A retrospective analysis of workplace incidents data among Environmental Health Officers (EHOS) collected from 73 local governments
Abstract
Objective: This study investigated the occurrence of work-related incidents and illnesses among Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) in Australia. The objectives were to determine frequency and severity of workplace incidents among EHOs, to understand the mechanism of incidents, and to compare data with other health professionals and the national trend. Method: A questionnaire was sent to Australian Local Governments (LGs), to collect data on specific incidents related to their EHO workforce. Results: The most common mechanisms of workplace incidents were vehicle accidents (28 %), followed by mental stress (16 %) and slips, trips and falls (15.3 %). There was a positive relationship between the number of full-time EHOs employed by LGs and the occurrence of workplace incidents, (One- way Anova, p = 0.04). Conclusion: The trend of workplace incidents among EHOs are akin to that of the general Australian workforce. The information obtained from this study provides a catalyst for further research into EHOs workplace health.
RAS ID
45165
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
2022
School
School of Medical and Health Sciences
Copyright
free_to_read
Publisher
Environmental and Occupational Health Society
Comments
Dine, G., Reed, S., & Oosthuizen, J. (2022). A retrospective analysis of workplace incidents data among Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) collected from 73 local governments. Asia Pacific Environmental and Occupational Health Journal, 8(1), 9-21. http://www.apeohjournal.org/index.php/v/article/view/136