Health workers are people engaged in work actions whose primary intent is to improve health, including doctors, nurses, midwives, public health professionals, laboratory technicians, health technicians, medical and non-medical technicians, personal care workers, community health workers, healers and traditional medicine practitioners.

The term also includes health management and support workers such as cleaners, drivers, hospital administrators, district health managers and social workers, and other occupational groups in health-related activities as defined by the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO-08).

Health workers are the backbone of any functioning health system. While contributing to the enjoyment of the right to health for all, health workers should also enjoy the right to healthy and safe working conditions to maintain their own health.

The protection of health and safety of health workers should be part of the core business of the health sector: to protect and restore health without causing harm to patients and workers.

Safeguarding the health, safety and well-being of health workers can prevent diseases and injuries caused by work, while improving the quality and safety of care, human resources for health and environmental sustainability in the health sector.

Here are the most common occupational hazards in the health sector

OCCUPATIONAL INFECTIONS

The most common occupational infections of concern in the health sector are tuberculosis, hepatitis B & C, HIV/AIDS and respiratory infections (coronaviruses, influenza).

UNSAFE-HANDLING-RECT

Unsafe patient handling, lifting, transferring, repositioning and moving patients without using proper techniques or handing equipment can cause musculoskeletal injury (e.g. back injury and chronic back pain).

EXPOSURE TO HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

The most common hazardous chemicals in the health sector include cleaning and disinfecting agents, sterilising agents, mercury, toxic drugs, pesticides, latex and laboratory chemicals and reagents.

EXPOSURE TO RADIATION

Ionizing (x-rays, radionuclides) and non-ionizing radiation (UV, lasers) exposure may occur in health-care settings and pose specific risk to the health and safety of health workers.

PSYCHO-SOCIAL RISKS AND MENTAL HEALTH

Time pressure, lack of control over work tasks, long working hours, shift work, lack of support and moral injury are important risk factors for occupational stress, burnout and fatigue among health workers.

VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT

These are incidents involving work-related abuse, threats or assaults among health workers including physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse and workplace harassment.

RISKS IN AMBIENT WORK ENVIRONMENT

These are work related factors, such as thermal discomfort (heat or cold stress) and noise, which may cause harm to a health worker.

OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES

Common injuries among health workers are slips, trips and falls, road traffic injuries (ambulance crashes, motorbike and bicycle injuries), electric shock, explosions and fire.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH HAZARDS

Unsafe and insufficient water for drinking and washing, inadequate sanitation and hygiene, hazardous healthcare waste and climate related risks may cause work-related diseases and injuries among health workers.