It does not occur by chance: a mediation model of the influence of workers' characteristics, work environment factors, and near misses on agricultural machinery-related accidents

Agriculture is among the most hazardous productive sectors, and farm machinery is a major source of injury. In the present study, a mediated model was used to test the role played by workers' characteristics, work environment factors, and near misses in predicting agricultural machinery-related accidents in a sample of Italian users (n = 290). Hours worked per week (via the mediation of an adverse work environment) showed a positive association and years of work experience (via the mediation of risk perception) showed a negative association with the probability of being involved in a near miss, which in turn showed a positive association with the probability of being involved in a machinery-related accident. Implications for tailored preventive interventions are discussed.

Occupational Risk for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma-Related Depression: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

There is evidence suggesting that occupational trauma leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, there is a lack of high-quality reviews studying this association. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review with a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence of occupational trauma on PTSD and depression. After a database search on studies published between 1994 and 2018, we included 31 studies, of which only four had a low risk of bias. For soldiers exposed to wartime deployment, the pooled relative risk (RR) was 2.18 (95% CI 1.83-2.60) for PTSD and 1.15 (95% CI 1.06-1.25) for depression. For employees exposed to occupational trauma, there also was an increased risk for PTSD (RR = 3.18; 95% CI 1.76-5.76) and for depression (RR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.44-2.08). The overall quality of the evidence according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) approach was moderate; the evidence was high only for the association between workers after exposure to trauma and development of PTSD. The study results indicate an increased risk of PTSD and depression in soldiers after participation in war and in employees after occupational trauma.

Causes of Coal Mine Accidents in the World and Turkey

Occupational accidents and occupational diseases are common in the mining sector in Turkey and throughout the world. The most common causes of accidents in coal mining are firedamp and dust explosions, landslips, mine fires, and technical failures related to transport and mechanization. An analysis of occupational accidents in the consideration of social and economic factors will let understand the real causes behind these accidents, which are said to happen inevitably due to technical deficiencies or failures. Irregular working conditions, based on profit maximization and cost minimization, are related to strategic operational preferences and public policies. Proving that accidents in mines, where occupational health and safety measures are not implemented and inspections are not done properly or at all, are caused by the fact that production is imposed to be carried out in the fastest, cheapest, and most profitable way will allow us to take steps to prevent further mine accidents.

A fuzzy ANP-DEMATEL model on faulty behavior risks: implications for improving safety in the workplace

The occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries has always been a major concern for industrial management. Such undesirable incidences are higher in developing countries, especially in India, than in developed countries. This research aims to identify, analyze and evaluate the faulty behavior risks (FBRs) that trigger occupational accidents and injuries. Using a data triangulation strategy, this study identified 19 FBR factors under five categories. An integrated approach comprising the fuzzy analytic network process (ANP) and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is proposed for assessing these FBRs. The five most prominent critical risk factors are the absence of continuous monitoring, defective equipment and maintenance, cognitive bias, proper signage and adverse ambient working conditions. The study postulates some implications for industrial management to mitigate occupational accidents and injuries based on the outcomes.

Topic Modeling of Social Networking Service Data on Occupational Accidents in Korea: Latent Dirichlet Allocation Analysis

Background

In most industrialized societies, regulations, inspections, insurance, and legal options are established to support workers who suffer injury, disease, or death in relation to their work; in practice, these resources are imperfect or even unavailable due to workplace or employer obstruction. Thus, limitations exist to identify unmet needs in occupational safety and health information.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore hidden issues related to occupational accidents by examining social network services (SNS) data using topic modeling.

Methods

Based on the results of a Google search for the phrases occupational accident, industrial accident and occupational diseases, a total of 145 websites were selected. From among these websites, we collected 15,244 documents on queries related to occupational accidents between 2002 and 2018. To transform unstructured text into structure data, natural language processing of the Korean language was conducted. We performed the latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) as a topic model using a Python library. A time-series linear regression analysis was also conducted to identify yearly trends for the given documents.

Results

The results of the LDA model showed 14 topics with 3 themes: workers’ compensation benefits (Theme 1), illicit agreements with the employer (Theme 2), and fatal and non-fatal injuries and vulnerable workers (Theme 3). Theme 1 represented the largest cluster (52.2%) of the collected documents and included keywords related to workers’ compensation (ie, company, occupational injury, insurance, accident, approval, and compensation) and keywords describing specific compensation benefits such as medical expense benefits, temporary incapacity benefits, and disability benefits. In the yearly trend, Theme 1 gradually decreased; however, other themes showed an overall increasing pattern. Certain queries (ie, musculoskeletal system, critical care, and foreign workers) showed no significant variation in the number of queries.

