A Comparative Analysis of Occupational Accidents among Health Workers Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Year 2024, Volume: 13 Issue: 2, 426 - 433, 28.08.2024

Yasemin Aslan , Dilara Arslan , Sinem Güler

https://doi.org/10.53424/balikesirsbd.1375363

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate the occupational accidents in pre-pandemic and during the COVID-19 pandemic within hospital. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study consists of occupational accidents in a university hospital between June 11th, 2018, and December 31st, 2021. Sample selection was not made and the entire population was taken into consideration. The data was obtained from the records of the Occupational Safety and Health Department of the hospital. Descriptive statistics and the SPSS program version 25.0 were used to analyze the data. Results: While the occupational group with the highest number of occupational accidents in the pre-pandemic period was cleaning personnel (34.8%), it was determined that the most occupational accidents were seen in nurses (37.5%) during the pandemic. A statistically significant difference was detected between pre- and during-pandemic occupational accidents and the variables of age and working hours (p<0.05). The occupational accidents were mostly caused by sharp-stab injuries (43.6%–44.4%) and musculoskeletal injuries (22.7%–15%) pre-pandemic period and during the pandemic, respectively. The superiority of the staff who have had occupational accidents were women and the 20–29 age group. Conclusion: It is recommended that health policymakers and hospital administrators determine strategies to reduce occupational accidents among health workers.
Keywords: COVID-19, Health Workers, Hospital, Occupational Accident.

Keywords

COVID-19, Health Workers, Hospital, Occupational Accident

Ethical Statement

This study was approved by the Committee of Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University Health Sciences Non-Interventional Research Ethics (Date: 09.05.2022 Issue No: 2022-5/51). Institutional permission was obtained. At all stages of the study, research and publication ethics and the Declaration of Helsinki were followed.

Thanks

The authors would like to thank the health institution in this study for sharing data.

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