Prevalence of accidents and poisoning due to household hazardous materials in a rural area of Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu

Background: Over the last few decades hazardous materials have become a common household item in many rural areas of the developing world. Due to their easy availability, commercialization, accessibility and lack of awareness it has become a significant health problem globally. The objective of the study is to estimate the prevalence of household hazardous material accidents and poisoning and the factors associated with household hazardous accidents and poisoning among the rural population.Methods: A cross sectional study was done among the households located in rural fields practice area tertiary care hospital, with the sample size of 244 households by probability proportion sampling method. House to house interview was conducted using a predesigned, pre-tested questionnaire and household hazardous accidents and poisoning was assessed.Results: The overall prevalence of household hazardous accidents was 2.1% among the population. Among them 70% were less than 10 years of age followed by 10 to 20 years. The prevalence of household hazardous accident and poisoning was found to be positively associated with the factors like age <10 years, easy accessibility and storage in the open self.Conclusions: Regular assessment for household hazardous accident and poisoning should be carried out at the community level to find the exact burden. Utilization of this information, especially by the stakeholders and policy makers in the regional health sectors, can avert the problematic health situation.

Fatores de risco para a ocorrência de acidentes em laboratórios de ensino e pesquisa em uma universidade brasileira (2012) / Risk factors for the occurrence of accidents in teaching and research laboratories in a brazilian university (2012) / Factores de riesgo para la incidencia de accidentes en laboratorios de investigación y enseñanza de una universidad brasileña (2012)

O estudo teve o objetivo de analisar os principais fatores associados à ocorrência de acidentes envolvendo agentes biológicos, materiaisperfurocortantes ou compostos químicos em laboratórios de ensino e pesquisa de uma universidade brasileira. Trata-se de estudo transversale analítico, com aplicação de questionário a 271 indivíduos que desenvolviam atividades laboratoriais em três unidades acadêmicas daUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais em 2012. A triagem de características potencialmente associadas à ocorrência de acidentes foi realizadapor testes estatísticos univariados. A verificação dos principais fatores de risco ou proteção para a ocorrência de acidentes foi feita pormodelos de análise multivariada (p≤0,05). Constatou-se que 70,5 a 97,3% dos indivíduos estavam expostos aos riscos estudados, com 48,0%dos entrevistados acidentados na Escola de Veterinária, 34,4% na Faculdade de Odontologia e 23,0% na Faculdade de Medicina. Os principaisfatores relacionaram-se a práticas tais como a função dos indivíduos, quantidade de horas trabalhadas por dia, número de anos trabalhadosem laboratório, trabalho em condições de pressão psicológica e estresse, fornecimento de orientações sobre os procedimentos laboratoriais,conhecimento do fluxo operacional caso ocorram acidentes e conhecimento sobre os protocolos para notificação desses agravos. Concluiuseque a ocorrência de acidentes está associada às condutas adotadas no desenvolvimento de atividades laboratoriais e, secundariamente, àinfluência de características estruturais.

This study aimed to analyze the main factors associated with the occurrence of accidents involving biological, chemical, or perforating-cuttingagents in laboratories at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil. A cross-sectional and analytical study wasconducted applying a questionnaire to 271 lab employees at three academic units of the university in 2012. Screening procedures to determinesome characteristics potentially associated with the occurrence of accidents was performed by univariate statistical tests. The verification of mainrisks or protective factors for the occurrence of accidents was performed by means of the fit of multivariate models (p≤0.05). It was verified that arange of 70.5% to 97.3% people were exposed to risk factors, and 48.0% of the respondents were accident victims in the School of Veterinary Sciences,34.4% were injured in the Dental School, and 23.0% were injured in the Medical School. Factors, such as the individuals’ job, hours worked per day,years worked in the lab, working under pressure and stress conditions, the providing of instructions regarding laboratory procedures, knowledgeabout the...

