Health care workers encounter an imposing group of occupational hazards over the course of their careers, from physical hazards to AIDS. Health care organizations and providers, which often actively promote health and safety campaigns for the general public, shout not ignore the very real dangers within the health care setting.

Although risks vary by type of occupation, there are several that most health care workers have in common:

• Physical hazards. This includes lifting or moving patients; moving or handling supplies and equipment; working in conditions of heat or cold; with hazardous machinery or tools; or areas where there are high noise levels.

• Sharps/blood and body fluids. Needles, syringes, and many instruments used in patient care are common sources of injury and infection.

• Radiation and medicines. Chemotherapy, antibiotics, and radioactivity may have harmful side effects from long-term use.

• Chemical hazards. The list of chemicals present in any hospital or medical center is lengthy. They include laboratory reagents, cleaning and disinfecting agents, paints, coatings, solvents, caustics, and pesticides.

• Infectious hazards. Patients and even other staff or laboratories can expose staff to infectious diseases.

• Latex hazards. Natural rubber latex allergies can result in different types of symptoms, such as hand dermatitis or blisters, sneezing, watery eyes, asthma, or in rare cases, death.

The Website of the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) lists dozens of other health care industry-wide hazards on its websites, with detailed information about how health care workers can be exposed to each hazard, how exposure affects workers, and ways that workers can avoid exposure. Some of the hazards included on the OSHA site:

Health care workers have a right to report uncorrected workplace hazards to OSHA. OSHA will investigate claims of unsafe conditions and require that they be corrected. Employers may be assessed penalties for failure to protect employees.