Staff Perceptions, Awareness and Compliance to Safety: A Survey of Occupational Hazards in a Cancer Centre

Background: The commonly encountered hazards in a healthcare setup include biological (infectious) hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards, environmental hazards, and psychological hazards. The aim of this study was to conduct a survey of work related occupational hazards amongst the full time staff from various work areas and to assess the awareness, perceptions and levels of compliance to universal precautions and bio-safety measures.Methods: A pre-structured questionnaire was developed based on literature survey and was distributed amongst staff from various work areas of the hospital viz. diagnostic laboratories, department of transfusion medicine and nursing department. Scales were based on standard methods.Results: Responses were obtained from 66 participants (18 men, 48 women). Most respondents were nurses (57.57%) and technologists (28.79%). Common injuries encountered were musculoskeletal (62.12%), sharps (12.12%) and allergies (36.36%). Compliance to safe work practices including personal protective equipment and waste disposal ranged from 92-98%. Employee perceptions and awareness with respect to safety measures were generally ≥ 90%.Conclusion: The survey showed that healthcare staffs were generally well aware of occupational hazards and biosafety issues. The general level of compliance to safety measures was high.