Conclusions

We conducted LDA analysis of SNS data of occupational accident–related queries and discovered that the primary concerns of workers posting about occupational injuries and diseases were workers’ compensation benefits, fatal and non-fatal injuries, vulnerable workers, and illicit agreements with employers. While traditional systems focus mainly on quantitative monitoring of occupational accidents, qualitative aspects formulated by topic modeling from unstructured SNS queries may be valuable to address inequalities and improve occupational health and safety.

Biological risk among hospital housekeepers

Although not directly responsible for patient care, hospital housekeepers are still susceptible to accidents with biological material. The objectives of this study were to establish profile and frequency of accidents among hospital housekeepers, describe behaviors pre- and postaccident, and risk factors. This was a cross-sectional study with hospital housekeepers in Goiania, Brazil. Data were obtained from interviews and vaccination records. The observations were as follows: (1) participating workers: 94.3%; (2) incomplete hepatitis B vaccination: 1 in 3; and (3) accident rate: 26.5%, mostly percutaneous with hypodermic needles, and involved blood from an unknown source; roughly half occurred during waste management. Upon review, length of service less than 5 years, completed hepatitis B vaccination, and had been tested for anti-HBs (hepatitis B surface antigen) influenced frequency of accidents. These findings suggest that improper disposal of waste appears to enhance the risk to hospital housekeepers. All hospital workers should receive continued training with regard to waste management.

Why Workers Hesitate to Report Their Work-Related Musculoskeletal Symptoms: A Survey at a Korean Semiconductor Company

Underreporting work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD) has been an issue in South Korea. The purpose of this survey was to figure out how many employees of a semiconductor and liquid crystal display company in South Korea experience WRMSDs and what the possible obstacles in reporting to the company are. A survey was developed with demographic questions, perceived WRMSD symptoms, and reasons for reporting or not reporting WRMSD. The survey was distributed via the company's intranet to all employees (24,380) whose employee identification number ended with an odd number. A total of 2862 employees completed the survey and the response rate was 11.7%. A total of 55.2% of respondents had felt at least one musculoskeletal symptom during the past year. More than 40% of workers who had experienced pain or discomfort during the past year thought their symptoms were more than 50%. work-related. More than one-fourth of respondents answered that they did not report their symptoms to the company more than once. The open-ended answers for not reporting WRMSD were categorized into seven common reasons. The reasons for not reporting WRMSD in previous studies show a combination of personal, organizational, socioeconomical, and cultural factors. To encourage and manage WRMSD effectively, seven recommendations of authors are described.

New Risk Methodology Based on Control Charts to Assess Occupational Risks in Manufacturing Processes

The accident rate in the EU-28 region of the European Union showed a value of 2 fatal accidents per 100,000 people in 2019 that mainly affect construction (24%), manufacturing (19%) and logistics (19 %). To manage situations that affect occupational risk at work, a review of existing tools is first carried out taking into account three prevention, simultaneity and immediacy characteristics. As a result, a new dynamic methodology called Statistical Risk Control (SRC) based on Bayesian inference, control charts and analysis of the hidden Markov chain is presented. The objective is to detect a situation outside the limits early enough to allow corrective actions to reduce the risk before an accident occurs. A case is developed in a medium-density fiberboard (MDF) manufacturing plant, in which five inference models based on Poisson, exponential and Weibull distributions and risk parameters following gamma and normal distributions have been tested. The results show that the methodology offers all three characteristics, together with a better understanding of the evolution of the operators in the plant and the safety barriers in the scenario under study.

Subjective Health Complaints Among Workers in the Aftermath of an Oil Tank Explosion

The aim of the study was to assess whether exposed workers had more subjective health complaints than controls 1 1/2 years after a chemical explosion involving a mixture of hydrocarbons and sulfurous compounds. A cross-sectional survey based on the Subjective Health Complaints Inventory (SHC) was conducted among 147 exposed workers and 137 controls. A significantly higher total SCH score (linear regression, p=.01) was found for the exposed workers compared with controls when adjusting for gender, age, smoking habits, and educational level. The exposed workers reported significantly more headache, hot flashes, sleep problems, tiredness, dizziness, and sadness/depression. The cause of these complaints is unknown, but health personnel should be aware that health complaints might be related to polluting episodes even when exposure levels are below occupational guideline levels.

