International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health (nepjol.info)
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Assessment of Postural effect on Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders and Back Muscle Fatigue among the Goldsmiths of India
Get PDFBackground: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) may be defined as injuries and disorders of the muscles, nerves, tendons, ligaments, joints, cartilage and spinal disc. This may occur due to improper physical work activities or appalling workplace conditions. Awkward or extreme postures are less efficient than posture keep joints near the center of their range of motion.Objective: The objective of the current study was to assessment of postural effect on work related musculoskeletal disorders and back muscle fatigue among the goldsmiths of India.Methods: In this current study, the experiment was performed on 100 male goldsmiths. A detailed questionnaire study on discomfort feeling was done and analysis of body posture by Rapid Upper Limb Assessment was done to evaluate the work stress during their job. Electromyographic activity was collected from ten major trunk muscles sites which consist of right and left muscle.Result: From the analysis, it was revealed that musculoskeletal disorders were the major problem of the goldsmiths. Moreover questionnaire study revealed that most of the workers were affected by pain at Neck (80%), Low back (91%), Wrist (45%), Shoulder (20%). Decreased in RMS and MedF of all the ten major trunk muscles were observed at the end of the every work cycle, which indicating that muscular fatigue was induced by the Gold Smiths tasks.Conclusion: From this study it can be concluded that the goldsmiths are working in awkward and forward bending postures for prolonged period of time with the potential risks of musculoskeletal disorders primarily affecting the low-back and neck region of the body. This can be attributed by the improper design of the workstation
Work related musculoskeletal disorders among surgeons working in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal
Get PDFBackground: Musculoskeletal disorders are common work-related health problems affecting professionals in many sectors. Surgeons are among the most vulnerable as they have to work for long hours in unfavorable posture. Objective: Aim of this study was to determine both prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders and types of ailments among surgeons of different sub-specialties in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu. Methods: In This cross sectional study was conducted in Bir Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu. A total of 50 surgeons of different sub-specialties were surveyed. Self-reported questionnaires included i) socio-demographic information, ii) Dutch Musculoskeletal Questionnaire on ergonomic hazards and iii) Nordic musculoskeletal disorders questionnaire on pain and discomfort. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Result: Respondents were 40 male and 10 female surgeons with mean age of 38.9 years. Forty-four respondents (88%) reported that their job usually require them to stand for long hours, and41 (82%) also reported that they would work in the same posture for long period of time. In addition, 43 (86%) also reported that they would have to bend their trunk slightly during their job. Thirty-five respondents (70%) reported having at least one musculoskeletal disorder. Twenty-three (65.7%) surgeons had to miss their job at least once during last 12 month of which nineteen (54.3%) missed them in last 7 days.Conclusion: This survey showed that various musculoskeletal ailments were common among surgeons of all sub-specialties in our hospital which is likely one of the common and a serious occupational hazards in this population
Musculoskeletal Symptoms among the Brick Kiln Workers of Kathmandu Valley: A Cross Sectional Study
Get PDFBackground: Brick kilns may pose threat to the environment and health of the workers and people residing around them. Health problems related to brick kilns are musculoskeletal, respiratory, digestive system, nutritional and skin disorders. Objective of this study was to find out the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (problems) among brick kiln workers of Kathmandu valley.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the brick kilns of Kathmandu valley from February to April 2015. Two hundred (200) workers were selected randomly from the sampled brick kilns of Kathmandu Valley as the exposed group and the equal number of grocery vendors from the surroundings of the brick kilns was included as the control group in term of exposure to ergonomic hazards. The data was collected using Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire.
Results: A majority of the respondents were Hindu by religion. The mean age of exposed group was 30.75 years and 33.25 years for control group. Male female ratios were 2.39:1 and 1.94:1 in exposed and control groups respectively. The highest prevalence of musculoskeletal problem was found on Shoulders followed by Lower back, Knee and Neck for exposed group.
