A survey of occupational health hazards among 7,610 female workers in China's electronics industry.

To investigate the occupational hazards among Chinese female workers in the electronics industry, the authors systematically sampled a total of 8,300 female workers at random across 4 provinces in a variety of electronics factories. A detailed questionnaire was used to collect information on occupational hazards and the occurrence of occupation-related diseases. The results show that 4,283 female workers (51.9%) were exposed to 1 or more occupational hazards. The most common chemical hazard was organic solvent, and the second most common was heavy metals. The ergonomic hazards included repetitive movements, poor standing posture, and the lifting of heavy goods. More than 60% of the female workers self-reported occupation-related diseases. These results showed that occupational health hazards were common in the electronics industry in China and that they caused serious occupation-related health problems for the female workers therein.

[Investigation of occupational health status of female workers in pharmaceutical industry of Shandong and Gansu provinces].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate occupational health status of female workers in pharmaceutical industries and to propose the protective measures for the occupational health. METHOD: A total of 2816 female workers from 19 pharmaceutical industries in Shandong and Gansu provinces were investigated by a questionnaire. RESULTS: 73.1% of female workers exposed to occupational hazards, mainly to toxic chemicals. 63.2% of them suffered from dysmenorrhea; 38.5% of them have reproductive system diseases, i.e. mammary gland hyperplasia (44.1%), cervical erosion (26.5%), uterine annex inflammation (24.2%); 17.1% of them suffered from accidental work injuries; 34.7% of them complained about low back pain, and 29.7% of them perceived hearing loss. 94.9% of female workers hoped to get the occupational health and labor protection knowledge and skills. CONCLUSION: Strengthening the supervision of labor protection for female workers, including technical measures occupational hazards control and health-related knowledge, and improving the occupational health status of female workers should be conducted.

[Analysis on reproductive health status and influencing factors of female workers of pharmaceutical industry in Gansu province].

OBJECTIVE: To understand the reproductive health status of female workers in pharmaceutical industry of Gansu Province, to explore influencing factors, and to propose some reference basis of intervening measures. METHODS: The cluster sampling method was used to study 1801 female workers from 16 pharmaceutical industries in 6 cities (Pingliang, Qingyang, Lanzhou, Dingxi, Zhangye and Jiuquan cities) of Gansu Province. The investigation was performed by interviewing and adopting questionnaires. RESULTS: There were the problems of labor and organization, which included the overtime work, continuous work, standing for long periods, rapid monotonous action assignments, the loading work and a variety of harmful factors in the working environment of the pharmaceutical industry in Gansu Province. There were many problems in the reproductive health status of female workers. The morbidities of abnormal menstruation and breast diseases in female workers were 43.25% and 20.43%. The order of high morbidities was hyperplasia of mammary glands (91.30%), breast adenofibroma (5.43%) and mastitis (2.99%). The order of morbidities for three reproductive system disease was adnexitis (21.57%), cervical erosion (20.06%) and vaginitis (11.09%). The rates of abnormal menstrual cycle, abnormal menstrual amount and cervical erosion increased with the length of service (P < 0.01). The taking breaks, long standing, loading work, exposure to harmful factors were related to abnormal menstruation (P < 0.05). The rapid repeat monotonous action was an important influencing factor for female reproductive system disease (OR = 1.255, 95%CI = 1.031 ∼ 1.528). CONCLUSION: There are relatively serious occupational hazards in the pharmaceutical industry of Gansu Province. The reproductive health status of female workers is not improved. Social public should pay attention to the protection for female workers.

[Epidemiological study of occupational injuries in one steel company].

In order to explore the epidemiological characteristics and accident reasons of occupational injury, the data of Occupational injuries in the steel plant during employment from January 1988 to December 2001 were analysed. By retrospective analysis for the 14 year data of occupational injury, we found the decreasing trend of incidence of occupational injury in steel industry, male has greater incidence of occupational injury than female, the shorter of duration of employment means a greater incidence of occupational injury. The major body part of occupational injury are the head and extremity, the major nature of injury are burns and fracture. The most cause of injuries are violation of regulation and distraction of attention by the victim himself or herself, the next reasons are the limitation of equipments and the bad condition of production.