Citation

Alamgir H, Yu S. Occup. Med. 2008; 58(6): 393-399.

Affiliation

Statistics and Evaluation Department, Occupational Health and Safety Agency for Healthcare, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/occmed/kqn028

PMID

18356143

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The cleaning profession has been associated with multiple ergonomic and chemical hazards which elevate the risk for occupational injury. AIMS: This study investigated the epidemiology of occupational injury among cleaners in healthcare work settings in the Canadian province of British Columbia. METHODS: Incidents of occupational injury among cleaners, resulting in lost time from work or medical care, over a period of 1 year in two healthcare regions were extracted from a standardized operational database and with person-years obtained from payroll data. Detailed analysis was conducted using Poisson regression modeling. RESULTS: A total of 145 injuries were identified among cleaners, with an annual incidence rate of 32.1 per 100 person-years. After adjustment for age, gender, subsector, facility, experience and employment status, Poisson regression models demonstrated that a significantly higher relative risk (RR) of all injury, musculoskeletal injury and cuts was associated with cleaning work in acute care facilities, compared with long-term care facilities. Female cleaners were at a higher RR of all injuries and contusions than male cleaners. A lower risk of all injury and allergy and irritation incidents among part-time or casual workers was found. Cleaners with>10 years of experience were at significantly lower risk for all injury, contusion and allergy and irritation incidents. CONCLUSIONS: Cleaners were found to be at an elevated risk of all injury categories compared with healthcare workers in general.

Language: en