The aims of this study were to identify the major professional category exposed to biological risk and the principal type of accident occurred among health care workers in Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ. Based on the analysis of 183 records filled out by the workers who suffered biohazardous accidents between January 2005 and September 2005, we found the nursing auxiliaries and technicians as the professional category more exposed to biohazardous accidents (54.1%), followed by undergraduate medical and dental students (10.4%). The occurence of acidents with piercing-cutting materials was related to frequent handling of these instruments, and to the behavior of workers who maintain practices providing risks of needlestick injuries, such as inappropriate disposal of piercing-cutting materials.
Occupational risk; Risk control; Accident prevention
