Industrial accident experience of one company on 8- and 12-hour shift systems
Article Abstract:
There is a growing volume of data concerning the effects of shift work on the health of the worker. The 8-hour rotating shift, an accepted work standard, is being rapidly replaced by 12-hour shifts (day, night). The impact of this 12-hour work schedule on health status and accident rates was examined in this study. The large yarn-manufacturing company being studied changed from 8- to 12-hour shifts in 1975. Records of on- and off-the-job injuries, injury severity, and the time of injuries were reviewed for the 10-year periods before and after the shift changes were implemented. Injuries were described as: (I) minor, requiring first aid; (II) requiring medical care from a nurse or a physician; (III) injury level II, but with a work restriction required; and (IV) injury that resulted in a lost shift or work day. The study population included all full-time production workers employed on April 30, 1985. A cohort of 247 workers within the larger group were employed for the full 20-year period of the study. A total of 3,423 on-the-job injuries, recorded among 775 workers, were divided in the four categories as follows: injury level (I), 2,807; level (II), 364; (III), 208; and (IV), 44. The distribution of injuries was similar in the two 10-year periods. The total of category I and II injuries declined during the 12-hour shift period. Male injury rates were higher than for females in the 8-hour shifts, but not in the 12-hour shifts. Off-job injuries increased after 12-hour shifts were implemented. The injury record of the 20-year workers paralleled that of the total study group. The results suggested that the 12-hour shift schedule did not result in increased accidents. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1991
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Pharmaceuticals as hospital hazards: managing the risks
Article Abstract:
Some pharmaceutical agents (drugs) can pose health problems to the health care professionals who prepare, handle, and dispense them. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) proposed safe handling guidelines to reduce the risk of the potential health hazards caused by contact with pharmaceutical agents. Many hospitals practice the guidelines established by OSHA. This article describes the development of a program at Johns Hopkins University for identifying and classifying pharmaceutical agents based on their potential toxicity. A panel of health professionals, pharmacists, and industrial hygienists was brought together to form a Hazardous Drug Working Group. The goal of the group was to determine the health hazard potential of all pharmaceuticals used in the workplace. This involved making a list of all pharmaceuticals encountered that may be hazardous. The available toxicological data on the various pharmaceutical agents were reviewed and gathered, and added to the list. When determining if a particular pharmaceutical agent is hazardous, the known toxic, carcinogenic (cancer), and teratogenic (potential for causing abnormal development of a fetus) properties of the agent must be considered. Also, it is important to consider the known side effects that an agent produces when it is given to a patient. Based on this information, each pharmaceutical agent can be classified as hazardous or not hazardous. Classification systems such as this one will be useful for reducing the exposure of health professionals to potentially hazardous pharmaceutical agents. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1991
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Poor agreement of occupational data between a hospital-based cancer registry and interview
Article Abstract:
It is recognized that a number of occupations are associated with an increased risk for cancer. However, most hospital medical records and cancer registries do not keep adequate information on the occupations of patients. Most of the information for cancer registries come directly from hospital records. This study examined the accuracy of industry or occupational (I/O) data in a cancer registry by compared this data with results of interviews with patients. It also examined the effectiveness of a project designed to enhance the quality of such data for a hospital-based cancer registry. One hundred fourteen lung cancer patients were interviewed by staff trained specifically to elicit I/O information; the patients also had the traditional medical record abstracting procedure performed by personnel who were not specially trained for eliciting I/O information. Results showed that the traditional method for obtaining I/O information only agreed with direct interviews 33 percent of the time for current occupation, and 32 percent of the time for usual occupation. These results indicate that I/O data elicited by traditional medical record keeping methods is often incomplete and inaccurate. Patient interviews are required for accurate I/O data. Such accuracy is needed to study cancer and occupational exposure. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1991
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