Survey and Analysis on the Status Quo of Occupational Risk Perception of Teachers in Public Vocational Colleges in an Underdeveloped Area

This paper selects the teachers of public higher vocational college(College A)in underdeveloped areas to participate in the analysis,and conducts a questionnaire survey using the occupational risk perception questionnaire of higher vocational teachers.A total of 223 higher vocational teachers were selected to participate in the survey in order to understand the status quo of occupational risk perception of higher vocational teachers.The survey results show that the Cronbach’sαcoefficient of occupational risk perception scale for higher vocational teachers is 0.846,and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin(KMO)is 0.871.The education legal liability risk,workload risk,and career development risk are the highest average occupational risk perception of higher vocational teachers.In conclusion,the occupational risk perception scale of higher vocational teachers compiled in this study has good reliability and validity.The occupational risk perceived by teachers in public higher vocational colleges is relatively high.

Occupational risk assessment based on employees’ knowledge and awareness of hazards in mining

Analyses and assessments of hazards occurring in work processes are carried out by teams,in which there is usually one representative of the personnel,as the embodiment of the active participation of employees in the assessment of occupational risks.This is why the article presents research on all employees’knowledge and awareness about risks in their work environment.The research was carried out in the form of an employee survey in one of the open-pit mines,at workstations dealing with the loading and transporting of excavated material.The survey included a list of 40 hazards divided into four groups:(1)hazards related to machines and equipment used,(2)hazards related to exposure,(3)hazards with an impact extending beyond the workstation and(4)hazards of an ergonomic nuisance nature,where employees were required to indicate which hazards apply to their workplaces and determine their level of signifcance,probability of occurrence and the scale of possible efects.In this way,a hierarchical identifcation of threats occurring at the analyzed workplaces was made,and the obtained results were used to determine the amount of occupational risk both for specifc workstations and for the whole technological process.The measures of the magnitude of occupational risk obtained using the proposed method have showed that,according to the respondents,greatest risks at the workstation are associated with moving machines and vehicles and with mobile equipment.Equally important risks,which were often mentioned by employees,were those directly related to their health,i.e.,related to ergonomic nuisance and exposure.Threats resulting from geological and mining conditions,considered typical for mining,were important for the surveyed miners but they were not the most important owing to proper prevention,good organization of work and high safety culture The active involvement of the crew in the process of assessing occupational hazards allowed to identify the signifcance of each hazard,in the opinion of the personnel working at various places and to use this ranking for determining occupational risk levels in the mining company concerned.The research has also outlined another goal to be achieved:a comparison of the relative signifcance of hazards identifed by the employees and of the hazards listed in occupational risk assessment matrices used by mines.

Extraprofessional and Occupational Risk Factors for Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancers （CRC） account for frequent and serious cancers which result from the interaction between individual genetic factors and environmental factors, and in particular widely studied nutritional ones. The role of other occupational factors remains a controversial subject. The objective of this study is to evaluate the possible impact of occupational factors on the risk of developing CRC. Materials and Methods： This is a retrospective case-control study. The cases and the control group were enlisted in the general surgical ward of Farhat Hached Teaching Hospital of Sousse （Tunisia） during the period extending from 2004 to 2008, and they were age and gender-matched. The data were analyzed using SPSS 11.0 software with a signification threshold fixed at 5%. A univariate analysis was carried out as well as a multiple binary logistical regression. Results： During the period of the study, 40 cases of colorectal cancers have been colligated including 28 men and 12 women with a sex ratio of 0.43. The average age of the cases was 61.55 ± 13.3 years and 60.40 ± 12.84 years for the control group, with a non significant difference （P = 0.69）. The univariate analysis has objectivized significant associations between colorectal cancer and the housing conditions, the neoplastic and digestive family history, the occupational activity sector, exposure to pesticides, and lack of periodic medical supervision. After logistical regression, the occurrence risk of CRC was significantly associated with： alcohol and smoking （ORa = 3.43; Pa = 0.05）, meat consumption （ORa = 3.34; Pa = 0.03）, exposure to pesticides （ORa = 20.44; Pa = 0.012） and lack of periodic medical supervision （OR = 7.45; P = 0.004）. Conclusion： The occupational risk factors might play a role in the etiopathogenesis of colorectal cancers. With regard to our study, pesticides seem to be most implicated and necessitate suitable preventive measures. Nevertheless, it seems useful to multiply the studies to a much larger scale in order to further explore such relationship and to further reinforce the prevention of such serious disease.

