COVID-19 Pandemisinde Saha Filyasyon Ekiplerinde Çalışanların İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Sorunları

Abstract

With this descriptive study, it was aimed to determine the main problems related to occupational health and safety in the working conditions and working environments of those working in contact tracing teams during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Between March-April 2021, 25.5% (n=586) of 2290 healthcare professionals working in contact tracing teams of all District Health Departments in Istanbul participated in the research, which was carried out with the online questionnaire forms. Woman make up 73.5% of the participants, the median age is 32, 44.1% are dentists, the average working time as a healthcare worker is 10.3±9.0 years, the average working time in contact tracing team is 8.1±3.6 months. Statistically, shifts and night workers were significantly higher than before the pandemic (p<0.001). Those with high-risk contact with a COVID-19 patient are 4.60 (CI: 3.02-6.99) times more likely to be associated with having COVID-19 disease than those without highrisk contact. It has been determined that the most common occupational health and safety problems are related to psychosocial and ergonomic factors. Those who have problems in delaying the need for toilet due to personal protective equipments (PPE) account for 70.0% of the participants, long working hours per day 65.0%, communication problems with patients/contacts 49.8%, skipping meals or not having meals on time 79.7% of the participants. Those who stated that they were exposed to any type of violence at least once constitute 79.7% of the participants, and 27.5% of those who stated that they had an accident in the form of contact with a patient/contact body fluid. In order to ensure appropriate occupational health and safety conditions in contact tracer workers, and to regulate working conditions and working environment conditions, necessary legal regulations and practices, such as training, should be made together with the relevant institutions and organizations.