Personal Protective Equipment Usage Research Articles

Monkeypox (Mpox) and Occupational Exposure.

Recently, there has been a significant increase in interest in biological risk factors, which are increasingly perceived as an important problem in occupational medicine. Exposure to harmful biological agents may be associated with the deliberate use of microorganisms in the work process or with unintentional exposure resulting from the presence of biological risk factors in the work environment. Monkeypox (mpox) is a viral infectious disease that may afflict humans and non-human primates. Since May 2022, mpox has occurred in Europe, North and South America, Asia, Australia and Africa, with some 76,713 cases (75,822 in locations that have not historically reported mpox) and 29 total deaths reported to date. Between 2018 and 2021, several cases of mpox were reported worldwide in high-income countries (Israel, Singapore, United Kingdom, United States: Texas and Maryland). We conducted a literature search in PubMed and Google Scholar web databases for occupational exposure to mpox. The highest work-related risk for mpox transmission has been noted among healthcare professionals, people working with animals, and sex workers. There is general agreement that a paramount issue to avoid transmission of infection in occupational settings is an appropriate decontamination of often-touched surfaces and usage of appropriate personal protective equipment by the workers at high risk of infection. The group that should especially protect themselves and be educated in the field of early symptoms of the disease and prevention are dentists, who are often the first to detect the symptoms of the disease on the oral mucosa.

Impact of personal protective equipment attached powered air-purifying respirator on nursing-skill performance and psychosocial stress of intensive care unit COVID-19 nurses: A cross-sectional study.

To investigate how personal protective equipment with an attached powered air-purifying respirator worn by intensive care unit nurses caring for COVID-19 patients in Korea impacts nursing-skill performance and psychosocial stress. A cross-sectional descriptive study was designed using purposive sampling. Online data collection was conducted from 3 March 2021-20 March 2021on 181 nurses who had worked for more than 1 month in COVID-19 critical care settings wearing personal protective equipment with a powered air-purifying respirator. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data on sociodemographic characteristics, attitude toward personal protective equipment, nursing-skill performance wearing personal protective equipment and psychosocial stress. Data was sourced from structured questionnaire responses. Nursing skill performance decreased to 63.4%, compared with normal performance. Subjects' perceptions and attitudes related to PPE scored 3.56 out of 5; 44.7% of subjects reported severe psychosocial stress, which was significantly affected by attitude toward personal protective equipment usage, nursing performance, experience caring for COVID-19 patients and length of personal protective equipment usage per shift. Greater negative attitude toward usage of personal protective equipment with a powered air-purifying respirator, results in lower nursing-skill performance and higher the psychosocial stress of nurses responding to COVID-19 outbreaks. High negative attitude toward PPE and low nursing-skill performance due to PPE with an attached PAPR results in significant and debilitating psychosocial stress in ICU nurses responding to COVID-19 outbreaks. To respond effectively to future infectious disease outbreaks and improve nursing performance, minimising the inconvenience and restrictions experienced by nurses wearing personal protective equipment is critical. We adhered to relevant EQUATOR guidelines to report. No patient or public contribution.

The predictive model for COVID-19 pandemic plastic pollution by using deep learning method

Pandemic plastics (e.g., masks, gloves, aprons, and sanitizer bottles) are global consequences of COVID-19 pandemic-infected waste, which has increased significantly throughout the world. These hazardous wastes play an important role in environmental pollution and indirectly spread COVID-19. Predicting the environmental impacts of these wastes can be used to provide situational management, conduct control procedures, and reduce the COVID-19 effects. In this regard, the presented study attempted to provide a deep learning-based predictive model for forecasting the expansion of the pandemic plastic in the megacities of Iran. As a methodology, a database was gathered from February 27, 2020, to October 10, 2021, for COVID-19 spread and personal protective equipment usage in this period. The dataset was trained and validated using training (80%) and testing (20%) datasets by a deep neural network (DNN) procedure to forecast pandemic plastic pollution. Performance of the DNN-based model is controlled by the confusion matrix, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and justified by the k-nearest neighbours, decision tree, random forests, support vector machines, Gaussian naïve Bayes, logistic regression, and multilayer perceptron methods. According to the comparative modelling results, the DNN-based model was found to predict more accurately than other methods and have a significant predominance over others with a lower errors rate (MSE = 0.024, RMSE = 0.027, MAPE = 0.025). The ROC curve analysis results (overall accuracy) indicate the DNN model (AUC = 0.929) had the highest score among others.

