TYPE Original Research

PUBLISHED 08 September 2022

DOI 10.3389/fpubh.2022.922748

Awareness of occupational
OPEN ACCESS health hazards and occupational
stress among dental care
EDITED BY
Ramayah T.,
Universiti Sains Malaysia
(USM), Malaysia

REVIEWED BY
professionals: Evidence from the
Yuke Tien Fong,
Singapore General Hospital, Singapore
Jovica Jovanovic,
GCC region
University of Niš, Serbia
Emilia Alaverdov,
Georgian Technical University, Georgia Esra AlDhaen*
*CORRESPONDENCE Department of Management, Marketing and Information Systems, College of Business & Finance,
Esra AlDhaen Ahlia University, Manama, Bahrain
[email protected]

SPECIALTY SECTION
This article was submitted to A hazardous work environment creates critical concerns, and resultantly,
Occupational Health and Safety,
a section of the journal workers may suffer from job-related stress. So, this study aimed at identifying
Frontiers in Public Health the nature of hazards prevailing in dental hospitals and their role in increasing
RECEIVED 18 April 2022 job-related stress. The study also assumes that awareness of the existence
ACCEPTED 08 August 2022 of health hazards and their possible risk will originate the stress. To conduct
PUBLISHED 08 September 2022
the study, close-ended questionnaires were administered to 300 workers
CITATION
AlDhaen E (2022) Awareness of having more than 1 year of experience in Oral and Dental Health Services
occupational health hazards and provided by the Kingdom of Bahrain. In total, 222 responses with an acceptable
occupational stress among dental care
level of accuracy were included for statistical treatment. Results confirmed
professionals: Evidence from the GCC
region. Front. Public Health 10:922748. the prevalence of ergonomic, biological, physical, and, to some extent,
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.922748 chemical hazards in the workplace. Results revealed that stress befalls the
COPYRIGHT employees as they know their exposure to these hazards. Ergonomic hazards
© 2022 AlDhaen. This is an
have the highest prevalence, chemical hazards are the least prevalent, while
open-access article distributed under
the terms of the Creative Commons biological and physical hazards fall in between. This study enriches the related
Attribution License (CC BY). The use, bank of literature by tapping the hazards specifically in the dental hospitals’
distribution or reproduction in other
forums is permitted, provided the
environment with the degree of intensity of their prevalence within the context
original author(s) and the copyright at hand. The study of the impact of these workplace health hazards on
owner(s) are credited and that the occupational stress with mediating effect of awareness is also an addition to
original publication in this journal is
cited, in accordance with accepted the existing literature. The findings may help hospital administrators to take
academic practice. No use, distribution correct measures to manage job-related stress that is counterproductive and
or reproduction is permitted which
does not comply with these terms.
take remedial steps to mitigate these hazards.

KEYWORDS

occupational hazards, dental professionals, ergonomics, safe environment, GCC

region

Introduction
Prevalence of workplace safety issues is a common phenomenon in the world, and
it is more serious in developing regions in particular. Many employees may get affected
physically and mentally due to working in an unsafe work environment and may carry
the consequences to their families and immediate social circles. An occupational hazard
is an injury or ailment resulting from the work one does or from the surrounding