Conclusion: All musculoskeletal problems were significantly different between exposed and control groups. Compared to the control groups, brick kiln workers had almost 8 times more likely to experience shoulder problem and 7 times more low back pain. All musculoskeletal symptoms at any time during last 12 months were found higher in exposed group compared to the control group, which was statistically significant
A retrospective study about the trend analysis of Industrial accidents in Pakistan
Get PDFBackground: Occupational accidents in developing countries like Pakistan are obvious due to poor occupational health safety infrastructure. Objective: This retrospective study aimed to analyze the industrial accidents in factories of Pakistan during 1993-2009. Methods and Material: An index value calculation method used to investigate the trends of occupational accidents. Accident rate (103), fatal accident rate (105), and non-fatal accident rate (103) were also calculated. Pakistan Statistical Year Books published by Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) used as data source.Results: Data of total 10330 industrial accidents analyzed and decreasing accident rate found with average 3.1 accident per 103 factory workers. Fatal accident increased with an average of 23 fatal accidents per 105 factories workers. Regarding the severity of industrial accidents, minor accidents found at 74% followed by serious (18%) and fatal accidents (8%). Decreased trends of index values and accident rates can associate with the increased human development index of Pakistan, but increased fatal accidents in factories and under-reporting are major areas of concern for safety stakeholders. Conclusions: Despite industrial accidents decreased in factories but more in depth studies with more recent data about the root causes of accidents can be useful to draw a true picture of occupational accidents in Pakistan. Improved social security system in Pakistan can be helpful to the exact recording of occupational accidents data.
Health Status of Traffic Police in Kathmandu Valley: Findings from a cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: Traffic Policeman are constantly exposed to health hazards due to their occupation. They are at risk of developing various diseases due to exposure to noises, dust, gases, fumes etc. during their work. Objectives of this study was to find out the health status of traffic police and common health problems due to their occupation.
Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among Traffic Police of Kathmandu Valley. Convenient sampling technique was used. A structured questionnaire was used to assess prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders, acute respiratory tract infection, skin allergy, eye problems, ear problems, utilization of safety measures and health seeking practice. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used for the assessment of status of depression. Clinical Examination was done by medical doctors to determine common physical health problems. Data were entered and analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.
Results: A total of 296 traffic police were enrolled in the study with mean age of 31.07 years. Burning Eyes or Tearful Eyes was complaining of 72.3% of the respondents and almost two-fifth complained of some problem in vision. Nearly nine out of 10 respondents (87.8%) had musculoskeletal pain in at least one part of the body (neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist/hands, upper back, lower back, hip/thigh, knee and ankle) with major problem being upper and lower back pain. Based on PHQ-9 Questionnaire, it was found that 58.8% of the respondents were in state of some kind of depression.
Conclusion: Traffic Police are constantly exposed to health hazards due to their occupation. The prevalence of musculoskeletal, ocular and hearing problems was higher among them. Awareness progarmmes should be carried out targeting them regarding the preventive measure, use of personal protective devices and regular health check-up
Genotypic and Serotypic confirmations of Bacterial community to Kotumsar cave for occupational safety of cave workers and visitors from pathogenic threats
Get PDFBackground: Bacterial communities exist everywhere in the universe so in the caves. Kotumsar cave is the one of the renowned tourist place in India therefore high risk of anthropogenic pressure in this ecological niche. Objective: In the present study some pathogenic and nonpathogenic soil bacterial communities earlier isolated and characterized from different microhabitats of Kotumsar cave have been further confirmed by using serological and molecular technique i.e. applying Amplified Ribosomal DNA Restriction Analysis (ARDRA). Methods: Identified bacterial cultures were re-cultured for 16SrDNA analysis. Cluster analysis was used to analyze the restriction pattern generated by the enzyme by the using NTSYS-pc and UPGMA software and as well serotyping is done by Prescott’s method. Result: Total twelve bacteria were selected for serological and molecular characterization. There were two most suitable enzymes EcoRI and AluI which shows typical molecular characteristics between the similar genuses. Conclusion: This piece of work confirms some pathogenic bacteria in Kotumsar cave’s habitat. Though they are not highly pathogenic but repeated visiting in this cave environment may cause infectivity accordingly proper safety precaution must followed after visiting the cave.
