Evaluation of occupational accidents and diseases experienced by healthcare workers: The case of hospitals affiliated with Thi Qar Governorate

Ensuring occupational health and safety (OHS) is of critical importance for the healthcare sector. Workers in the healthcare sector face unique physical, ergonomic, chemical, biological, and psychosocial risk factors in their professional lives. Therefore, it is essential to effectively ensure and improve occupational health and safety in hospitals. Identifying the occupational accidents and diseases that healthcare workers are exposed to is a fundamental requirement for taking necessary precautions in this area. This study aims to evaluate the experiences of healthcare workers regarding occupational accidents and diseases, as well as the regulations in place at four training and research hospitals (General Al-Shatra Hospital, Al-Haboubi Training Hospital, Al Hussein Training Hospital, and Al-Nasiria Training Hospital) affiliated with Thi Qar Governorate in Iraq. The research was conducted using a descriptive design, and the sample consisted of 600 healthcare workers who volunteered to participate from the aforementioned hospitals. The study was carried out between February 2022 and July 2022. Participants were administered a 45-item OHS scale using a six-point Likert type scale and an 11-question personal information form. The collected data were analyzed using a computer-assisted statistical analysis program. The statistical analyses included the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, t-test, One-Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Kruskal-Wallis test, Bonferroni-corrected t-test, Bonferroni corrected Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson Chi-Square, and Pearson Correlation analyses. According to the results, a portion of the participants reported exposure to occupational diseases. In terms of occupational accidents, healthcare workers most frequently encountered soft tissue trauma, verbal violence, and chronic fatigue. Regarding occupational diseases, musculoskeletal disorders were reported to be more prevalent. Additionally, it was found that cases of verbal violence and chronic fatigue were more commonly observed in surgical clinics. Key Words: Occupational Health and Safety; Hospital; Healthcare Workers; Occupational Accidents and Diseases; Iraq