International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Volume:6 Issue: 1, Jan 2015

Work-related diseases contribute immensely to the global burden of diseases. Better understanding of attitudes of health care workers towards occupational safety and health (OSH) is important for planning.
To assess the attitude of medical students towards OSH around the globe.
A questionnaire assessing the attitude towards OSH was administered to medical and paramedical students of 21 Medical Universities across the globe. In the current study 1895 students, aged 18–36 years, from 17 countries were included. After having performed a principal components analysis, the associations of interest between the identified components and other socio demographic characteristics were assessed by multivariate linear regression.
Principal component analysis revealed 3 components. Students from lower and lower-middle-income countries had a more positive attitude towards OSH, but the importance of OSH was still rated higher by students from upper-income countries. Although students from Asian and African continents showed high interest for OSH, European and South-Central American students comparatively rated importance of OSH to be higher. Paramedical students had more positive attitude towards OSH than medical students.
The attitude of students from lower-income and lower-middle-income countries towards importance of OSH is negative. This attitude could be changed by recommending modifications to OSH courses that reflect the importance of OSH. Since paramedical students showed more interest in OSH than medical students, modifications in existing health care system with major role of paramedics in OSH service delivery is recommended.

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exhibits both physiological and toxicological roles in the biological systems. Acute exposure to high levels of H2S is life threatening while long-term exposure to ambient levels of H2S elicits human health effects.
To study the harmful effects of long-term exposure to low levels of H2S on human blood cells.
110 adult workers from Iran who were occupationally exposed to 0–90 ppb H2S for 1–30 years were studied. The participants aged between 18 and 60 years and were exposed directly or indirectly to sulfur compounds (exposed group). The origin of H2S was natural gas processing plants. A control group consisting of 110 males who were not in contact with H2S was also studied. For all participants, hematological profile including total hemoglobin and red blood cell count and sulfhemoglobin, methemoglobin levels were measured.
Among all parameters evaluated in this study the mean methemoglobin and sulfhemoglobin levels were significantly higher among workers who were exposed to sulfur compounds than the control group. Major differences throughout the study period for sulfhemoglobinemia among exposed groups were observed.
Long-term exposure to even low levels of H2S in workplaces may have potential harmful effects on human health.

Exposure to blood-borne pathogens from needle-stick and sharp injuries continues to pose a significant risk to health care workers. These events are of concern because of the risk to transmit blood-borne diseases such as hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and the human immunodeficiency virus.
To benchmark different risk factors associated with needle-stick incidents among health care workers in the Ministry of Health hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia compared to the US hospitals participating in Exposure Prevention Information Network (EPINet ™).
Prospective surveillance of needle-stick and sharp incidents carried out during the year 2012 using EPINet™ ver 1.5 that provides uniform needle stick and sharp injury report form.
The annual percutaneous incidents (PIs) rate per 100 occupied beds was 3.2 at the studied MOH hospitals. Nurses were the most affected job category by PIs (59.4%). Most PIs happened in patient's wards in the Ministry of Health hospitals (34.6%). Disposable syringes were the most common cause of PIs (47.20%). Most PIs occurred during use of the syringes (36.4%).
Among health care workers, nurses and physicians appear especially at risk of exposure to PIs. Important risk factors of injuries include working in patient room, using disposable syringes, devices without safety features. Preventive strategies such as continuous training of health care workers with special emphasis on nurses and physicians, encouragement of reporting of such incidents, observation of sharp handling, their use and implementation of safety devices are warranted.

Metabolic syndrome (MSx) is associated with several health problems. Workers are an important part of any organization.
To determine the prevalence of MSx and related variables among office workers.
This cross-sectional study evaluated 1488 office workers in Qom province, Central Iran, by using a multi-stage cluster sampling. Diagnosis of MSx was based on blood HDL-cholesterol, triglyceride, and fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels and waist circumference, and blood pressure.
The overall prevalence of MSx was 35.9% (95% CI 33.5% to 38.3%), higher in men (37.2%) than in women (20.6%), and increased with age. The most common laboratory findings of MSx were hypertriglyceridemia (45.9%) and low HDL-cholesterol level (45.5%). Office workers with MSx had a significantly (p The prevalence of MSx was very high among office workers. Workplace health improvement programs through identifying and preventing MSx are necessary for improvement of staff's health.

Workers in wastewater treatment plants are exposed to a wide range of chemicals as well as biological contaminants.
To ascertain whether exposure to bio-aerosols under the normal working conditions in wastewater treatment plants is associated with any significant changes in the prevalence of respiratory symptoms and lung function capacities.
198 employees of wastewater treatment plants and 99 unexposed persons were studied. American thoracic society (ATS) standard respiratory symptom questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of respiratory symptoms. Pulmonary function tests were conducted for each participant.
The prevalence of respiratory symptoms among exposed persons was significantly higher than that of unexposed people. Mean values of most pulmonary function test parameters were significantly lower in the exposed compared to the comparison group persons.
Increased prevalence of respiratory symptoms and decrements in pulmonary function test parameters may be attributed to exposure to bio-aerosols released from wastewater treatment plants.

The interaction between serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), biogenic amino-acids and neurobehavioral function with blood lead levels in workers exposed to lead form lead-acid battery manufacturing process was not studied.
To evaluate serum NSE and biogenic amino-acids (dopamine and serotonin) levels, and neurobehavioral performance among workers exposed to lead from lead-acid storage battery plant, and its relation with blood lead levels (BLLs).
In a cross-sectional study, we performed biochemical and neurobehavioral function tests on 146 workers exposed to lead from lead-acid battery manufacturing process. BLLs were assessed by an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Serum NSE, dopamine and serotonin were measured by ELISA. Neurobehavioral functions were assessed by CDC-recommended tests—simple reaction time (SRT), symbol digit substitution test (SDST), and serial digit learning test (SDLT).
There was a significant correlation (r 0.199, p Serum NSE cannot be used as a marker for BLL. The only domain of neurobehavioral function tests that is affected by increased BLL in workers of lead-acid battery manufacturing process is that of the “attention and perception” (SDST).