Health and Safety of Health Workers in the Context of COVID-19: A Global Survey

Details

• Personal Author:
  Harrigan SP ; Spiegel JM ; Tsang VWL ; Yassi A
• Description:
  This report examines perceptions of occupational safety and health risks and mitigation measures faced by health workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It explores how these varied according to demographic, economic, and gender factors, as well as economic and occupation classification types. The results are based on a global survey devised by an Ad-Hoc Study Group of Experts on Health and Safety of Health Workers in COVID-19 convened by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The study was undertaken in the early stages of the pandemic with the goal of identifying commonalities and differences between regions and groups. The survey was a convenience sample targeted to all health workers using a survey instrument disseminated by e-mail and by social media through several global networks of health workers and health professionals providing support services for protecting health and safety at work in healthcare facilities. The largest proportion of the 4977 participants who responded to the survey were from the European region (35%), followed by the Americas region (31%). The South East Asian region (4%) and Eastern Mediterranean region (3%) made up the smallest proportion of participants. The majority of participants (65%) were female and participants were from 161 countries. Participants in high income countries perceived there to be less unacceptable risks and a higher presence of mitigation measures for all 4 factors (1: work environment, 2: work organization, 3: IPC measures and 4: OHS measures), when compared to respondents in low and middle income countries (OR = 0.99, 0.96, 0.94, 0.97 for factors 1 though 4, p = <0.001, 0.001, <0.001 and <0.001 respectively). Participants from the European and African regions perceived there to be fewer infection protection and control (IPC) and occupational health and safety (OHS) mitigation measures in place than was observed in the rest of the world as a whole (Europe: OR = 1.02, and 1.04 4, p = 0.009, 0 respectively, Africa: OR = 1.08, 1.04, p = 0, 0 respectively). Females perceived there to be more unacceptable risks environment risks factors (OR = 1.01, p = 0.001), and males observed there to be fewer IPC measures in place (OR = 1.02, p = 0.001). Males also noted there to be less psychosocial support measures than "other/prefer not to answer" groups (p = 0.037). Health workers in patient care/health services perceived fewer measures for OHS measures factor and IPC measures factor - but with limited difference (OR = 1.016 and 1.021, p = 0.015 and 0 respectively). Perhaps the most noteworthy finding concerns observation of risks and mitigation shortcoming as related to bullying, workplace violence and harassment. Participants perceived these psychosocial risks and corresponding mitigations consistently as the most unacceptable, regardless region demographic variables. Bullying or psychological harassment at the workplace and physical violence and assaults constituted the risk highlighted by the most participants as not acceptable at all (54% for each these). More than 50% of respondents scored the psychosocial work environment as currently not acceptable at all. These preventable risks have a long history in healthcare and were found across all regions surveyed. It is important to note that exposure to infectious material was also ranked consistently across demographic characteristics as one of the most unacceptable risks (52% overall as "risk is not acceptable at all). Despite difference in responses to risk and mitigation across regions and economic groups, consistent messages came through in the results. Health workers in all regions need education and awareness to recognize and report workplace hazards. Workplace cultures need to be improved to minimize preventable behaviours such negative psychosocial behaviours that can be particularly destabilizing during events such as this COVID-19 pandemic. Risks to health workers remain at all levels and regions and contribute to health worker shortages globally. The speed at which the pandemic crossed international boundaries reminds us that we must ensure that even the lowest income countries have stable health workforces. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Communicable Diseases Health Personnel Occupational Health Risk Assessment Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Coronavirus COVID-19 Health Care Personnel Health Care Workers Occupational Health Occupational Safety Psychosocial Factors Risk Analysis Safety Culture Work Environment Work Organization

  More +
• Publisher:
  University of British Columbia
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Report
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  1-44
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061896
• Citation:
  Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: University of British Columbia, 2020 Sep; :1-44
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2020
• Performing Organization:
  World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20170901
• Source Full Name:
  Health and safety of health workers in the context of COVID-19: a global survey
• End Date:
  20200831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:85108ab957bab5b11b45d4b814f96eaf118011d38be67bba5eeb96a808f2d8817993bddd5afd46daadf306f6003446949cae222e3b87beb4aaba0098c2a05578
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225244/cdc_225244_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 874.07 KB ]