International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health (nepjol.info)
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Epidemiological pattern of corneal foreign bodies and utilization of protective eye devices: a hospital-based cross-sectional study
Get PDFIntroduction: A corneal foreign body is the most common occupational ocular injury that can cause secondary infection or scars on the visual axis, decreasing vision. The study aimed to find out practices of wearing protective eye devices in the workplace and the factors influencing the utilization of such devices among patients with corneal foreign body (CFB) injury.
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary eye hospital in Bhaktapur from April 2021 to August 2021. All patients with CFB attending the hospital were included in the study. CFB was removed with ocular examination under a slit lamp biomicroscope, and face-to-face interview was conducted.
Results: Among 142 patients, only one was female, and 41.5% had a previous history of CFB. The most common CFB particle was metallic (n=124, 87.3%),. Three-fourths (75.1%) of patients were not using eye-protective devices at the time of injury, and 45.1% tried physically removing the CFB in a harmful way. Nearly two in five (19.7%) had used topical antibiotics eye drops before presenting for CFB removal. Sixty-six (46.5%) reported never wearing any protective eye devices, and the main reason for not-wearing was the unavailability (48.4%) of such devices in their workplace. The awareness of the need for protective eye devices (p<0.001) was significantly associated with using protective eye devices during work.
Conclusion: The workers should be made aware of the consequences of harmful practices following CFB injury. The workers should wear protective eye devices to minimize the risk of ocular injury and consequent visual impairment
Evaluation of the knowledge of sun exposure and sun protective measures in healthcare workers
Get PDFIntroduction: Solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation has a great impact on human life. The sun has always played an important role in Asian culture, so much so, that it is often prayed to as a God. Prolonged sun exposure can cause extensive and chronic harmful effects. Healthcare personnel is supposed to have good knowledge regarding sun protection as they play a key role in society disseminating knowledge to the general public. There are limited data regarding the knowledge of sun protection and sunscreen practice among health care workers.
Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from June to October 2020 on healthcare workers (medical staff) in Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital. A questionnaire was distributed to the target study population without disturbing or hampering the healthcare worker’s duty.
Results: Out of a total of 264 participants in the study, 84 (31.8%) were male and 180 (68.2%) were female. The knowledge of proper terminology for SPF (Sun Protection Factor) was noted in 196 (74.2%) and 57 (21.6%) agreed that the value of SPF was related to age. No significant difference was noted regarding knowledge about the time of sun exposure for Vitamin D synthesis. No significant differences were found in practices of sunscreen use for purposes of fairness, or prevention of tanning, wrinkle, mole, and skin cancer.
Conclusion: A higher level of education was associated with better knowledge and proper abiding practices regarding sunscreen use. As healthcare workers play a key role in distributing information in society, they should be targeted in education campaigns regarding sun exposure and sun protection measures; with these efforts focused more on nurses and medical officers
Effects of Gasoline and Smoking on Lipid Profile and Liver Functions among Gasoline Exposure Workers in Iraq
Get PDFIntroduction: The rapid and recent rise in the pandemic of cardiovascular disease implies that the environment plays a significant role. Numerous biological systems, such as the cardiovascular, blood-forming organs, liver, and kidneys, can be affected by gasoline and smoking. Because filling station employees, repair service workers, gasoline truck drivers, and refinery workers are all at a greater risk of being exposed to gasoline fumes. Even though gasoline and smoking have been investigated for so many years, few studies have looked into the effects of gasoline exposure combined with smoking on a variety of physiological mechanisms. As a result, we propose that combining gasoline exposure with smoking is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and impaired hepatic function.
Methods: The study included 95 male adult volunteers who worked with gasoline and were exposed to different fuel derivatives as study group and age and sex-matched seemingly healthy non-exposed people as the controls. Questionnaire interviews were used to collect socio-demographic data and a standard technique was used to collect the blood samples. The levels of cholesterol, HDL4, LDL-C, triglyceride, and VLDL were measured, as well as for liver enzymes ALP, AST, ALT, indirect bilirubin, direct bilirubin, and total bilirubin were measured.
