OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe the occupational hazards perceived by sanitary inspectors (SIs) from the City of Manila (Manila) and Quezon City (QC) as they perform their administrative and technical roles.

METHODS: Hazards and control measures were identified using self-administered questionnaires distributed among Sls of Manila and QC from November to December 2010.

RESULTS: The most frequently perceived hazards are slips, trips and falls, and verbal assault seen consistently present among 8 out of 9 roles. Harsh climatic condition on the other hand is the hazard perceived to be the riskiest as seen consistently in 8 out of 9 roles. Of the respondents, 28% did not receive formal training in the field of sanitary inspection and 64% did not have work shifts as administrative control measures; 90% said that personal protective equipment (PPE) were not made available to them and were not used by them.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The most frequently perceived hazards encountered by SIs are slips, trips and falls, harsh climatic conditions, unwarranted complaints, and verbal assault. On the other hand, harsh climatic conditions, unwarranted complaints, and slips, trips and falls are the occupational hazards which are consistently present and perceived to pose the most risk in more than five roles. Provision of PPE and improvement in the implementation of administrative control measures is recommended. Moreover, further studies involving SIs' actual experiences, SIs from rural areas and control measures present in the workplace are suggested.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Occupational Health ; Protective Devices ; Employment ; Occupational Exposure

Background: Ironically, the hospital which is believed to be a healthy and safe place can be dangerous to health. Pollutants such as particulate matter 2.5 microns (PM₂.₅) can be present in hospital indoor air and may adversely affect the health of the hospital occupants. Objective: Possible sources of indoor PM₂.₅ in an urban tertiary care hospital in the Philippines are identified and apportioned in this study. Methods: PM₂.₅ measurements were conducted in two naturally ventilated wards (NVWs), two mechanically ventilated wards (MVWs), and a roof deck near the hospital. Mass concentrations with analytical uncertainties of thirteen elements (Al, Na, S, Si, Cl, K, Ca, V, Fe, Zn, Br, Hg, Pb) from PM₂.₅ measurements were utilized with Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) receptor model to identify and apportion possible sources of indoor PM₂.₅. Results: In NVWs and MVWs, four types of sources were identified including sodium and chlorine sources, crustal emissions, anthropogenic sulfur sources, and road dust. Cleaning agents used in the hospital were identified as an anthropogenic indoor source of sodium while the other factors mainly came from outdoor sources. Conclusion The contribution of anthropogenic outdoor pollutants such as road dust and sulfur sources to indoor PM₂.₅ are highlighted in the study. The types of both indoor and outdoor sources of indoor PM₂.₅ can be influenced by the type of ventilation.
Respiration, Artificial ; Air Pollution, Indoor

Environmental and occupational health are interconnected disciplines of public health that are concerned in maintaining a symbiotic relationship between the ecosystem and humans. This relationship is under threat by the continuous and alarming increase of the Earth's temperature causing climate change that impacts not just health but also the economy and the safety of the population. The First National Environmental and Occupational Health Forum was organized by the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila to address and discuss the complex issues that the Philippines is currently experiencing when it comes to environmental and occupational health by providing a space where stakeholders from different sectors can actively participate in mapping out challenges and opportunities. The organizer's long-term vision is to catalyze and build a network of collaboration that is geared towards the improvement of health and safety in the workplace that involves mitigating the effects of climate change. The discussions in the forum gave a comprehensive insight into the different challenges we face for being one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters: how this affects health, workplace, and environment. These challenges created new opportunities for the country to build resilience and formulate adaptive strategies to decrease the vulnerability of the population especially the workforce who are constantly exposed to different hazards that are exacerbated by changes in the environment.

Climate Change ; One Health ; Agriculture