Nursing Professionals' Perspective on Occupational Risks and Work Accidents in The Sterilization and Materials Processing Center

• Published in: Revista de pesquisa, cuidado é fundamental cuidado é fundamental, 2019-10, Vol.11 (5), p.1161-1166
• Main Authors: Carvalho, Herica Emilia Félix, Silva, Vanessa de Fátima Magalhães, da Silva, Dandara Leticia, Ribeiro, Ivonizete Pires, Oliveira, Adélia Dalva da Silva, Madeira, Maria Zélia de Araújo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Hospitals; Nursing; Occupational accidents; Personal protective equipment; Professionals
• ISSN: 2175-5361
• DOI: 10.9789/2175-5361.2019.v11i5.1161-1166

[...]1940, the SMPC was decentralized and the responsibility for organizing and sterilizing the articles was with everyone who used them; From 1950 onwards, it became semi-centralized and the articles were prepared by each unit and later taken to a single place for sterilization purposes. The risk of fire, contact with chemical and biological substances, noise exposure, physical exertion and sharp piercing injuries, as well as the risk of falling materials, posture discomfort and work overload are factors that contribute to the appearance of health damage, such as varicose veins, eye problems, low back pain, sleep disorder and spinal injuries, among others.1 Careful handling of sharp piercing articles is critical to avoid accidents. [...]we do know the risks, but we are not always aware of them. Potential risks to healthcare professionals may be physical: heat, cold, noise, vibration, abnormal pressures, ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, humidity; chemical risks: substances, compounds or products that may invade the body, whether via the air - in the form of dust, fumes, mists, fogs, gases or vapors - or which, due to the nature of the exposure, they may have contact with the skin or being absorbed by ingestion; biological risks: they are bacteria, fungi, bacilli, parasites, protozoa, viruses, among others; Ergonomic risks: physical and organizational factors that affect the comfort of professional activity and, consequently, the psychophysiological characteristics of the worker.12 These risks can also be classified as primaries, secondary and tertiary, whose potential harm to the worker will depend on compliance with the relevant legislation and knowledge and attention of the professional in the development of their activities, including tolerance limits.12 SMPC workers follow a fast pace of work, with physical and mental demands, exposed to chemical, physical and biological risks, and work in a small physical space and with the heat of autoclaves.