A rare occurrence of accidental exposure to UV radiation among operating theatre personnel

Ultraviolet (UV) lamps are commonly used in operation theatres for disinfection. Accidental exposure causes damage to superficial tissues especially the skin, the eyes and has the potential to cause various malignancies. Nine previously asymptomatic operation theaters (OT) personnel experienced, foreign body sensation with intense tearing of eyes and erythematous rash on exposed body parts 2 to 4 hours after leaving work. They required symptomatic treatment with oral and topical antihistaminics and lubricant eye drops. Two of the nine required intravenous steroids. UV exposure was diagnosed as diagnosis of exclusion. There is a lack of knowledge regarding presence UV radiation in OT and a lack of safety measures in place to prevent exposure. This case report emphasises the threats poses by UV exposure, the need to bring about awareness about the presence of UV lamps and adopting safety measures to avoid exposure among healthcare providers.

Risk Management of Hazardous Materials in Manufacturing Processes: Links and Transitional Spaces between Occupational Accidents and Major Accidents

Manufacturing processes involving chemical agents are evolving at great speed. In this context, managing chemical risk is especially important towards preventing both occupational accidents and major accidents. Directive 89/391/EEC and Directive 2012/18/EU, respectively, are enforced in the European Union (EU) to this end. These directives may be further complemented by the recent ISO 45001:2018 standard regarding occupational health and safety management systems. These three management systems are closely related. However, scientific literature tackles the researching of these accidents independently. Thus, the main objective of this work is to identify and analyse the links and transitional spaces between the risk management of both types of accident. Among the results obtained, three transitional spaces can be pointed out which result from the intersection of the three systems mentioned. Similarly, the intersection of these spaces gives shape to a specific transitional space defined by the individual directives linked to Directive 89/391/EEC. These results are limited from a regulatory and technical perspective. Thus, the results are a starting point towards developing models that integrate the management systems studied.

Injury analysis of teachers' occupational accidents

BACKGROUND

Occupational accidents among teachers are a cause of concern because of their consequences regarding several parts of the body, such as the neck, back, or extremities; however, the number of studies on this issue is limited.

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the possible effects of different variables (gender, age, nationality, experience, sector, day of the week, traffic accidents) associated with occupational injuries suffered by teachers.

METHODS

All teachers' accidents recorded in Spain (136,702) from 2003 to 2018 were analyzed. Odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval were calculated.

RESULTS

For injured female workers, being younger than 45, in her first month of experience, in a public school, without risk assessment, and in a traffic accident are the most important factors related to suffering a neck injury. In the case of injured male workers, to be older than 45, in a private school, and no traffic accidents are the factors detected influence suffering an injury in lower extremities.

CONCLUSIONS

Institutions and schools should pay special attention to the highest-risk profiles. Results obtained can be a very useful tool for the design and implementation of specific occupational health and safety strategies adapted to the more vulnerable workers in each kind of injury.

Influence of Physical and Musculoskeletal Factors on Occupational Injuries and Accidents in Korean Workers Based on Gender and Company Size

Though the overall incidence of occupational injuries and accidents has decreased, they continue to happen. Many associated factors are known and managing them with limited resources is difficult. This study evaluates related risk factors and prioritizes their management for reducing occupational injuries and accidents at the workplace. We used data from the 4th Korean Working Condition Survey conducted by the Korea Occupational Safety Health Research Institute from June to September 2014. A total of 14,381 persons (9776 men, 4605 women) were selected; t-test, chi-square test, and logistic regression analyses were performed to analyze data. The influence of physical (vibration, noise, abnormal temperature) and musculoskeletal (awkward posture, handling of heavy objects, repetitive tasks) factors was compared according to gender and company size. The risk of occupational injuries and accidents among men was related to musculoskeletal factors and vibration in companies with “under 50” employees and with awkward posture, vibration, and noise in companies with “50 or above” employees; however, among women in companies with “under 50” employees, it was associated with only vibration. Although we evaluated only a few risk factors, prioritizing them based on gender and company size has provided new valuable information.