Research Progress in Occupational Health Risk Assessment Methods in China

Traditional occupational disease control and prevention has remained prevalent in China over recent decades. There are appropriately 30,000 new case reports of occupational diseases annually. Although China has already established a series of occupational disease prevention programs, occupational health risk assessment （OHRA） strategies continue to be a limitation.

Occupational Health Risk Assessment of Benzene,Toluene,and Xylene in Shanghai

Objective This study was designed to conduct a retrospective and systematic occupational health risk assessment(OHRA)of enterprises that used benzene,toluene,and xylene(BTX)in Shanghai,China.Methods All data for the study were obtained from 1,705 occupational health examination and evaluation reports from 2013 to 2017,and a semiquantitative model following Chinese OHRA guidelines(GBZ/T 298-2017)was applied for the assessment.Results The selected enterprises using BTX were mainly involved in manufacturing of products.Using the exposure level method,health risk levels associated with exposure to BTX were classified as medium,negligible,or low.However,the risk levels associated with benzene and toluene were significantly different according to job types,with gluers and inkers exhibiting greater health risks.For the same job type,the health risk levels assessed using the comprehensive index method were higher than those using the exposure level method.Conclusion Our OHRA reveals that workers who are exposed to BTX still face excessive health risk.Additionally,the risk level varied depending on job categories and exposure to specific chemicals.Therefore,additional control measures recommended by OHRA guidelines are essential to reduce worker exposure levels.

Ambient air quality and the risk for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease among Metro Manila Development Authority traffic enforcers in Metro Manila:An exploratory study

Background::Air pollution and poor ambient air quality are significantly related to multiple health risks.One associated disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),a preventable disease with several contributing factors and one of the leading causes of morbidity/mortality locally and globally.A potentially high-risk population are traffic enforcers who are constantly exposed to air pollution.In the Philippines,the MMDA has the widest coverage in traffic management.The study determined the risk of COPD among Metro Manila Development Authority(MMDA)traffic enforcers in relation to ambient air quality level,as well as identified other factors that increase the risk of developing COPD.Methods::Fifty-two MMDA traffic enforcers deployed in PM 2.5 air quality sensor areas in Metro Manila from 2016 to 2018 were recruited through stratified sampling.The International Primary Airways Guidelines(IPAG)questionnaire was utilized to measure risk of COPD.Respiratory health and working history were obtained through questionnaires.Department of environment and natural resources provided PM 2.5 ambient air quality data which aided in the construction of the Exposure-Month Index.Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the association of PM 2.5 together with the relevant factors and the risk of COPD.Results::We found statistically significant associations between PM 2.5 and COPD among high risk category[odds risk(OR):1.24,95%confidence interval(CI):1.07-1.44].Age(Moderate,OR:1.16,95%CI:0.98-1.38 and High,OR:10.06,95%CI:4.02-25.17)and chest pain(Moderate,OR:68.65,95%CI:1.71-2.75×103)were potential risk factors,whereas body mass index(BMI)(OR:0.05,95%CI:0.01-0.53)exhibited protective effect.Conclusions::Exposure to PM 2.5 was associated with an increased risk of COPD among high-risk category MMDA traffic enforcers.Age and chest pain were potential risk factors to risk of COPD,whereas BMI exhibited a potential protective effect.Results of this study can be used for clinical management of high-risk populations,such that of MMDA traffic enforcers.

What Has Shaken the Determination of Medical Students to Become a Doctor？

The scarcity of doctors is common in underdeveloped countries as well as in some developing and developed countries including Japan, Germany, Australia, Korea, and even the United States of America, indicating that this scarcity has become a global issue. Causes vary from country to country. In China, the causes of this shortage are complicated. Due to increasing violence in recent years against medical staff that endangers the personal safety of medical practitioners, the number of Chinese medical school applicants has decreased greatly. Furthermore, the proportion of students who abandon the health sector is very high.