Perinatal HIV Research Unit, South African Medical Research Council; Soweto Matlosana SAMRC Collaborating Centre for HIV/AIDS and TB, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
S Afr Med J. 2019 Jul 26;109(8):587-591. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i8.13523.
Funeral home personnel are at risk of exposure to infectious hazards. The high prevalence of infectious diseases in South Africa means that these workers and family members of deceased individuals are vulnerable to infection if proper safety measures and equipment are not used.
To collect observational information on funeral industry practices in order to assess the safety of handling corpses and exposure to risk that could result in disease transmission.
A cross-sectional study was conducted across two locations from August to October 2015. Funeral homes in Klerksdorp and Soweto were approached. The study team did facility assessments and observed preparation practices, focusing on safety equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE) and contact with hazardous materials. Interviews with funeral home personnel and relatives of the deceased were also conducted.
Of the funeral homes, 23.0% (20/87) agreed to participate. A median of 5 personnel (interquartile range 4 - 8) were employed per facility. It was observed that not all PPE was used despite availability. Gloves, aprons and face masks were most commonly worn, and no personnel were observed wearing boots, gowns or plastic sleeves. Funeral homes were located near food outlets, schools and open public spaces, and not all had access to proper biohazardous waste disposal services. Of 5 family members who were interviewed for the study, none reported being willing to partake in the funeral preparation procedure.
There is a need to standardise the use of safety equipment, waste disposal methods and location designation in the funeral industry.
殡仪馆工作人员面临感染传染病的风险。南非传染病高发，这意味着这些工人和死者家属如果不使用适当的安全措施和设备，就容易受到感染。
收集殡仪馆行业操作的观察信息，以评估处理尸体和接触可能导致疾病传播的风险的安全性。
2015 年 8 月至 10 月，在两个地点进行了横断面研究。接触了克勒克斯多普和索韦托的殡仪馆。研究小组对设施进行了评估，并观察了准备工作，重点是安全设备、个人防护设备（PPE）和接触危险材料的情况。还对殡仪馆工作人员和死者家属进行了访谈。
在参与研究的殡仪馆中，有 23.0%（20/87）同意参与。每家殡仪馆平均有 5 名员工（四分位距为 4-8）。尽管有 PPE 可用，但并非所有 PPE 都得到使用。手套、围裙和口罩是最常使用的，没有观察到有人戴靴子、长袍或塑料袖套。殡仪馆靠近食品店、学校和开放的公共空间，并非所有殡仪馆都有适当的生物危害废物处理服务。在接受研究访谈的 5 名家属中，没有一人表示愿意参与葬礼准备程序。
需要使殡仪馆行业在安全设备、废物处理方法和位置指定方面标准化。
