Quality of work life for health professions in Colombia's adult critical care: An integrative analysis.

BACKGROUND: Health professionals in Colombian and many parts of the world, in some cases, work in precarious conditions and intend to migrate to other countries in search of better living conditions for themselves and their families, which results in inadequate distribution worldwide and in the quality of care throughout the health system, which can ultimately influence the quality of life of patients in their health-disease processes. PURPOSE: Describe in depth what quality of life at work is like for the health workforce in adult critical care (ACC). METHODS: This is an investigation of convergent parallel mixed methods approach that are integrated by means of a matrix in terms of convergence, divergence, and complementarity. Two methods are used: a transversal analytical method in which three instruments were applied to 209 participants to study the relationship between Quality of Life at Work, exposure to psychosocial risks, compassion fatigue and the intention to rotate; other than from the experiences narrated by 10 Human Talent in Health explore organizational practices in critical care. RESULTS: The dimension of quality of work life with the greatest dissatisfied was the management of free time (77%), the most compromised psychosocial risk was the pace of work (84%). They have high compassion satisfaction (67%) and there is an intention to migrate to another country (66%). The narrative results in discrimination/harassment as normalized practices and faceless spirituality. The integration of mixed methods shows convergence between the use of the instrument that measures quality of life at work and the narratives of the participants, complementarity with the other instruments, and divergence regarding the intention to rotate to another health institution. CONCLUSION: The positive trend that converges with the two approaches is that of safety at work and well-being achieved through work, embodied in the constant updating of technology and care protocols, experience time, balance between salary and work effort, staffing and supplies, and disconnection with work.

Occupational health nursing: realities and challenges.

BACKGROUND: Designing and enhancing resilient occupational health and safety systems is a challenge. This fact makes it clear that occupational health professionals must be able to develop their full range of competencies. From this premise, it is appropriate to define and deepen the strengths and weaknesses of occupational health nursing (OHN), as well as to point out the opportunities and realities that address its performance. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: In the history of the professionalization of this speciality, different circumstances have conditioned its projection: the absence of its own body of doctrine, the lack of professional recognition, limited autonomy, and the definition of a clear regulatory framework. In addition to an epistemological limitation and the absence of clear leadership. DISCUSSION: In the consolidation of this speciality, there is a limited capacity to implement its own competencies, the invisibility of nursing care, the absence of leadership that incorporates research findings and difficulties in the application of scientific evidence, in addition to the influence of regulatory provisions and the idiosyncrasies of the company. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: The analysis of classical models with a transformative approach invites a more fluid and coordinated communication between occupational health, occupational risk prevention, primary care and public health, a proposal that induces collaboration and a more holistic approach to care for workers.

Validation of the medium and short version of CENSOPAS-COPSOQ: a psychometric study in the Peruvian population.

BACKGROUND: The presence of psychosocial risks at work are associated with mental and physical health issues in workers. The study aim was to adapt the COPSOQ-ISTAS21 (Spanish version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire and Union Institute of Work, Environment and Health) Medium-Version to the Peruvian context and to develop a Short-Version of the instrument. METHOD: Cross-sectional design study. The COPSOQ-ISTAS21 Medium Version was used. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the internal structure of each subdimension (first-order) and dimension (second-order) using the Robust Maximum Likelihood estimation method, and classic fit indices in the literature (CFI, SRMR, RMSEA). Internal consistency was evaluated using the alpha and omega coefficients. A short version was developed based on the items with the highest factorial load and that reduce the factorial complexity. RESULTS: A total of 1707 participants were evaluated. In the confirmatory factor analysis, the goodness-of-fit indices for seventeen of the 20 one-dimensional models (subdimensions) were identified; two subdimensions could not be evaluated because they presented only two items. When conducting a multidimensional analysis, we identified that all second-order models presented optimal goodness-of-fit indices, except "psychological demands at work". Finally, a short version of only 31 items was designed from the items with optimal fit indices. CONCLUSIONS: The new adapted versions of COPSOQ-ISTAS21 were renamed CENSOPAS-COPSOQ (National center of occupational health and environment protection for health -in Spanish- and Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire). The CENSOPAS-COPSOQ is an instrument with sufficient evidence of validity and reliability in its medium and short version, which is why its use is recommended in Peruvian work centers to identify the evaluation and prevention of psychosocial risks at work in Peru.

Reuse of Personal Protective Equipment: Results of a Human Factors Study Using Fluorescence to Identify Self-Contamination During Donning and Doffing.

