Workers' safety in the construction industry in the southern West Bank of Palestine

There are few data about safety in the construction industry in Palestine. The main aim of the study was to assess worker's experiences and perceptions of safety at construction sites in Hebron and Bethlehem governorates of the West Bank. A structured questionnaire was completed through direct interviews with 349 construction workers. Of the respondents, 34.6% had experienced work-related accidents, 13.0% and 65.6% indicated that their workplace did not have a first-aid kit or trained first-aid specialist respectively, 35.8% reported that their work sites did not have safety tools and 83.7% had not received safety training. Workers perceived that awareness and training were the most frequent factor affecting workers' safety, with the foreman position having the greatest impact on the workers' safety. Greater enforcement of the current Palestinian safety laws is needed

Microbiological quality and sample collection policy for dairy products in Ramallah and Al-Bireh district, Palestine

We aimed to identify bacterial pathogens/contaminants in dairy product samples collected by environmental health inspectors of the Palestinian Ministry of Health from 2001-04. A total of 722 samples of dairy products were randomly collected from different sources in Ramallah and Al-Bireh district. The percentages of unacceptable samples for the combined years were: 23.0% for total aerobic count, 21.0% for total coliforms, 15.2% for faecal coliforms, 1.0% for Staphylococcus aureus, 10.3% for moulds, 2.3% for yeasts and 14.3% for Escherichia coli. All the examined samples tested negative for Salmonella spp. Total aerobic counts rose continuously between 2001 and 2004

Food sanitation practices in restaurants of Ramallah and Al-Bireh district of Palestine

Safe handling of food in restaurants is a basic element in the reduction of foodborne illness. We investigated knowledge and practices about food safety by food-handlers in restaurants in Ramallah and Al-Bireh district of Palestine. A high proportion of workers in the restaurants had no previous experience in other restaurants and 63.4% had received no training on food sanitation and safety. Most of the restaurants in the refugee camps, villages and towns had only 1 worker. Restaurants lacked basic conditions for food sanitation and safety, such as hot water in most and cleaning materials in some. Many workers had poor personal hygiene practices. Training is needed for restaurant owners and staff to improve food handling practices and standards

[Quality of water and access to it in the Occupied Palestinian Territory]

We investigated access to and quality of water in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. As regards access, 89.2% of Palestinian families live in households connected to the public water network: 84.1% in the West Bank and 99.3% in the Gaza Strip. In the north and south West Bank, 2.3% of households depend on buying water from tanks but this is not available in the mid-West Bank and Gaza Strip. Rain-fed cisterns are used in 13% of households in the West Bank and 0.2% in the Gaza Strip. Overall, 63% of households considered the water quality good, 88.0% in the West Bank and 13.3% in the Gaza Strip. There was a significant relationship between water-related diseases and water quality: the spread of such diseases was greater in the Gaza Strip

[Management of solid medical waste in the private medical sector in the Occupied Palestinian Territory: problems and remedial measures]

Management of solid medical waste in healthcare centres within the private sector in Palestine was studied. This included segregation, transport, treatment and final disposal. The study found that 30% of the centres completely segregated all kinds of healthcare waste, 35.9% segregated the sharps and 27.7% segregated infectious waste. Healthcare waste was manually transported in 99% of the centres that segregate waste. Nearly 87% of the centres disposed of the waste in open dumps randomly distributed in the area. It is concluded that all stages of healthcare waste management in healthcare centres in the private sector pose a hazard to personnel working in them and also to the general public in Palestine

Housing conditions and health in Jalazone Refugee Camp in Palestine

We investigated some of the housing conditions at Jalazone Refugee Camp and their impact on refugees' health inside the camp, especially those with respiratory symptoms and diseases. A randomized sample of 200 housing units, representing one fifth of the camp's population, was selected. Approximately half of the people in our sample were under 15 years. Overcrowding and high population density were significant. There was a statistically significant relationship between some respiratory conditions [common cold, cough, tonsillitis and ear infection] and poor housing conditions [including damp and mould], overcrowding and high population density. A radical solution for the housing problem is needed to avert further negative health impacts

Dentists' perceptions of occupational hazards and preventive measures in East Jerusalem

Dentists, like other health professionals, are exposed to various occupational health problems, with specific ones of their own. A randomly distributed sample of 40 [42.2%] dentists working in East Jerusalem was interviewed. A questionnaire was used to detect their perception of occupational hazards. Most respondents were aware of biological hazards: 38% specifically mentioned hepatitis B virus and 13% human immunodeficiency virus. Perceived sources of stress included factors that coincided with international data, such as relationships with patients, physical strain and economic pressure, but also some specific to the Palestinian culture such as relationships with other dentists and Israeli occupation tax policy when dealing with the Arab dentists in East Jerusalem. Chemical dependency was not mentioned as a potential hazard

[Assessment of medical waste management in a Palestinian hospital]

We studied medical waste management in a Palestinian hospital in the West Bank and the role of municipality in this management. In general, "good management practices" were inadequate; there was insufficient separation between hazardous and non-hazardous wastes, an absence of necessary rules and regulations for the collection of wastes from the hospital wards and the on-site transport to a temporary storage location inside and outside the hospital and inadequate waste treatment and disposal of hospital wastes along with municipal garbage. Moreover, training of personnel was lacking and protective equipment and measures for staff were not available. No special landfills for hazardous wastes were found within the municipality

Evaluation of dental waste management in two cities in Palestine

Disposal of dental waste was investigated at 37 randomly selected clinics in Ramallah and Al-Bireh cities: 31 private practices and 6 public/NGO clinics. Dentists were interviewed regarding their disposal of different forms of dental waste. Disinfectants and X-ray processing solution were thrown down the drain. For sharps, 13.5% of dentists used puncture-resistant containers [only in the public/ NGO clinics], 45.9% discarded needles directly in the garbage after being recapped and 40.5% placed the used needles and blades in closed plastic bottles before throwing in the general garbage. Blood-soaked dressings and amalgam waste were also thrown in the garbage. While 10.75% of dentists were vaccinated against hepatitis B, 47% of the staff at private clinics were not