Hazards for health care workers.

Abstract

America's nearly seven million health care workers (54a) face essentially all of the hazards found throughout our nation's business and industry, and more. These workers confront dangers normally associated with the construction and manufacturing industries, restaurants, research laboratories, boiler rooms, print shops, and even agriculture. Thus, they contend with heavy lifting, asbestos, and ethylene oxide (ETO); cuts, burns, and hepatitis; radia­ tion, exotic chemicals, and infectious organisms; noise and corrosives; sol­ vents; and pesticides. They also face the very special challenges presented by patient care. And they may work in shifts that sometimes rotate. It is not surprising then, that 6. 23 per 100 full-time health care workers had occupa­ tional injuries or illnesses in 1984 with a loss of 57.1 work days per 100 full-time workers. These figures are high, compared to other service occupa­ tions, except, for example, hotel workers (l4b). These data represent all health care workers, including those in ambulatory settings who have a low incidence of accidents. Sixty-five percent of health care personnel work in nursing and personal care facilities and hospitals: 1 1.6 per 100 full-time nursing and personal care facilities workers and 7.3 per 100 full-time hospital workers are hurt or sickened by work per year and lose 121 and 63 work days per 100 full-time workers, respectively. The high incidence