Abstract

MIRAZ NOVAS, Carolina. Biological risk assesment in animal facilities of a sanitary investigation centre. Med. segur. trab. [online]. 2008, vol.54, n.213, pp.97-103. ISSN 1989-7790.

Aims: The purpose of this study is to assess the biological risks to which workers in the animal facilities of the Health Research Unit are exposed in order to determine the need for preventive measures to control risk, determine those measures and test methodology chosen in the specific case of working with animals. Methods: BIOGAVAL evaluation methodology proposed by Office of Security and Hygiene in the Work of Valencia was used to evaluate the technician and veterinarian biological risks. The chosen methodology needs, for the determination of the risk level, identification of the involved microorganisms, damage to the health, routes of transmission, possibility of vaccination and percentage of vaccinated personnel and the hygienic existing measures in the moment to carry out the evaluation. Results: The results show the need of preventive measures, especially directed to the control of Leptospira and Brucella. Once adopted the measures, the risk level for all agents places in values lower than the level established by the method. It is stated the lack of determinant information for the numerical risk evaluation relative to some identified agents. The levels of risk came from the method could be superior to the real ones as in the «Form of hygienic adopted measures» there’re not considered those measures realized on the proper animals. Conclusions: The methodology of evaluation proves to be an agile, orderly and relatively simple method for the determination of the biological risk to which the workers are exposed. The method of evaluation BIOGAVAL is a practical tool as systematized evaluations of high complexity, due to its characteristic uncertainty on the presence of the biological agents, though its application results drastically reduced due to the absence of statistical trustworthy information on determinant variables as duration of temporary disabilities or rates of incidents for some biological agents. The method provides orientation on the type of preventive measures to adopt. It is proposed an extension in the «Form of Hygienic Adopted Measures» to take into account the fact of the working with animals.

Keywords : Occupational risks; occupational hygiene; exposure to biological agents.

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