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in which one works (1–3). The consequences of workplace received from supervisors and colleagues, and participation in
hazards could be trauma, even posttraumatic stress disorder decisions that concern their jobs is provided (10, 17).
(PTSD), loss of dignity, anxiety, depression, suicide attempt, The aim of this study is the context (Bahrain) where, to
decreased self-esteem, lack of trust in people, premature the best of our knowledge, such kind of research is scarce. The
aging, losing autonomy, injuries, absenteeism, and physical and context is not identical to others in terms of infrastructure,
musculoskeletal injuries (4, 5). resources, human development, and culture. Being in an
The environment of a dental hospital is a complex setting. emerging country, dental hospitals in Bahrain are possibly more
Medicines, chemicals, blood, waste disposal, laboratory, laundry, prone to environmental hazards, and the workforce is more
engineering, sanitation, maintenance, and other services enable vulnerable. The study aims at identifying the prevailing hazards
the provision of dental care services (6). According to the and their degree of intensity in dental hospitals. The study
literature on occupational hazards, research carried out on also aims to test whether the prevalence of workplace hazards
employees exposed to gold or mercury, mostly in dental creates work-related stress and whether employees are aware of
hospitals, reveals that workplace risk from metallic and organic workplace hazards and their consequences are more stressful.
mercury exists in the ecosphere, and genetic elements are The analysis of mediation in the model is a somewhat novel
precarious in shaping resistance or risk sensitivity (4, 7). Sodium addition to the literature. So, this study aimed to assess whether
hypochlorite is usually used in endodontic therapy to dissolve occupational hazards at the workplace cause occupational
organic elements and eradicate microbes (6, 7). Musculoskeletal stress and whether awareness regarding occupational hazards
complications are common among the employees of dental mediates occupational stress.
hospitals (8, 9). The effect of workplace hazards begins with the
entry of a student into a dental college, with 79% of students
complaining of back or neck pain at the undergraduate level in
UK dental schools (8, 10). However, the (11) reported that the Theory and hypotheses
effect of ergonomic involvement in managing musculoskeletal
illnesses among dental professionals is insignificant (11). The The relations of stress with occupational hazards and
predominant sources of biological hazards are injury due to employee awareness have been explained by various theories.
needle prick (80%) followed by the risk of contaminated The Stress Concept Theory states that the resistance or
substances (75%), whereas the most prevalent non-biological vulnerability of an employee who is exposed to a stressful
risks are back-ached (79%) followed by extra work hours (72%) stimulus that hosts resistance is a crucial factor in the outcome
(12, 13). of stress or the effect of stress on health (20, 21). Two factors
Working in a dental hospital is a stressful occupation. are central in defining the intensity of a person’s host resistance:
Curing and caring for distressful patients, increasing workload, the capacity to cope and social support (20, 22). Accident
and a hazardous work environment consistently make service Theory that unifies productivity and safety together defines
providers stressed (14, 15). Stress itself is an emotional, mental, risk as a phenomenon attached to negative outcomes such
or physical factor that produces mental or physical strain. as loss, damage, and regret (23, 24). In workplace health and
Occupational stress is psychosomatic stress related to one’s job safety (WHS) management, it is produced by the incidence of
(16). Workplace stress usually comes from demands that don’t hazards that may generate harmful consequences such as injury
match a person’s abilities, knowledge, and skills (10). What or damage to property/environment (25, 26). Likewise, the
one perceives as a threat or a danger can be perceived as a Domino Theory of Safety says that it is the series of happenings
challenge or motivation by someone else (17). Work-related that leads to an incident (27). The possible injury occurs as a
stress is common in dental hospitals and may compromise both result of an injury (Final Domino). An accident only occurs
the health of the staff working at health services and the quality as a consequence of a mechanical or personal hazard. Hazards
of the work for the patients they serve (5). The corresponding only arise as a result of the faults of people. People’s faults are
productivity losses have economic implications for the employer inherited and educated (22, 28). So, elimination of a visual
of a health service. When occupational stress is caused, for domino caused the effect not to happen, and it is possible by
example, by a physical agent, it is paramount to eradicate it training employees and making them aware of hazards in the
at the source(s) (18). Studies have been carried out to show work environment (29, 30). The ABC Theory states that the
that employee awareness of occupational hazards positively attitude, behavior, and conditions that follow due to risk factors
affects employee stress levels; however, it is seen that stress encountered result in a change of behavior. In fact, everyone is
levels are more in employees who have experienced hazards at motivated differently, and thus, understanding safety motivation
work (19). According to a study, employees are less likely to in individuals becomes critical for long-term change of behavior
experience work-related stress when demands and pressures of (21, 29). The theory states that the typical hazards are structural,
work are matched to their knowledge and abilities, control can biological, mechanical, electrical, chemical, and physical
be exercised over their work and the way they do it, support is hazards (29, 31).

