title: Factors influencing biosafety level and LAI among the staff of medical laboratories.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to assess the biological risks of medical laboratory employees with particular focus on laboratory acquired infection (LAI), activities having the greatest risk, accidents with biological material, post exposure procedure, preventive measures and workers' knowledge about biological exposure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study involved 9 laboratories. A questionnaire survey was attended by 123 employees and 9 heads of these units with the use of two questionnaires for laboratory workers and the managers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  32.5% of the respondents (40 persons) had an accident at least once. Needlestick or a broken glass injury covered 18.7% respondents (23 persons), while splashing the skin, mucous membranes or conjunctivae related to 22.8% (28 persons). Among the employees who had an accident, only 45% of the respondents (18 persons) reported this to the manager. Microbes dominant in the biological material were known only to 57 respondents (46.3%), less than half could correctly give an example of a disease (57 persons, 46.3%). More than half of the respondents admitted that they do not know all of the possible routes of infection while working in the laboratory (68 persons, 55.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the study population, a high incidence of accidents was observed, usually during blood sampling and transfer of biological material. Condition of the workers' equipment with personal protective measures and laboratory facilities in devices to reduce the risk of infection and procedures for handling the potentially infectious material should be considered as insufficient. Lack of basic knowledge of the employees about biohazards at workplaces was shown.
authors: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Hazards, Lódz, Poland. anias@imp.lodz.pl
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Kozajda
authors: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Hazards, Lódz, Poland.
authors: Karolina
authors: K
authors: Bródka
authors: Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine, Department of Environmental Health Hazards, Lódz, Poland.
authors: Irena
authors: I
authors: Szadkowska-Stańczyk
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007757:Laboratory Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D017056:Medical Laboratory Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016272:Occupational Health; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D017751:Safety Management / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires