Awareness, and Knowledge on Diseases Contraction From Work Place and Perceived Risk of Health Issues Associated With Mortuary Operations in Ibadan Metropolis, Oyo State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51699/ijhsms.v2i4.1517Keywords:
Awareness, Knowledge, Health and safety, Mortuary workers, blood borne pathogen, and personal protective equipmentAbstract
Mortuary workers face various hazards in course of carrying out their duties. These hazards may be ignored by employers and employees alike. Identifying these hazards in time before they become risks that cause accidents and even death is recognized mode of prevention and control. This study was to assess the workplace hazards in mortuaries Ibadan metropolis. This study therefore, aimed at assessing level of awareness, knowledge on diseases contraction from work place and perceived risk of health issues associated with mortuary operations. A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among public and private mortuary workers in Ibadan metropolis, using total sampling method. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to gather the data. The questionnaire was used to gather information on respondents' sociodemographic traits, level of health awareness, exposure to chemical dangers, knowledge of and use of personal protective equipment, symptoms of musculoskeletal diseases, and frequency of injuries. The average age of the responders was 38.6± 12.1, and 85.5% of them were men. They are permanent employees (63.8%) and had no prior training in mortuary-related fields. A third (33.3%) and 44.9% of the respondents, respectively, had received hepatitis and tetanus vaccinations. One third of respondents had good understanding of diseases that can be transmitted at work, and the majority of respondents (81.2%) were very aware of health risks related to their jobs. Among respondents exposed to body fluid or blood splash on open cut and eye, 33.3% and 45% had been vaccinated against hepatitis. As a results of chemical exposure, 85.5% and 53.6% had experienced eye irritation and breathing difficult respectively while 14.5 and 10.1 had also experienced hyposmia and nose bleeding. Respondents (81.2%) had a good knowledge of PPE and its use while only 44.9% had good PPE usage practice. Respondents (81.2%) feel pain after each day’s work while two thirds feel pain in their back region compared to other parts. Repetitive movements, awkward positions and carrying of loads heavier than 20 kg were statistically significant with pains felt after each day’s work. Respondents (73.9%) had been injured from their work routine. The most causes of injury reported were burns from chemical splash and needle stick injury. Mortuary workers (58.8%) had experienced injury more than three times in the last six months. To lessen the risks, workshops and training sessions about the health and safety issues related to mortuary staff' daily tasks should be organized
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Trainings and workshops should be organized for mortuary workers on awareness, safety and hygiene conditions related to their work place especially as it relates to infectious diseases risks and control measures.
Mortuary workers are at high risk of blood borne diseases due to the high incidence of percutaneous and mucocutaneous injuries. Therefore, mortuary workers immunization against vaccine preventable diseases (Hepatitis B and Tetanus) should be emphasized.
Providing suitable hand washing facilities such as running water, liquid soap, disposable paper towels and alcohol-based hand sanitizers to reduce transmission of microbes, likewise hand washing basin should be positioned close to waste bin for latex gloves removed to promote hand washing practices.
PPE should be provided to health care workers while proper use should be encouraged and promoted by introducing measures that can promote positive behavioral changes toward the use of PPE. Reusable PPEs should be properly decontaminated after use and stored in a clean area.
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