Sains Malaysiana 47(10)(2018): 2319–2323

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2018-4710-08

 

Colour Vision Status of Staff Working with Radiation in Public Hospital

(Status Penglihatan Warna Pekerja yang Bekerja dengan Radiasi di Hospital Awam)

 

BARIAH MOHD-ALI*, WONG MEI YEE & BASHIRAH ISHAK

 

Optometry and Vision Science Program, School of Healthcare Sciences, Faculty of Health Science, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

 

Received: 30 January 2018/Accepted: 5 June 2018

 

ABSTRACT

Growing application of radiation sources and lack of awareness among workers in practicing protective measures imply an increased risk of radiation exposure to eye. This study determined the status of colour vision and its association with working duration amongst staff working with radiation in a university hospital. A total of 55 employees (28 exposed (RS) and 27 not directly exposed to radiation (NRS)) were recruited and 30 employees were used as controls. Visual acuity (VA) was measured using Snellen chart. Colour vision assessments were conducted using Ishihara plates, D15 panel and FM 100 hues and the results were analysed using one way ANOVA. The subjects’ age ranged between 29 and 44 years old. Mean VA for all subjects was 6/6. More than 50% of the subjects has colour defects, 3.45% of RS failed D15, 37.93% failed FM 100 hue, 7.4% of NRS failed D15 and 55.56% failed FM 100 hue. Significant difference was found in the total error scores between RS (77.10 ± 6.05) and NRS (84.89 ± 7.76) with the controls (41.47 ± 3.10) [ANOVA F(2,83)=16.084, p=0.00]. There was no association between working duration and severity of colour defect [r(104)= -0.123, p>0.05]. This study concludes that majority of the studied subjects has color deficiency but not significantly correlated with their working duration. Protective measures need to be taken to improve the situation.

 

Keywords: Colour defect; colour perception; occupational radiation exposure

 

ABSTRAK

Pertambahan dalam aplikasi radiasi serta kurangnya kesedaran pekerja untuk menggunakan peralatan keselamatan menyebabkan risiko dedahan radiasi kepada mata meningkat. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan status penglihatan warna serta hubungannya dengan tempoh bekerja dalam kalangan kakitangan yang bekerja dengan radiasi di sebuah hospital universiti. Seramai 55 orang pekerja (28 terdedah secara terus (RS) dan 27 tidak terdedah secara terus (NRS)) terlibat dalam kajian ini dan 30 orang lagi digunakan sebagai subjek kawalan. Akuiti visual diukur menggunakan carta Snellen. Penglihatan warna diuji menggunakan plat Ishihara, panel D15 dan FM 100 hue. Keputusan kajian dianalisis menggunakan ANOVA sehala. Julat umur subjek adalah 29 hingga 44 tahun. Purata VA untuk semua subjek adalah 6/6. Lebih 50% subjek mempunyai defek penglihatan warna, 3.45% RS gagal ujian D15, 37.93% gagal ujian FM 100 hue, 7.4% NRS gagal ujian D15, 55.56% gagal ujian FM 100 hue. Analisis menunjukkan perbezaan signifikan dalam skor total error antara RS (77.10 ± 6.05) dan NRS (84.89 ± 7.76) berbanding kawalan (41.47 ± 3.10) (ANOVA F(2,83)=16.084, p=0.00). Tiada hubungan didapati antara tempoh bekerja dengan keterukan penglihatan warna (r(104)= -0.123, p>0.05). Kajian ini menyimpulkan kebanyakan kakitangan kajian mempunyai kecacatan penglihatan warna tetapi ia tidak berkait dengan tempoh bekerja. Langkah keselamatan perlu diambil untuk memperbaiki keadaan tersebut.

 

Kata kunci: Dedahan radiasi; kecacatan warna; persepsi warna

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*Corresponding author; email: bariah@ukm.edu.my