Plaster of Paris (POP) Installers’ Awareness of Occupational Hazards and Utilisation of Safety Measures in Ho Municipality, Ghana

Construction workers are found to use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) infrequently, although workplace accidents are common and strongly associated with safety education. In Ho, Ghana, this study examines POP installers’ awareness of occupational hazards and the use of PPEs. The study’s motivation and contribution are in its analysis of the perceived obstacles and driving forces behind PPE use by POP installers in the construction industry, which is yet unknown in Ghana. Between May 15 and June 30, 2022, 149 POP installers in Ho Municipality filled out a crosssectional questionnaire using a purposive sampling method, and the data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) v.20. The outcome variables were determined using logistic regression with a 0.05 p value, the relative importance index (RII), and correlation analysis. There is a lack of awareness of knowledge, PPE use, and workplace safety among the participants. Once again, respondents cited discomfort as a reason for not wearing PPE during POP installation. Furthermore, knowledge of occupational hazards among POP workers negatively predicts PPE usage (B = 0.207, p < 0.05). The study’s findings provide critical information for contractors’ associations to collaborate with relevant health and safety professionals to regularly organise safety awareness training for members to increase worker knowledge and reduce risk-taking behaviour. This study is unique because it is the first to access and provides an in-depth analysis of the purported barriers and driving motivations for PPE compliance and non-compliance from the perspective of an under-researched group of construction workers in Ghana.

Farmers’ knowledge, experience and management of fall armyworm in a major maize producing municipality in Ghana

Since its discovery in Ghana, the fall armyworm (FAW) has damaged maize farms resulting in yield losses. This study investigated farmers’ knowledge, practices and impact of the pest in a major maize growing municipality in Ghana. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from 200 randomly sampled farmers on their knowledge, practices, perceived effect and management of the FAW. FAW susceptibility to insecticides was also assessed. Although insecticide application was dominant (98%) and farmers experienced adverse health effects, application frequency and the resulting effects were not significantly related (p > 0.05). Usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) was low (45.7%) and only 2% of the farmers used complete PPE. Gender correlated positively with PPE usage with more females wearing PPE compared to males. Age, farming experience, education and farm size did not significantly impact on PPE usage. The FAW outbreak negatively affected farmers’ relationships (36.5%) and caused economic loss to many farmers (80%). FAW was susceptible to emamectin benzoate (1.9% w/v) and emamectin benzoate (48 g/L) + acetamiprid (64 g/L) but not Bacillus thuringiensis (55%) + monosultap (45%) under laboratory conditions. The findings and implications of the study on farmer safety and sustainable pest management are discussed.

The Pandemic and Your Skin—Direct and Indirect Impact of COVID-19

Apart from well-known respiratory symptoms, less frequent symptoms also appear as a direct result of COVID-19 infection, or as indirect effects of the recommended quarantine and related lifestyle changes. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on human skin is predominantly focused on in this article. Cutaneous manifestations, including redness, chilblain-like symptoms (COVID toes), hives or urticaria rash, water blisters, and fishing net-like red-blue patterns on the skin, may appear as accompanying or as systemic COVID-19 symptoms with potential lesions at different skin sites. These symptoms were related to skin phototypes and vitamin D deficiency. Moreover, Black, Asian, and minority ethnic origin patients are found to be more sensitive to COVID-19 infection than Caucasians because of vitamin D deficiency. The region of population with lighter skin phototypes have a significantly higher chance to develop cutaneous manifestations than population with dark skin. In addition, adverse effects, such as skin barrier damage and irritation, may also occur due to extensive personal protective equipment usage (e.g., masks, protective suits, and a few others) and predominately alcohol-based sanitizers. This manuscript covers various aspects of COVID-19 and its clinical skin manifestations.

