Understanding Dangers

Hazards to healthcare workers can be classified into five categories, according to certified occupational health nurse Bonnie Rogers, DrPH, RN, FAAN, president of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses.

Biological exposures. These include infectious diseases like HIV and chronic liver diseases, major contemporary concerns. TB is also in this category. Transmission of TB to health workers rose in the 1980s but declined in the ’90s, Rogers said.

Chemicals. Latex, sterilizing agents, and chemotherapeutics are common examples. Oncology nurses are at increased risk since 90 percent of oncology drugs are carcinogenic themselves, Rogers notes.

Environmental/mechanical hazards. These are associated with injuries and accidents. Back injuries remain a leading cause of disability and career loss, Rogers said. Violence in the workplace—which is becoming a well-defined phenomenom in the ER and psychiatric units—also fits in this category.

Physical agents. Radiation, lasers, and noise can create tissue trauma to health workers. For those who go up in emergency helicopters, noise trauma can be a serious problem, Rogers said.

Psychosocial. Stress and burnout are "major culprits on the job" for nurses and other health workers, Rogers said.