COVID-19 PANDEMIC: RISK ASSESSMENT AND THE LACK OF BASIC PREVENTIVE MEASURES AFTER THREE MONTHS OF RE-OPENING
Öz
COVID-19 was announced to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. A lockdown in most countries throughout the world took place to break the chain of its spread. In late May of the same year re-opening started with new regulations to protect people from this new SARS-CoV-2 hazard. The goal of this study was to evaluate the degree to which COVID related occupational preventive measures were being taken in North Cyprus (NC) at the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. A checklist was prepared and applied to different industries in NC to identify the observable measures taken. A risk assessment (RA) was conducted in a private hospital using the online interactive risk assessment (OiRA) tool of OSHA-EU. Mask usage and alcohol-based disinfectants at only the main entrances (54.55%) were the most important measures taken. The RA conducted in a hospital setting where there was a lot of people traffic, mostly patients, entering and exiting, showed that the hospital was not well prepared for the new SARS-COV-2 occupational risk factor. Poor workplace management is identified. Even the most important, basic general measures to reduce physical contact and therefore the risk of infection have not been adopted.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Covid-19, SARS CoV-2, Risk assessment, Preventive measures, Ergonomics
Kaynakça
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