Open AccessChemical Risk in Hospital Settings: Overview on Monitoring Strategies and International Regulatory Aspects
Author(s) -
Bruno Charlier,
Albino Coglianese,
Federica De Rosa,
Francesco De,
Ornella Piazza,
Oriana Motta,
Anna Borrelli,
Mario Coccia,
Amelia Filippelli,
Viviana Izzo
Publication year - 2021
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.579
H-Index - 13
ISSN - 2279-9028
DOI - 10.4081/jphr.2021.1993
Subject(s) - medicine , health care , medical emergency , risk assessment , environmental health , risk analysis (engineering) , computer security , computer science , economics , economic growth
Chemical risk in hospital settings is a growing concern that health professionals and supervisory authorities must deal with daily. Exposure to chemical risk is quite different depending on the hospital department involved and might origin from multiple sources, such as the use of sterilizing agents, disinfectants, detergents, solvents, heavy metals, dangerous drugs, and anesthetic gases. Improving prevention procedures and constantly monitoring the presence and level of potentially toxic substances, both in workers (biological monitoring) and in working environments (environmental monitoring), might significantly reduce the risk of exposure and contaminations. The purpose of this article is to present an overview on this subject, which includes the current international regulations, the chemical pollutants to which medical and paramedical personnel are mainly exposed, and the strategies developed to improve safety conditions for all healthcare workers.