Uncertainty Assessment in the Quantification of Risk Rates of Occupational Accidents

Occupational risk rates per hour of exposure have been quantified for 63 occupational accident types for the Dutch working population. Data were obtained from the analysis of more than 9,000 accidents that occurred over a period of six years in the Netherlands and resulted in three types of reportable consequences under Dutch law: (a) fatal injury, (b) permanent injury, and (c) serious recoverable injury requiring at least one day of hospitalization. A Bayesian uncertainty assessment on the value of the risk rates has been performed. Annual risks for each of the 63 occupational accident types have been calculated, including the variability in the annual exposure of the working population to the corresponding hazards. The suitability of three risk measures-individual risk rates, individual annual risk, and number of accidents-is examined and discussed.

Chronic radiodermatitis developing after iridium-192 exposure: a case report

Iridium-192 (Ir(192)) is a radioactive isotope which has high-penetration ability in humans. Due to occupational accidents, industrial radiography workers may be rarely exposed to high doses of ionizing radiation, and acute radiodermatitis may develop after the exposure. After an asymptomatic period which can last several months, poikiloderma, sclerosis, necrosis, and ulceration of the skin may be observed as typical clinical features of chronic radiodermatitis. Herein, we report the case of a 26-year-old man presented with ulceration and sclerosis on the second digit of the left hand and was diagnosed with chronic radiodermatitis induced by Ir(192).

[The German Statutory Accident Insurance: A successful example of a value-based healthcare structure]

In the mid-1920s Porter and others developed a reform approach for existing health care systems, aiming at a patient-focused, value-based orientation. Improving patient outcomes by attaining, preserving and restoring good health is inherently less costly than dealing with poor health. The authors of the present article will outline that the German statutory accident insurance system, which was already introduced in1884 and is of an evolving nature, reflects key elements of Porter's efficient value-based health care system. The German accident insurance system with its statutory mandate limited to the prevention and rehabilitation of work-related damage to one's health can also serve as a model for other larger health care insurance systems. Prevention and rehabilitation is pursued using all appropriate means to achieve the set goals of protecting and restoring individual health. In line with these objectives, the statutory health insurance controls the process in terms of the required care quality. The components of a complex health care system, usually managed by a variety of different institutions, are consolidated. Thus it can be ensured that in both prevention and rehabilitation all services that are necessary to keep focussing the value "individual health" rather than indemnities are applied.

The Prevalence of Occupational Accidents and the Associated Factors Among Janitorial Staff at a University Teaching Hospital in South Ethiopia

Background

The healthcare industry is widely regarded as a high-risk environment for workers' occupational health and safety. As a result, healthcare workers are constantly exposed to a wide range of hazards, including biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic, and psychosocial hazards. Consequently, janitorial staff are the most vulnerable section of the healthcare workforce to occupational injuries when compared to others due to the nature of their work. Therefore, this study aims at assessing the magnitude of occupational accidents and associated factors among Janitorial staff at Dilla University Teaching Hospital.

Methods

This cross-sectional institutional-based study was conducted from August to September 2022 at a University Teaching Hospital in South Ethiopia. A total of 105 janitorial staff were included in the study with a response rate of 93.8%. The data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi Info version 7.2.5 and exported to IBM SPSS statistics 22 for further cleaning and analysis. The binary logistic regression model was used to identify predictors of occupational accidents and variables with a p-value of <0.05 during the multivariable analysis were considered statistically significant.

Results

The prevalence of occupational accidents is 61% (95% CI: 51.4, 70.5). Of the total study participants, 52 (45.5%) and 33 (31.4%) of the participants had reported that they have experienced chemical splash and needle stick injury, respectively. The age of participants was one of the factors for occupational accidents. The participants who did not receive training were 3 times [AOR=2.9, 95% CI (1.04, 8.02)] more likely exposed. Having good practice was protective against occupational injuries.

Conclusion

The study highlights the high prevalence of occupational accidents, particularly chemical splashes, and needle stick injuries, among janitors in the study settings. The study emphasizes the importance of age, training, awareness, and adherence to infection prevention and control strategies as factors influencing the likelihood of experiencing occupational injuries.