BACKGROUND: At least 115,000 health and care workers (HCWs) are estimated to have lost their lives to COVID-19, according to the the chief of the World Health Organization (WHO). Personal protective equipment (PPE) is the first line of defense for HCWs against infectious diseases. At the height of the pandemic, PPE supplies became scarce, necessitating reuse, which increased the occupational COVID-19 risks to HCWs. Currently, there are few robust studies addressing PPE reuse and practice variability, leaving HCWs vulnerable to accidental contamination and harm. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess potential HCW contamination during PPE donning, doffing, and reuse. METHODS: The study included 28 active acute care physicians, nurses, and nurse practitioners that evaluated 5 simulated patients with COVID-like symptoms while donning and doffing PPE between each patient encounter. An N95 mask was contaminated with a transparent fluorescent gel applied to the outside of the N95 mask to simulate contamination that might occur during reuse. Participants were evaluated after PPE doffing for each encounter using a black light to assess for face and body contamination. RESULTS: All participants had multiple sites of contamination, predominantly on their head and neck. None of the participants were able to don and doff PPE without contaminating themselves during five consecutive simulation cycles. CONCLUSIONS: The current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PPE guidelines for donning and doffing fall short in protecting HCWs. They do not adequately protect HCWs from contamination. There is an urgent need for PPE and workflow redesign.

'My whole body is at work': the silence of gendered body techniques in cork industry in an era of automation.

Discourses about technological transformation tend to focus on technology, as if its introduction was neutral regarding local variabilities, and the men and women that make it effective. This paper focuses on the technical act. The body is where the technical acts are inscribed and it is through the body that they are exteriorised. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the operative modes associated with the technical acts, from a gender perspective, in the context of the technological transformation in cork industry. The analysis of the work activity performed by men (punching operators) and women (choosers) was supported by observations, collective interviews, and group sessions to validate the results. The findings show male- and female-specific body techniques; how the efficacy of the technical acts contributes to the debate about the limits of technology; and how body techniques and effects on health tend to remain in silence due to automation.Practitioner summary: The reconfiguration of the human-machine relationships hardly leaves room for the analysis of how the body techniques evolve. This paper shows how the efficacy of men and women body techniques contributes to the debate about the limits of technology, even if these uses of one's body entail health costs.

Motor vehicle - pedestrian occupational accident: A case report study.

A rare case of serious non-fatal pedestrian-motor vehicle accident in the constructions sector is described, leading to severe orthopedic trauma and disability. A 49-year-old male worker was admitted to the orthopedic department due to reported occupational injury. The accident occurred at the workplace during the construction of a cycling road, where the victim as pedestrian was referred to be crashed by a motor vehicle at his left lower extremity. He consequently fell on the ground and the vehicle drifted his whole limb with its caterpillar. The patient bore occupational trauma with extensive avulsion and degloving injury of the left lower extremity, extensive hematoma formation of the extreme foot, subtalar and tarsometatarsal dislocation, open fracture of the ankle joint, intraarticular calcaneal fracture, potential vascular injury (segmentation) of the posterior tibial artery, while peroneal and dorsalis pedis arteries were identified intact in Doppler examination of the lower limb. Construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries, concerning the occupational fatality rates. Occupational injury is the leading cause of morbidity in the employed population and adversely affects productivity. Forensic evaluation focuses on the mechanism and biomechanics of the injury and enlightens the potential contribution of external factors. The forensic approach adds to the understanding of a single occupational incident and, thus, the establishment of more effective preventive strategies and the improvement of safety regulations at workplace.

Diabetes and work: The need of a close collaboration between diabetologist and occupational physician.

AIM: The Italian Society of Occupational Medicine (SIML), the Italian Diabetes Society (SID) and the Association of Diabetologists (AMD) joined a working group that produced a consensus paper aimed to assess the available evidence regarding the interplay between specific working conditions, including shift- and night-time work, working activities at high risk of accidents and work at heights, working tasks requiring high-energy expenditure, working activities at extreme temperatures and diabetes. DATA SYNTHESIS: Diabetes is a group of metabolic disorders caused by defects in insulin secretion and/or action affecting millions of people worldwide, many of whom are or wish to be active members of the workforce. Although diabetes, generally, does not prevent a person from properly performing his/her working tasks, disease complications can significantly compromise a person's ability to work. Therefore, it appears evident the need to understand the relationship between occupational risk factors and diabetes. The working group included in the document some practical recommendations useful to ensure diabetic workers the possibility to safely and effectively undertake their jobs and to adequately manage and treat their disease, also in the workplace. In this perspective concerted action of all the workplace preventive figures, occupational physicians and diabetologists should be strongly encouraged. CONCLUSIONS: Further studies are necessary to define workplace-based interventions, which should be minimally invasive towards the work organization, allowing diabetic workers to fully realize their work skills while improving their wellbeing at work.

