Occupational accident: An example of fatalistic beliefs among medical waste workers in Bangladesh

This study was conducted to see whether fatalism is an important factor in explaining occupational accidents among medical waste operatives in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data were collected using a variety of qualitative techniques and included observation, formal and informal dialogue. Sampling strategies included formal representative sampling, purposive and authoritative sampling. Employers did not supply PPE or offer training to their staff. Most workers (73%) did not wear PPE regularly, and a further 18% wore only insufficient PPE. Consequently, most waste workers (95%) reported that they had experienced occupational accidents, mostly (75%) from used needles and other sharps. These observations were associated with fatalistic beliefs among the participants, both managers and employees, who attributed these events to “fate” reflecting their perceived lack of control over such accidents. This study reveals many examples of a lack of organisational awareness that can occur within a culture of fatalism.     

煤矿呼吸性粉尘及其综合控制

在生产过程中产生的粉尘中,呼吸性粉尘是尘肺病的引发源,在煤矿防尘工作中必须引起高度重视。我国煤矿尘肺病发病情况十分严重,据不完全统计,至2002年底,我国煤炭行业累计患尘肺病人数达25万以上,该年度因尘肺病死亡人数是因事故死亡人数的两倍。呼吸性粉尘粒径小、悬浮时间长、肉眼不可见,极易被吸入人体的肺部并沉积于肺泡区内,随着沉积量的增加,可引发尘肺病。尘肺病目前尚无法根治,但完全可以预防。其有效的预防措施就是对粉尘施行综合控制,从抑制尘源、降低浮尘、排除余尘到个体防护等一系列技术措施,最大限度地减低作业人员的接尘量,同时进行医学预防,防止尘肺病的发生和发展。建立工程性防御与医学性预防相结合,防止煤尘爆炸与预防尘肺病一体化的管理机制。     

军民协调灾害卫生救援体制的情报与模式研究

通过对国内外军民协调灾害卫生救援体制现状的对比分析，找出我国现行灾害卫生救援体制与国外体制之间的差距，分析了产生差距的原因．在此基础上，从加强军民协调、平战结合角度，提出我国灾害卫生救援体制四种框架模式，运用专家咨询法与层次分析法相结合的方法进行综合评估。明确了我国军民协调灾害卫生救援体制发展的战略目标和近中期目标，从而提出加强我国军民协调灾害卫生救援体制建设的对策与建议．     

我国医疗废物可持续管理措施探讨

回顾了我国医疗废物管理和处置取得的成果,分析了我国医疗废物管理和处置的现状与不足,从生命周期和全过程管理体系的建立、技术研发和技术应用,以及监督和监测、技术培训和经济运行机制等方面提出了实现我国医疗废物可持续管理的对策与措施。     

齐齐哈尔市医疗废物焚烧装置的运行与管理

主要介绍了齐齐哈尔医疗废物焚烧装置的运行及管理;针对焚烧装置的运行要求阐述了焚烧装置运行操作的注意事项及必要的管理措施。     

Mineralogy and chemistry of urinary stones: patients from North Jordan

Urinary stone diseases are increasing in the Middle East. The majority of urinary stone cases are found in the northern part of the country. Stone samples taken from patients living in the Irbid area were collected from Princess Basma Hospital. The present study concentrates on the mineralogical and chemical composition of the urinary stones and on the effective environmental factors that assist in developing the different types of urinary stones. Using X-ray diffraction techniques, the mineralogical composition of the urinary stones was found to be as follows: oxalate, cholesten, and uric acid, with cystine stones occuring more frequently than the others. Cholesten and calcium oxalate stones are the most dominant types of stones. Calcium oxalate is the most common type of oxalate stone. Calcium oxalate is represented in: whewellite, wheddellite, and calcium carbonate oxalate hydrate minerals, in addition to other minerals such as brushite, ammonium phosphate, vaterite, valleriite, and bobierrite from other types of stones. Bobierrite (phosphate group) is a new mineral reported in urinary stones, and this has not been determined in any previous study worldwide. Apatite (calcium phosphate) is deduced using scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The SEM technique determined crystal forms and systems, shapes, morphological features, and the names of the minerals forming urine stones, while optical properties are studied by polarizing microscope. X-ray fluorescence technique determined the concentrations of major and some trace elements. It revealed that Ca is the main constituent of the urinary stones, especially those composed of calcium oxalate and calcium phosphate. The concentration of trace elements was Ba = 1.57, P = 3.61, Fe = 1.78, S = 2.08, Zr = 4.63, Mo = 3.92, Cu = 1.89, Co = 1.56, and F = 4.2% and was higher in the urinary stones of Jordanian patients than in foreigners in the country. Questionnaires completed by patients suggest that the most significant factors directly effecting the formation of stones are water, climate conditions, food rich in protein and rich in different chemicals. Moreover, some drugs and diseases might also help in developing other stones.     

