Research Article
Knowledge levels of prehospital emergency health workers about occupational disease risk factors and influencing factors
Abstract
Introduction: Today, occupational diseases are growing more and more significant. This study aims to determine pre-hospital health workers' degree of awareness regarding the risk factors they can run into related to occupational diseases and the factors that affect them.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. The study's sample population consists of 504 pre-hospital emergency medical services employees in Elazig province. The sample group has not been chosen, and the entire population is intended to be reached. The questionnaire consists of 25 questions. Face-to-face interviews using a questionnaire were conducted on a volunteer basis. The rate of participating in the survey was 84.6%. The collected data were entered into a statistical package program. For statistical analysis, Fisher's Exact and Chi-square tests were performed.
Results: The participants' average age was 30,61±9,83. Women comprised 59.6% of the workforce, 55.4% of those employed at district health facilities, and 40.9% were paramedics. 90,2% of the participants voluntarily choose the occupation. 93% of workers believed that musculoskeletal illnesses were a danger associated with their line of work. The risk of exposure to violence was the top "stress-generating issue" for 69.6% of workers.
Conclusion: The majority of respondents willingly chose the profession. Most frequently, ergonomic issues are considered to be risk factors for employment. Long night shift hours and a misfit night shift coworker are sources of high stress for doctors and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) respectively. It is suggested that health professionals receive more training on occupational diseases, that they become more sensitive to various biological and chemical risk factors, with the exception of common viruses like HBV transmission, and it is recommended to take further action against violence.
Keywords: Occupational diseases, health workers, risk factors, emergency medical services, ergonomics
References
- 1. Aslan S, Guzel S. Pre-hospital emergency health services in Turkey. J Soc Humanities Sci Res 2018;5(31):4995-2. http://dx.doi.org/10.26450/jshsr.856
- 2. Yildirim SA, Gerdan S. Occupational risks of pre-hospital emergency medicine workers in the context of occupational health and safety. Pre-Hospital J 2017;2(1):37-50. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/hod/issue/58618/797514 (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 3. Bulut A. [Determination of OHS Risks and OHS Guideline for 112 Emergency Ambulances] (in Turkish). Ministry of the Labour and Social Security, Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety. Ankara; 2016. Available at: http://nek.istanbul.edu.tr:4444/ekos/TEZ/57103.pdf (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 4. US Bureau of labor statistics (2018). Survey of occupational injuries & illnesses charts package. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/iif/soii-charts-2018.pdf/ (Access Date: May 20, 2020)
- 5. Celikkalp U, Saracoglu G, Tokuc B. Increase of knowledge level of nursing students about occupational health and safety. Namik Kemal Med J 2017;5(1):36–43. https://doi.org/10.19127/mbsjohs.625203
- 6. Bilir N. Occupational Health and Safety. 1st Edi. Ankara: Gunes Tip Kitabevleri; 2014.
- 7. Onder OR, Agirlas I, Yasar GY, Aksoy A. [evaluation of physicians and nurses working in Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital in terms of work accidents and occupational diseases] (In Turkish). Ankara J Health Serv 2011;10(1): 31-44. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ashd/issue/40350/482204 (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 8. Altiok M, Kuyurtar F, Karacoglu S, Ersoz G, Erdogan S. [Healthcare workers experiences with sharps and needlestick injuries and precautions they took when injuring] (In Turkish). Maltepe Univ Nurse Sci Art J 2009;2(2):70-9. