The fate of a Military Pilot in Malaysia: Lingering on the ground after young stroke

Strokes in young pilots can result in the devastating loss of productive years of life, especially for pilots at the peak of their careers. A 32-yr-old male military helicopter pilot was diagnosed with superior sagittal sinus thrombosis and bilateral parietal hemorrhages secondary to protein S deficiency after 15 years in military service. Two years post-stroke, he was carefully evaluated for a possible return to work after aeromedical assessment and the 1 percent rule being considered. A decision was made by the medical board for him to be disqualified to fly and grounded with work accommodation. The authors recommend that there is a need for reassessment up to two years using the objective PULHEEMS method for young pilots who failed aeromedical assessment due to stroke for returning to work as their experiences and knowledge is highly valuable.

Analysis of differences in variables related to health and safety according to the employment type of Korean workers

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to understand the differences in variables related to health and safety according to the employment type of Korean workers, specifically to identify the differences by employment type on in health status, the likelihood of wearing protective gear when working, access to manuals on emotional expression, and access to information on risk factors related to health and safety. Methods: The secondary data of four items on employment type, health type of workers and safety among the 5th Korean Working Condition Survey conducted in 2017 in Korea was used in this study. The data of workers were processed by using SPSS/WIN 23.0 Program and R 3.1.2, and demographic characteristics were quantified as frequency and percentage. Results: A total of 30,300 employed people were surveyed. The result shows that part-time workers have poorer health than full-time workers (c2 = 540.7155, p < 0.05), insufficiently wore protective gear (c2 = 24.8702, p < 0.05), had insufficient access to manuals on emotional expression (c2 = 27.7612, p < 0.05) and lacked information about risk factors (c2 = 185.0082, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Health and safety manager will need to have education and consultation, development of manual and perform an early intervention to improve safety environment as primary health care providers by understanding factors related to health and safety of part-time workers.

Occupational health hazards and use of personal protective equipment among automobile mechanics in Surulere local government area of Lagos State, Nigeria - a descriptive study

Introduction: The job of an automobile mechanic is associated with hazards, illness, and injuries, which may result in sickness, absenteeism, economic loss, disability, or even death. This study assessed the level of knowledge and workplace safety practice by automobile mechanics. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 120 registered automobile mechanics in Surulere Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on socio-demography and occupational health practices. Data entry and analysis were done with Epi-info 3.5.1(2008). Chi-square and Fischer Exact tests were used to test for significance. Results: The respondents were all males with a mean age of 39.9±7.5 years, the majority learned the trade through apprenticeship (95.80%) and on full-time work (98.30%). Most respondents (95.8%) were aware of at least one health problem associated with its hazards. Over 75% of respondents were aware of physical hazards. Over eighty percent (84.17%) of respondents used their own overalls, 40% of them used overalls regularly, and only 26.67% of respondents used overalls appropriately. Conclusion: Many respondents were aware of health problems, occupational hazards, and PPE used in the Automobile workplace but did not translate to good practice of workplace safety as seen in only 1.67%. The respondents did not deem the use of PPE necessary and lack, or inadequate training on the ‘how’ and ‘why’ PPE were identified as factors hindering PPE use. Workers' training and adherence monitoring could help improve good workplace safety practices in Lagos, Nigeria.

Occupational risk assessment and selected morbidities among cement brick unit workers in a rural area of Bangalore District, India

Introduction: The labor-intensive nature of cement brick manufacturing, its unorganized nature and internal migration, expose the employees to several occupational health hazards. The objective of the study was to assess the occupational risks in cement brick unit settings and to estimate the prevalence of respiratory and musculoskeletal morbidities among the cement brick unit workers in a rural area of Bangalore urban district. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among cement brick unit workers over two months. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to capture sociodemographic details. Multiple observations on the field and the World Health Organization semi-quantitative risk assessment matrix were used to obtain risk scores of the occupational hazards. A structured questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and Minispir Portable Spirometer were used to assess the respiratory morbidities and lung functions. Musculoskeletal morbidities were assessed using the Modified Nordic questionnaire. Proportions were used to describe respiratory and musculoskeletal morbidities. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and multivariate logistic regressions were done to identify significant variables. Results: Among 120 subjects, 110 (91.6%) were men and 85.8% were migrants. Injury due to falls of heavy objects, back injury, respiratory complaints and slips/falls were found to be high-risk health hazards. The prevalence of respiratory morbidity was 21.7% and that of musculoskeletal morbidity was 51.7%. Workers receiving a higher salary (≥ 1500 Indian rupees) had higher odds of having respiratory morbidity. Conclusion: The prevalence of respiratory and musculoskeletal morbidities was high. Introduction of mechanical equipment, decreasing work hours, periodic medical examinations and appropriate use of personal protective equipment will help in risk reduction as per this study.