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Since this article focuses on the effect of occupational who are exposed to undesirable environmental stimuli and
hazards on occupational stress with mediating role of employee the host resistance is a crucial factor in producing stress.
awareness, Accident Theory, Domino Theory of Safety, and In this scenario, dentists are exposed to workplace health
Stress Concept Theory provide a basis for this study because hazards that stimulate stress in employees. Thus, this hypothesis
they state that to minimize hazards in the workplace, they is formulated:
need to be identified and eliminated. Risks include mechanical,
Hypothesis 1: Employees who are engaged in the treatment of
chemical, and psychosocial hazards. Domino Theory states that
patients in dental hospitals suffer from job-related stress due to
hazards at the workplace can be minimized by staff training and
the existence of workplace health hazards.
being aware of their surroundings. Stress Concept Theory states
that host factors need to be taken into account when assessing ABC theory mainly helps us understand the meanings of
stress. Our assumption focuses on making employees aware of our reactions to adversity. This promotes the belief that
policies and procedures at the workplace to reduce occupational external conditions are cognitively evaluated, and consequently,
hazards encountered. specific mental and emotional reactions come into play. It
is assumed that employees’ awareness of the prevalence of
workplace hazards will augment employees’ job-related stress
Conceptual definition of variables levels; however, the literature reveals that a large number of
employees were not aware of the prevalence of health hazards in
Occupational hazard the workplace (36, 39, 40). It is also assumed that awareness of
Occupational hazard is the independent variable, which workplace health hazards will moderate the relationship between
includes chemical, physical, biological, and psychosocial the prevalence of health hazards and the level of occupational
hazards. These hazards are the potential causes of injuries in stress. Thus, the following two hypotheses are developed:
the workplace.
Hypothesis 2: The level of job-related stress increases
Chemical hazards include questions on dental allergies and
as employees’ awareness of the prevalence of workplace
eye/mouth splashes or injuries (32).
health hazards.
Biological hazards include questions on needle
Hypothesis 3: Employees’ awareness of workplace health
stick/sharps injuries leading to infectious diseases like
hazards mediates the relationship between workplace hazards
HIV/Hepatitis (33).
and occupational stress.
Ergonomics include musculoskeletal injuries. Questions
were related to back pain and sprains. Dentists are most prone Figure 1 shows schematic view of the connection of variables
to these injuries due to the posture in which they sit in dental and hypotheses.
chairs (34).
Physical hazards include questions on electric and safety
wiring and physical obstacles at the workplace (35). Methodology
Research design
Occupational stress
Occupational stress is the dependent variable. It is defined as This is a quantitative, explanatory, and cross-sectional study.
a cognitive state that occurs when the demands of a job are not Survey design is used to gather data from the employees working
aligned with the capabilities, knowledge, resources, and needs of in dental hospitals in the metropolitan city of Bahrain. Due to
the employee (36). patient overpopulation, health hazards are likely to increase.
Data were gathered from the employees associated with Oral
and Dental Health Services, managed by the Ministry of Health,
Employee awareness Kingdom of Bahrain. Three hundred healthcare workers having
Employee awareness is the mediating variable that explains more than 1 year of experience were randomly selected for
the relationship between occupational hazards and stress (37). the sample; 239 questionnaires were received back, and 222
Employee awareness refers to the degree of employee knowledge questionnaires accurate from all respects were included for
and behavior related to workplace health and safety (38). analysis. A list of 1,728 employees was provided as the total
human resource strength working in oral and dental facilities.
Thus, this list was used as a sample frame to randomly select
Hypotheses the sample.
Before data collection, the authors contacted the
Keeping in view the underlying assumption of Stress administrators seeking permission to collect data from
Concept Theory, it is stated that the vulnerability of employees their employees. A written guarantee was submitted to the

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FIGURE 1
Proposed research model.

