The advancement of digital technologies over the past three decades has led to a fundamental transformation in the fields of ergonomics and user-centered design. The RAMSIS software, as a pioneer in Digital Human Modeling (DHM), leverages extensive anthropometric data and advanced capabilities to enable precise analysis of human interaction with diverse work environments from vehicle interior to workstation design. This article, while reviewing the development history of RAMSIS, its main features, applications across various industries, and its limitations, outlines future research directions in this area. The results indicate that RAMSIS goes beyond being an industrial design tool and has evolved into a multidisciplinary platform for improving user health, safety, and comfort.

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and safety climate through the mediating role of mental health among workers at Iran Khodro Company.
Methods: This descriptive–analytical study, employing a modeling approach, was conducted in 2024 among workers at one of Iran Khodro Automobile Company’s dealerships. The sample size was determined using the Cochran formula and 410 individuals were selected through random sampling. Data were collected using standardized questionnaires: the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), the Mental Health Questionnaire (MHQ), and the Nordic Safety Climate Questionnaire (NOSACQ). The reliability of these instruments was confirmed by Cronbach’s alpha, with values of 0.875 for organizational culture, 0.994 for safety climate, and 0.911 for mental health. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation test and structural equation modeling (SEM) in SPSS and AMOS software.
Results: The study revealed significant positive correlations between organizational culture components, such as leadership (r=0.523), strategic emphases (r=0.512), and employee management (r=0.491) and safety climate (P<0.001). Structural equation modeling confirmed model validity (CFI=0.93, RMSEA=0.06), demonstrating interlinks among culture, safety, and mental health (R=0.467). Leadership and strategic priorities were key predictors, while mental health mediated safety outcomes.
Conclusion: Organizational culture is fundamental in fostering an effective safety climate and promoting mental health of employees. Enhancing organizational culture through managerial commitment, employee participation, improved communication, and appropriate allocation of resources can lead to improved safety conditions and mental well-being among the workforce. Moreover, a concurrent focus on both safety climate and mental health can significantly augment the effectiveness of safety programs within the organization.

Background: Outdoor workers in Iran, particularly those employed in open-pit mining, face significant health risks due to prolonged exposure to extreme heat. This challenge is exacerbated by limited access to healthcare, welfare resources, and protective infrastructure. This study aims to evaluate the adaptive capacity of outdoor work environments to mitigate heat stress and enhance worker well-being.
Methods: The research employed a mixed-methods approach comprised of three phases. First, we identified effective criteria for adaptive capacity through a Delphi study involving 15 occupational health experts. This process defined key indicators such as shaded rest areas, social security coverage, and training programs. In the second phase, the Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) was utilized to prioritize these criteria, revealing that institutional support (weight: 0.42) and thermal protection infrastructure (weight: 0.35) were the most critical factors. The final phase involved a field evaluation of six open-pit mines using a validated 25-item checklist. Adaptive Capacity scores were calculated on a scale from 0 to 1, integrating observational data and interviews with 127 workers.
Results: The findings highlighted significant systemic gaps in the surveyed mines. Notably, four out of six mines lacked shaded rest areas, and only two provided cooling stations. Job satisfaction varied markedly among workers, ranging from 17% in the Alooaak mine to 71% in the Kohan Madan mine, correlating with social security coverage, which was present in 100% of workers in four mines but absent in others. Furthermore, none of the mines implemented administrative controls for heat stress or conducted regular training for employees. The Adaptive Capacity scores ranged from 9% in the Faraj Abad mine to 45% in the Kohan Madan mine, indicating a concerning inadequacy in preparedness for climate-driven heat extremes.
Conclusion: The critically low average adaptive capacity score of 27% underscores an urgent need for targeted interventions. Recommendations include mandating shaded zones, hydration stations, and heat-risk training for workers. Additionally, policy reforms should integrate adaptive capacity metrics into national occupational safety regulations. By addressing disparities in social security and job satisfaction through participatory planning, this study provides a replicable framework to benchmark thermal resilience in high-risk industries globally.

Background: Pharmaceutical industries are of great importance as part of organic chemical production in the world; however, due to the repeated exposure to chemicals, workers in these settings may suffer from frequent and various health problems, including allergies, anaphylaxis and asthma. Accordingly, this study aimed at assessing the concentration and health risk of chemicals using a semi-quantitative risk method in a pharmaceutical company.
Methods: In this study, a semi-quantitative, descriptive-analytical field assessment method was used, based on the risk assessment model developed by the Singapore Department of Occupational Health. This method first identifies the health hazards of chemicals, then calculates the risk by measuring the level of exposure, and finally recommends and prioritizes control measures to reduce the risks.
Results: The results showed that 80 percent of the chemicals identified in the factory were at levels two and three (low, medium), whereas the remaining 20 percent were at level four (high). In the laboratory unit, phenol had the lowest risk (2.43) while sulfuric acid had the highest risk (3.5). In the factory production line, methanol had the lowest risk (2.59), whereas hexanol had a medium risk (3.03). In the foil printing unit, benzene had the highest risk (3.6), while xylene had the lowest risk (2.7).
Conclusion: It is recommended that special attention be paid to the foil printing unit of this factory so that, if possible, simultaneous exposure of personnel to benzene, toluene, and xylene is avoided, and engineering-management control methods are also implemented, including increasing the number of workers, and reducing exposure hours.

