scholarly journals Utilization of Personal Protective Equipment in Construction Industry of Nepal

Author(s):  
Uddhav Raj Acharya ◽  
Santosh Kumar Shrestha

Construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries worldwide. Use of personal protective equipment reduces injuries associated with it. This study has been undertaken to find out safety improvement measures and enforcement of statutory provisions available for safety practices, to analyze the current issues regarding application of PPE and to identify key factors preventing effective use of safety wears in construction industry of Nepal. The methodology adopted consists of comprehensive review of literature and questionnaire survey.100 sets of questionnaires to the professionals and 385 to the site operatives were administered. The collected data were analyzed using relative mean score and independent samples test and then ranked as per their significance. This study concluded that routine check of scaffold and ladder, in house safety training, daily consciousness of safety practice, etc. will improve workers’ safety practices. Wearing PPE can help protect from work related injuries, feeling responsible for wearing PPE all the times, asking supervisors for provision of appropriate and adequate PPE but the management has not maintained sufficient stock of appropriate safety wears are the current issues regarding application of PPE. Based on the result of Independent Samples T-test, safety wears are not comfortable to wear with, operatives’ engagement in improper conduct that could endanger their safety, ineffective communication between safety managers and workers are the major factors preventing effective use of safety wears.

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-159
Author(s):  
Anup Ghimire ◽  
Shyam Sundar Budhathoki ◽  
Surya Raj Niraula ◽  
Abha Shrestha ◽  
Paras K Pokharel

Background: Injuries are a problem worldwide in all occupations. Welders are exposed to many hazards at work resulting in a variety of health problems including injuries at work. This study was conducted to find out the prevalence and factors associated with injuries among welders in Dharan city of eastern Nepal.Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 86 welders in Dharan city. Occurrence of injury in past 2 weeks and past 12 months were recorded. Data regarding sociodemographic along with occupational characteristics was collected using semi structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 17.Results: All the welders in this study were male with almost half of the welders under the age of 25 years and about a fifth (21.1%) of the welders having received some form of welding training. In the past 12 months, 21.1% of the welders suffered from work related injuries. More than 95% welders used at least one personal protective equipment in this study. More injuries were seen among welders with age ≥35 years, working experience ≥ 5 years, not received training and not using of PPE at work. However, these factors were not found to be statistically significant.Conclusions: Work related injuries are high among welders of Dharan. Further research is required to explore the relationship between age, literacy, training and use of personal protective equipment with the occurrence of injuries among the welders.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 318-322
Author(s):  
Kenneth E. Games ◽  
Zachary K. Winkelmann ◽  
Lindsey E. Eberman

Half of all work-related injuries in the fire service are musculoskeletal-based due to slips, trips, and overexertion. This study evaluated the effects of physical exertion on balance in firefighters. Forty-one firefighters completed a physical exertion protocol with static and dynamic balance assessments while in personal protective equipment. Following the physical exertion protocol, we identified a significant decrease in anterior reach of the right limb, and significant increases in rectangular displacement area in both double- and single-legged stances. Balance is diminished in firefighters wearing personal protective equipment after engaging in a short bout of physical activity, suggesting a potential risk factor for lower extremity injury in the fire service.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Karl Kafui Kwaku Tetteh ◽  
Richard Owusu ◽  
Wisdom Kudzo Axame

Background. Eye injuries are one of the most common work-related injuries among certain occupations, including welders. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors influencing eye injuries among welders in Accra, Ghana. Methods. In a cross-sectional study, we recruited 382 welders in Accra from two welding sites. Systematic sampling was used to select participants. A pretested semistructured questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, history of eye injuries, ownership, and use of eye protective equipment and workplace characteristics. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions at 5% level of significance were used to determine factors influencing eye injuries. Data were entered into Microsoft excel and exported to Stata 16/MP for analysis. Results. We found 59.7% of welders engaged in electric/arc welding and 40.3% in gas welding. Overall prevalence of eye injuries was 47.9%, higher among electric/arc welders (73.7%) compared to gas welders (9.7%). Factors associated with eye injuries were engaging in gas welding [AOR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.04–0.16], higher monthly income [AOR = 5.26; 95% CI: 1.72–16.09], nonuse of eye PPE while working [AOR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.02–3.43], and no training on the use of eye personal protective equipment [AOR = 2.17; 95% CI: 1.07–4.38]. Conclusion. There is high prevalence of welding-related eye injuries among electric welders. Gas welding, high monthly income, nonuse of eye protective equipment, and inadequate training on the use of eye protective equipment were significantly associated with eye injuries. Health policies should be implemented to ensure all welders use eye personal protective equipment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_6) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Amin ◽  
M Fahad Ullah ◽  
E Hannon ◽  
G Feaney ◽  
J Khan

Abstract Introduction Personal protective equipments (PPEs) are like war uniforms in the fight against Corona Pandemic. The limited supply of PPEs warrant their proper use not only to avoid shortage of supplies but also to prevent any infectious spread to healthcare workers. This study aimed at analyzing awareness among non-consultant hospital doctors re proper use of PPEs Method A questionnaire was devised using local available guidelines published by university Hospital Limerick. The study was done in 2 phases. In 1st phase 100 questionnaires were distributed to non-consultant hospital doctors(NCHDs). Results were analysed and after 1st phase and emails were sent with results and local guidelines and a zoom educational session was organized. In 2nd phase, questionnaire was redistributed in a week's time and results were re analysed to close the loop. Results 200 NCHDs participated in the study,100 in each phase. Most common age group in two phases was 21-30 yrs. Awareness about PPEs use for Covid 19 increased significantly in 2nd phase across all domains (what is included in PPEs (100% from 91%), Sequence for putting on PPEs (52% to 88% p < 0.05), steps for FIT test (57% to 74% p = 0.247) and sequence for removing PPEs (47% to 81% p < 0.05). Conclusions Though PPEs donning and doffing sessions were organized by the hospital officially, Awareness about effective use of PPEs among NCHDs further improved after organizing a Zoom educational session and auditing.


