International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health (nepjol.info)
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Hazards of hospital cleaners in a tertiary health facility in Southwest Nigeria
Get PDFIntroduction: Hospital cleaning job is outsourced to companies that employ unskilled cleaners. Despite the importance of hospital cleaners little attention is paid to the work place hazards they are exposed to.Objective: This study therefore aimed at determining the prevalence of and factors associated with occurrence of work related hazards among hospital cleaners at Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study of 249 hospital cleaning staff was conducted. A semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaires were used to obtain information on sociodemographic characteristics and work place related hazards. Descriptive statistics were done and associations were explored with the chi square test at 5% level of significance.Result: The mean age of respondent was 34 ± 7 years, (range 20 - 60 years), 142(57.0%) attended secondary school. In all, 67.7% of the cleaners spent less than 8 hours at work daily. Chemical hazards affected 79.1% females compared to 57.9% of the males (p=0.03). Also, 60% of those with primary education had mechanical hazards compared to 39.1% of those with tertiary education. (p=0.02). Mechanical hazards occur in 53.8% cleaners sitting for < 5hours compared to 38.1% sitting ≥ 5hours at work daily (p=0.03). Hazards of greatest concern were dust 13.3%, and insect bite 4.8%. Respondents were exposed to physical, chemical, mechanical, and biological hazards. Low income was a major source of concern to 80% of them.Conclusion: Various forms of hazards were reported by the cleaners studied. Research examining ways to reduce it should be done. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v4i1.10083 
Occupational Health, Safety and Extreme Poverty: A Qualitative Perspective from Bangladesh
Get PDFPoor occupational health and safety damages many lives and livelihoods which impedes economic growth. Poor and unsafe work conditions are both a cause and consequence of extreme poverty. Both reinforce each other negatively. The significance of occupational health and safety is particularly strong in countries like Bangladesh where it is not addressed or explored much. This study focuses on urban and peri-urban Bangladesh drawing from: 15 Life History (LH) interviews with people who became disabled during work, 10 in-depth interviews with vulnerable workers in high risk environments; and key informant interviews (KII) with five senior management officials in high risk workplaces. Other studies have also been consulted on occupation safety in rural and urban Bangladesh. Findings confirm that extreme poor people are not only disproportionately drawn into high risk and unhealthy jobs but also the accidents and health problems that arise from these jobs exacerbate poverty. Employers were found to be reluctant to take responsibility for workers and any support offered to injured workers was mainly done out of charity. Sub-contracting was found to be potentially harmful practice of the business/industry owners which makes workers more vulnerable. The paper concludes that occupational health and safety in Bangladesh should be a higher priority in discussions of extreme poverty, its consequences and its solutions.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v4i1.1065
A Knowledge and Practices study of health hazards among animal handlers in zoological gardens
Get PDFBackground- Close association with animals makes zookeepers a high risk group for suffering from various zoonotic diseases. Thus, it is important that they are able to protect themselves from these diseases and injuries through prevention awareness. Objective- To study the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding health hazards among animal handlers in zoological gardens. Materials and Methods- A questionnaire based cross-sectional study conducted in the National Zoological Park, New Delhi, India involving all 66 employees, including 49 who were directly involved in taking care of animals. Result- About 86% of the total participants perceived a risk of suffering from disease or injury due to animal handling. Allergies, tuberculosis and bird flu were commonly perceived risks from animal handling. Majority (69.7%) suggested isolation of animals with infectious diseases. About 65% and 37% were vaccinated for tetanus and rabies respectively. Headache (83.3%), itching (80.3%) and vomiting (77.3%) were the most commonly stated symptoms of zoonotic diseases. While handling animals 59.2% had at least once got injured, after which they were mostly taken to the doctor (79.3%). Only 24.5% had attended training program on zoonotic diseases. Conclusion- There were many lacunae in the knowledge and practices of animal handlers regarding prevention, control and treatment of zoonotic disease and injuries due to animal handling. Training sessions for prevention of zoonotic diseases and injuries are absent. It is important that these issues are addressed promptly and adequately. Also, such study must be conducted in other zoos as situation analysis activity to plan training programmes. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v4i1.914