Background: Modern workplace lighting has progressed beyond basic illumination, incorporating human-centric and smart technologies to enhance occupational health, performance, and sustainability. This narrative review integrates interdisciplinary findings to examine recent developments, benefits, and challenges associated with emerging workplace lighting technologies.
Methods: Literature published between 2015 and 2025 was collected from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore, focusing on peer-reviewed journals, books, and conference proceedings. Out of 251 sources identified, 51 peer-reviewed articles were selected based on LED systems, human-centric lighting (HCL), and IoT-based controls in office, healthcare, and industrial workplace settings. The selected studies were thematically organized to address technological, health-related, and sustainability dimensions.
Results: IoT-driven smart lighting systems have demonstrated potential energy savings of up to 80%; however, challenges such as high installation costs, user resistance, and limited research in non-office environments remain. Ongoing debates concern the health benefits of HCL and the need for standardized metrics, such as melanopic equivalent daylight illuminance (MEDI). Evidence indicates that LED-based, tunable HCL can enhance sleep, mood, and cognition by aligning artificial lighting with circadian rhythms.
Conclusion: Emerging lighting technologies hold transformative potential for creating healthier and more sustainable workplaces. However, critical gaps persist in long-term studies, inclusive design approaches, and user adoption. This review provides a holistic framework linking technological innovation, occupational health, and environmental sustainability, and advocates for evidence-based, human-centered lighting strategies in occupational setting.

Background: Safety attitudes, reflecting individuals’ beliefs about workplace safety, are crucial for enhancing safety behaviors and organizational safety culture. Effective safety communication promotes positive attitudes and reduces incidents, but job burnout may moderate this relationship. This study explores safety communication strategies, safety attitudes, and the mediating role of job burnout in the tile and ceramic industry in Mashhad, Iran.
Methods: A correlational design was used, collecting data from 385 employees via convenience sampling. Standardized questionnaires Zhang’s Safety Communication Questionnaire, Shirali’s Safety Attitude Questionnaire, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory assessed safety communication, attitudes, and burnout. Pearson’s correlation and linear regression were used to analyze variable relationships.
Results: Safety compliance (r = 0.684, p < 0.001), participation (r = 0.721, p < 0.001), and adaptability (r = 0.698, p < 0.001) strongly correlated with safety attitudes. Safety communication positively correlated with personal responsibility (r = 0.743, p < 0.001), adaptability (r = 0.712, p < 0.001), and risk management (r = 0.735, p < 0.001), and negatively with job burnout (r = -0.628, p < 0.001).
Conclusion: Effective safety communication enhances safety attitudes and reduces burnout, supporting social learning theory, the theory of planned behavior, and the Job Demands-Resources model. Targeted communication interventions can strengthen safety culture and employee well-being.

Background: Workplace lighting is a critical environmental factor influencing not only visual performance but also physiological and psychological well-being. In industrial and shift-based environments, inappropriate lighting conditions can disrupt circadian rhythms, impair alertness, and elevate accident risks. This review aims to highlight the multifaceted role of lighting in promoting occupational health, safety, and productivity.
Methods: This narrative review examined studies published between 2010 and 2024 in major scientific databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SID, Magiran, using keywords such as “lighting,” “illumination,” “occupational health,” “shift work,” “circadian rhythm,” and “industrial workers.” Relevant peer-reviewed studies addressing the relationship between lighting conditions and occupational health outcomes were identified and analyzed qualitatively.
Results: The findings indicated that adequate and well-designed lighting enhances visual comfort, alertness, mood, circadian alignment, and overall job performance. Conversely, poor or inappropriate lighting contributes to eye strain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive errors, musculoskeletal discomfort, and an increased risk of occupational accidents—primarily through mechanisms such as circadian disruption. Night-shift workers, machine operators, and industrial personnel are particularly vulnerable, as insufficient or mistimed light exposure can misalign biological rhythms and reduce alertness.
Conclusion: Lighting is a powerful yet modifiable factor in occupational health. By proactively assessing and optimizing illuminance, color temperature, uniformity, and timing—and by adopting human-centric or dynamic lighting systems—organizations can directly improve worker well-being, reduce accidents, and boost productivity. Effective lighting is not just an environmental adjustment; it is a strategic investment in workforce health and industrial performance.

Letter to editor