Results: Our data suggest that smoking with gasoline exposure causes an increase in total and bad cholesterol levels, as well as a significant shift concerning the control group in lipid profile and liver enzymes. the exposed group had higher levels of ALP, and AST and significantly increased. In the nonsmoker exposed group D-bilirubin decreased in comparison to the control and exposed smoker group.
Conclusion: This research concluded that the liver enzymes (ALP, AST, ALT) were higher among workers who smoke and are exposed to gasoline than in control subjects, similarly, the bad cholesterol also increase. Therefore, people who smoke and are handled with gasoline are at a higher risk of having heart and hepatic diseases
HPLC analysis of biomarkers of Toluene and Xylene in human urine samples
Get PDFIntroduction: Urinary Hippuric acid (HA) and Methylhippuric acid (MHA) are considered reliable biomarkers for monitoring exposure to toluene and xylenes. A simple and robust HPLC method for simultaneous determination of HA and MHA in urine samples was developed and validated as per Internation Conference on Harmonization (ICH) Q2 guidelines.
Methods: Mobile phase consisting of two solvents A & B, solvent A was 0.1% TFA in water, and solvent B was 0.1% TFA in acetonitrile. Separation was performed in gradient elution mode and the time program was as follows - Time (min)/%B: 0/20, 4/20, 11/80, 11.1/90, 16/90, 16.1/20, 25/20. The detection wavelength was 205 nm.
Results: The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of HA in urine were 0.3 and 1.0 mg/L, and for MHA were 0.25 mg/L and 1.0 mg/L respectively and the recovery for HA and MHA were 95% and 98.9% respectively.
Conclusion: The developed method was successfully applied for the analysis of urine samples
Mental Health among Automobile industry workers in Chennai – A Cross-sectional study from a Single Industrial unit
Get PDFIntroduction: Working in a mentally healthy place is necessary for people. Adverse mental health conditions can lead to disruption in work which in turn causes absenteeism, low productivity, and financial constraints. This study intends to assess the levels of depression, anxiety and stress and to determine its associated factors among the workers in the automobile industry in Chennai.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 227 Automobile industry workers in Chennai, India. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information about the socio-demographic and working details of the study subjects, while the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS -21) was used to assess mental health status. Descriptive variables were expressed as proportions, while Pearson\u27s Chi-square test was used to study the association between dependent and independent variables.
Results: A total number of 227 participants were included in the study. More than 80 % of the workers were permanent employees. The prevalence of Depression, anxiety and stress among the study subjects are 38.8%, 43.6 % and 26.9 %, respectively. Workers in the middle age group of 30- 39 years had a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, and stress than those in the other age groups. For Depression, age, type of family, employment status, and working experience were statistically significant (p<0.05). The sleeping hours, comorbidities, substance use, co-worker support, and supervisor support of the workers were the factors that showed no association with Depression, anxiety, and stress.
Conclusion: There is a need for attention to be paid to the development of a healthy psychosocial workplace climate which should be supported by stronger workplace support
Scientific Support of Occupational Risk Management Decisions in Industrial Sectors in Case of Uncertainty
Get PDFIntroduction: One of the most important steps in risk assessment is the selection of assessment methods. Traditionally, when developing measures to reduce the level of occupational morbidity and industrial injuries, the results of an analysis of the causes, types of events and other factors that led to accidents are used. But such an approach does not meet modern requirements. For an adequate assessment of occupational risks, it is necessary to have objective data from different time periods: the onset of traumatic events in the past, the current state of threats to life and health of people, and the future state of threats in industrial sectors.
Methods: Mathematical modeling remains the main means of scientific support for occupational risk management. The Elmeri system was chosen for occupational risk assessment in this study, which can be easily and quickly used in any industry and in enterprises of all sizes. A critical analysis of various approaches to managing occupational risks in enterprises was applied to identify the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches. The method of generalizing the most effective approaches to occupational risk management was applied to develop the algorithm of occupational risk management decisions in industrial sectors in case of uncertainty.
