JIST

Abstract

Occupational Health & Safety measures are well comprehended in the industrial sector due to the Factories Act and local legislation. Such measures are not percolated in the health sector due to the lack of awareness, and very few studies available in this area. The range of services offered by a tertiary healthcare facility includes mortuary services. The medical staff and the relatives of the deceased may be at risk in mortuaries or post-mortemrooms. The study aimed to analyze existent practices and Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) measures in autopsy activity and to identify inherent hazards and associated risks. This is an observational study conducted at the mortuary of the Forensic Medicine Department, in a Government tertiary care hospital in Patna, Bihar (India). Standard Methodology of Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment followed from ILO publication. Biological risks include coming into contact with the deceased's bodily fluids and splashes, spills, and aerosols as a result of post-mortem room activities for the staff members involved in moving the body to the mortuary. The physical risks include slip-and-fall accidents and related injuries. Potential chemical risks include contact dermatitis and allergic asthma caused by exposure to formalin vapours during embalming processes and medications/chemicals used by the deceased. The personnel are susceptible to a number of illnesses, including hepatitis, lung TB, hepatitis C, HIV, and COVID-19. exposure to radiation a possibility for the X-ray technician and assistance. Musculo skeletal conditions and injuries brought on by repeated action in the shoulder, small joints of the hand, and elbow are examples of ergonomic dangers. PPEs were rarely used consistently in most mortuary areas. The use of risk reduction techniques like replacement, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE) is necessary, as is periodic occupational health surveillance.