Assessment of job stress among non-teaching staff: A cross-sectional study at teaching hospital, Central India

Introduction: Job stress plays an important role in the maintenance of organizational performance. A key aspect of job stress is increased workload, role conflict, poor job control, lack of support from coworkers and interpersonal conflict. Most studies in the field of job stress have focused on private sectors. The objective of this study was to assess the job stress among non-teaching staff at government teaching hospital. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was carried out in a government teaching hospital in central India between Jan 2020 to March 2020 among 90 participants purposively chosen for the study. New Job Stress Scale was used to assess the extent of stress among the participants. Approval from Institutional Ethical Committee was obtained before commencing the study. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 20 for percentages, mean and standard deviation. Results: A moderate level of stress affects 47.78 percent of participants. The present study found that most problematic dimensions of job stress variables were dimension of role conflict with as many as 51% of participants had experience role expectation conflict. Conclusion: We can infer from this finding that we need to have formal job description written for their non-teaching staff so that their role should be clear and unambiguous.

Insights into Knowledge, Attitude and Perception about Dental Ergonomics and Work-Related Musculo Skeletal Disorders (MSD) among Dental Professionals at Chengalpet District, Tamil Nadu, India: A cross-sectional study

Introduction: Despite all modern technological advances, dentistry is a profession still being affected by various musculoskeletal disorders, because of their prolonged working hours and difficult postures. Hence, this study was undertaken to assess the basic knowledge, attitude and practice of dental ergonomics during routine dental procedures among dental professionals and the second aim of the study focused on knowledge, attitude and practice of dental ergonomics by gender. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 203 dental professionals from January 2021 to February 2021. A structured questionnaire consisting of 15 questions was administered. Descriptive analysis of demographic variables was done and knowledge, attitude and perception scores were performed using the chi-square test. Results: Among the 203 participants, a considerable majority of the participants which is about 75.9% (male: 71.1% and female: 79.6%) reported that they have awareness of dental ergonomics. There were no statistically significant differences between males and females regarding knowledge score of p=1.280. About 46.4% of participants (male: 54.3 % and female: 43.9%), complained of neck pain followed by 44.3% (male 41.3% and female 45.2%) complained of back pain. About 58.6% reported that the pain was caused strictly because of improper posture and non-ergonomically designed equipment. The difference between the gender variations was statistically significant regarding perception about dental ergonomics (p=0.001*) Conclusion: Dental professionals have considerable awareness of ergonomics in dental practice. The current study highlights the situation of ergonomics in dental practice in the form of knowledge, attitude, and practices.

Occupational radiation safety studies in Nepal – a review

Occupational radiation safety and health is the most neglected aspect in the health sector in Nepal. There has been gross negligence in occupational safety and health as a whole in Nepal. This paper is a review of previously published articles on topics of occupational radiation safety and health in Nepal. Keywords such as Nepal, occupational safety, radiation safety, radiation risk, and health were used to search for relevant articles in PUBMED and Google Scholar. A total of 15 research articles were reviewed, which dealt with different forms of occupational radiation risks and exposure, regulatory works and consequently its knowledge and awareness among the professionals. The reviewed articles are basically of 3 types: analytical or progress reports, knowledge or awareness assessment, and measurement-based research articles. The overall status of occupational radiation safety and health does not look satisfactory. Although occupational radiation safety and health is a very important issue at an individual, social and national level in any hospital, agricultural or industrial sector, it has not received much attention so far in Nepal. This is evident by the minimal number of literature available on the status of occupational radiation safety and health in Nepal. Standard work situations and criteria have to be set up and regular radiation monitoring should be done to ensure the maintenance of quality at work. In addition, workshops, seminars, symposiums, training courses, and Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programs should be organized regularly to raise the level of radiation awareness in the profession. The state agencies need to develop and update respective national laws, policy and programs for occupational radiation safety and health. There is an utmost need for extensive researches to be performed covering overall radiation health and other services of the professionals in Nepal where radiation is being used for their advantageous purposes.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among pesticide sprayers of tea plantations in South India

