The awareness of healthcare workers about hazardous substances used in a tertiary hospital

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 2, 341 - 349, 04.03.2019

Serdar Savaş Gül , Mehmet Esen

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.383355

Abstract

Objectives: Potentially hazardous materials are commonly used during health practices in
the hospital environments. Management of hazardous substances is of great
importance. Inadequate training of personnel for use and disposal of hazardous
materials were reported by some studies. The aim of present study was to create
awareness among healthcare workers for hazardous substances.

Methods: A survey was carried out on 204 healthcare workers (125 females and 79 males;
mean age: 33.8 ± 12.9 years) to measure their level of knowledge about
hazardous substances used in hospitals.

Results: Hospital departments were
investigated and it was found that listing of dangerous substances were
missing, their locations were not fixed, and they were not stored in isolated
areas. Sixty percent of the participants considered themselves not having
enough knowledge about hazardous materials. Ninety percent of the respondents
thought that warning signs and symbols placed on hazardous material storage
cabinets are useful. It was determined that warning signs for flammable,
hazardous for environment, corrosive and explosive were significantly less
known compared to symbols (p = 0.037,
p = 0.018, p < 0.001 and p < 0.001,
respectively).

Conclusions: It was concluded that healthcare workers did not
have sufficient information about hazardous substances. Healthcare workers
should be trained effectively on hazardous substances issue. 

Keywords

hazardous substance, healthcare workers, hospital environment

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