Socio-demographic effects on role assignment and associated occupational health and safety issues in artisanal and small-scale gold mining in Amansie Central District, Ghana

The study employed the binary logistic regression model, Chi-square, and likelihood ratio test to explore the nexus between socio-demographic characteristics and role assignment as well as Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) undertakings in the Amansie Central District of Ghana. Simple random sampling was employed to sample 250 respondents from three (3) different mining sites. The results revealed that socio-demographic variables such as age, gender, and work experience significantly impacted the type of role assumed by individuals in ASGM undertakings. For the socio-demographic effects on OHS issues, male respondents especially those in the age group between 18 and 35 with less work experience and education had a higher risk of recording injuries/accidents. Other risk factors such as types of role, reasons for ASGM, awareness of OHS hazards, awareness of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), usage of PPE, arrest for not using PPE, cost of PPE, and frequency of buying PPE had a statistically significant influence on the occurrence of injuries/accidents. It is recommended that the Government implement initiatives to ensure that workers in ASGM operations in Ghana are provided with training, education, resources, and support services to ensure their safety and well-being, taking into account their socio-demographic characteristics. Also, the government and related stakeholders create more jobs through sustainable mining with long-term potential in local districts to address goals 1 (No poverty) and 2 (zero hunger) of the sustainable development goals.

A study to determine human-related errors at the level of top management, safety supervisors & workers during the implementation of safety practices in the construction industry

The safety performance of the Indian construction industry is not satisfactory, due to which many accidents are still prevailing in the construction industry. To execute the project successfully without any accidents all the levels of employees must be consciously involved in preventing accidents without committing errors at their individual level. Many researchers have conducted studies to find out the major issues that lead to causes of accidents at single employee level. Finding out major issues at single employee level alone may not be sufficient to prevent accidents, because construction is not a domain of a single category of employees; instead, it is a field of several categories of employees working at various levels in the execution of the projects. Any single error committed at any of the employee level may contribute to major issues that would leads to accidents. Therefore, in order to identify the potential errors that occur at multi-level employees, the present study has adopted three-dimensional view strategy to investigate human related errors that occur during the implementation of each stage of safety practices such as supply & usage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Safety training (ST) and Safety supervision (SSV) from Top management (TM), Safety supervisors (SS) and workers (W) perspectives. This study has identified three major issues such as lack of supply & usage of PPE, improper safety training, poor safety supervision and 140 contributing errors (responses) behind the occurrence of these three major issues through focus interviews carried out at construction organizations based in Chennai city, South India. Out of identified 140 contributing errors, 45 contributing errors were behind the occurrence of lack of supply & usage of PPE (TM level −26 errors; SS level-13 errors; W level −6 errors), 32 contributing errors were behind the occurrence of improper safety training (TM level-18 errors; SS-12 errors; W level-2 errors) and 63 contributing errors were behind the occurrence of poor safety supervision (TM level-32 errors; SS level −21 errors; W level −10 errors). The results obtained are explained figuratively by comparing it with the results of similar previous studies. The study results shows that any major issue that lead to cause of accidents possibly cannot occur alone, but would occur as a result of several contributing errors from various levels of employees. The findings of the study may be helpful for the construction organizations to prevent accidents in future by avoiding the identified contributing errors at the levels of TM, SS, and W.

Perilaku Pemakaian Alat Pelindung Diri (APD) dengan Gejala ISPA pada Pengguna Jalan Raya Pasca Erupsi Gunung

This study aims to determine the relationship between the behavior of using PPE and symptoms of ARI on road users on Dhoho road after the eruption of Mount Kelud in Kediri City. The method used is quantitative analysis with a cross-sectional approach. The sampling technique uses Accidental Sampling, with the sample being road users in Jalan Dhoho, Kediri City. Data collection was carried out using a questionnaire and conservation sheets which were then analyzed using the chi-square test. The results showed that the p-value obtained was 0.005, meaning that there was a relationship between PPE usage behavior and ARI symptoms in road users on Dhoho road after the eruption of Mount Kelud in Kediri City. In conclusion, wearing a mask as PPE during the Kelud eruption can reduce the incidence of ARI symptoms because it prevents particles or dust from entering the respiratory tract. &#x0D; Keywords: Personal protective equipment (PPE), ARI symptoms, post-eruption