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are conditions in which the work environment and performance of work contribute significantly to the musculoskeletal condition. The objective of this study was to assess the work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the pesticide sprayers in tea plantations. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 chemical sprayers in selected tea plantations in South India from September to October 2018. Simple random sampling was done to select the sprayers for the study, written informed consent was taken and face–to–face interview was done with the sprayers. Socio-demographic factors and work profiles were noted. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used for the evaluation of musculoskeletal complaints. Results: Among the 290 sprayers in the study, all of them were males and the mean age of the participants was 45.6±8.5 years. More than half of the study participants 152 (52.4%) suffered from at least one musculoskeletal complaint and most of them 104 (35.8%) had pain in more than one body part. Among them, more than one-third 101 (34.8%) suffered from knee joint pain in the past twelve months. Shoulder problems (27.6%), lower back (22.8%) and upper back pains (19.3%) were the other major work-related musculoskeletal disorders that the study participants faced in the past year. Knee pain (31.7%), low backache (20.7%) and shoulder pain (24.1%) were the musculoskeletal problems that were related to their absence from work. Conclusion: More than half of the sprayers had at least one musculoskeletal complaint. Most common issues included knee joint pain, shoulder pain and back pains.

The Relationship Between Organizational Safety Culture and Organization Safety Performance. The Mediating Role of Safety Management System

Introduction: Safety performance is defined as efforts undertaken by organizations with the crucial aim of curtailing accidents and injuries to workers. It plays a crucial role in an organization aiming to achieve an anticipated outcome. A plethora of studies have found positive association between safety culture and safety performance of organizations. However, little is known on how the mechanism through which organizational safety culture exerts its influence on safety performance. Thus, this study investigates the indirect effect of safety management system in the relationship between organizational safety culture and safety performance. Methods: This study employs the use of a 5-point Likert questionnaire to collect data from 134 respondents who are head of safety officers in F&B industries located in Lagos, Nigeria. SmartPLS 2.0 was used for data analysis. Results: Results from path analysis revealed that safety culture and safety management system positively relate to safety performance. Furthermore, the mediation analysis indicated an indirect effect of safety management system in the relationship between safety culture and safety performance. Conclusion: It is concluded that though safety culture has a significant positive relationship on safety performance, however its effect will be more if F&B organizations create and constantly implement a robust safety management system.

Use of personal protective equipment among waste workers of Sisdol landfill site of Nepal

Introduction: Solid waste management is a major issue in Nepal with Kathmandu valley generating the highest amount of solid waste. After recovery, the solid waste generated in Kathmandu valley is transferred to the Sisdol landfill site. There are waste workers in Sisdol landfill site who sustain their livelihood by collecting recyclables from those wastes. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary to protect the frontline waste workers against infection. In addition, the waste workers need to know the proper usage of PPE in order to protect themselves from contamination. This study aimed to assess the awareness and proper usage of PPE along with the challenges faced by the waste workers at Sisdol landfill site. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from landfill waste workers of Sisdol located at Kakani Rural Municipality in Nuwakot district of Nepal. A convenience sampling method was used based on the availability of landfill waste workers on that day and their willingness to participate. The data was collected using the structured questionnaire and personal interview of available waste workers. Results: The study comprised of 65% female and 35% male waste workers. The highest percentage of waste workers belong to 27-37 age group occupying 43% of total respondents. Around 92% waste workers had participated in any orientation/training or session related to PPE and its usage. About 60% landfill waste workers were found only using mask and gloves. Conclusion: There is small number of waste workers who wish to wear full set of PPE. Most of them only like to wear mask and gloves. The gender, age group and the education level of waste workers had no association with the usage of PPE during the work.