Table 2.
OSH hazards reported by home care aides in the safe home care survey
| All aides, n=3484 | Agency-hired aides, n=2564 | Client-hired aides, n=920 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | Per cent | 95% CI | n | Per cent | 95% CI | n | Per cent | 95% CI | p Value* | |
| Home environment | ||||||||||
| No access to equipment to move client | 1325 | 38 | (36.4 to 39.6) | 1011 | 39.4 | (37.5 to 41.3) | 314 | 34.1 | (31.1 to 37.2) | 0.004 |
| Cluttered or unclean conditions | 593 | 17 | (15.8 to 18.3) | 467 | 18.2 | (16.7 to 19.7) | 126 | 13.7 | (11.5 to 15.9) | 0.002 |
| Slippery floors | 197 | 5.6 | (4.9 to 6.4) | 150 | 5.9 | (4.9 to 6.8) | 47 | 5.1 | (3.7 to 6.5) | 0.404 |
| Uncontrolled pets | 127 | 3.6 | (3.0 to 4.3) | 89 | 3.5 | (2.8 to 4.2) | 38 | 4.1 | (2.8 to 5.4) | 0.360 |
| Bedbugs | 86 | 2.5 | (2.0 to 3.0) | 51 | 2 | (1.4 to 2.5) | 35 | 3.8 | (2.6 to 5.0) | 0.002 |
| Client smokes indoors | 346 | 9.9 | (8.9 to 10.9) | 238 | 9.3 | (8.2 to 10.4) | 108 | 11.7 | (9.7 to 13.8) | 0.033 |
| Client on oxygen | 314 | 9 | (8.1 to 10.0) | 218 | 8.5 | (7.4 to 9.6) | 96 | 10.4 | (8.5 to 12.4) | 0.079 |
| Infectious agents, cleaning and disinfecting chemical use | ||||||||||
| Used sharps lying around home† | 110 | 3.2 | (2.6 to 3.7) | 66 | 2.6 | (2.0 to 3.2) | 44 | 4.8 | (3.4 to 6.2) | 0.001 |
| Helped someone use a sharp† | 149 | 4.3 | (3.6 to 5.0) | 40 | 1.6 | (1.1 to 2.0) | 109 | 11.8 | (9.8 to 13.9) | <0.001 |
| Contact with faeces | 563 | 16.2 | (14.9 to 17.4) | 339 | 13.2 | (11.9 to 14.5) | 224 | 24.3 | (21.6 to 27.1) | <0.001 |
| Contact with blood | 176 | 5 | (4.3 to 5.8) | 111 | 4.3 | (3.5 to 5.1) | 65 | 7.1 | (5.4 to 8.7) | 0.001 |
| Client had an infectious disease | 119 | 3.4 | (2.8 to 4.0) | 85 | 3.3 | (2.7 to 4.1) | 34 | 3.7 | (2.5 to 4.9) | 0.586 |
| Contact with pet waste | 357 | 10.2 | (9.2 to 11.2) | 178 | 6.9 | (6.0 to 8.0) | 179 | 19.5 | (16.9 to 22.0) | <0.001 |
| Cleaned bathroom/kitchen | 2797 | 80.3 | (79.0 to 81.6) | 2057 | 80.2 | (78.7 to 81.8) | 740 | 80.4 | (77.9 to 83.0) | 0.892 |
| Cleaned with bleach | 828 | 23.8 | (22.4 to 25.2) | 518 | 20.2 | (18.6 to 21.8) | 310 | 33.7 | (30.6 to 36.8) | <0.001 |
| Cleaned with ammonia | 266 | 7.6 | (6.8 to 8.5) | 145 | 5.7 | (4.8 to 6.6) | 121 | 13.2 | (11.0 to 15.3) | <0.001 |
| Cleaned with other strong chemicals | 530 | 15.2 | (14.0 to 16.4) | 362 | 14.1 | (12.8 to 15.5) | 168 | 18.3 | (15.8 to 20.8) | 0.003 |
| Any bleach/ammonia/chemical use | 1046 | 30 | (28.5 to 31.5) | 692 | 27 | (25.3 to 28.7) | 354 | 38.5 | (35.3 to 41.6) | <0.001 |
Per cent of home care visits (n=3484) in which an OSH hazard occurred.
*Test of H0: no difference in the percentage of OSH hazard reported by agency-hired versus client-hired aides.
†A ‘sharp’ is a sharp medical device capable of penetrating the skin and contacting blood, such as a syringe with a needle or a lancet.
OSH, Occupational Safety and Health.