IntroductionSafety in health care should be a priority of all health professionals. The
occurrence of occupational accidents is many times attributed to a failure
in following established standards, and identifying and correcting the risks
to which professionals are exposed is important.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the level of understanding on the
biological hazards to which workers of a clinical analysis laboratory are
exposed.MethodsWe applied a questionnaire for assessing knowledge on biological hazards,
comprising an assessment of the understanding of biosafety and biological
hazards, an investigation of the occurrence, types, and causes of accidents
with biological material, and the employment of preventive measures. Data
were tabulated in spreadsheets. All qualitative variables were tested with
the chi-square test.ResultsWe verified that 100% of the workers reported having some knowledge on
biosafety; 25% of them reported they had suffered an occupational accident;
and 81% of the workers reported having received training on biosafety
measures. As to the level of exposure of workers and the community to
biological agents, we noticed a very low level of exposure in one of the
laboratory sectors.ConclusionsConsidering our results, we concluded that professionals at a clinical
analysis laboratory are prone to occupational hazards, facing a low risk of
exposure despite carrying out hazardous activities with potential exposure,
which requires caution and exposure prevention measures.