ISSN: 2319-9865

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Research Article Open Access

Assessment of Occupational Hazards and Safety Measures Among Health Care Workers in Jugol Hospital, Harari Region, Eastern Ethiopia 2018

Abstract

Background: Occupational health hazard is a dangerous phenomenon, substance, human activity or condition that may cause loss of life injury or other health impacts at the workplace and it is an injury sustained from falls, needle pricks and contact with infected body fluids from patients, long periods of standing due to job demands, lifting heavy patients and objects. Yearly over 2 million people worldwide die of occupational injuries & work related diseases. Among 35 million health care workers worldwide; about 3 million are also exposed to blood borne pathogens yearly.

Objective: To assess safety measures practice among health care workers in Jugol Hospital, Harari region, Eastern Ethiopia, 2018.

Materials and Methods: Facility based cross sectional study by using self- administered questionnaire was conducted. Data were collected among randomly selected 150 health care workers from different wards by using Stratified random sampling technique. Ethical clearance was obtained from HHSC ethical review committee. Informed consent also obtained from respondents. Data was entry & analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. Result was presented in tables and graphs.

Results: The overall prevalence of occupational hazards was 89(60.1%). Majority 86 (58.1%) and 78 (52.7%) were exposed to Physical and Biological hazards while 47 (31.8%) and 51 (34.5%) were suffered by Chemical & Ergonomic hazards. More than half (73.6) were not washing their hand. While 57.4% did not Wearing gown at work place.

Conclusions & Recommendation: Generally there is great risk to occupational hazard. The major challenges are absence and dissemination of written occupational health and safety measure policies for each department and ward, safety committee, organized time of training on safety rules and inadequate provision of personal protective equipment there for the Hospital need adopt occupational health and safety policy.

Gosasye Teklehaymanot Zewde*

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