relevant body to maintain ethical standards during data all the variables. Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability for
collection. Furthermore, the author obtained an informed chemical hazard were 0.686 and 0.724, respectively; for physical
consent form from each respondent for voluntary participation hazard were 0.630 and 0.699, respectively; for biological hazard
in the survey. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic were 0.721 and 0.802, respectively; for ergonomics were 0.724
hospital, administrators were kind enough to instruct their and 0.794, respectively; for awareness were 0.865 and 0.895,
HR departments to administer questionnaires to their selected respectively; and for stress were 0.756 and 0.752, respectively.
employees on behalf of the author. In this way, the stay Since all the scores are beyond 0.65, they are considered to
of the author in hospital for several hours and personal be reliable.
contact with each employee were avoided, and observance
of SOPs against pandemics was maintained. In this regard,
each hospital nominated four persons for data collection.
The author provided necessary brief training to them on Analysis of data
how to collect data through questionnaires. This study was
conducted as per the ethical guidelines given in Helsinki Inferential statistics were applied to analyze the data. Partial
Declaration (41). least square (PLS) was used for structural equation modeling
(SEM). This method allows researchers to analyze structural
components (path model) and measurement components
Measurement of instrument (factor model) in one model simultaneously (45). So, SEM
draws an all-inclusive picture of the validity, reliability, and
The scale (questionnaire) had forty-four items (questions) causality (46).
that were responded to on a five-point Likert-type scale; 21 items Although the instrument was adopted with already verified
for occupational hazards, 12 items for employee awareness, reliability and validity, to be on the safer side, further tests were
and 10 items for job stress were in the questionnaire. A applied to establish the quality of the data. Besides Cronbach’s
questionnaire for occupational hazards was adopted from Viragi alpha and composite reliability tests, the AVE test was used to
et al. (42), employee awareness was taken from NIOSH (43), check convergent validity. Discriminant validity was established
and job stress was adopted from HSE (44). Table 1 in Annexure using MTHT and Fornell-Larcker methods. Autocorrelation,
exhibits variables and the questions that measure them. Since multicollinearity, and common method bias (CBM) were also
standard instruments were adopted with already determined checked through different tests. All these tests confirmed that
reliability coefficient, the instruments were presumed to be the data were free from any discrepancy. A latent variables
reliable. For the sake of this study, internal reliability analysis correlation test was run to check the association of variables,
tests were run again to establish the reliability of instruments. while R Square was used to determine the collective effect
The reliability test also confirmed the instrument was reliable for of the independent variables on the dependent variable. Path

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TABLE 1 Latent variable correlation.

Physical Awareness Biological Chemical Ergonomic Job Stress

Physical 1
Awareness 0.387 1
Biological 0.352 0.476 1
Chemical 0.578 0.419 0.487 1
Ergonomic 0.251 0.525 0.289 0.276 1
Job Stress 0.393 0.649 0.450 0.335 0.482 1

The value of R square explains that 42.5% variation in criterion variable is explained by exogenous variables included in Table 2.

coefficient (Regression) was applied to test the hypotheses, and Validity

indirect effects were applied to test mediation. The values of average variance extracted (AVE) were used
to determine convergent validity (Table 2 in Annexure). All
the AVE scores are higher than the threshold value (0.5), and
Results thus, convergent validity is ensured. Fornell-Larcker criterion
and Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio were used to measure
Demographics and quality control discriminant validity. Assessment of discriminant validity is
a must in any research that involves latent variables for the
Composition of respondents prevention of multicollinearity issues (49–51). Fornell-Larcker
The demographics of the sample were 44.1% males and criterion is the most widely used method for this purpose (49,
55.9% females. According to positions, 182 were general 50). It compares the square root of the value of each average
dentists, 6 were associate professors/principals, 7 were variance extracted (AVE) in the diagonal with the coefficient of
assistant professors, 20 were demonstrators, and 5 were dental correlation of latent variable (off-diagonal) for each variable in
technicians. As per age details, 9% of the participants were aged the related columns and rows (50, 51). A variable must explain
<23 years, 60% were aged between 24 and 35 years, 25% were the variance of its indicators better than the variance of other
aged between 31 and 35 years, and 5% were aged between 41 latent variables. Thus, the square root AVE of each construct
and 57 years. For job experience, 70% of respondents had 1–2 must have a greater score than the correlations coefficient of
years of experience, 20% had 2–6 years of experience, and 10% other latent variables. In our case, the square root of each
had 8–34 years of experience. According to the nature of the AVE of a construct is greater than the correlation coefficients
hospital, 70% of participants work in the private sector and 30% of other constructs as shown in Table 4 in Annexure. So,
work in the government sector. discriminant validity is established as per the Fornell-Larcker
criterion. Discriminant validity is also measured by Heterotrait-
Monotrait ratio. To meet this criterion, values should be 0.9 or
Reliability less. For this study, all the values are <0.9 (shown in Table 5 in
Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability scores were Annexure), and hence, the criterion is met.
used to determine the reliability of the instrument (shown
in Table 2 in the Annexure). All the Cronbach’s alpha values
were higher than 0.7 indicating high internal consistency Structural model
except for physical hazards 0.63 and chemical hazards 0.69
although which is close to 0.7 and hence can be considered Latent variable correlation explains indicator reliability
reliable. The values of composite reliability ensured instrument (50). Beta values indicating a correlational relationship among
reliability as they were around or above the cutoff value variables are significant (Table 1). Physical and chemical hazards
which was 0.70. VIF values confirm that the data used are are moderately correlated, while other variables show relatively
free of multicollinearity and common method bias (CMB). strong relationships. As no coefficient of correlation is >0.8, the
The occurrence of VIF >10 indicates the existence of possibility of auto-correlation is ruled out.
multicollinearity (47), while VIF values >3.3 are proposed as The review of path coefficient (Table 3) shows that all the
an indication that a model may be contaminated by common hypotheses have been substantiated except chemical hazards and
method bias. Therefore, if all the VIFs resulting from a full job stress. It is evident that the majority of employees are aware
collinearity test are equal to or <3.3, the model will be of health hazards, and this awareness profoundly causes job-
considered free of common method bias (48). All the VIFs related stress. The coefficient indicates that 65% of occupational
extracted from our data have values <3.3 as shown in Table 3 stress is explained by health hazards, and the T-value is 16.33,
in the Annexure. which is greater than the threshold point (1.96). The relationship