El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar los principales factores vinculados a la incidencia de accidentes con agentes biológicos, objetos punzocortanteso productos químicos en laboratorios de enseñanza e investigación de una universidad brasileña. Se realizó un estudio transversal y analítico con uncuestionario a 271 personas que trabajaban en los laboratorios de tres facultades de la Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais (2012). La detección decaracterísticas potencialmente relacionadas a la incidencia de accidentes fue realizada mediante la utilización de pruebas univariadas. Se efectuó laverificación de los principales factores de riesgo y de protección para la incidencia de accidentes por los modelos de análisis multivariados (p ≤ 0.05). Entre70,5% y 97,3% de las personas estuvieron expuestas a los riesgos estudiados. El 48,0% de los accidentados era de la Facultad de Veterinaria, el 34,4% de laFacultad de Odontología y el 23,0 % de la Facultad de Medicina. Se confirmo que los principales factores están relacionados con las prácticas: tales comola función de los individuos, la cantidad de horas de trabajo por día y de años trabajando en el laboratorio, trabajo en condiciones de presión psicológicay/o estrés, orientaciones sobre procedimientos, disponibilidad de orientaciones sobre procedimientos y operaciones en el laboratorio, conocimiento deprotocolos de notificación de accidentes. Se llegó a la conclusión que la incidencia de accidentes está relacionada con las conductas adoptadas en eldesarrollo de...

International Symposia on Integrated Exposure Assessment for Hazardous Materials

OBJECTIVES: On September 2, 2010 and November 25, 2011, the Korean Research Project on Integrated Exposure Assessment to Hazardous Materials for Food Safety (KRIEFS) organized two international symposia in Seoul, Korea. KRIEFS, established by the Korean Food and Drug Administration in March 2010, envisioned these international symposia as means to obtain advanced experiences from other countries and to reflect on and refine the KRIEFS's survey design and methods. METHODS: For the first symposium KRIEFS invited human biomonitoring (HBM) experts from Germany, the US, and Canada. The visiting HBM experts shared the details of their national studies while the KRIEFS discussed study design, as well as the methods, results and policymaking processes of the KRIEFS project. The second symposium was organized to share the survey design and results on endocrine disruptors from Taiwan. RESULTS: The Speaker from Germany introduced the German Environmental Survey and shared their experiences in HBM design, such as the process of developing reference values, and discussed the new HBM plan in Germany and the European Union. The Representative from Canada shared insights from national HBM approach. In the case of the US, the speaker focused on risk communication with subjects in epidemiological studies. In the second international symposium, the speaker shared the experience of endocrine disruptors'studies from Taiwan. CONCLUSIONS: KRIEFS was able to better understand previous nationwide HBM research designs, policy making process, and risk communication with research subjects.

Occupational Diseases of Construction Industry / 한양의대학술지

Construction is consistently ranked among the most dangerous occupations. In the Korea, 28% of all fatal on-the-job injuries occur in construction. Occupational diseases are also an important cause of morbidity in construction workers. This article reviews the medical literatures on common occupational diseases in construction industry: work-related musculoskeletal disorders, noise-induced hearing loss, lead poisoning, occupational lung diseases. Construction is a complex industry, involving many trades and employers on any single project. Because of that complexity, research and prevention activities have targeted construction less frequently than general industry, even though the need is great. These circumstances leave the industry with much room for improvement. The next decade should bring great improvement in health and safety in this industry.

Acidentes com produtos perigosos: análise de dados dos sistemas de informações como subsídio às ações de vigilância em saúde ambiental / Accidents involving dangerous goods: data analysis of information systems as a subsidy to the actions of environmental health surveillance

Os acidentes com produtos perigosos podem causar danos à saúde e ao ambiente e as dificuldades em se avaliar os impactos e estimar os custos refletem diretamente na capacidade de formulação de políticas públicas de controle e prevenção amplas e efetivas. Este trabalho objetiva a análise dos dados oficiais sobre os acidentes com produtos perigosos notificados no Brasil entre 2006-2007 enquanto potenciais modificadores da situação ambiental e geradores de exposição bem como os dados de morbidade e mortalidade de forma a subsidiar as ações de vigilância em saúde ambiental. Metodologicamente a análise dos eventos notificados (n=2046) demonstra uma média mensal de 85 eventos, com elevada freqüência de acidentes envolvendo líquidos inflamáveis, significativamente ocorridos no modal rodoviário e concentrados na região sudeste. Esses dados não permitem caracterizar a exposição humana nesses eventos. Quanto aos efeitos, foram registradas 12.955 intoxicações, 373 internações e 2.513 óbitos relacionados a exposição a produtos químicos. Quanto à capacidade de resposta do setor saúde, onze estados desenvolvem ações de vigilância em saúde ambiental relacionadas a acidentes com produtos perigosos. Os dados apontam para a necessária estruturação de um sistema integrado de informações para a gestão dos acidentes com produtos perigosos e monitoramento de populações expostas.