Author(s):  
Engr. Jeferd E. Saong ◽  
Abigail L. Babaran ◽  
Glenn Dale A. Balaho

Construction sites generate high levels of dust typically from concrete, silica, asbestos, cement, wood, stone, and sand. Workers who are exposed to the said environment are faced with the risk of inhaling particulate materials that might lead to adverse respiratory problems. The lack of publication on the awareness of construction workers on the risk associated with silica dust exposure was the basis of the study. This study assessed the level of awareness of construction workers on the risk associated with silica dust exposure and the safety practices to minimize it. Purposive sampling was used in the selection of 65 respondents from different construction sites located in Baguio City, Philippines. A survey questionnaire containing four point Likert scales were used to determine the level of awareness on the health effects, mode of transmission, and sources of silica dust. The study further assessed the level of safety practices in mitigating the effects of silica dust exposure. The respondents were moderately aware (M=2.52) of the health effects, moderately aware (M=2.69) of the mode of transmission, and moderately aware (M=3.08) of the sources of silica dust. The results further showed that the respondents moderately practiced (M=2.84) activities to mitigate the health effects of silica dust exposure and moderately practiced (M=3.17) the use of personal protective equipment in the construction site. The results suggest that construction workers must be made more aware of the health effects of silica dust exposure and, mitigation activities and utilization of personal protective equipment must be strictly imposed in the construction site.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Zemachu Ashuro ◽  
Yifokire Tefera Zele ◽  
Robel Hussen Kabthymer ◽  
Kuma Diriba ◽  
Aragaw Tesfaw ◽  
...  

Background. Construction is one of the highest risky jobs for accident-related fatalities and injuries globally. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of work-related injury and its associated factors among construction workers in Ethiopia. Methods. A systematic literature search was performed by using PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. A random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of work-related injury and its associated factors. The heterogeneity of the studies was assessed by using the I2 test, and the presence of publication bias was evaluated by using funnel plot and Egger’s test. Results. After reviewing 292 articles, we included 10 studies that fulfilled the inclusion criteria in the meta-analysis. The findings from the 10 studies showed that the pooled prevalence of work-related injury in Ethiopia was 46.78% (95% CI: 32.17, 61.38). The subgroup analysis of this study showed that the highest prevalence was reported in Addis Ababa with the prevalence of 55.9% (25.42, 86.4), followed by a study conducted in Oromia Region with a prevalence of 43.3% (33.3, 53.3). Lack of occupational safety training (OR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.76, 3.35), not using of personal protective equipment (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.80, 2.99), and male workers (OR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.15, 5.17) were the major factors significantly associated with the occurrence of work-related injury among construction workers. Conclusions. This study confirmed that construction is still a high-risk job with a high prevalence of work-related injury in Ethiopia. The modifiable risk factors such as the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), lack of safety training, and gender were the major associated factors with injury. Therefore, a continuous safety training and awareness creation program on risk-taking behavior should be given to construction workers.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Hoedl ◽  
Doris Eglseer ◽  
Silvia Bauer

Background: The results of several projects on the effects of personal protective equipment (PPE) have been published since the outbreak of COVID-19. It is known that wearing PPE, and specifically face masks, has physcial consequences like headache and pain, which can increase stress among nursing staff. However, none of these studies placed a focus on PPE and nursing staff, although nurses are the only members of the health care profession who are at the patients bedsides 24/7, and PPE is the only way to protect them from a COVID-19 infection. Therefore, this study was carried out to investigate the association between the use of PPE and stress among nursing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted, which we distributed using snowball sampling techniques. The questionnaire was developed on the basis of (inter-)national recommendations as well as the international literature. We used the perceived level of stress scale to measure the nursing staff members stress levels. Results We included data collected from 2600 nurses in this analysis. Nearly all nursing staff wore face masks. We showed that more than two-thirds of the nurses had moderate to high levels of stress. No statistically significant association between the use of PPE and stress was detected. However, we show a statistically significant association between the duration of mask usage and stress. Discussion and conclusions Nearly all participating nurses wore face masks or FFP masks to protect themselves from COVID-19 infection. This observation might indicate that Austrian nurses display a high level of compliance with national and international regulations and play a key role in such pandemics. Our results also show that increased mask-wearing time led to increased stress levels. These results suggest that (inter-)national regulations on how and when to use PPE should include a maximum duration of time for wearing each type of mask. Such regulations could help to prevent work-related stress, particularly in the case of future epidemics, and avoid burnout among nursing staff or even nurses leaving their jobs. The consequences of both of these negative outcomes should be considered in light of the predicted expected future shortage of health care workers.


Prosthesis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 87-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Fiorillo ◽  
Teresa Leanza

The pandemic caused by the new coronavirus has placed national health systems of different countries in difficulty, and has demonstrated the need for many types of personal protective equipment (PPE). Thanks to the advent of new three-dimensional printing technologies, it was possible to share print files (using stereolithography (stl)) quickly and easily, improve them cooperatively, and allow anyone who possessed the materials, a suitable 3D printer and these files, to print. The possibility of being able to print three-dimensional supports, or complete personal protective equipment has been of incredible help in the management of COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019). The times and the relatively low costs have allowed a wide diffusion of these devices, especially for the structures that needed them, mainly healthcare facilities. 3D printing, now includes different fields of application, and represents, thanks to the evolution of methods and printers, an important step towards the “digital world”.


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