Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Agents: An Analysis of Health Care Workers and Their Environments

Details

• Personal Author:
  Alexander B ; Church T ; Graeve CU ; McGovern, Patricia M. ; Polovich M ; Ryan A
• Description:
  Approximately 8 million health care workers are unnecessarily exposed to highly toxic drugs used to treat cancer; antineoplastic drugs can contribute to negative health effects for these workers. The drugs have been detected in the urine of workers and on the floors and counters of worksites. Safety precautions that could reduce the risk of exposure are underutilized. This cross-sectional study of 163 oncology health care workers used a survey to measure workplace and individual factors, and environmental sampling to measure surface contamination. The study objective was to identify potential exposures to antineoplastic drugs and factors influencing safety behavior. Personal protective equipment (PPE) use was lower than recommended; unit of employment was significantly associated with PPE use. Chemical residue from antineoplastic drugs was found, revealing potential exposures. Workplace safety must be a higher organizational priority. The contamination of common work areas where PPE use is not expected was of utmost concern. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Health Personnel Neoplasms Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Antineoplastic Agents Author Keywords: Occupational Hazards Chemotherapy Disease Prevention Government Regulation Hazard Analysis Health Care Workers Medical Personnel Medical Surveillance/Risk National Institute For Occupational Safety And Health NIOSH Occupational Exposure Occupational Health And Safety Programs Occupational Safety And Health Administration OSHA Personal Protective Equipment PPE Safety Practices Work Environment

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• ISSN:
  2165-0799
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Georgia ; Minnesota ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  9-20
• Volume:
  65
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20064049
• Citation:
  Workplace Health Saf 2017 Jan; 65(1):9-20
• Contact Point Address:
  Catherine Utecht Graeve, University of Minnesota, MMC 197, 420 Delaware St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
• Email:
  grae0040@umn.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• Performing Organization:
  University of Minnesota Twin Cities
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Workplace Health & Safety
• End Date:
  20250630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f51b81f32bad2fc83a1a65a6654f36359df3a04b28847544a6aa0eab7a57ef256e42d8b9e7362876c7c039dd9908d39de81709756f32075406dd3df82de7723e
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/222575/cdc_222575_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 137.74 KB ]