engleski

Occupational poisonings recorded at the Croatian Poison Control Centre during a five-year period (2015-2019)

The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of occupational poisonings referred to the Croatian Poison Control Centre (CPCC), in relation to current safety at work measures and prevention of adverse health effects. Data from the CPCC records for the period 2015- 2019 were analysed. There were 233 workplace incidents resulting in symptomatic or suspected poisonings during the studied period. The most common causes were toxic gases/fumes (64 cases, yearly average 27 %), followed by organic solvents (53 cases, 23 %) and corrosives (45 cases, 19 %), with a notable increase in the proportion of cases caused by gases/fumes from 14 % in 2017 to 32 % in 2019. The main route of exposure was inhalation (149 cases, yearly average 64 %). Overall, 183 workers had mild symptoms (gastrointestinal, skin or respiratory irritation, or headache ; yearly average 79 %), 23 were asymptomatic (10 %), while 27 had severe symptoms (12 %), mostly disturbances of the central nervous system and respiratory tract due to organic solvents or welding fumes exposure. The majority of cases involved men (67 % of total cases), with an additional declining trend of the percentage of females in the total number of occupational poisonings from 38 % in 2017 to 28 % in 2019. Although men prevailed in cases of occupational poisonings caused by all 3 groups of hazards, women were involved in a higher proportion of cases caused by corrosives than gases/fumes, and solvents (47 %, 17 %, and 21 % of total cases, respectively). Results indicate that safety policies at the workplace should focus on lowering inhalation exposure, improving respiratory protection measures and worker education.

: corrosives ; organic solvents ; respiratory protection measures ; safety at work ; toxic gases and fumes

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