Evaluation of Perception, Knowledge and Attitudes of Anesthesia Healthcare Workers on Occupational Health and Safety

Abstract

Objective: Anesthesia healthcare workers work under more intense hazard, risk and excessive workload specific to their field, in addition to the problems of other healthcare workers. This study aims to identify perception of occupational risks in the working environment, knowledge about occupational health and safety (OHS), and the use of personal protective equipment in the working environment among the anesthesia healthcare workers. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 153 anesthesia healthcare workers. The healthcare workers participating in the study were divided into 2 groups according to their work: physicians and non-physician healthcare workers. The questionnaire included sociodemographic, knowledge about occupational risks and Occupational Health and Safety Law (OHSL), use of personal protective equipment and knowledge of OHS in the institution questions. Results: The frequencies of the working conditions and professional practice areas of the group of doctors being not ergonomically appropriate (p=0.005), insufficient lighting (p=0.001), insufficient heat (p<0.015), chemical agent exposure (p=0.024), ionizing radiation exposure (p=0.003), exposure to biological agents (p=0.022), exposure to psychological risk factors (p=0.017) were found to be statistically significantly higher. In this study, it was found that the perception of working environment conditions and occupational risk factors was higher in doctors, and their knowledge of OHSL and OHS practices in the institution was higher in the non-physician group. Conclusion: The OHS trainings received by the health care workers were effective for the results. Increasing knowledge about occupational risks and preventive measures against them can reduce the incidence and consequences of possible occupational diseases. Keywords: Anesthesia, occupational health, occupational safety