SG-APSIC1061: First-response infection prevention and control during COVID-19 outbreaks in residential aged-care facilities

Objectives: COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of the hierarchy of controls and early implementation of transmission-based precautions during outbreaks in residential aged-care facilities (RACFs). The RACF outreach team is a service provided by the Sydney Local Health District (SLHD) that provides RACFs with expert clinical care and advice, along with outbreak management and infection control and prevention education. Methods: The RACF outreach team developed 2 unique IPC management tools designed to assist RACFs during the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) the comprehensive initial review and (2) first-responder assessment tool designed to assist the team in identifying high-risk issues during afterhours shifts. The tool reviews 5 key components in outbreak management: screening, PPE usage, resident care, communication and signage, and infection control and prevention. The outreach team provides an IPC report of the comprehensive initial review, which provides site-specific advice regarding zoning, cohorting, implementation of donning and doffing stations, safe staffing and workflows, ventilation, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and PPE safety. The recommendations supplied in the SLHD IPC report are provided to facilities and are implemented at the facility level. These reviews are followed up in meetings of the outbreak management team conducted virtually via Zoom videoconferencing. These meetings include an RACF senior manager and a representative from the local PHU, the outreach service, the Australian Commonwealth, the Aged Care Commission, an SLHD executive manager, and an infectious diseases practitioner. Results: Since the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 ο (omicron) variant began in Sydney, Australia, in November 2021, 58 facilities with &gt;2,500 residents have been reviewed, and 57 of these facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak at some point during the pandemic. Conclusions: The RACFs in SLHD continue to report death rates &lt;5% among all SARS-COV-2–positive residents.

SG-APSIC1069: Implementing infection prevention bundle significantly reduced multidrug-resistant organisms infection and healthcare-associated infections in intensive care unit at a national hospital in Vietnam

Objectives: In Vietnam, the burden of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), especially by multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), can be greater at national hospitals where a high number of severe patients from lower-tier hospitals are received for treatment. To reduce MDRO and HAI incidences at the tropical diseases intensive care unit (ICU) of Cho Ray Hospital, the final line of treatment for 20 southern provinces of Vietnam, a comprehensive infection prevention bundle was developed and implemented in 2019. In this retrospective study, we evaluated the effectiveness of this intervention in preventing MDRO infections and HAIs among patients at risk. Methods: The infection prevention bundle included elements to improve administration controls, environmental controls, and personal protective equipment usage. The bundle was implemented via training and active monitoring. Medical data, such as microbiology results, length of hospital stay, treatment cost of all patients admitted to the targeted ICU, and data on adherence to the bundle elements, were collected via routine monitoring from July to December 2019. These data were reviewed and analyzed. An independent 2-sample t test was used to calculate the significance of the differences in MDRO and HAI rates before and after the intervention. Results: The mean number of MDRO infections decreased significantly after implementation of the infection prevention bundle (7.0 vs 3.3; P = .011). HAI and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) rates also decreased significantly (5.9 vs 3.7; P= .013 and 20.4 vs 13.7; P=0.047, respectively). The mean total treatment cost per patient was reduced by 1.8 million VND (US $76.76). Bundle-element adherence was high throughout the intervention period, ranging from 72.7% (putting MDRO sign on beds) to 100% (hand hygiene, cohort patients, environment cleaning). Conclusions: Implementation of an appropriate infection prevention bundle with a high adherence rate by healthcare workers helped to effectively reduce MDRO infection and HAI rates in the tropical diseases ICU.

