Work Related Hazards Facing Health Care Team in the Operating Rooms

Abstract

ccupational hazards in the OR is one of the most serious dangers that OR patients and personnel face on a daily basis. The risk of sustaining hazards can be decreased through employee education, clear communication device engineering, and focused work practice controls (NIOSH, 2012). Work-related hazards are very common in developing countries where workplace hazards are more sever. The need of safe environment is national, community, and individual concern. Breakdown of safety and aseptic techniques in the operating room will lead to increased patient mortality and morbidity. Septic complications and accidents in the OR are very costly, however, avoidable (Beare & Myers, 2009). The aim of this study was to: determine work related hazards facing health care team in the Operating Rooms. A descriptive design was used in the study. The study was conducted at six different specialties in ten operating rooms in El Demerdash Hospital namely; orthopedic, plastic, ENT, general surgery, neurosurgery, and uro-surgery. The study subjects were 120 participants, whom were available at the time of the study were included in the study, the participants were divided into four groups as the following; 30 Nurses (scrub and circulating nurse), 31 Surgeons; 29 Anesthesiologists; 30 Workers. Data pertinent to the study variable were collected through questionnaire sheets, aimed at assess study subjects exposure to different types of hazards. The questionnaire sheets were consisted of two parts: The first Part: aimed at collecting data about the socio-demographic characteristics of the study subjects as age, sex, marital status, and educational level. The second Part: This part was included 15 items related to different types of work hazards in OR these items were grouped under 5 dimensions as the following: Biological hazard, Chemical hazard, Ergonomic hazard, Physical hazard, Psychological hazard. Observation checklist of environmental safety and administrative data which aimed to assess the general and specific environment in OR, it included 47 items related to general OR environment and 46 items related to specific OR environment; Observation checklist for assessing health care team safety measures which aimed to assess OR team compliance to safety measures that minimize exposure to work hazards, it comes under 57 items divided as the following: (a) Environmental / Safety / Infection survey tool and (b) Quality Assurance Risk Management checklist. OR had lack in the essential elements related to the general and specific safety environment issues such as: written policy and procedure that follow the standard of care; accident reporting and investigation policy that deal with any accident within the operating room; availability of PPE which is mandatory for infection control. In addition, there was deficiency in relation to establishment of the general environment of the procedure room such as availability of supplies needed; environmental sanitation