Occupational risk factors as causes of deaths among 15-49 years population in Nepal
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Examining the effect of an aerobic exercise program on stress and triglycerides level in sedentary students: A pilot study
Get PDFBackground: Stress is a risk factor for developing hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The increased risk of cardiovascular diseases from chronic stress has been linked to increased plaque build-up as a result of elevated cholesterol, hardening of the arteries, change in the blood pressure, and abnormal working rhythm of the heart. The primary aim of this study was to examine the effects of Aerobic Exercise on stress and triglycerides.
Methods: This study is a Pre-experimental Study - One Group Pre-test Post-test Design. A group of 17 sedentary male students whose age ranged between 19-28 years was enrolled in the study. The respondents were free of any type of smoking habit, consumptions of alcohol and drugs before the study. The study respondents participated in Aerobic Exercise Training program which was conducted for six weeks, four days a week and 45 minutes in a day. The pre-test and post-test were conducted before and after the intervention.
Results: The mean age, height and weight of the Sedentary Students were 24.34 years, 172.31 cm and 69.22 kg respectively.
Before an aerobic exercise program, 52.94% sedentary students reported mild stress, 29.41 % reported moderate stress and 17.64 % reported severe stress. Whereas, after aerobic exercise program, 58.82% sedentary students reported mild stress, 23.52 % reported moderate stress and only 11.64 % reported severe stress. The Pre-test mean score of Triglycerides was 147.649 mg/dl and the post test was 113.483 mg/dl.
Conclusion: An aerobic exercise program may reduce stress and triglycerides levels in sedentary students. This research provides a platform for further research in this field with higher power and precision
Prevalence of respiratory morbidity among shopkeepers in the vicinity of a national highway, Bangalore
Get PDFBackground: Studies done in the West have shown adverse interaction between highway pollutants on cardio pulmonary health of the people working or residing close to the highways. Therefore a study was undertaken to document the respiratory morbidity among shopkeepers working in shops situated on national highway (NH) 7, Bangalore. Objectives: To study the prevalence of respiratory morbidity among shopkeepers on NH 7. Methodology: Cross sectional study was done among 121 randomly selected shopkeepers working for more than a year in shops located within 100 meter radius of a junction of NH 7, Bangalore. A pre-validated questionnaire was administered to the shopkeepers along with measurement of peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR), general physical and systemic examination. Results: Among the study participants, 59.5% was totally asymptomatic and classified as normal. Others were classified as syndrome of cough (32.2%), syndrome of breathlessness (31.4%), syndrome of asthma (12.4%) and syndrome of atopy (23.1%). Conclusions: The prevalence of respiratory morbidity and asthma was found to be significantly higher in shopkeepers near the highway than that of currently established data for residents of urban Bangalore. Presence of asthma in shopkeepers had a significant positive correlation with number of hours per day and years of exposure. Large prospective cohort studies could be undertaken to identify the effect of pollutants on the health of shopkeepers. Strengthening existing legislations could help reduce the effect of pollutants on health of shopkeepers working or residing near highways
Occupational Hand Eczema among Cement users in Nepal
Get PDFBackground: Occupational dermatitis among cement workers is a major occupational health concern and skin contact with cement has been associated with contact dermatitis, which ranges from cement burns to cumulative irritant contact dermatitis. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of occupational cement contact dermatitis amongst cement workers in Nepal which is the first of its kind. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive study amongst patients in construction site and hardware shops within the Kathmandu valley were selected. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate the demographic data and work-related activities of these cement workers. A complete skin examination was conducted and skin manifestations were assessed by a dermatologist. The data collected was compiled and appropriate statistical tools was used to find out the significance of variables. Result: Out of the total number of workers screened 164/377 (43.50%) had hand contact dermatitis. There were males 148(90.2%) and females16 (9.8%) and the age ranged from 15-51 years ( mean 27.41± 7.68 years).The duration of the disease ranged from 1-360 months (median 36months (IQR=60).The most common site of lesion was palms (62.8%) followed by tip of the fingers in 39.0% patients and the most common morphology of the lesion was erythema seen in 59.1% followed by scaling seen in 51.8 % patients. Conclusion: The issue of contact and irritant hand eczema amongst cement workers in Nepal has had a considerable morbidity. Identification of these patients with adequate treatment, test of the suspected allergens and counseling could further help the patients involved