Health worker occupational health A health care facility is a
workplace as well as a place for receiving and giving care.
Health care facilities around the world employ over 59 million
workers who are exposed to a complex variety of health and
safety hazards everyday including: - biological hazards, such as
TB, Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, SARS; - chemical hazards, such as,
glutaraldehyde, ethylene oxide; - physical hazards, such as
noise, radiation, slips trips and falls; - ergonomic hazards,
such as heavy lifting; - psychosocial hazards, such as
shiftwork, violence and stress; - fire and explosion hazards,
such as using oxygen, alcohol sanitizing gels; and - electrical
hazards, such as frayed electrical cords. Health-care workers
(HCWs) need protection from these workplace hazards just as much
as do mining or construction workers. Yet, because their job is
to care for the sick and injured, HCWs are often viewed as
“immune” to injury or illness. Their patients come first. They
are often expected to sacrifice their o