Needle Stick Injuries, Sharp Injuries and other Occupational Exposures to Blood and Body Fluids among Health Care Workers in a general hospital in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Get PDFCorrection: On 2nd January 2018, the following authors were added to the online version of this article: Corinne Peek-Asa, Tracy Young and Nina Jovanović. They were always on the PDF of the article. The editor apologises for this error.Background: Professional exposures of health care workers (HCW) to potentially infective blood and body fluids presents a serious health threat, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV transmission. This study was conducted to assess the risk for and reporting of needlestick injuries, sharp injuries and other occupational exposures of health care workers in a large healthcare center in Sarajevo.Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in May 2013. The study target population included all hospital health care workers who had a high potential for exposure. The estimated sample size was 48 physicians, 132 nurses/technicians and 30 auxiliary personnel. Results: During their career, 124 (63.3%) HCW reported exposures to blood and body fluids. In total, needle stick injuries (66.1%) were the most common source of exposure, followed by contact with intact skin (12.1%) and cut with sharp object (11.3%). Only 43 (35.5%) reported any of these exposures to health authorities during their career. The odds of exposure to needle stick injuries and other occupational exposures to blood and bodily fluids were significantly higher among medical nurses/techicians (AOR=4.98, 95%CI=1.52-16,1) and auxillary (AOR=4.30, 95%CI=1.07-17.34) personnel when compared to physicians. HCW in the operation room, intervention ambulance and laboratory (AOR=3.73, 95%CI=1.43-9.72) had higher odds of exposure than workers in the ambulatory departments.Conclusions: Needlestick Injuries, Sharp Injuries and other Occupational Exposures to Blood and Body Fluids among health care workers are underestimated hazard. Especialy, for HCW who work in operation room/interventional ambulance. There is a need for preventive programs for HCW and further work on the establishment of an effective surveillance system
Respiratory function of workers at a construction company in Bangalore Urban district
Get PDFIntroduction: Construction sector is one among the largest employers in India. Most of the construction workers are migrants susceptible to occupational health hazards. Construction workers are exposed to a variety of dust and chemicals that may pose a risk to the respiratory system. There is paucity of data on the respiratory function of construction workers in India. Objectives: The objectives were to assess the respiratory function of construction workers and to study possible factors associated with the respiratory function of these construction workers. Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted among 197 workers in a construction company in Bangalore Urban district from November - December 2010. The study tools were an interview schedule to study the respiratory function and possible associated factors and clinical examination which included anthropometry (height, weight) and Wright’s mini peak flow meter to measure peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). The data was analyzed using standard statistical software. Results: Among male workers, the mean PEFR was 457.43 l/min (SD 65.38 l/min) while among female workers, the mean PEFR was 326 l/min (SD 46.95 l/min). Respiratory function as measured by peak flow meter was decreased in 127 (64.5%) workers. The current reported tobacco smoking was 41.2% (77) among 187 males. Only 3 (1.5%) workers reported to use of face mask. There was no significant association (p>0.05) between respiratory function, and duration of work more than a year at construction company, use of face mask or smoking. Conclusion: This preliminary study revealed that the respiratory function among the workers was decreased. More precise studies with population control matched for age using pulmonary function tests are needed to assess the findings of the study.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v4i1.1000
Noise Effects of Generator Sets at Construction Sites
Get PDFNoise and vibration can be the cause of serious disturbance and inconvenience to anyone exposed to them and in certain circumstances noise and vibration can be a serious hazard to health, causing permanent damage to hearing system. Noise exposure levels of construction workers are difficult to determine due to the day to-day variation in occupation and shift length of each worker and the itinerant and seasonal nature of the job. Nevertheless, it is clear that the construction worker is exposed to very high sound levels for considerable lengths of time. Different types and sizes of equipment\u27s, machineries and tools are used by construction industries. Diesel Generator for power is a very important one among the equipment used in the construction industries, used in large numbers and as clusters and also located very near to the work area. The noise level produced by these generators is much higher than the permissible limit. But the construction work group took very little effort to avoid or minimize this noise level to permissible level. Many people even though they may not need electricity for their work got in and exposed in this zone of danger. At this site eight generators have been used by various working groups. This paper assesses the potential noise impacts associated with power generators used in construction activities of the DCT project site and the effective steps to control this noise. A 12-hour noise survey was conducted to establish background noise levels in the project area. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i2.6145 
