BackgroundMetal fabrication workers experience high rates of traumatic occupational injuries. Machine operators in particular face high risks, often stemming from the absence or improper use of machine safeguarding or the failure to implement lockout procedures.MethodsThe National Machine Guarding Program (NMGP) was a translational research initiative implemented in conjunction with two workers' compensation insures. Insurance safety consultants trained in machine guarding used standardized checklists to conduct a baseline inspection of machine‐related hazards in 221 business.ResultsSafeguards at the point of operation were missing or inadequate on 33% of machines. Safeguards for other mechanical hazards were missing on 28% of machines. Older machines were both widely used and less likely than newer machines to be properly guarded. Lockout/tagout procedures were posted at only 9% of machine workstations.ConclusionsThe NMGP demonstrates a need for improvement in many aspects of machine safety and lockout in small metal fabrication businesses. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1174–1183, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

BackgroundSmall manufacturing businesses often lack important safety programs. Many reasons have been set forth on why this has remained a persistent problem.MethodsThe National Machine Guarding Program (NMGP) was a nationwide intervention conducted in partnership with two workers' compensation insurers. Insurance safety consultants collected baseline data in 221 business using a 33‐question safety management audit. Audits were completed during an interview with the business owner or manager.ResultsMost measures of safety management improved with an increasing number of employees. This trend was particularly strong for lockout/tagout. However, size was only significant for businesses without a safety committee. Establishments with a safety committee scored higher (55% vs. 36%) on the safety management audit compared with those lacking a committee (P < 0.0001).ConclusionsCritical safety management programs were frequently absent. A safety committee appears to be a more important factor than business size in accounting for differences in outcome measures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 58:1184–1193, 2015. © 2015 The Authors. American Journal of Industrial Medicine Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

health status of farmers who ahve been using pesticides for the past years. Laboratory examination of blood was also done, including blood cholinesterase to dertermine organophosphate exposures. Results Majority were males (53.4%), married (80.5%) with a mean age of 47 years old. The most commonly used pesticides were Tamaron (36.1%), Dithane (34.1%), Sumicidine (29.0%), Selecron (24.9%) and Lannate (15.2%). Tamaron, being the most commonly used, has an active ingredient of methamidophos and classified as an organophosphate pesticide. Meanwhile, Dithane, a mancozeb, is a dithiocarbamate pesticide and Sumicidine is a pyrethroid with an active ingredient of fenvalerate. In addition, Selecron is composed mainly of ingredients of prochloroz mn and spinosad, respectively (Table 2). During their agricultural work, farmers used pesticides mainly for three to six hours per day (51.2%), one to two days weekly (86.8%) and three to four weeks per month (82.3%). 40.9% who underwent the physical examination were diagnosed to have abnormal assessment results. Analyses indicated that pesticide use and risk factors were found to have association at p = 0.05 with easy fatigability, weight loss, loss of appetite, cerebellar function, creatinine levels, haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin count, and platelet count. 5.3% of the farmers were found to have abnormal platelet count. Platelet count may indicate whether the patient is having bleeding problems, infectious processes, bone marrow depression, malignancies or anaemia. For RBC cholinesterase activity, it was found that 50.8% of the samples showed depression in activity. Conclusions This study has demonstrated the interaction between the farmers' pesticide exposure and work practices, as well as physical, neurological and laboratory assessment findings. The study shows that farmers are at a considerable risk of either acute or chronic pesticide poisoning because of improper work practices. Around 40.9% of the farmers were diagnosed to have abnormal physical examination findings while 4.6% presented problems in their neurological functioning and less than 10% of the farmers exhibited abnormal laboratory results. The author recommends the use of the information gathered in this study to improve current policies and standards with regards to surveillance of pesticide use. 0007 TRENDS OF OCCUPATIONAL INJURY IN THE PHILIPPINES: IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICYJinky Leilanie Lu. National Institutes of Health, Univeristy of the Philippines Manila, Manila, The Philippines 10. 1136/oemed-2014-102362.176 Objectives This study aimed to review and assess the prevalence and incidence of occupational injuries in the Philippines. Method Data collection were done from various agencies, namely, Bureau of Labour and Employment Statistics (BLES) of the Department of Labour and Employment (DOLE), Labour Force Survey of National Statistics Office, among others. Hospital-based surveys and newspaper reports were also sources of data for this study. Results The review showed t...

Despite limitations, workers' compensation data were useful in characterizing machine-related injuries. Improving the quality of data collected by insurers would enhance occupational injury surveillance and prevention efforts. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:656-664, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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