Skin burns from monochloroacetic acid leak in a chemical plant: a case report

The patient, a 45-year-old male chemical factory worker, was burned by monochloroacetic acid discharged from a ruptured pipe. The patient was merely flushed with water and did not leave the workplace immediately. As a result, he suffered local burn symptoms, which gradually worsened. Two and a half hours after the accident, he developed symptoms of systemic poisoning, such as lethargy and dyspnoea. After a thorough debridement of the wound surface and subsequent skin grafting combined with early glucocorticoid therapy and haemofiltration, a satisfactory result was achieved, and the patient eventually recovered. With the widespread use of monochloroacetic acid in China, incidents of poisoning with this chemical are becoming increasingly common, with more than 100 cases reported in the past ten years in China alone.

Occupational Fatalities Due to Mammal-Related Accidents in Japan, 2000-2019

INTRODUCTION

Animal-related fatal accidents occur annually while individuals are outside working. This study intended to evaluate the trends of occupational fatal accidents related to mammals and compare them with nonoccupational accidents.

METHODS

We collected occupational and nonoccupational fatalities related to mammals between 2000 and 2019 from data on fatal occupational accident cases certified by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Japan, in addition to other statistics from relevant ministries, media reports such as newspapers, and academic case reports.

RESULTS

A total of 109 fatal accidents related to mammals were confirmed as occurring during work, and 129 were confirmed as taking place outside of work. Of the former, accidents among livestock farmers and horse racing-related workers accounted for about half. Among the accidents not related to work, dog attacks, infectious diseases from cats or dogs, traffic accidents with wild animals, and bear attacks during wild vegetable picking were common. Deaths from infectious diseases caused by dogs and cats have rarely been reported in the mass media.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the number of fatal occupational accidents related to mammals is not large, we concluded that it is necessary to continue preventive measures centered on accidents at livestock farms and in horse racing-related workplaces. It is also necessary to inform people about the risks of infectious diseases mediated by dogs and cats.

Occupational accidents of emergency medicine residents in Turkey

Objectives. Healthcare workers face many biologic, chemical, physical and psychosocial hazards and risks in their work environment. Our research aimed to examine the types and frequency of occupational accidents, their notification status and predisposing factors to which emergency medicine residents (EMRs) were exposed in the last 12 months in Turkey. Methods. This research is a national, multicenter, online descriptive survey study. Participants' descriptive features, characteristics of occupational accidents they were exposed to in the last 12 months and their use status of personal protective equipment (PPE) were examined. Results. We found that 215 EMRs were exposed to 1919 occupational accidents in the last 12 months, and only 287 of these accidents were reported. All participants had at least one occupational accident in the previous 12 months. PPE was not used in 37.9 and 44% of biologic and chemical transmission accidents, respectively. The PPE use frequency of the EMRs in necessary situations for examination gloves, surgical masks, respirators, goggles, gowns and face shields was 60, 19, 19, 8, 15 and 4%, respectively. Conclusion. The actual number of occupational accidents was determined to be considerably higher than those reported. PPE use habits of EMRs were less than they should be.

Differential psychosocial consequences between male and female workers who have suffered an amputation in an occupational accident

BACKGROUND

The main goals of this study are to determine the sociodemographic, occupational and psychosocial characteristics and type of amputation of people affected by occupational amputations in Navarre, Spain, and to analyse the differing characteristics based on sex.

METHODS

People affected by occupational amputations in Navarra between January 2000 and December 2019 were identified by the Public and Work Health Institute of Navarre. Sociodemographic, amputation, psychopathological (Symptom Checklist, SCL-90-R; Severity Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale-Revised, EGS-R), maladjustment (Maladjustment Scale), pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale) and suicide (Columbia Scale Screening for Suicidal Ideation, C-SSRS) characteristics were assessed.

RESULTS

Of the 557 workers identified, 80 were included in the study. The results showed the presence of relevant psychosocial repercussions with a moderately high level of psychopathological symptoms, a Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) prevalence rate of 10%, re-experimentation as the most relevant symptom, and labour and leisure as the most affected areas. Sex differences were found in PTSD re-experimentation symptoms (higher in women) and leisure maladjustment (higher in men). No sex differences were found in the remaining variables studied.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the relevance of psychosocial consequences in workers with amputations. Research on this topic is necessary due to the scarcity of studies conducted to date.

