Epidemiology of Workplace Accident among the Ferroalloy Industries in Bhutan

Workplace accident has a devastating and long term effect on the lives of people who are affected. Globally, workplace accidents are estimated at 317 million annually and 6300 workers die daily of occupational diseases and accidents. This study determines the characteristic of workplace injuries, accident frequency rate (AFR), accident severity rate (ASR) and leading causes across six ferroalloy industries in Bhutan. From the total numbers of 1366 workers, a sample size of 300 was considered and distributed proportionately among the companies and the departments within the companies. Information was gathered through face-to-face interview, observation, and secondary data maintained by each company. This study found that the workplace injury rate was 200 (20%) per 1000 workers, with over all AFR 62.45 and ASR 583.20 per million hours of work annually among the six ferroalloy industries. Out of 561 lost working days, 516 days were lost due to major injury with AFR 11.45 and ASR 540.20 per million hours work annually. This study found that AFR alone cannot be used as an exclusive indicator for predicting the occurrence of severe events at workplace. Contact with object and equipment (44.2%), fall from height (20.9%) and contact with the hot substance (26.7%) were three main leading causes of workplace accidents among ferroalloy industries. Comparing between the survey data and accident record maintained by each company, though it showed a similar nature, the frequency was found to be higher in survey data

Predicting factors of mass fainting illness among factory workers

Mass fainting Illness (MFI) has occurred repeatedly for years in factory settings in Cambodia. This study examines factors related to MFI, such as worker ‘characteristics, organizational, psychosocial-work, and non-work factors, among Cambodian-factory workers. A factory-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 740 workers in October 2017 using structured questionnaires. Female workers and workers with longer duration of work had a higher-risk of MFI, but a lower-risk for those working in factory before and those absent due to occupational accident. Organizational determinants, such as workers employed in a shorter fixed-term, and those performing repetitive task and a low-skill work were significantly at a higher-risk of MFI, but a lower-risk for those performing a night/evening shift work. The study also showed that Psychosocial-work complaints, workers with less influence on their choice of co-workers, perceived a high temperature at work, and have little opportunity to work at their best had a lower-risk, but a higher-risk for those who lost jobs and those traveling by bicycles/walking to work. Overall, worker characteristics, organizational determinants, psychosocial-work complaints, and external-work factors were independent predictors explaining 31.8% of the overall-MFI prevalence

Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatitis C Virus Infections among Beauticians in Quy Nhon City, Binh Dinh Province, Vietnam

Objective: To determine the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections among beauticians and to identify occupational risk factors associated with the infections.Methods: The cross-sectional study of 247 randomly enrolled beauticians was conducted in Quy Nhon City, Viet Nam. Knowledge, perceptions, and practices towards occupational risk of HBV and HCV infections were evaluated using an anonymous questionnaire. Blood samples were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies against HBV and HCV by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Viral genotyping by real time quantitative PCR was performed for those testing positives for HBsAg and anti-HCV antibodies.Results: The prevalence of HBV and HCV infections was 7.3% (18/247, 95% CI: 4.4-11.3) and 0%, respectively. Among HBsAg(+) subjects, 72.2% (13/18) were identified as being infected with HBV genotype B. Overall, 198/247 (80.2%) perceived that they are at risk of being infected by hepatitis through work. Nearly half of participants (43.3%) were not immune to HBV.Discussions: The prevalence of HBV and HCV infections among beauticians was comparable to the general population previously of Vietnam; no occupational risk factors associated with infections were found. This finding proposed that beauticians might not be a high-risk group for HBV and HCV infections. However, the study revealed a high proportion of persons susceptible to HBV infections suggesting that public health preventive strategies and vaccination targeting these professionals should be implemented