title: [Occupational safety of cleaning personnel in Palestinian district hospitals].
abstract: This study examined occupational safety among cleaning workers in Palestinian hospitals and its relation with the medical waste management in these hospitals. The level of occupational safety was below standard requirements, as protective equipment and clothes are not available for most workers. Over 40% of workers had been pricked with needles while handling medical waste. There was no clear policy for vaccination of workers against infectious diseases and no medical examination for workers before or during employment. Only 37.2% were trained in handling medical waste and 23.2% were working 15 hours per day or more; 55.8% had spent 1 year or less in their work.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Palestine. ikhatib@birzeit.edu
authors.forename: Issam A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Al-Khatib
mesh_terms: D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006302:Health Services Research; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006797:Housekeeping, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000592:standards; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal / Q000592:standards; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D016602:Needlestick Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011482:Protective Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D017744:Medical Waste Disposal