Hazardous materials accidents can cause damage to health and the environment and the difficulties faced in the impact assessment and cost estimating reflect directly on thecapacity to formulate public policies of control and prevention wide, and effective. The present work intend to present the information system analysis of the hazardous materials accidents notified in Brazil between 2006 and 2007 while exposition producer event and also morbidity and mortality data to support environmental healthsurveillance actions. Methodologically, notified data analysis (n=2046) present a month average of 85 events and point to a high frequency of accidents involving flammable liquids, significantly occurred on highway transportation mode and mostly in thesoutheast region. Due to effects, there were 12.955 intoxications, 373 hospitalizations and 2.513 deaths attributed to exposure to chemical substances. In terms of health sectorresponse capacity, eleven states develop hazardous materials accidents environmental health surveillance actions. These data point to a necessary information integrated systems to manage hazardous materials, and monitoring exposed populations.

Surveillance on Hazardous Materials Preparedness in the Emergency Department in Korea: Personal Protection Equipment

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to evaluate the preparedness of personal protective equipment (PPE) against hazardous material (Hazmat) contamination in emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: Among 443 EDs, 118 emergency centers (16 regional centers, 4 specialized centers, 98 local centers) were surveyed either by returned usable surveys or facsimile or telephone communication. The 27 survey questions addressed the ability of EDs to safely decontaminate and treat contaminated patients. RESULTS: Among 118 EDs (100%), 7 EDs (5.9%) have a written plan for decontamination and treatment of Hazmat contaminated patients in the ED, and 36 (30.5%) have a hospital-wide disaster plan that includes contingencies for decontamination and treatment of Hazmat contaminated patients. 11 EDs (9.3%) conducted any Hazmat drill within recent two years. 8 EDs (6.8%) have a specific treatment area for contaminated patients. A stock space of PPE is maintained in 11 EDs (9.3%) and 6 EDs (5.1%) have a responder decontamination shower. While 11 EDs store PPE, most of these involve only gowns, gloves, and surgical masks; only 10 EDs provide any type of respiratory protection. There was no ED fully equipped level A PEE but only 21 EDs have partially equipped. The levels of PPE were level D in 7 EDs (5.9%) according to the guidelines of EPA/OSHA Personal Protection Equipment Levels CONCLUSION: Emergency department preparedness against Hazmat exposure in Korea varies tremendously. A significant proportion of hospitals lack written plan and equipment to allow EDs to safely and effectively handle the Hazmat contaminated patient. This has the meaning of one of preliminary data that was national-wide surveyed in Korea.

Vigilância ambiental em saúde de acidentes químicos ampliados no transporte rodoviário de cargas perigosas / Environmental health surveillance of major chemical a ccidents in highway transport of hazardous materials

Acidentes químicos ampliados no transporte rodoviário de cargas perigosas possuem o potencial de causar simultaneamente múltiplos danos ao meio ambiente e a saúde dos seres humanos expostos, constituindo uma preocupação para a Saúde Pública. Entretanto, no Brasil, a ausência de algumas informações básicas que permitam avaliar os impactos desses eventos sobre a saúde humana constitui uma das limitações dos dados existentes, atualmente, sobre o renasporte de cargas perigosas, reduzindo a capacidade de formulação de poliíticas públicas de controle e prevenção amplas, adequadas e efetivas, particularmente envolvendo os setores saúde e meio ambiente. O objetivo deste artigo é, no âmbito da Vigilância Ambiental em Saúde, contribuir para a estruturação do sistema de vigilância desse tipo de acidente. A partir do histórico e da caracterização desses acidentes, coloca-se a problemática para o Brasil, tendo como referência estudos realizados nos EUA. A partir daí, são propostos os elementos básicos e iniciais que devem constituir a vigilância em saúde ambiental em relação a esses eventos. Ao final, aponta-se para a urgência da estruturação dessa vigilância, considerando as peculiaridades da realidade brasileira e o grande número de eventos já registrados

Major chemical accidents in highway transport of hazardous materials have the potential of a multiplicity of damages to health and to the environment and are of Public Health concern. In Brazil the absence of basic information to evaluate the impact of these events on health is one of the limitations of the available data about highway transport of hazardous materials. As consequence, formulation of adequate and efficient public policies to prevent and control these types of accidents, involving health and environment sectors is limited. The objective of this article is to contribute to the building of the environmental health surveillance of these accidents. Based on the available information and on the characterization of these accidents referred in studies done in the United States, the problematic in Brazil is discussed. Basic elements for the urgent implementation of an environmental health surveillance of these accidents are pointed considering the Brazilian reality.