Precarious working conditions and health of metropolitan bus drivers and conductors in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the relationship between precarious working conditions and the health of bus drivers and conductors. METHODS: Data were gathered by means of a survey and interviews conducted in 2012 with 1607 employees of the public transport system of the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Nine proxy variables were used to create a precariousness score, ranging from 0 to 9, on a comparative scale: score 0 "less precarious" and 9 "more precarious." Negative self-evaluations of health, medical diagnoses of depression and sleep disorders, common mental disorders, musculoskeletal pain and medical leave were assessed. Poisson regression was used to assess associations between precariousness and health adjusted for age, sex, education, vibration, and noise. RESULTS: The sample was composed of 853 drivers and 754 conductors. Most were men (87%), with age below 40 years (67.4%) and medium educational level (64.5%). The maximum precariousness score observed was 7. Most individuals were in the groups of scores 3 (26.7%) and 4 (26.1%). The prevalences of the health situations were: common mental disorders, 26.3%; medical diagnosis of depression, 9.7%; medical diagnosis of sleep disorder, 14.6%; musculoskeletal pain, 43.0%; medical leave (absenteeism), 34.8%; and negative self-evaluation of health, 20.2%. The prevalences of health conditions, with the exception of negative self-evaluations of health, were significantly higher among workers with higher levels of precarious working conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Worse health, particularly common mental disorders, was associated with self-assessed work precariousness.

The health risks of informal waste workers in the Kathmandu Valley: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the health and occupational risks of informal waste workers (IWWs) in the Kathmandu Valley and explore the factors associated with not using personal protective equipment (PPE). STUDY DESIGN: This is a cross-sectional survey of IWWs. METHODS: Data were collected on the health and occupational risks of adult IWWs working on waste sites in the Kathmandu Valley and in the adjacent Nuwakot district, Nepal, in November 2017, through convenience sampling. Using a standardized health assessment questionnaire, face-to-face interviews were undertaken to record sociodemographic data, indicators of general and occupational health, data on healthcare access and use, physical risks, perception of occupational risks and use of PPE. Associations between use of PPE and gender, age, education, country of origin, injury and perception of occupational risks were examined using multivariate logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: In 1278 surveyed IWWs, prevalent physical risks included injuries (66.2% in the previous 12 months), and the main reported symptoms were respiratory in nature (69.9% in the previous 3 months). Most prevalent injuries were glass cuts (44.4%) and metal cuts (43.9%). Less than half of the IWWs (46.8%) had been vaccinated against tetanus and 7.5% against hepatitis B. The work was considered as 'risky' by 72.5% of IWWs, but 67.6% did not use PPE. Non-use of PPE was independently associated with male gender (odds ratio [OR] 2.19; P < 0.001), Indian origin (OR 1.35; P = 0.018), older age (OR 2.97 for more than the age of 55 years; P = 0.007) and low perception of occupational risks (OR 2.41; P < 0.001). Low perception of occupational risk was associated with older age (55 + years) and the lack of receipt of information on the risks. CONCLUSIONS: IWWs are at increased risk of injury in their work, yet are poorly protected in relation to vaccine-preventable infections and workwear. The results suggest that information is important in relation to perception of occupational risk, which in turn is associated with the use of PPE. There is a need for policymakers and public health practitioners to have a robust understanding of the needs and vulnerabilities of this group, as well as identify effective interventions that can be taken to safeguard the health and welfare of IWWs.

Interventional cardiologists: Beware and be aware: An updated report of radiation-induced cutaneous cancers.

We describe 5 years of follow-up of a previously reported case of disabling ionizing radiation (IR)-related cutaneous cancer in a high-volume interventional cardiologist. This case illustrates the cycle of exposure, disease, remission, and re-exposure that demonstrates the cause-and-effect relationship between radiation exposure and cutaneous cancer. Prior cautions for working in environments with radiation exposure emphasized strict adherence to the ALARA principle and called for improved radiation protection equipment. New studies stress that radiation exposure should be as near to zero as possible and place a call for research and technologies that mitigate the use of IR for all interventionists.

Assessment of work-related accidents associated with waste handling in Belo Horizonte (Brazil).

As more urban solid waste is generated, managing it becomes ever more challenging and the potential impacts on the environment and human health also become greater. Handling waste - including collection, treatment and final disposal - entails risks of work accidents. This article assesses the perception of waste management workers regarding work-related accidents in domestic and health service contexts in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. These perceptions are compared with national data from the Ministry of Social Security on accidents involving workers in solid waste management. A high proportion of accidents involves cuts and puncture injuries; 53.9% among workers exposed to domestic waste and 75% among those exposed to health service waste. Muscular lesions and fractures accounted for 25.7% and 12.5% of accidents, respectively. Data from the Ministry of Social Security diverge from the local survey results, presumably owing to under-reporting, which is frequent in this sector. Greater commitment is needed from managers and supervisory entities to ensure that effective measures are taken to protect workers' health and quality of life. Moreover, workers should defend their right to demand an accurate registry of accidents to complement monitoring performed by health professionals trained in risk identification. This would contribute to the improved recovery of injured workers and would require managers in waste management to prepare effective preventive action.

