scholarly journals Occupational Health and Hazards among Health Care Workers

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tirthankar Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i1.9096 International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 3 No 1 (2013) 1 - 4

scholarly journals THE STATE OF SAFETY AND HYGIENE OF WORK OF MEDICAL WORKERS IN MODERN CONDITIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 59-65
Author(s):  
V. Fedorchuk-Moroz ◽  
M. Rudynets ◽  
M.-B. Moroz
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
The State ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Coronavirus Infection

Problem. In modern conditions as health care workers are fighting the coronavirus infection, the state of their occupational safety and hygiene needs to be studied. The article is devoted to this problem.Aim. The work aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of occupational safety and hygiene of health care workers and develop recommendations for its improvement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Research methods. During performing the research used complex methods of scientific knowledge: the philosophi-cal (dialectical), general (methods of complex, formal-logical and systematic analysis and synthesis) and comparative-law.The object of the study is the safety and hygiene of health care workers.The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive study of theoretical and practical aspects of occupational safety and hygiene of medical workers to reduce occupational injuries and occupational diseases, as well as to lower the degree of occupational risks.Results. The article considers the state of occupational safety and health of health care workers, who in the performance of their professional duties face a whole range of dangerous and harmful factors that can lead to the development of occupational diseases. Coronavirus infection paid particular attention. The article analyzes the latest research and publications on this issue, examines current law and regulations, considers the rights of physicians to healthy and safe working conditions.Conclusions and recommendations. In order to improve the state of occupational safety and hygiene of health care workers we recommend: to resume the operation of sanitary and epidemiological services in the country; to continue the educational training of epidemiologists and hygienists in universities; to ensure the organization of special training for all employees of medical institutions on modern methods of infection prevention, post-exposure prevention, as well as measures and means of infection control (introductory - during employment, periodic - once a year before the annual outbreak of infectious diseases, target - in case of sudden mass outbreaks of dangerous infections and their significant spread or after an occupational accident (infection)); to oblige to teach occupational safety disciplines in universities of medical profiles; at the state level to provide for the establishment of an appropriate system of occupational safety and health in the field of health care; to carry out obligatory assessment of working conditions and determination of the category of severity of work of medical workers; to provide all medical workers involved in the fight against infectious diseases with personal protective equipment at the required amount; to provide rational working and leisure conditions for medical workers in order to protect and preserve their health and ability to work; to ensure proper control over com-pliance with safety requirements when working with equipment that is a source of physically hazardous and harmful production factors; to carry out constant control over the amount of chemical and biological substances in the air of the working zone, air ionization, not allowing the maximum permissible concentrations to be exceeded.

scholarly journals Using Behavioral Theory to Enhance Occupational Safety and Health: Applications to Health Care Workers

2020 ◽  
pp. 155982761989697
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Guerin ◽  
David A. Sleet
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Behavioral Science ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers

Work-related morbidity and mortality are persistent public health problems across all US industrial sectors, including health care. People employed in health care and social services are at high risk for experiencing injuries and illnesses related to their work. Social and behavioral science theories can be useful tools for designing interventions to prevent workplace injuries and illnesses and can provide a roadmap for investigating the multilevel factors that may hinder or promote worker safety and health. Specifically, individual-level behavioral change theories can be useful in evaluating the proximal, person-related antecedents (such as perceived behavioral control) that influence work safety outcomes. This article (1) provides a brief overview of widely used, individual-level behavior change theories and examples of their application to occupational safety and health (OSH)–related interventions that involve the health care community; (2) introduces an integrated theory of behavior change and its application to promoting the OSH of health care workers; and (3) discusses opportunities for application of individual-level behavior change theory to OSH research and practice activities involving health care workers. The use of behavioral science to consider the role of individual behaviors in promoting health and preventing disease and injury provides a necessary complement to structural approaches to protecting workers in the health care industry.

scholarly journals ADOPTION OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PRACTICES AMONG HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN KENYAN PUBLIC REFERRAL HOSPITALS