Personal protective equipment usage among Iranian police officers during COVID-19 pandemic; a cross-sectional study

Objective: Due to the important role of police during COVID-19 pandemics and lack of previous studies on the impact of personal protective equipment (PPE) in reduction of COVID-19 infection among police officers, we aimed to investigate the role of using PPE in prevention of COVID-19 infection among Iranian police personnel.&#x0D; Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in Tehran, Iran during January 2021 to November 2022. The study sample consisted of police personnel who were active in field operations. Demographics (age, height, weight, gender, marital status, number of children and underlying diseases) and job characteristics such as frequency and type of operations, involvement of colleagues with COVID-19, and COVID-19 infection history, using PPE, types of used PPE (mask, face shield, gloves, etc), protective strategies (such as social distancing) and COVID-19 vaccination were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 25.&#x0D; Results: Totally, 340 participants were analyzed (33.54±9.74 years old, 91.2% males), of whom, 150 participants (44.1%) reported at least one episode of confirmed COVID-19 infection. The most common component of PPE used both during operations and daily life was face mask (44.7% and 75%, respectively). The most popular measure with higher adherence compared to others was social distancing with 70% popularity and an adherence score of 5.85±3.74. Three hundred subjects (88.2%) had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Among PPE items, using face mask, washing hands with soap, social distancing and vaccination were significantly different between patients with and without prior COVID-19 infection (p&gt;0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: The findings showed that use of PPE is significantly efficacious in reduction of COVID-19 infection among police officers. Therefore, despite difficulties of using PPE among police forces, it is strongly recommended for virus spread control in this population.

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Pediatric Gastrointestinal Endoscopy: A Questionnaire-based Internet Survey of 162 Institutional Experiences in Asia Pacific.

The impact of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) on gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy procedures in adults has been reported, with a drastic reduction in the number of procedures. However, there are no sufficient data regarding the impact on pediatric GI endoscopy. Here, we aimed to report that impact in the Asia-Pacific region. A questionnaire-based internet survey was conducted from June to November 2021 among pediatric endoscopy institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, with each institution providing a single response. Overall, 25 questions focused on the impact of the number of procedures conducted, the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE), and endoscopy training programs during the pandemic. A total of 162 institutions across 13 countries in the Asia-Pacific region participated in the study, and 133 (82.1%) institutions underwent procedure changes since the emergence of COVID-19. The number of esophagogastroduodenoscopy and ileocolonoscopy procedures decreased in 118/133 (88.7%) and 112/133 (84.2%) institutions, respectively. Endoscopy for patient with positive COVID-19 in an emergency or urgent cases still carried out in 102/162 (62.9%) institutions. Screening of COVID-19 for all patients before endoscopy was done across 110/162 (67.9%) institutions. PPE recommendations varied among institutions. Pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy training programs were discontinued in 127/162 (78.4%) institutions. This study reports the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pediatric gastrointestinal endoscopy in the Asia-Pacific region. There has been a significant reduction in the number of endoscopic procedures and relevant training programs.

Minimizing Work Risks in Indonesia: A Case Study Analysis of Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Risk Control Implementation

Workplace safety must be a primary priority in order to prevent work-related accidents that might result in disability or death. Promoting workplace safety is a crucial component of labor protection since it can lead to improved employee relations and management. Construction and industrial industries, which rely on heavy machinery or outside labor, are especially vulnerable to safety and health concerns that can lead to accidents. This case study and literature review investigates the Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment, and Risk Control (HIRARC) theory as a systematic method for promoting workplace safety. HIRARC seeks to identify potential hazards within an organization and control associated risks in order to prevent accidents. The study reveals numerous factors that contribute to occupational accidents and the potential harm they can inflict. The study specifically addresses worker attitudes toward the usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and high-temperature production environments as accident risk factors. The study recommends that organizations prioritize instilling work discipline in their employees, with an emphasis on the correct use of PPE to prevent accidents and promote workplace safety.

