Injuries among medical laboratory housekeeping staff: incidence and worker perceptions
Article Abstract:
Injuries among laboratory maintenance staff have not been previously reported as separate data. Many factors have been implicated in these injuries, including: lack of training, supervision or experience; the use of hazardous materials or chemicals; physical, social and evironmental factors; and sharp or broken labware. Studies that have been concluded have dealt with hospital laboratories rather than research or nonhospital facilities. Workers' perceptions of possible causes and cures were not previously entertained, but are the basis of this study. Employee incident reports, worker assessment of behavorial, organizational and environmental factors, and potential remedies and prevention strategies are included in the analysis. A total of 326 injuries to 239 housekeepers occured in a university housekeeping division during the three-year period of the study. Housekeepers in health related laboratories experienced 137 injuries. Most common injuries were cuts and punctures, strains and sprains, contusions, and heat or chemical burns and irritations. Most injuries occurred above the waist, and of those, most involved the hands and fingers. Sharp objects and ignorance of laboratory practices and procedures were identified by the workers as the most frequent causes. Ignoring protective and preventive recommendations also ranked high among the causes of injuries. The employees saw several possible solutions: safety training for old and new staff, regular safety meetings with staff and management, and hazard and risk identification. The true injury rate is probably greater, since large numbers of incidents go unreported. Adequate and beneficial safety programs and information will enhance worker safety and reduce injury. (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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A flexibility intervention to reduce the incidence and severity of joint injuries among municipal firefighters
Article Abstract:
Fire fighting is a very hazardous job; despite the widespread belief that police work is more dangerous, statistics show that fire fighting actually involves twice the risk of death on the job as police work. Fire fighters are also frequently injured in the line of duty, and the injury rates have not dropped during the past 15 years. The most common type of injury is a musculoskeletal sprain or strain, and research in sports medicine suggests that some of these injuries can be prevented with flexibility training. In this study, 469 municipal fire fighters were divided into two groups: one received flexibility training (experimental group), while the other did not (control group). Experimental group subjects did 12 stretching exercises for a period of 30 minutes a day during their work shift; the intervention lasted for six months. Both groups were evaluated for flexibility before and after the study, and data were collected on injuries, time lost from work, and medical costs. As expected, overall flexibility was significantly increased in the experimental group only. The number of injuries did not differ between the two groups, but when experimental group subjects were injured they lost less time from work than the control subjects, indicating that the experimental group injuries were less severe. It is concluded that the flexibility training program reduced the severity of joint injury and, consequently, the cost from absenteeism among these fire fighters. The specific exercises included in the program are described and shown in photographs. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1990
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Injuries to carpenters
Article Abstract:
Data collected at a large, centralized teaching hospital in Vermont from November 1, 1986 to October 31, 1987 established an accident rate for carpenters of 13.3 to 17.2 percent per year, based on analysis of 208 consecutively treated injuries. Ninety-eight percent of the patients were men and 95 percent of the injuries occurred at work. Forty-eight percent of the patients were under the age of 30 with an additional 10 percent of the injuries occurring to individuals under the age of 20. One quarter of the injuries resulted from falls, and 40 percent of the injuries were related either to the use of power tools or from construction material. Although most injuries with power tools were caused by contact with revolving parts of the tools, "skill" saw injuries were usually to the eyes as a result of flying debris. In general, 43 percent of those injured suffered no disability to work, but approximately 20 percent were disabled for more than a month. Average hospital costs for this group of patients was $347.
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1989
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