Occupational Health Hazards Facing Mortuary Attendants

Mortuary attendants play a crucial role in the health system, though they are in most cases put at the periphery in human resource matters. Their role in preparation of cadavers is very important in ensuring the safe disposal of human remains and helping the bereaved to send off their loved ones in an honorable way. Health Systems Mangers need to ensure fairness in treatment of all health workforce. Mortuary attendants have been overlooked in many policy issues and in resource allocation, which actually demotivates them. Researchers on occupational health and safety in hospitals have been keen to focus on the clinical staff, with very few reaching out to the morticians. The few who have done research on the occupational health of mortuary attendants, have put more emphasis on the exposures to biological hazards without consideration of other many hazards mortuary attendants are to face.

Needle pricks, cuts, and lacerations

Mortuary workers usually use needles and surgical blades in the process of embalming. These tools may result to pricks and cuts if not well handled. Proper training of the mortuary attendant especially in the developing countries is unsatisfactory, because of the poor perception of this job. Since most of these workers have no formal training, they are at a higher risk of handling these tools improperly, leading to injuries.

Formalin

Formalin is the main preservative used in most mortuaries. This liquid is highly volatile and therefore, most mortuaries have formalin vapor in the air. Poorly ventilated mortuaries, and use of high concentrations of formalin, results in more formalin concentration in the air. Inhalation of formalin has negative health effects on the nervous, reproductive, and circulatory/breathing systems. Formalin also has an irritating effect on the eyes and nasal membranes.

Musculo-skeletal conditions

Mortuary work usually involves movement of bodies from one place to another, sometimes involving movement in different heights. Most morgues have inadequate equipment to aid the attendants in moving these bodies. The mortuary attendants end up with back, neck, or arm pains because of moving these bodies. This can be made worse when the movements are done under wrong postures.

Spillage of body fluids

Cadavers usually come in different conditions, some with various leaking fluids. As the mortuary attendants work on these bodies, they face the risk of getting in contact with these fluids and that may contain disease-causing microorganisms. These fluids may lead to slips and falls if they spill on the floor and the floor is not cleaned to dry. Other hazards include psychological stress as a result of interaction with the bereaved, noise, electrical hazards, and ergonomic hazards.

Recommendations

Mortuary attendants of most mortuaries are faced with various occupational hazards, and there are inadequate preventive measures in place. The public mortuaries should institute surveillance systems for occupational risks and hazards. Mortuary attendants should be provided with safety devices of appropriate quality and quantity, and training on their safety. Managers should adequately supervise the work in the morgues, develop safety procedures, and adequately communicate such procedures to the mortuary attendants.