ABSTRACT
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.
ABSTRACT
Today, most parts of different nanotechnologies are growing and developing without any special rules and regulations. This could result in undesirable changes in the environment and affect workers in indoor and outdoor workplaces. Carbon-based nanoparticles, such as fullerenes, nanotubes, the oxides of metals such as iron and titanium, and natural inorganic compounds, including asbestos and quartz, can have biological effects on the environment and human health. The risk assessment of such nanoparticles requires evaluation of their mobility, reactivity, environmental toxicity, and stability. With the increasing use of nanoparticles for commercial and industrial purposes, the debate becomes whether the numerous benefits of nanoparticles can overcome the economic costs, environmental impacts, and unknown risks resulting from their use. To date, few studies have been conducted on the toxic and environmental effects that result from direct and indirect exposure to nanoparticles, and there are no clear standards to determine their effects. Lack of technical information in this regard has provided an appropriate context for supporters and opponents of nanoparticles to present contradictory and ill-considered results. Such an uncertain atmosphere has caused increased concerns about the effects of nanoparticles. Therefore, adequate studies to determine the exact, real risks of the use of nanoparticles are required. The information resulting from these studies can be useful in minimizing the environmental hazards that could arise from the use of nanoparticles. Thus, this paper briefly explains the classification of environmental nanoparticles and how to deal with their formation, diffusion, environmental fate and impacts, and our exposure to them.