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TABLE 3 Path coefficient.

Original sample (O) Sample mean (M) STDEV T statistics P Values Decision Nature of relationship

Awareness -> Job Stress_ 0.649 0.655 0.040 16.332 0.000 Supported Positive
Biological -> Job Stress 0.173 0.178 0.036 4.807 0.000 Supported Positive
Chemical -> job Stress 0.068 0.072 0.046 1.464 0.144 Not supported No relationship
Ergonomic -> Job Stress 0.250 0.251 0.044 5.657 0.000 Supported Positive
Physical -> Job Stress 0.088 0.093 0.039 2.245 0.025 Supported Positive

TABLE 4 Specific indirect effect.

Original Sample mean (M) STDEV T statistics P Values Decision

sample (O)

Ergonomic -> Awareness -> Job Stress_ 0.385 0.383 0.058 6.616 0.000 Supported
Biological -> Awareness -> Job Stress_ 0.266 0.271 0.051 5.187 0.000 Supported
Physical -> Awareness -> Job Stress_ 0.112 0.124 0.062 2.528 0.020 Supported
Chemical -> Awareness -> Job Stress_ 0.104 0.110 0.070 1.495 0.135 Supported

TABLE 2 R square. chemical hazards, both the relationships (direct and mediated)
remained insignificant.
R square R square adjusted

Awareness 0.425 0.414

Job Stress_ 0.421 0.418 Discussion
With the support of literature and some hands-on
is significant at P = 0.000. An ergonomic hazard is the highest experience, four occupational health hazards were selected for
stress in the model; 25% of job-related stress is caused by investigation regarding the given context. Literature exhibits
the ergonomic hazard. T-value (5.657) and P-value (0.000) quite deep stress among the workers in the dental health industry
substantiate the relationship. Biological hazards are the second- (52–55) that makes employees demonstrate unproductive or
highest stressors after ergonomic hazards. T-value (4.80) and even counterproductive behaviors (56–58). In the same vein,
P-value (0.000) show that this relation is significant; however, literature regrettably affirms that large numbers of employees
are unaware of occupational health hazards and their fatal
the beta value (0.173) shows that the intensity of the relationship
is not that strong. The hypothesis regarding physical hazards consequences. Consistent with the Stress Concept Theory,
has barely been accepted. P-value (0.025) and T-statistics (2.245) Domino Theory, and ABC Theory, the model designed for
substantiate the relationship, while the beta value (0.088) shows the study at hand consisted of health hazards (ergonomic,
that the relationship is very weak. The hypothesis regarding physical, biological, and chemical), awareness regarding the
chemical hazards has been rejected through all the indicators in prevalence of health hazards, and stress borne by the employees
the table. of dental hospitals. The services provided by dental hospitals
As far as mediation is concerned, awareness mediates the are sensitive and important. Due to their relevance to human
relationship between health hazards (biological, ergonomic, health, the quality of service cannot be compromised. The
and physical) and occupational stress, while mediation results of the study show that musculoskeletal (ergonomics)
between chemical hazards and occupational hazards is causes maximum stress among dental employees working in
not significant (Table 4). Since the direct relationship the selected hospitals. The chemical hazards have a minimum
of biological, ergonomic, and physical hazards toward relationship with variables in the study despite previous studies
occupational stress was significant, however, due to the indicating a significant relationship.
introduction of mediating variables, the degree of intensity Exposure to chemicals such as formaldehyde, ethylene
of the relationship has increased. So, the author confidently oxide, and antineoplastic drugs has caused many types of
affirms the existence of partial mediation. The beta value for oncological diseases such as nasopharyngeal cancers and
ergonomic hazards has increased from 0.250 to 0.385; for hematological cancer (29). Exposure to latex and other
biological hazards, the beta value has increased from 0.173 chemicals in disinfecting and cleaning is linked with work-
to 0.266; and for physical hazards, it has increased from related asthma (19, 59). Dental professionals are usually
0.088 to 0.104 after mediation by awareness. In the case of vulnerable to a variety of chemicals during their duty hours and

