We hypothesize that working outdoors in the presence of sunlight and dust (as typified by street sweepers in Calabar) may be associated with a greater prevalence of dry eyes compared with working indoors in the presence of dust but the absence of direct sunlight (as typified by indoor cleaners). The aim of this was to determine and compare the prevalence of dry eye disease among street sweepers who work outdoors and indoor office cleaners in Calabar metropolis, Nigeria.
Comparing the two groups based on OSDI results, dry eye disease was found in 41 out of 115 street sweepers giving a prevalence of 35.7%. On the other hand, dry eye disease was found in 23 out of 115 office cleaners resulting in a prevalence of 20%. This difference was not statistically significant (p-value 0.352).
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Table 4 shows the distribution of ocular complaints among respondents. The following ocular complaints had higher prevalence and were statistically significant in street sweepers compared to office cleaners; itching, tearing, redness of the eyes, foreign body sensation and, mucoid discharge.
Documented prevalence of dry eye disease among workers is diverse, this study sought to determine the prevalence of dry eye disease among street sweepers who are outdoor workers and office cleaners who work predominantly indoors. Both populations work in dusty environments, however street sweepers; in addition, are exposed to direct sunlight.
The findings from our study further highlight the increased risk of developing dry eye disease in outdoor workers (street sweepers) constantly exposed to combined environmental irritants like dust and sunlight. The increased burden on street sweepers is likely to be due to the synergistic effect of irritants. The burden of DED among indoor cleaners may be attributed to working in an air-conditioned environment or to the use of cleaning sprays during work. A dose relationship between the burden of dry eyes and exposure to an irritant warrants further studies. Earlier studies on this subject [18] documented a high level of awareness on ocular health safety among street sweepers however, there was poor utilization of personal protective devices. Hence, we recommend improved awareness and strict use of protective gear. We recommend legislative prescription of adherence to the use of sunscreens and dust-proof hoods that will reduce the exposure of street sweepers to multiple occupational hazards. We also suggest that outdoor sweeping could be scheduled to take place during the evening hours when the exposure to sunlight is minimal.
In response to growing awareness surrounding the local environment and the City's commitment to maintain cleaner streets, the City has implemented the Ocean Safe Street Sweeping Program. This program reduces the amount of debris and litter being carried to our beaches through the storm drain system. The program calls for the installation of street sweeping signs for all blocks that were not previously posted prior to January 1996. Because there are many factors affecting the need for street sweeping signs, the City has developed a petition process for residents to request street sweeping signs be installed from the street immediately adjacent to their residence.
A heavy metal disk became the center and starting point of the construction. This rotating disk connects to a powerful servomotor. The disk was remodeled to fit the shaft because the two parts came from completely different machinery. The disk lies over a set of bearings, thus taking direct weight off of the shaft. MAIZ is built from a wine box, metal parts from a mechanical street cleaner (which became the tongues of a kalimba), a cigar box and my wife's credit card, which plays three strings (tied to a guitar neck). MAIZ can alternately be triggered by light sensors, motion sensors, controllers or even the human voice. 2ff7e9595c
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