Patterns of COVID-19 Vaccination and Protective Equipment Usage in Endoscopy: A Survey of Endoscopy Providers

Background: Endoscopic procedures have an increased risk for COVID-19 transmission due to their production of respiratory droplets and aerosolized particles. Early case reports and surveys suggest that transmission risk during endoscopy is low given proper personal protective equipment (PPE) usage. However, the advent of new virus variants led to renewed concern regarding infection risk. We examined how these recent trends have affected patterns of COVID-19 positivity, endoscopy center pre-procedure screening protocols, PPE usage, and healthcare provider perceptions of safety in endoscopy. Methods: We surveyed gastroenterologists, nurses, technicians, and other endoscopy unit personnel throughout the United States. The survey was sent on November 1, 2021 and November 15, 2021. Results: Seventy-two individuals responded to the survey with a self-reported vaccination rate of 100%. Nine individuals (13%) reported testing positive for COVID-19, all of whom tested positive before vaccination. Fifty-one (71%) endoscopy workers received the booster dose, and 13 (18%) endoscopy workers planned to in the future. Seven (10%) had not received a booster dose and did not plan to, even if available. Fortythree (60%) individuals reported that their endoscopy center mandated routine COVID-19 testing for all patients undergoing endoscopy. Sixty-one respondents (85%) reported feeling safer performing endoscopic procedures after vaccination. Conclusion: In our cohort, most endoscopy workers received the booster dose or planned to once available, and most reported feeling safer during endoscopy post-vaccination. Although the American Gastroenterological Association had recommended against routine COVID-19 screening prior to elective endoscopy, 60% of respondents reported that their endoscopy center mandated routine pre-procedural screening. Even with the advent of the highly transmissible Delta variant in early 2021, COVID-19 transmission during endoscopy remained low given vaccination and proper PPE utilization. Further data is needed to shape practicechanging guidelines regarding booster vaccine mandates and pre-procedural screening in high-risk fields such as endoscopy.

Eye injuries in badminton – players’ perspective toward the usage of personal protective equipment

ABSTRACT Objective We conducted a survey between April to September 2021 to understand the perspective of badminton players on the usage of personal protective equipment to avoid eye injuries. Methods The survey was conducted online. It was disseminated through various social media platforms and via e-mail. The survey was initially shared with university-level badminton players. Both recreational and professional players were included. They were further encouraged to circulate the survey questionnaire among their colleagues. Results In total, the survey received 372 responses. After removing possible duplicates and incomplete responses (n = 28), 92.5% (n = 344) of the responses were included in the final analysis. Among the 344 included responses, recreational and professional players accounted for 77.6% (n = 267) and 22.4% (n = 77), respectively. The mean age ± SD of the recreational and professional players were 24.1 ± 6.3 years (range 14–60 years) and 25.7 ± 6.0 years (range 14–61 years), respectively. A significant difference was noted for self-reported eye injuries between recreational and professional players while playing badminton (χ2 value = 5.321, p = 0.02). Among the recreational and professional players, 93.6% (n = 250) and 88.3% (n = 68) did not use protective eyewear while playing badminton. Professional players were at higher risk of eye injuries than recreational players (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.1–7.8). Conclusion The majority of badminton players in both groups agreed that PPE usage would lower the risk of sustaining eye injuries; however, they are ambiguous about the usage of protective eyewear. In contrast, players with self-reported eye injuries were aware of its impacts and encouraged the usage of PPEs associated with badminton. Further studies are warranted to understand and educate badminton players about the causes and impacts of eye injuries in badminton.

Reusing personal protective equipment (PPE) did not increase surgical site infection in trauma surgical patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A retrospective cohort study in Michigan Trauma Centers

BackgroundReuse of personal protective equipment (PPE), masks more specifically, during the COVID-19 pandemic was common. The primary objective of this study was to compare pre-pandemic surgical site infection (SSI) rates prior to reuse of PPE, to pandemic SSI rates after reuse of PPE in trauma surgical patients. MethodsA retrospective cohort analysis collected from the Michigan Trauma Quality Improvement Program database was performed. The pre-COVID cohort was from March 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 and post-COVID cohort was March 1, 2020 to December 31,2020. Descriptive statistics were used to assess differences between variables in each cohort. ResultsNearly half (49.8%) of our cohort (n = 48,987) was in the post-COVID group. There was no significant difference in frequency of operative intervention between groups (p > .05). There was no significant increase (p > .05) between pre- and post-COVID cohorts for superficial, deep, or organ space SSI when reuse of masks was common. ConclusionReuse of PPE did not lead to an increase in SSI in surgical patients. These findings are consistent with previous studies, but the first to be described in the trauma surgical patient population. Studies such as this may help inform further discussion regarding PPE usage as we continue to emerge from the current pandemic with the continuous threat of future pandemics.