Soil lead (Pb) in residential transects through Lubbock,Texas: a preliminary assessment

Residential lead (Pb) contamination, resulting from decades-long use of leaded gasoline and lead-based paint, is likely to be present in soils in most urban areas. A screening level sampling effort demonstrated that Lubbock, Texas, USA, like other cities of its age and size, has areas of elevated soil Pb. This effort was based on soil sampling performed on residential, commercial and thoroughfare properties. The focus of this study was to investigate that component of soil contamination due to combustion of leaded gasoline. Soils were collected from the 1–2 cm surface layer from street-side property borders, well away from buildings that might lead to soil contamination from leaded paint chips. All samples were analyzed for Pb after a 1 M HNO₃ mild extraction to determine the amount of bioavailable Pb. Two of three transects through the city demonstrated significant trends of decreasing Pb concentrations with distance from the city center, paralleling a decrease in developed property age. Peak soil Pb concentrations outside city development was 4.9 ± 0.6 mg/kg while the median concentration for the city was 35.4 mg/kg. Peak soil Pb concentrations in the city center ranged from 90.0 to 174.0 mg/kg and decreased exponentially to 6.0–9.0 mg/kg at the furthest terminus of the residential transects.     

Impact of medical fitness to drive policies in preventing property damage,injury, and death from motor vehicle collisions in Ontario,Canada

Introduction: Drivers with medical conditions and functional impairments are at increased collision risk. A challenge lies in identifying the point at which such risk becomes unacceptable to society and requires mitigating measures. This study models the road safety impact of medical fitness-to-drive policy in Ontario. Method: Using data from 2005 to 2014, we estimated the losses to road safety incurred during the time medically-at-risk drivers were under review, as well as the savings to road safety accrued as a result of licensing decisions made after the review process. Results: While under review, drivers with medical conditions had an age- and sex-standardized collision rate no different from the general driver population, suggesting no road safety losses occurred (RR = 1.02; 95% CI: 0.93–1.12). Licensing decisions were estimated to have subsequently prevented 1,211 (95% CI: 780–1,730) collisions, indicating net road safety savings resulting from medical fitness to drive policies. However, more collisions occurred than were prevented for drivers with musculoskeletal disorders, sleep apnea, and diabetes. We theorize on these findings and discuss its multiple implications. Conclusions: Minimizing the impact of medical conditions on collision occurrence requires robust policies that balance fairness and safety. It is dependent on efforts by academic researchers (who study fitness to drive); policymakers (who set driver medical standards); licensing authorities (who make licensing decisions under such standards); and clinicians (who counsel patients on their driving risk and liaise with licensing authorities). Practical Applications: Further efforts are needed to improve understanding of the effects of medical conditions on collision risk, especially for the identified conditions and combinations of conditions. Results reinforce the value of optimizing the processes by which information is solicited from physicians in order to better assess the functional impact of drivers’ medical conditions on driving and to take suitable licensing action.     

对医疗废物集中焚烧处置工程设计原则和要求的探讨

结合我国医疗废物焚烧处置的相关标准和技术规范,深入分析了医疗废物焚烧处置工程每个系统的一些设计原则和基本要求,并对实际运行中经常出现的一些问题,提出了建议。     

Critical review of industrial and medical waste practices in Dar es Salaam City

Industrial and medical wastes constitute a larger part on what is known as ‘hazardous wastes’. The production of these wastes is and will continue to be an on going phenomenon as long as human civilization persists. The health impacts of direct and indirect exposure to hazardous wastes include carcinogenic effects, reproductive system damage, respiratory effects, central nervous system effects, and many others. Today, many developed countries have legal provisions with regard to proper management of hazardous wastes. Tanzania, like many developing countries, has little emphasis on the proper handling and disposal of hazardous wastes. There is a serious inadequacy in handling industrial and medical solid wastes in the Dar es Salaam City. Improper waste deposition is increasingly becoming a potential public health risk and an environmental burden. Due to poor control of waste, industrialists and hospital owners are not well checked on how they handle and dispose of the wastes they produce with the result that many hazardous wastes reach the Vingunguti dumpsite without notice. Data on waste generation in Dar es Salaam is also inadequate, making it difficult to plan an efficient solid waste system. Promotion of public awareness, legislation and regulations enforcement and establishment of a proper sanitary landfill are considered to be principal remedial measures to ensure sound environmental maintenance. This paper summarizes the findings of the study on the practices of industrial and medical waste management in Dar es Salaam. The author aims to express the inadequacy in hazardous waste management and suggests possible measures to be applied in order to rectify the situation.