Awareness and Conception of health care

workers about Physical Hazards in Tanta

University Hospitals

Introduction
Worldwide, the healthcare workforce represents 12% of the working
population. Healthcare workers operate in an environment that is
considered to be one of the most hazardous occupational settings.

Definitions:
PHYSICAL HAZARDS:

factors within the environment that can harm the body without
necessarily touching it.
Types:

 Noise
 High and low Temperature
 Pressure
 Vibration
 Light
 Electric shock
 Also include : slips, trips, falls, burns, fracture, radiation from X-
rays, noise, and nonionizing radiation;

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Magnitude:
Health burden
A health care facility is a workplace as well as a place for receiving and
giving care. Health care facilities around the world employ over 59
million workers who are exposed to a complex variety of health and
safety hazards everyday. Protecting the occupational health of health
workers is critical to having an adequate workforce of trained and healthy
health personnel.

To understand the prevalence, incidence, health and community burden, a

study was made about Occupational Health Hazards among
Healthcare Workers in Kampala, Uganda.[1]
Another study among health care workers in public health
facilities in southern India.[2]

1)Uganda Survey :

Studied Population:
The study population comprised a range of healthcare workers working
in selected health facilities. These included doctors, nurses, clinical
officers, and midwives a m o n g 2 0 0 p a r t i c i p a n t
Hazards experienced by health workers (𝑁 = 200)
Biological hazards 79 (39.5)
Sharp related injuries (such as needle sticks) 43 (21.5)
Cuts and wounds 34 (17)
Direct contact with contaminated
Specimens/biohazardous materials 21 (10.5)

Airborne diseases 18 (9.0)

Infectious diseases and/or infections 15 (7.5)
Others (blood borne pathogens, vector borne
Diseases, and bioterrorism) 1 5 (7.5)
Non-biological hazards 63 (31.5)
Stress 43 (21.5)
Physical, psychological, sexual, and/or verbal
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Abuse 21 (10.5)
Musculoskeletal injuries 21 (10.5)
Slips, trips, and/or falls 12 (6.0)
Fractures 10 (5.0)
Others (chemical spills, noise, burns, and
radiations) 20 (10.0)

2) Southern India Survey:

A total of 482 HCWs participated. Thirty nine percent did not

recognize work-related health hazards, but reported exposure
to at least one hazard upon further probing. Among the 81·5%
who reported exposure to biological hazard, 93·9% had direct
skin contact with infectious materials. Among HCWs reporting
needle stick injury, 70·5% had at least one in the previous three
months. Ergonomic hazards included lifting heavy objects
(42%) and standing for long hours (37%). Psychological
hazards included negative feelings (20·3%) and verbal or
physical abuse during work (20·5%).

Conclusion:

Healthcare workers continue to face several hazards in their workplaces.

The factors associated with experiencing hazards include:
 Not wearing all necessary protective equipment,
 Working overtime,
 Experiencing work related pressures,
 Working in multiple facilities.

Interventions should be instituted to mitigate the hazards. Specifically

PPE supply gaps, job related pressures, and complacence in adhering to
mitigation measures should be addressed.

References

[ 1 ] Department of Disease Control and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences,
Makerere University, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
[ 2 ] Int J Occup Environ Health. 2015 Jan;21(1):74-81. doi: 10.1179/2049396714Y.0000000096. Epub 2014
Dec 8.