most important/useful to cover?

• What other information about safety and health would you like to hear about?

• What would be the best way for you to get the information so that it’s more useful and effective?

• Think about the information you already get about muscle and joint injuries. Is there any information missing?

Seek suggestions from respondents 10 minutes

Purpose: Identify best dissemination channels and differences necessary based on demographic factors

• Based on your experience, have respondents describe a good/best way to communicate safety and health information to workers. PROBE as to why are those ways most effective to them.

• In addition to methods of communication discussed above, what other ways or what other information or what other ideas you can think of are needed for preventing muscle and joint injuries that could be useful for workers.

• What kind of information you would like to see on the website?

Assess existing educational products 50 minutes

• Paper

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2013-100/pdfs/2013- 100.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB2013100

• Video

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHH-9LOxwzM

• Infographic

  • https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/retail/pdfs/Kitchen-Fnl_508.pdf

  • https://abovelms-marketing-assets.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Food+Safety+Posters/Prevent_Slips_Trips_and_Falls.pdf

• Webpage

  • https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/retail/default.html

• Guide

• https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2015-100/pdfs/2015-100.pdf

• Guidelines for Retail Grocery Stores: Ergonomic for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3192.pdf

• Respondents will be shown and asked to evaluate Workplace Solutions, fact sheets and videos. They will be asked how well these tools communicate relevant information about preventive workplace injuries. These questions will be used for each product that the respondent review.

  • What is your first reaction to this product?

  • How often do you/would use this type of product?

  • What do you think this product is missing?

  • When you think about the product, do you think is it something you need or something you could do without?

  • What needs improvement?

  • What are your problems or concerns when using this type of product?

  • What deters you from using this type of product?

  • What features would make this product more useful in your work?

Review and Wrap-up 5 minutes

Purpose: Check with team for any further questions, thank and close

• Is there anything we haven't touched on today that you'd like us to know?