Results: An occupational risk management algorithm has been developed to substantiate management decisions on planning measures to reduce risk, the implementation of which ensures the effectiveness of measures aimed at reducing risk. Research has shown that if the decision-making situation is characterized by conditions of uncertainty (it is impossible to obtain mathematical models of acceptable accuracy), the assessment of the predictive values of occupational risk is carried out exclusively by an expert. Thus, the occupational risk indicator used at the final stage of planning activities determines the degree of achievement of the result of solving the task.
Conclusion: It has been established that in conditions of uncertainty (lack of necessary data or available data are incomplete or unreliable), experts involved in solving the problem of risk management use their own knowledge and experience in solving similar problems. As a promising direction for further research, it should be noted the development of a methodology for a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of operational management decisions for planning and implementing measures to reduce risk
Chemical Safety Knowledge Assessment of Academic Researchers from Brazil during Covid-19 Pandemic
Get PDFIntroduction: Laboratories are inextricably dangerous work environments, as fatal incidents are reported in both academic and non-academic environments worldwide, where poor safety culture has been recognized as the major accident contributor. Workers can be exposed to chemical, biological, physical, or radioactive hazards, in addition to musculoskeletal stresses. In Brazil, hundreds of thousands of workers are employed in laboratories, either in private or public institutions. Although laboratory safety can be governed by local, state, or federal regulations, learning how to identify common laboratory hazards is the first step to preventing accidents in the lab environment.
Methods: The study aimed to assess the degree level of safety culture in an academic population of research laboratories, located in the largest city in Brazil, and their compliance with occupational safety regulations during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study was carried out between October and November 2020. The results were obtained from the standardized questionnaire used to assess 98 researchers working in laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results: The majority of respondents (95%) reported being exposed to more than two risks, simultaneously. About two-thirds (66%) of them were not fully aware of the laboratory\u27s risk map. About half of the researchers (50%) were lacking in safety culture, and 57%and 43% were preoccupied with chemical and non-chemical hazards, respectively. Personal protective equipment (PPE) during laboratory work was used by most researchers, but 75% of researchers claim that security awareness learning should be a high priority for admission to laboratories. About 39% of researchers agreed that awareness of security must be improved in their laboratories
Conclusion: The survey proves the lack of information and attitudes about chemical safety, especially among less experienced researchers, even if they use personal protective equipment when necessary
Prevalence and impact of falls as domestic injury among rural housewives of Raipur District, Chhattisgarh, India
Get PDFIntroduction: The most common domestic injury among housewives is falling from stairs and ramps or on the floor. The present study aimed to find and associate the prevalence of falls with various agents, risk factors causing falls and the impact of falls among rural housewives.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out among 500 randomly selected housewives from rural areas of Raipur district, Chhattisgarh in the month of March to June 2019. Demographic data and information regarding the occurrence of falls, various agents & factors associated with falls were collected by questionnaires, lux meter, anemometer and sound level meter through interviews, and observation techniques. The Nordic questionnaire was used to assess the impact of falls. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS 20 statistical package.
Results: 295 out of 500 housewives had domestic injuries which included 12.8 % of fall injuries. Fall had a significant association with various physical agents like illumination in the living room (χ2=11.004, df=1), relative humidity of the kitchen (χ2=18.03, df=2) and presence of adequate natural light (χ2=11.232, df=1). Even various personal risk factors were significant causes of falls like wearing slippers on a wet floor (χ2=11.845, df=1), presence of open electric wires (χ2=4.84, df=1), self-cleaning of toilet & floor (χ2=11.371, df=1) and self-cooking (χ2=10.959, df=1). Heavy works like carrying water in a big container (χ2=6.025, df=1), working under direct sunlight (χ2=4.195, df=1), prolonged standing while cooking or on an agricultural field (χ2=32.073, df=1) and using of hand pump per day to draw water (χ2=42.329, df=1) were highly significant causes of domestic fall.
