The investigation of the impacts of major disasters, on the basis of the Van earthquake (October 23, 2011, Turkey), on the profile of the injuries due to occupational accidents.
The purpose of this study is to identify the impacts of major disasters, on the basis of the Van earthquake (October 23, 2011, Turkey), on the profile of the injuries due to occupational accidents. In this study, we evaluated 245 patients of occupational accidents who were admitted to emergency services of Van city hospitals in the 1-year periods including pre-earthquake and post-earthquake. We determined that there was a 63.4% (P < 0.05) increase in work-related accidents in the post-earthquake period compared to the pre-earthquake period. Also, injuries due to occupational accidents increased 211% (P < 0.05) in the construction industry, the rate of injuries due to falls from height increased 168% (P < 0.05), and the rate of traumas to the head and upper limbs increased 200% (P < 0.05) and 130% (P < 0.05), respectively, in the post-earthquake period compared to the pre-earthquake period. We determined that the ignoring of measures for occupational health and safety by employers and employees during conducted rapid construction activities and post-earthquake restoration works in order to remove the effects of the earthquake increased the number of work accidents. In this study, the impact of disasters such as earthquakes on the accidents at work was evaluated as we have not seen in literature. This study emphasizes that governments should make regulations and process relating to the post-disaster business before the emergence of disaster by taking into account factors that may increase their work-related accidents.
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty of Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080 Van, Turkey. Electronic address: evisim@gmail.com.
Yavuz
Y
Hekimoglu
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Faculty of Dicle University, 21280 Diyarbakir, Turkey. Electronic address: drrecepdursun@hotmail.com.
Recep
R
Dursun
Department of Emergency Medicine, Medical Faculty of Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080 Van, Turkey. Electronic address: sevdegulkaradas@yahoo.com.tr.
Sevdegul
S
Karadas
Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty of Yuzuncu Yil University, 65080 Van, Turkey. Electronic address: masirdizer@yahoo.com.
Mahmut
M
Asirdizer
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
Earthquakes; Injuries; Occupational accidents; Occupational health; Work safety