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Kemunto Caroline Nyariki ◽  
Kimeli Matthew Chirchir
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Health Practices ◽  
Medical Superintendent ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Referral Hospitals

among health care workers in Kenyan public referral hospitals, especially to establish the place of health care worker training, personal protective equipment, occupational safety and health standards in influencing adoption of occupational safety and health practices.Methodology: The cross-sectional survey research study was based on data from 80 medical staff collected using a structured questionnaire from Baringo county referral hospital in Kenya. Data was diagnostically screened to determine Measure of Sampling Adequacy through Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) and Bartlett’s test of sphericity for detection of adequacy of correlations between the variables. Factor analysis was used as a dimensions reduction technique to identify predictors and principal components that accounted most for adoption of occupations safety and health practices among health care workers while Wald Chi-square test of model fit was used to determine if predictors in the principal components significantly influenced adoption of occupational safety and health practices while regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between principal components established through factor analysis.Findings: The study concluded that from the total of 20 factors under study, seven factors accounted most in determining adoption of occupational safety and health practices among health care workers in Kenyan public referral hospitals; they are staffed capacity building through training, implementation of safety and health guidelines, wearing of safety gear, provision of standard operating procedures on PPEs, training needs analysis, provision of information to staff on guidelines and sensitization on risks.Unique contributions to practice and policy: The study recommends that, County Executive Committee member for health through the Medical Superintendent should make necessary budgetary allocations towards staff training, organize and implement specialized training in occupational safety and health for their staff as a matter of priority. The medical superintendent should put in place a robust mechanism that ensures consistent implementation of safety and health guidelines in their facilities. He should further cause an audit of PPEs and ensure deficits on PPEs are included in the next and subsequent financial year procurement plan. The Human Resource Officers should on continuous basis utilizing continuous education approach, organise staff sensitization particularly to sensitize staff on wearing of safety gear, standard operating procedures on PPEs and preview of applicable guidelines and sensitization on risks.

scholarly journals NSI: A major occupational hazards among the health care workers in Nepal

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaita Mondal
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Body Fluid ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Needle Stick Injury ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
B Virus

A percutaneous piercing wound as in needle stick injury is a typically set by a needle point, but possibly also by other sharp instruments or objects. These events are of concern because of the risk to transmit blood-borne diseases through the passage of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus which causes AIDS. The present study was done to determine the risk status regarding NSI among health care workers of Private Hospitals, Pokhara, Nepal. Samples were selected through purposive sampling. Self administered questionnaire & risk assessment tool were used to collect data. Study revealed that majority of health care workers were females (93%) with mean age of 22.66 years (±3.1). Sixty eight percent had got NSI, among them 41% had NSI more than 2times in life. Maximum NSI cases happened either by recapping of the needle (18%) or during disposal of sharps (16%) or while transferring a body fluid (blood) to a specimen bottle (15%). The study concludes that majority of health workers had NSI more than two times which denotes NSI is a major occupational hazard. Cases happened either by recapping of the needle or during disposal of sharps or while transferring a body fluid to a specimen bottle. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i1.9098   International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 3 No 1 (2013) 22-25

scholarly journals Legal Framework as a Determinant of Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Programmes in the Manufacturing Sector in Kenya.

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscilla Wanjiku Ndegwa ◽  
Wario Guyo ◽  
George Orwa ◽  
Robert Ng’ang’a ◽  
Elishba Muthoni Murigi
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Occupational Health And Safety ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Hazardous Substances ◽  
Safety And Health

Recent trends in the organization of work have increased the risk of occupational safety and health (OSH) in Kenyan industries through exposure to hazardous substances, work related accidents and increased stress-related illnesses. According to International lab our organization (ILO) everyone is entitled to the right to safe and healthy working conditions and therefore the corpus of law in Kenya dealing with occupational safety and health should be embedded in the international OSH legal instruments. Specifically the occupational health and safety Act (2007) is expected to provide for safety, health and welfare of workers and all persons lawfully present at workplaces. The purpose of this study therefore was to investigate legal framework as a determinant of implementation of occupational health and safety programmes in the manufacturing sector in Kenya. It focused on six legal areas predicted as affecting implementation of OSH. These factors were national OSH policy, OSHA (occupational safety and health Act) familiarity with OSHA, government OSH inspections and audits, ease of implementation of OSHA, Government support in the implementation of OSH and OSHA implement ability. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design but however intended to gather both qualitative and quantitative data. A self administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 257 OSH officers drawn randomly from 735 manufacturing industries registered by Kenya manufacturers association. 252 questionnaires were received back and analyzed with the help of SSPS window version 21. Both correlation and regression analysis were conducted and the results showed that there was a positive significant relationship between legal framework and implementation of OSH programmes. 