Real-Time Personal Protective Equipment Compliance Detection Based on Deep Learning Algorithm

The construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries in the world due to workers being vulnerable to accidents, injuries and even death. Therefore, how to effectively manage the appropriate usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) is an important research issue. In this study, deep learning is applied to the PPE inspection model to verify whether construction workers are equipped in accordance with the regulations, and this is expected to reduce the probability of related occupational disasters caused by the inappropriate use of PPE. The method is based on the YOLOv3, YOLOv4 and YOLOv7 algorithms to detect worker’s helmets and high-visibility vests from images or videos in real time. The model was trained on a new PPE dataset collected and organized by this study; the dataset contains 11,000 images and 88,725 labels. According to the test results, can achieve a 97% mean average precision (mAP) and 25 frames per second (FPS). The research result shows that the detection and counting data in this method have performed well and can be applied to the real-time PPE detection of workers at the construction job site.

Willingness to adopt personal biosecurity strategies on thoroughbred breeding farms: Findings from a multi-site pilot study in Australia's Hunter Valley.

There are almost 9,500 full-time employees in Australia's thoroughbred horse breeding industry. During foaling, they can be exposed to bodily fluids and mucous membranes which may present risks for zoonotic disease. These risks can be mitigated through personal biosecurity strategies. The aim of this study was to identify which personal biosecurity strategies were more or less likely to be adopted by workers. Seventeen participants representing 14 thoroughbred breeding farms and three equine veterinary practices in Australia's largest thoroughbred breeding region trialed up to 16 stakeholder-nominated personal biosecurity strategies over the 2021 foaling season. The strategies encompassed personal protective equipment (PPE), zoonotic disease awareness, policies and protocols, supportive environments, and leadership. Strategy adoption was monitored through three repeated self-audit surveys designed around the Transtheoretical Model of change (TTM) and findings were reviewed in exit interviews. For all survey waves in aggregate, 13 strategies were practiced by at least 50.0% of participants. Participants were most likely to use a ready-made foaling box (98.0%), communicate the message that PPE usage is a personal responsibility (94.1%) and use ready-made PPE kits (88.2%). However, 31.4% had no intention of doing practice sessions and/or dummy runs for PPE use and 27.5% had no intention of using a buddy system on farm/practice to check use of PPE. Whilst these rates indicate workers' willingness to adopt and maintain personal biosecurity strategies, they also indicate capacity for more practices to be implemented more often. Overall, the findings highlight the need for personal biosecurity interventions to be sensitive to the demands of the annual thoroughbred breeding calendar, the size of the breeding operation and the availability of skilled staff.

The Effect of Pre-Operative Verbal Confirmation for Interventional Radiology Physicians on Their Use of Personal Dosimeters and Personal Protective Equipment.

Interventional radiology (IR) physicians must be equipped with personal passive dosimeters and personal protective equipment (PPE); however, they are inconsistently used. Therefore, we aimed to explore practical measures to increase PPE usage and ascertain whether these measures could lead to an actual decrease in exposure doses to IR physicians. Dosimeters and PPE were visually inspected. Then, a pre-operative briefing was conducted as a direct intervention, and the use of dosimeters and PPE was verbally confirmed. Finally, the intervention effect was verified by measuring the use rates and individual exposure doses. Because of the intervention, the use rate markedly improved and was almost 100%. However, both the effective dose rate (effective dose/fluoroscopy time) and the lens equivalent dose rate (lens equivalent dose/fluoroscopy time) showed that the intervention led to a statistically significant increase in exposure (effective dose rate: p = 0.033; lens equivalent dose rate: p = 0.003). In conclusion, the proper use of dosimeters and PPE raised the radiation exposure values for IR physicians immediately after the intervention, which was hypothesized to be due to the inclusion of exposure overlooked to date and the changes in the dosimeter management method from a single- to a double-dosimeter approach.