Case-control study on the prevention of occupational eye injuries.

The risk factors for occupational eye injuries have never been published in Taiwan. We conducted a case-control study to analyze the differences among workers on their knowledge, attitude to and practice (KAP) of occupational accident prevention. In the study, a statistical model was also set up for predicting the occupational problem. Subjects, including 31 cases of work-related eye injuries and 62 controls, completed a structured questionnaire on KAP, which revealed that 80.6% and 62.7% of workers in the case and control groups, respectively, did not wear eye protection during work. Furthermore, we found that temporary employment (OR, 10.7; 95% CI, 3.03-36.16) and fewer than 10 years of education (OR, 4.44; 95% CI, 1.73-11.44) were the major risk factors for occupational eye injuries. In addition, we developed a logistic regression model with four predictors (temporary employment, education years less than 10, poor management of industrial health and safety in the workplace, and poor attitude towards accident prevention) for the occurrence of occupational eye injuries. In conclusion, in Taiwan, compulsory regulation of wearing eye protection during work, good education, management of work safety and hygiene and employee (especially temporary worker) commitment to safety and health are strongly recommended prevention strategies.

Hospitalized eye injury in a large industrial city of South-Eastern Asia.

BACKGROUND: Wearing appropriate eye-protection devices in workplace, sports and motorcycling have not been a routine in most of Asian countries. The purpose of this study is to assess the frequency, causes, mechanisms, functional outcomes and costs of hospitalized eye injuries in a large industrial city in South Eastern Asia. METHODS: A retrospective review of the hospital admission files of ocular trauma admitted to the Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital from January 2001 to December 2002. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty cases of eye injuries were identified for study. Male patients (83.1%) were significantly more than female, while in the work-related group, male was predominant with 92.2%. Work-related injuries accounted for 48.1% (77 cases) with a mean age of 42.3 years, older than the 36.0 years mean for the non-work-related group. The most common cause of hospitalized injury was contusion injury (49.4%), while in the work-related group it was open-globe trauma (34.0%). Hyphema of anterior chamber (23.1%) was the most common diagnosis, followed by vitreous hemorrhage (15.6%) and corneal perforation (13.8%). In work-related injuries, lid and corneal lacerations were the most common. The visual prognosis was poor in injured eyes, with 39.6% eyes having final best corrected visual acuity less than 0.1, and it was even worse at 43.8% in work-related group. The most frequent (46.8%) durations of hospital stay were from 3 to 5 days. The mean cost of eye injuries per case in the work-related group was 1382 US dollars, significantly more than the 909 US dollars per case for the non-work-related group. CONCLUSION: The hospitalized ocular injuries incurred significant visual loss, health-care expenses and socio-economic impacts. Safety strategies aimed at preventing eye injury are mandatory.

Epidemiologic study on work-related eye injuries in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

To describe the epidemiologic features of work-related eye injuries in Kaohsiung, a hospital-based study was performed. Four hundred and eighty-six patients who were treated at emergency service or were admitted to the ophthalmology ward over a 4-year period were reviewed. Among these, 38.9% of eye injuries in the study were work-related. Male workers had a 3.99 higher odds ratio (OR) than females to suffer from eye injuries (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.99-8.04). Most of the work-related eye injuries occurred in subjects who were 30-49 years old (OR, 3.02, and 95% CI, 1.56-5.82, when compared with those aged < or = 29 years). The most common type of eye injury in the occupational exposure group was foreign body injury (31.2%), followed by blunt injuries (20.6%), chemical burn (19.6%), UV light radiation (12.7%), and corneal abrasions (11.6%). On the other hand, in the non-occupational exposure group, the most common types of eye injury were blunt injuries (43.4%), corneal abrasions (28.3%), and foreign body injury (20.2%). Our study found that foreign body injury and blunt injuries were the two highest priority injuries for which prevention strategies should be developed in Kaohsiung city. Furthermore, after advanced examination of types of media that caused eye injuries, we found that being hit by wooden objects around the eye, by flying objects in the eye, and by welding flashes are important risk factors for workers to avoid. In conclusion, most of the occupational eye injuries occurred among male workers aged 30-49 years. Due to the lack of an occupational eye injury surveillance system to monitor the incidence of eye injuries and to undertake risk assessment, preventable occupational eye injuries have not been properly controlled. We hope to provide information for further development of preventive strategies.