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may suffer permanent or temporary injury (60). Employees of studies in the literature found a strong association of stress with
dental hospitals mostly experience work-related eczema due to musculoskeletal hazards.
chemical irritation and allergies (61). Exposures to the chemical As most of the employees of dental hospitals possess medical
can initiate from dental materials, where reactive chemicals knowledge and know the risk factors that exist in their work
are released during preparation, polishing, and removal or environment, the knowhow existence and prevalence of health
restorations (62). Other sources of exposure are medical gloves hazards and their potential consequences create stress for the
containing rubber, chemicals allergenic latex protein, and employees at work (64).
different biocides/chemical disinfectants for infection control It is established that the theories used in the study provided
purposes (63). sound bases, and the findings of the study enhanced these
The results of the study indicate that the chemical hazard theories. The selected workplace hazards including ergonomic,
attribute has a 1.04% (beta value) influence on stress at work physical, and biological hazards cause stress to the respondents,
with mediating role of employee awareness. The T-values which depicts the application of Stress Concept Theory to
<0.9 show that this variable has a minimum relationship with the context as well as the respondents. The results of the
other variables in the study, despite some positive relationships study confirm the relevance of ABC Theory to the population
between this hazard and stress found in the literature. The under study, as the respondents were aware of the conditions
reason for this could be that the incidence of allergic reactions where the existing health hazards had a different attitude and
is less as allergic-free dental materials are now widely available demonstrated a stressful behavior. There is a series of causes
and used in hospitals. Also, the subject under study dentists that eventually harm workers’ health (Domino causation and
is not directly involved in handling chemical materials at the control) like the existence of health hazards that cause stress and
workplace. Many new advancements and research in dentistry other mental disorders followed by compromised wellbeing. The
have resulted in the formation of dental material with new workers actually experience stress as a result of the presence of
chemical compositions. This could be the reason for fewer health hazards.
occurrences of chemical hazards in the population under
study now.
According to Scully, due to the design of work and the Contributions and recommendations
equipment they use, dental professionals are at high risk of
sharps injuries caused during any exposure prone procedure The study identifies the health hazards that exist in the
(EPP), where the employee’s gloved hands can be in contact with work environment of dental hospitals. The composition of
the equipment in use, needle tips, or sharp tissues, e.g., spicules the dental healthcare working environment is not identical to
of bone or teeth (16). Results of the study showed that biological other healthcare organizations. Work setting, posture to work,
hazards have a beta value of 26.6%, and so, their effect on stress materials used, and nature of patients and their ailment are
at work is more than chemical hazards. The reason for the strong different from that of other hospitals, so the intensity of risk of
relationship between biological hazards and stress is that dentists health hazards is also different.
are more prone to getting infected by instruments as well as Ergonomic, biological, and physical hazards are more
patients they treat. Dental professionals are directly involved in prevalent in the work environment that could harm the health
handling needles and sharps. The T-value of biological hazard workers. Apart from casting harmful effects on the health of
is 5.18 (more than 0.9), which shows a strong relation between workers, these hazards create stress in them. As most of the
biological hazards and job stress. employees are educated and aware of the possible prevalence
According to the literature review, one comparative study and risk of health hazards, consequently they suffer from
by Rambabu on dentists showed that musculoskeletal diseases stress. Ergonomic and biological hazards had severe prevalence,
were found to be in high frequency among dentists than among physical hazards had a moderate prevalence, and chemical
other healthcare workers, and 60% of dental professionals hazards had minimum prevalence in these dental hospitals.
reported complaints of more than one site (20). The results The study has significance in terms of its both theoretical
of the study show that the ergonomics attribute has a 38.5% and managerial implications. The study showed the least
(beta value) influence on stress at work with mediating role existence of chemical hazards, while literature portrays the
of employee awareness. Ergonomics or musculoskeletal injuries otherwise. Due to certain structural interventions, chemical
cause the highest level of stress among dental professionals. hazards have been reduced to a considerable level. The
The T-value of ergonomics is 6.18, which shows a strong introduction of employee awareness as a mediating variable
relationship between stress and musculoskeletal injuries. This presents interesting findings. Employee awareness of workplace
shows that the working posture of dentists makes them prone hazards makes them careful of keeping themselves safe from
to these injuries as they have to work in the same posture for these hazards. At the same time, awareness creates job stress,
long hours. Stress itself is the major cause of the development and the stress itself negatively impacts employee wellbeing.
of musculoskeletal issues. Dentists are more prone to these On the contrary, unawareness makes employees carefree of
injuries due to the nature of the job as well as stress. Previous workplace hazards falling prey to them. So, in the light of