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Erdogan_Semra/publication/239601046_Saglik_Calisanlarinin_Delici_Kesici_Aletlerle_Yaralanma_Deneyimleri_ve_Yaralanmaya_Yonelik_Alinan_Onlemler/links/54d90bb10cf24647581d5493.pdf (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 9. CDC. Recommended vaccines for healthcare workers. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/hcw.html/ (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 10. Gulen B, Serinken M, Hatipoglu C, Ozasir D, Sonmez E, Kaya G, et al. Work-related injuries sustained by emergency medical technicians and paramedics in Turkey. Turk J Trauma Emergency Surg 2016;22(2):145-9. https://doi.org/10.5505/tjtes.2015.94224
- 11. Sencan I, Sahin I, Yildirim M, Yesildal N. Unrecognized abrasions and occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens among health care workers in Turkey. Occup Med 2004;54(3):202-6. doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqh048
- 12. Ambulance and medical equipment cleaning and disinfection instruction (in Turkish). The Ministry of Health-Turkey. Available at: https://acilafet.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/2610/0/ambulanstakibi-malzeme-temizlik-dezenfeksiyonupdf.pdf (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 13. Okutan M, Tengilimoglu D. [Stress in the work environment and methods of coping with stress: a case study] (in Turkish). J Ankara Haci Bayram Veli Univ Fac Econ Admin Sci 2002;(4)3:15-42. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/gaziuiibfd/issue/28347/301329 (Access Date: July 29, 2022)
- 14. Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare and social service workers. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf. (Access Date: May 17, 2020)
- 15. Turan P, Turan M, Tacgin E. [Work accidents of healthcare professionals: violence] (in Turkish). Turk J Occup Health Saf 2017;16:60-61. Available at: http://ttb.org.tr/msg/images/files/dergi/60-61/60-61.pdf (Access Date: July 28, 2022)
- 16. Akgun, S. [Work accidents in health sector] (in Turkish). Health Care Acad J 2015;2(2):67-5. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/sagakaderg/issue/46750/586379 (Access Date: July 28, 2022)
Hastane öncesi acil sağlık çalışanlarının meslek hastalığı risk faktörleri ile ilgili bilgi düzeyleri ve etkileyen faktörler
Abstract
Giriş: Meslek hastalıkları günümüzde giderek önemini arttırmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı hastane öncesi sağlık hizmeti çalışanlarının, meslek hastalıkları ile ilgili karşılaşabilecekleri risk faktörlerine yönelik bilgi düzeylerini ve etkileyen faktörleri belirlemektir.
Yöntem: Bu araştırma kesitsel tipte bir çalışmadır. Çalışmanın evrenini Elazığ ili hastane öncesi acil sağlık hizmetlerinde çalışan 504 personel oluşturmuştur. Örneklem grubu seçilmemiş olup evrenin tamamına ulaşılması planlanmıştır. Anket 25 sorudan oluşmaktadır. Gönüllülük esasına dayalı olarak yüz yüze görüşme yöntemi ile anket uygulanmıştır. Anketlere katılım oranı %84,6 olarak gerçekleşmiştir. Elde edilen veriler istatistik paket programa kaydedilmiştir. İstatistiksel analiz için X² ve Fisher’s Exact test kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların yaş ortalaması 30,61±9,83’ idi. Çalışanların %59,6’sı kadın, %40,9’u paramedik ve %55,4’ü ilçe istasyonların da çalışmaktaydı. Mesleği isteyerek seçenlerin oranı %90,2’di. Çalışanların %93,0’ı mesleklerinin kas iskelet sistemi hastalıkları için risk oluşturduğunu düşünüyordu. Çalışanların %69,6’sı için şiddete maruz kalma riski stres oluşturan ana faktördü.
Sonuç: Katılımcıların çoğunluğu mesleği isteyerek seçmiştir. Mesleki risk faktörü olarak en sık ergonomik faktörler görülmektedir. Nöbet süresinin uzun olması doktorlar arasında, nöbet arkadaşının uyumsuz olmasını ise acil tıp teknisyenleri (ATT) arasında yüksek oranda stres kaynağıdır. Sağlık çalışanlarına yönelik meslek hastalıkları konusunda eğitimlerin sıklaştırılması, HBV bulaşı gibi sık bilinen enfeksiyonlar dışında diğer biyolojik risk faktörlerine ve kimyasal risk faktörlerine karşıda duyarlılığın arttırılması yanında şiddete karşı önlemlerin arttırılması önerilmektedir.