Analysis of the relationship between unregistered employment and occupational accidents in Turkey

BACKGROUND

Occupational accidents are anticipated to decline when unregistered employment declines because of more regulated working conditions, inspections, and opportunities for legal protection. In the study, the accuracy of this presumption was examined.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to examine how to protective legal regulations generate a relationship between occupational accidents and informal employment such as the Occupational Health and Safety Law in Turkey.

METHODS

In the research, which was structured within the framework of the quantitative method, various levels of relationship chains were created between informal employment and occupational accidents using correlation and slope calculations. The official data set was created using secondary data from the Turkish Statistical Institute and the Social Security Institution.

RESULTS

It has been determined that the low positive correlation (r = 0.166) between unregistered employment and occupational accidents in 2008-2012 (pre-legislation period) in Turkey changed to the medium-negative direction (r=-0.602) in 2013-2020 (legislation period). While the assumption that unregistered employment would decrease in the first period was confirmed, the hypothesis was falsified by the increase in occupational accidents despite the decrease in informality in the second period.

CONCLUSION

This study is unique because it shows that in a developing country where unregistered employment is high, the protective regulations for work accidents do not reflect a decrease in the number of work accidents in the short and medium term.

The effects of psychosocial factors on occupational accidents: a cross-sectional study in the manufacturing industry in Turkey

Objectives. Looking at death statistics in workplaces, occupational health and safety (OHS) is indisputably one of the most important problems of society. Considering that the existing measures are insufficient to reduce deaths, it is essential to look at the prevention of occupational accidents/diseases with an interdisciplinary approach and to employ new perspectives in order to develop new methods. The aim of this study is to determine whether psychosocial risks are perceived as an accident factor by employees and to bring the concept of psychosocial accident factors into a discussion. Methods. The survey technique is used as a data collection tool for this study. The questionnaire has 33 questions. SPSS version 25.0 was used to analyze the data. Results. The study showed that employees who had an accident perceived psychosocial factors as an important accident factor. Conclusions. Studies on causes of accidents at work are generally based on a single dimension, such as environmental conditions and/or faults of employees. There is almost no focus on the reasons for the misbehaviors of employees. Psychosocial factors are not taken into account or neglected, but results show that providing psychosocial support and/or psychological counseling services in workplaces may be effective in reducing accidents.

Socioeconomic and demographic profile of occupational morbidity and mortality in Brazil from 2009 to 2016

Introduction

Occupational accidents occur as a result of work, and can lead to bodily harm or functional impairments that lead to death, or to the reduction or loss of working capacity. Occupational accidents are associated with two possible outcomes: morbidity or mortality. Morbidity refers to the subset of a population that develops an illness over a given period of time, while mortality refers to the number of individuals who die over a specified time period.

Objectives

To assess occupational morbidity and mortality in Brazil in the period of 2009 to 2016.

Methods

An ecological study was conducted based on secondary data collected from incident records in the Social Security database.

Results

The outcomes of all occupational accidents reported in Brazil from 2009 to 2016 were extracted from the database. These data were then classified by geographical region and category in the National Classification of Economic Activities (Classificação Nacional de Atividades Econômicas), so as to calculate the prevalence of each outcome and the accident mortality rates, and compare these values across regions and occupational categories.

Conclusions

The data show that the outcomes of occupational accidents are directly associated with socioeconomic sectors and the sociocultural characteristics of different regions in the country. These results make an important contribution to the characterization of occupational morbidity and mortality in Brazil.

Cervical Whiplash Syndrome: A Case Report of a Work Accident

Cervical whiplash syndrome (CWS) or whiplash syndrome is a highly debated concept because there is still no consensus on its definition -- symptoms are usually very severe but the pain's root cause is typically uncertain. Clinical investigation and detailed radiology seldom identify a specific pathology. Thus, soft tissue injury is generally considered the most likely explanation for the symptoms, although it is difficult to confirm, even by MRI. We describe the clinical case of a physical education teacher who suffers an accident in one of her classes. The following day she is assessed at the emergency department and, after undergoing a radiological study of the cervical spine, she is diagnosed with straight cervical spine (kyphosis). She is observed again seven days later due to persistent pain but sent home with unchanged indications for rest and medication. After that her cervicobrachialgia progressively worsens, limiting her left shoulder active mobility and leading to associated muscle atrophy (in addition to a burnout syndrome). Several years after she is considered to have a total permanent disability. Finally, the authors propose that CWS should be approached according to the post-traumatic bodily injury evaluation methodology, suggesting some interventions.