Work related injuries and musculoskeletal disorders among child workers in the brick kilns of Nepal
Get PDFBrick manufacturing is a labor intensive informal industry using child workers as the major work force in Nepal. Workers are required to use physical strength, carry heavy loads and remain in a squatted posture for longer periods doing repetitive tasks posing threats to musculoskeletal system. This study involved cross sectional study of children aged 17 years and below. The study respondent included 101 cases and 64 controls in Bhaktapur and 97 cases and 43 controls in Sarlahi. Lack of adequate physical infrastructures, poor working conditions with non existent safety procedures have posed risk to physical, metal and overall well being of children. The study identifies work related physical ailments and discomforts dominate brick industries of Nepal. The musculoskeletal disorder related pain and discomfort was experienced by 73 per cent of working children in Bhaktapur and 58 per cent in Sarlahi. The odds ratio suggests that working children were 8 times more likely to experience trouble or body pain compared to non-working children. This study finds that presence of inferior physical environment, working conditions and practices has contributed to musculoskeletal injuries and problems exposing working children to risks and hazards. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i2.1027
Assessment of Dental caries status, Periodontal health and oral hygiene practices among two Populations of Moradabad city, India
Get PDFBackground: Ever since the beginning of the universe mankind had struggled constantly for their livelihood, Moradabad is branded as the “Brass city” of India, which comprises of a large number of populations working in different industries. Objective: To assess and compare the oral health status of workers employed in brass industries with non industrial workers of Moradabad city. Material and Methods: A total of 500 workers from each group aged 30-50 with 5 years working experience were selected through random sampling. Type III examination was performed by recording who oral health assessment form. To compare the proportion chi-square test was used. Mean values were compared using students t-test. SPSS version 15.0 was used for statistical analyses. Results: The prevalence of dental caries as Mean DMFT score was significantly higher in Non Industrial Group i.e. 3.57±2.74 while it was 2.88±2.14 in brass workers. Periodontal diseases were higher among production workers that belong to brass industries. The prevalence of Oral Mucosal Lesions was significantly higher among Production Workers. Bleeding was more pronounced in general population but calculus and pockets were seen more in brass workers. The requirement of prosthetic status was also more prevalent among industry subjects. Conclusion: The Oral health status of Brass Industry Workers was relatively poor with poor periodontal health when compared to General Population. Further studies of oral occupational disease should be conducted in order to check or confirm previous reports and to discover possible manifestations arising in new industries.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i2.631
Exploratory Study on Safety Climate in Malaysian Automotive Manufacturing
Get PDFSafety climate scrutiny has been given attention by the organization in increasing productivity and efficiency in the workplace. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationship between safety climate construct factors and safety climate. Safety climate measurement as developed by Vinodkumar and Bashi was used and distributed to the selected respondents in the national automotive manufacturing plant. Internal consistency of six safety construct factors and correlation between safety construct factors and safety climate were validated using reliability analysis and Pearson correlation, respectively. The survey instrument scores had acceptable overall internal consistency (a = 0.913). The correlation analysis indicated that only two factors in safety construct factors have significant with safety climate. Both factors are enforcement of regulation and procedure of safety and safeness of work environment. The finding of this study provides a useful framework for the organization in practicing safety climate. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i2.6101 
Profile of occupational accidents reporting to a rural Plantation Hospital: A record review
No full textBackground: Plantation industries in India employ over 1 million people and are among the largest private employers in India. Plantations employ both skilled and un-skilled labour’s. The risks of occupational accidents are higher among this population due to the unfavorable working conditions.Objectives: To study the profile of occupational accidents and to describe the time trend of these occupational accidents. To assess changes if any in the profile of occupational accidents reporting to a rural plantation hospital over the last decade.Methodology: A descriptive hospital record review of all the patients presenting with occupational accident from January 2008 to December 2009.Results: 439 patients were registered with history of accidents; among them 196 were occupational accidents. Majority of the victims of the accident were in the age group of 21 – 40 years and were among males. Most common type and site of injuries were superficial injuries on the upper limbs. There is no significant change in the profile on occupational accidents over the last decade. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i2.613