Conclusion: Findings of the study concluded that fall was very much prevalent among housewives, and being at home still housewives are exposed to various agents and personal risk factors causing fall
Self-reported low back pain intensity and interferences among three-wheel drivers in Southwest of Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-sectional Study
Get PDFIntroduction: Low back pain is one of the most reported conditions among vehicle drivers. However, there is a paucity of information about low back pain experiences among three-wheel drivers in Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the low back pain experience among three-wheel drivers in Ethiopia Jimma City, Southwest Ethiopia.
Methods: A Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March 1-25, 2020 among 396 samples. Computer generated simple random sampling method was employed to get the required sample. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was checked for completeness, coded, cleaned and entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Data was analyzed using mean and standard deviations for continuous and proportions for categorical variables. Binary and multivariable logistic regression was used to see an association between dependent and independent variables. P-value <0.05 at 95% CI was declared statistically significant.
Results: Of 396 study participants, 26.26% of them had low back pain at any time among which, 73.1% reported pain in the last 24 hours. Regarding pain intensity in 24 hours, the mean ± standard deviation of worst pain was 5.3 ± 2.5. The independent variables significantly associated with low back pain along with their adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) were: age 3.45 (1.98, 6.03), educational status: 1.96 (1.07, 3.59), physical exercise: 0.52 (0.31, 0.86) drinking alcohol: 2.32 (1.22, 4.39) and working hours: 0.32 (0.13, 0.83).
Conclusion: The three-wheel drivers experienced moderate to severe low back pain and moderate to severe functional and emotional interferences. More than half of the participants reported the worst pain experience within 24 hours. Age, educational status, physical exercise, drinking alcohol and working hours were significantly associated with low back pain
Consequence Modeling and Analysis of Benzene leakage and explosion from a poorly sited gas station in the City of Douala, Cameroon
Get PDFIntroduction: Benzene has long been recognized as highly carcinogenic and the most cytotoxic of all air pollutants released by gas stations. Although several studies have been conducted on accidents in the process industry, very little work has been directed toward the modeling of risks caused by the leakage and explosion of toxic substances in gas stations. This knowledge could aid in predicting the vapor concentration inside gas station office buildings and neighboring infrastructures and in developing corresponding safety measures. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to model the consequences of Benzene dispersion following leakage and explosion from gas stations, taking the city of Douala, Cameroon as an example.
Methods: Based on the measured vent emission and meteorological data, the Areal Location of Hazardous Atmosphere (ALOHA v.5.4.7) model was used to predict the hazard radius of leakage and dispersion of benzene from a tank in different seasons. The maps of the toxic and flammable vapor cloud of benzene, evaporation rate from a puddle, and the concentration of toxic and flammable vapor cloud inside and outside of the station were prepared with the aid of MARPLOT and Google Earth software.
Results: The results showed that the maximum average sustained release rate of benzene from a tank was 26 kilograms per minute, with an estimated total amount released of 1,340 kilograms per 60 minutes in the dry season. The puddle spread to a diameter of 19.8 meters. The predicted threat zone distance from the station in the dry season, as compared to the rainy season, had an increase in radius of 12, 20, and 83m for the red, orange, and yellow zones, respectively. The worst hazard level extends primarily in the downwind direction and is predicted to be 31 meters in the rainy season in all directions, covering parts of the adjacent settlements and social infrastructure.
Conclusion: The potential scenarios of benzene dispersion from a poorly sited gas station in the city of Douala have been modeled and the threat zones estimated. Nearby residences and social infrastructures are significantly exposed, with the predicted threat zones being more hazardous for the employees of the gas station. Further research looking at the impact of combined consequences of gasoline emissions may help determine whether the combined effects of benzene with other chemicals are cumulative or synergistic