Evaluation of Occupational Accident and Its Related Factors in Two Hospitals in Tehran

Background & Aims of the Study: Hospital safety is a critical issue since hospitals are more vulnerable than other places to traumatic incidents. Investigation of occupational accidents in hospitals could prevent these events and preserve human and financial resources. With this background in mind, the present study aimed to investigate the occupational accident and its related factors in two university hospitals in Tehran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted at two hospitals (including one public and one specialized hospital) in Tehran. The study population consisted of 186 nursing group personnel working in different departments of hospitals who were selected by simple random selection. Data collection tool was a questionnaire which consisted of two parts: demographic variable and 18 questions about occupational incidents. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 21) using descriptive statistics and Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal Wallis tests. Results: Among 18 accidents, exposure to blood or body fluids showed to have the highest frequency, while falling had the lowest frequency. The obtained results demonstrated no relationship between gender and the number and type of accidents. Nonetheless, in some of the accidents, the number and type of accidents were significantly correlated with the department, work experiences, educational level, work shift, and type of hospital (P<0.05). Conclusion: Due to the prevalence of accidents, such as exposure to blood or other body fluids, cutting with sharp objects, and needle sticks,it is suggested that accidents and their causes be recorded and preventive measures be implemented  to reduce the causes of accidents. Moreover, some interventions, such as training in personal and occupational protection techniques and risk assessment of different procedures are recommended.