Workplace Hazards for Health Professionals

Abstract

Workplace hazards are the unwanted outcomes faced by healthcare professionals while working in any healthcare setting. These can be the transmission of infections, chemical hazards, radiation hazards, physical and ergonomic hazards, and psychosocial hazards. A new entry to these hazards is violence against health professionals, which is increasing in most parts of the world.
These hazards are putting a lot of pressure on healthcare workers and affecting their work and career as well as disturbing the doctor-patient relationship in some cases. There is a need to know the epidemiology of these hazards so that they can be effectively tackled.
Remedial measures are required some of which can be easily done by employing suitable administrative and engineering methods and strictly implementing workplace standard operating procedures. For others, there should be a change in policies and a change in the mindset of people by creating a fear of the law and speedy prosecution of the offenders involved in violence against health professionals.
This paper covers comprehensive ways of awareness and managing strategies of workplace hazards including violence against health professionals.