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the results of the study, it is suggested that workers should In short, workers irrespective of their field of work, when
be given enough awareness of the risk and dangers inherent exposed to these vulnerabilities, inevitably fall prey to varying
in their work at the workplace, and through education, some stress disorders. Hence, the research emphasizes the importance
of these accidents could be reduced if not eradicated. Jobs to address this stress-related issue as it not only adversely affects
can also be designed in such a way as to remove all inherent the smooth functioning of the organization but impede both
potential dangers to make the work secure for employees. patient care and service. The study shows that employees who
Management should work on both addressing workplace are conscious of their surroundings are less prone to hazards
issues and creating awareness among employees regarding and that leads to the fact that the key to preventing hazards
these hazards. is to know your surroundings, formulate policies and standard
operating procedures, and periodic awareness training for
hazard management. The outcomes derived from this study will
Recommendations in brief supplement future research in this area. The study encompasses
the source of hazards, the means to minimize and prevent the
1. Ergonomic and biological hazards are intensely prevailing in occurrence, and the realization of its importance among the
the workplace and need some corrective measures. health workers.
2. Causes of the existence of ergonomic and biological hazards
need to be explored to take corrective measures. Data availability statement
3. As stress is found among the respondents, it is necessary to
adopt stress management strategies. The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will
4. There is a need to make the hospital waste management be made available by the author, without undue reservation.
system more effective. Improper disposal of wastes generates
health hazards in the work setting.
5. Workers to ensure the complete observance of standard
Ethics statement
operating procedures and follow safety measures to avoid
This study was conducted as per the Ethical guidelines given
many health hazards.
in Helsinki Declaration. Written informed consent was obtained
6. Periodic training and workshops on workplace safety
from all participants for their participation in this study.
measures are to be conducted to enable workers to keep
themselves safe from workplace hazards.
Author contributions

Conclusion The author confirms being the sole contributor of this work
and has approved it for publication.
The research findings reveal that health workers are
exposed to occupational hazards that encompass biological Conflict of interest
needle stick injuries (viruses, bacteria, and parasites), chemical
hazards (drugs and diagnostics), and ergonomic hazards due The author declares that the research was conducted in the
to poor body postures and irrational work programmed hours. absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could
Healthcare workers who encounter patients affected by HIV, be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
TB, and Hepatitis B and C are exposed to these blood-borne
infections. The results derived from the study indicate the higher
prevalence of back pain among healthcare workers, in contrast to
Publisher’s note
other occupational hazards. Consequently, the study emphasizes
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the
the need for organizations to address the issues associated with
authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated
injuries occurring at the workplace by taking effective preventive
organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the
measures. Substantial morbidity and mortality among these
reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or
workers inevitably lead to the loss of skilled personnel, which
claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed
adversely impacts healthcare services.
or endorsed by the publisher.
The research also brings out the analogy that victims of
occupational hazards are more likely to encounter stress while
at work. Resultantly, job-related stress is rapidly emerging as the Supplementary material
major cause of work-related issues such as depression, anxiety,
cardiovascular diseases, and stress-related disorders. The health The Supplementary Material for this article can be found
sector at large and health professionals, in particular, are subject online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.
to these issues. 2022.922748/full#supplementary-material

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AlDhaen 10.3389/fpubh.2022.922748

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