Work-related Disability among Egyptian Workers

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Forensic Medicine and Clinical Toxicology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.

2 Sudanese Federal Ministry of Health, Sudan.

Abstract

Thorough knowledge of the trends of workplace disabilities is essential for the development of strategies for better assessment and fair judgment. The aim of this study was to focus on cases of disability in workplaces presented to the forensic medicine authority in Cairo, Ministry of Justice during 2008 and 2009.  The information used was obtained from reports written by Medico Legal Experts (MLE), and then submitted to statistical analysis. There were a total of 142 cases of workplace disabilities in different establishments. Most cases lie between 18 and 34 years of age.Limitation of joint movements was the most frequent type of injury (49.3%), followed by fractures and nerve, tendon or muscle injuries (26.8%) each. Caught by machine was the most frequent event (40%), followed by falls/slips (20%). Hands were the most affected part of the body (28.2%). After assessment by MLE, the highest number of workplace disabilities fell in the 0 to 20% range, and presented in 86 victims (60.6%). Disabilities due to falls/slips and being hit by object scored the highest rating percentages. Of all current study cases, general establishments recorded 89.2 % where private ones were only 10.8 %.  This study recommended to revising Egyptian laws regularly, concerning the work accident notification form, for better accident analysis and employees protection and to get suitable compensation in cases of work-related disability.

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