Assessment of the prevalence of occupational accidents and their influential actors in an electricity distribution company during a five-year period.

BACKGROUND: Occupational accidents have been considered as one of the most important crippling factors contributing to disabilities and life-threatening situations in many countries. This study was conducted to survey the prevalence of occupational accidents and the factors of that lead to injuries in an Electricity Distribution Company during a five-year period. METHODS: In this descriptive study, the accident report form included items asking about the season of the year when the accident occurred, the ages and the average age of those injured, the type of employment, work experience, nature of the injuries that occurred, parts of the body affected, treatments that were applied, average number of days lost per accident, the levels of education of those involved, and their marital status. Data was analyzed using SPSS. RESULTS: A total of 66 Electricity Distribution Company workers were determined to be suffering from injuries due to accidents. The accidents mostly occurred in the summer (33%). Most of the injured workers (16.7%) belonged to the age groups of 25 to 29 and 40 to 44; there were no accidents reported for workers who were less than 20. About 48% of the accident victims had to be hospitalized. Furthermore, 35% of the accident victims were treated in outpatient clinics, and 7.4% of the accident victims died. We demonstrated that there were significant relationships between: 1) marital status and accidental injuries (P<0.001); 2) the average age of those injured among both permanent and temporary workers (P<0.001), 3) the level of education and the consequences of the accidents (P<0.001), and 4) the average of days lost per accident in both the permanent and temporary workers (P<0.001). In this study, no significant relationships were found between the accident occurrence and age (P>0.05) or work experience and the distribution of the accidents (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that most of the injuries in these accidents were related to the nature of employment, marital status, and level of education. The results showed the necessity for providing appropriate safety training for the workers.

Effect of noise exposure on occupational injuries: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Noise exposure is the most frequent occupational factor which may increase the risk of work-related injuries. The purpose of this study was to estimate the association between occupational injuries and noise exposure as well as hearing loss. METHODS: This study was conducted from April 2008 to March 2009 on 1062 workers in the Tabriz Tractor Manufacturing Plant. Sound pressure level (SPL) ≥85 dB in the workplace was considered as the independent variable (exposure) and physical occupational injuries as the dependent variable (outcome). Data were extracted from the workers' medical records using a checklist. RESULTS: Of 1062 volunteers, 392 (36.9%) were exposed (with SPL≥85 dB) and 670 (63.1%) were unexposed (with SPL<85 dB). One hundred and seventy-six injuries occurred during the study period. Frequency of injuries was about 16 per 200,000 hours, severity of injuries was about 75 per 200,000 hours and incidence rate of injuries was 16%. The exposed group had 1.52 fold increased risk of injury compared to unexposed group (P=0.012). Compared to group with normal hearing status, the risk of occupational injuries increased 1.72 fold in group with partial hearing loss (P=0.062), 7.87 fold in group with mild hearing loss (P=0.003), and 4.58 in group with moderate hearing loss (P=0.049). CONCLUSION: Occupational noise exposure and hearing impairment have adverse effect on work safety and can increase the probability of work-related injuries. This means reducing noise exposure can contribute to increase safety in workplaces where noise is a factor. Furthermore, using assistive listening devices may reduce risk of work injuries among hearing-impaired workers.

Ergonomics intervention in a tile industry- case of manual material handling.

BACKGROUND: Manual material handling is one of the major health and safety hazards in industry. This study aims to assess the lifting tasks, before and after intervention using NIOSH lifting equation and Manual Handling Assessment Charts (MAC). METHODS: This interventional study was performed in 2011 in a tile manufacturing industry in Hamadan, located in the West of Iran. The prevalence of musculoskeletal discomfort was determined using Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire. In order to assess the risk factors related to lifting and identify the high-risk activities, MAC and NIOSH lifting equation were used. In intervention phase, we designed a load-carrying cart with shelves capable of moving vertically up and down, similar to scissor lifts. After intervention, the reassessment of risk factors was conducted to determine the success of the intervention and to compare risk levels before and after intervention using t-test. RESULTS: The outputs of MAC and NIOSH lifting equation assessments before intervention revealed that all activities were at high-risk level. After intervention, the risk level decreased to average level. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of intervention revealed a considerable decrease in risk level. It may be concluded that the given intervention was acceptable and favorably effective in preventing musculoskeletal disorders especially low back pain.