Improvement of knowledge, attitude, belief and practices on mercury spillage management among health care workers after an educational program

Abstract

Health care workers (HCWs) may be exposed to mercury in situations such as mercury spillage from broken thermometers and sphygmomanometers. However, if proper clean up measures are taken, the risk of mercury poisoning is low. The objectives of this study were to: 1) assess the knowledge, attitude, belief and practices (KABP) among HCWs on mercury spillage management; 2) apply an educational program regarding the appropriate mercury  spillage handling; 3) assess the improvement of KABP levels among HCWs after the program. An interventional study was conducted in nine hospitals and 63 health clinics across Selangor and Malacca, from September 2017 until February 2019. The KABP levels of the HCWs were measured before and, six months after the educational program was conducted. The program consisted of a series of lectures, demonstration video and simulation training. The assessment was performed using a validated self-administered questionnaire and all responses were kept anonymous. KABP levels before and after the program were then compared using chi-square test. The total study population showed a significant improvement in the knowledge (p<0.001), attitude (p=0.001) and practice (p<0.001) levels after the program. Improvement in the belief level was however not statistically significant (p=0.093). Our study highlights the need for an enhanced training module in mercury spillage management to ensure that HCWs are capable of handling the hazardous waste correctly. The results showed that, our educational program was effective and therefore could be applied in healthcare facilities to improve HCWs competency on mercury spillage management.