Anahtar kelimeler: Meslek hastalıkları, sağlık çalışanları, risk faktörleri, acil servis, ergonomi
References
- 1. Aslan S, Guzel S. Pre-hospital emergency health services in Turkey. J Soc Humanities Sci Res 2018;5(31):4995-2. http://dx.doi.org/10.26450/jshsr.856
- 2. Yildirim SA, Gerdan S. Occupational risks of pre-hospital emergency medicine workers in the context of occupational health and safety. Pre-Hospital J 2017;2(1):37-50. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/hod/issue/58618/797514 (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 3. Bulut A. [Determination of OHS Risks and OHS Guideline for 112 Emergency Ambulances] (in Turkish). Ministry of the Labour and Social Security, Directorate General of Occupational Health and Safety. Ankara; 2016. Available at: http://nek.istanbul.edu.tr:4444/ekos/TEZ/57103.pdf (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 4. US Bureau of labor statistics (2018). Survey of occupational injuries & illnesses charts package. Available at: https://www.bls.gov/iif/soii-charts-2018.pdf/ (Access Date: May 20, 2020)
- 5. Celikkalp U, Saracoglu G, Tokuc B. Increase of knowledge level of nursing students about occupational health and safety. Namik Kemal Med J 2017;5(1):36–43. https://doi.org/10.19127/mbsjohs.625203
- 6. Bilir N. Occupational Health and Safety. 1st Edi. Ankara: Gunes Tip Kitabevleri; 2014.
- 7. Onder OR, Agirlas I, Yasar GY, Aksoy A. [evaluation of physicians and nurses working in Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital in terms of work accidents and occupational diseases] (In Turkish). Ankara J Health Serv 2011;10(1): 31-44. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ashd/issue/40350/482204 (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 8. Altiok M, Kuyurtar F, Karacoglu S, Ersoz G, Erdogan S. [Healthcare workers experiences with sharps and needlestick injuries and precautions they took when injuring] (In Turkish). Maltepe Univ Nurse Sci Art J 2009;2(2):70-9. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Erdogan_Semra/publication/239601046_Saglik_Calisanlarinin_Delici_Kesici_Aletlerle_Yaralanma_Deneyimleri_ve_Yaralanmaya_Yonelik_Alinan_Onlemler/links/54d90bb10cf24647581d5493.pdf (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 9. CDC. Recommended vaccines for healthcare workers. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/adults/rec-vac/hcw.html/ (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 10. Gulen B, Serinken M, Hatipoglu C, Ozasir D, Sonmez E, Kaya G, et al. Work-related injuries sustained by emergency medical technicians and paramedics in Turkey. Turk J Trauma Emergency Surg 2016;22(2):145-9. https://doi.org/10.5505/tjtes.2015.94224
- 11. Sencan I, Sahin I, Yildirim M, Yesildal N. Unrecognized abrasions and occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens among health care workers in Turkey. Occup Med 2004;54(3):202-6. doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqh048
- 12. Ambulance and medical equipment cleaning and disinfection instruction (in Turkish). The Ministry of Health-Turkey. Available at: https://acilafet.saglik.gov.tr/Eklenti/2610/0/ambulanstakibi-malzeme-temizlik-dezenfeksiyonupdf.pdf (Access Date: July 26, 2022)
- 13. Okutan M, Tengilimoglu D. [Stress in the work environment and methods of coping with stress: a case study] (in Turkish). J Ankara Haci Bayram Veli Univ Fac Econ Admin Sci 2002;(4)3:15-42. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/gaziuiibfd/issue/28347/301329 (Access Date: July 29, 2022)
- 14. Guidelines for preventing workplace violence for healthcare and social service workers. Available at: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3148.pdf. (Access Date: May 17, 2020)
- 15. Turan P, Turan M, Tacgin E. [Work accidents of healthcare professionals: violence] (in Turkish). Turk J Occup Health Saf 2017;16:60-61. Available at: http://ttb.org.tr/msg/images/files/dergi/60-61/60-61.pdf (Access Date: July 28, 2022)
- 16. Akgun, S. [Work accidents in health sector] (in Turkish). Health Care Acad J 2015;2(2):67-5. Available at: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/sagakaderg/issue/46750/586379 (Access Date: July 28, 2022)
There are 16 citations in total.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Clinical Sciences, Public Health, Environmental Health |
| Journal Section | Original Research |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | July 31, 2022 |
| Submission Date | May 10, 2022 |
| Acceptance Date | July 23, 2022 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2022Volume: 7 Issue: 3 |