scholarly journals Evaluation of Sensitization Program on Occupational Health Hazards for Nursing and Allied Health Care Workers in a Tertiary Health Care Setting

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manisha Naithani ◽  
Meenakshi Khapre ◽  
Rajesh Kathrotia ◽  
Puneet Kumar Gupta ◽  
Vandana Kumar Dhingra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Training Program ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Needlestick Injury ◽  
Incident Reporting ◽  
Health Hazards ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Care Workers

Background: Occupational health hazard pertaining to health care providers is one of the neglected areas that need serious attention. Any compromise in their safety would result in reduction in workforce, which may affect patient care, keeping in mind the wide gap between the required number and actual health care workers (HCWs) available in the world over.Aim: This study was undertaken to evaluate the change in knowledge through a sensitization training program on occupational health hazards and vaccination for HCWs.Materials and Methods: Participants of the study included nursing and allied HCWs of a tertiary care health institute in Uttarakhand, India. Multiple training sessions, each of around 180 min, were held periodically in small groups with 20–40 participants over 2 years. Participants were assessed with pretest and posttest questionnaires, and feedback was taken. Questionnaires comprised three categories: general safety and ergonomics, biological hazards, and chemical and radiation hazards. Data of incident reporting for needlestick injury from 2017 to 2019 were retrieved. All data were compiled in Excel sheet and analyzed.Results: A total of 352 participants were included in the study. Mean ± SD for pretest and posttest scores were 5.3 ± 2.13 and 11.22 ± 2.15, respectively. There was considerable improvement in knowledge, which was found to be statistically significant with p-value of 0.001 for all categories. Participants in their feedback suggested for inclusion of psychosocial aspect in further training programs.Conclusion: Low baseline knowledge prior to attending the course highlights a need for an intervention through such structured sensitization program to create awareness and educate HCWs on common occupational health hazards and vaccination. Statistically significant improvement in posttest knowledge highlights effectiveness of the training program. A drastic rise in incident reporting for needlestick injury reflects fairly good impact of training program. Regular and appropriate form of training can reduce injuries resulting from occupational hazards and ensure healthy workforce contributing toward a positive impact on national economy.

scholarly journals Expanding Reach of Occupational Health Knowledge: Contributing Subject-Matter Expertise to Wikipedia as a Class Assignment

2021 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 004695802110357
Author(s):  
Diana M. Ceballos ◽  
Robert F. Herrick ◽  
Tania Carreón ◽  
Vy T. Nguyen ◽  
MyDzung T. Chu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Occupational Health ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Subject Matter Expertise ◽  
Education Platform ◽  
Health Content

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and several university programs have collaborated on a large effort to expand and improve occupational safety and health content in Wikipedia using a platform developed by Wiki Education. This article describes the initiative, student contributions, and evaluations of this effort by instructors from two universities between 2016 and 2020. The Wiki Education platform allowed instructors to set timelines and track students’ progress throughout the semester while students accessed training to best expand health content in Wikipedia. Students chose topics in occupational health based on their interests and by a set of topics deemed as a priority by the “WikiProject Occupational Safety and Health.” Students’ contributions were peer-reviewed by instructors, NIOSH Wikipedians-in-Residence, and traditional Wikipedians. Students presented their projects in class at the end of the semester. Students from both schools expanded 55 articles, created 8 new articles, and translated 2 articles to Spanish, adding 1270 references; these articles were viewed over 8 million times by May 2020. Feedback received from the implementation suggested that students learned about science communication and digital literacy—providing valuable content on occupational health while reducing misinformation in the public domain. The process of identifying and addressing gaps in occupational health in Wikipedia requires participation and engagement toward improving access to information that otherwise would be restricted to the scientific literature, often behind a paywall. The Wikipedia assignment proved to be an engaging approach for instruction and information literacy. It helped students improve their science communication skills and digital literacy, tools that are likely to be critical for successful communication of science in their future careers.

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