Task distribution, work environment, and perceived health discomforts among Indian ceramic workers.

BACKGROUND: The study examined the work environment of Indian ceramics workers and assessed associations between work hazards, work category, and self-reported symptoms. METHODS: The multi-method ergonomic review technique (MMERT) checkpoints was used for work analysis and prevalence of self-reported symptoms among 329 male workers. RESULTS: Ambient temperature and relative humidity in ceramic industries were 39.9°C and 17.4% respectively. Musculoskeletal discomfort was observed as a primary complaint; especially lower extremity pain (45%). Load handlers and machine operators had the highest levels of work hazards, including high skill requirement, strenuous work posture, poor commitment by the organization. Poor job autonomy, task clarity, hot workplace, inappropriate workplace design, inadequate auxiliary support, and mental overload were significantly associated with self-reported symptoms (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Work categories are associated with work hazards and may lead to various health symptoms among ceramic workers. Control of workplace hazards may lower rates of symptoms and thus may lead to improved health, productivity, and well-being. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:1145-1155, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Methods to Explore Uncertainty and Bias Introduced by Job Exposure Matrices.

Job exposure matrices (JEMs) are used to measure exposures based on information about particular jobs and tasks. JEMs are especially useful when individual exposure data cannot be obtained. Nonetheless, there may be other workplace exposures associated with the study disease that are not measured in available JEMs. When these exposures are also associated with the exposures measured in the JEM, biases due to uncontrolled confounding will be introduced. Furthermore, individual exposures differ from JEM measurements due to differences in job conditions and worker practices. Uncertainty may also be present at the assessor level since exposure information for each job may be imprecise or incomplete. Assigning individuals a fixed exposure determined by the JEM ignores these uncertainty sources. We examine the uncertainty displayed by bias analyses in a study of occupational electric shocks, occupational magnetic fields, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Seafarer deaths at sea: a German mortality study.

BACKGROUND: Seafarers face numerous hazards during their work at sea. AIMS: To demonstrate the frequency and causes of mortality in German seafarers. METHODS: The deaths of all German seafarers from 1998 to 2008 were counted and evaluated using the German central civil register in Berlin. RESULTS: The study cohort comprised a total of 159588 seafarer-years. During the 11 year period, 68 male seafarers died on board. The average age was 48.5 years (SD 12.7 years) and comprised 35 deck officers, 16 engine officers and 17 general crew members (i.e. non-officers from the deck and engine room crew and galley staff). Cause of death was documented in 45 cases (66%): 26 were due to unnatural causes (occupational accidents, suicides) and 19 due to natural causes (particularly, ischaemic heart disease). The crude annual mortality rate for German seamen was 65 per 100000 seafarer-years. For cardiac causes, this rate was significantly higher among deck and engine officers (24 and 38) than among crew ranks (7 per 100000 seafarer-years) (P < 0.05). Deck and engine offi-cers also showed a higher mortality rate for accidents (28 and 22) than crew ranks (15) (P < 0.05). The age-stratified fatal accident rate of German seafarers aboard was 10 times higher than the mortality of the German general population on shore. CONCLUSIONS: Seafaring constitutes an occupation with a high risk for serious accidents. Due to the unexpectedly high mortality rate among officers associated with work-related accidents, this occupational group should receive more effective education on safety behaviour on board.

A case-control study of airways obstruction among construction workers.

BACKGROUND: While smoking is the major cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), occupational exposures to vapors, gases, dusts, and fumes (VGDF) increase COPD risk. This case-control study estimated the risk of COPD attributable to occupational exposures among construction workers. METHODS: The study population included 834 cases and 1243 controls participating in a national medical screening program for older construction workers between 1997 and 2013. Qualitative exposure indices were developed based on lifetime work and exposure histories. RESULTS: Approximately 18% (95% CI = 2-24%) of COPD risk can be attributed to construction-related exposures, which are additive to the risk contributed by smoking. A measure of all VGDF exposures combined was a strong predictor of COPD risk. CONCLUSIONS: Construction workers are at increased risk of COPD as a result of broad and complex effects of many exposures acting independently or interactively. Control methods should be implemented to prevent worker exposures, and smoking cessation should be promoted.

Cancer mortality among Brazilian dentists.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have variably shown excess risks of elected cancers among dentists. METHODS: National Brazilian mortality data were used to obtain mortality patterns among dentists between 1996 and 2004. Cancer mortality odds ratios (MORs) and cancer proportional mortality ratios for all cancer sites were calculated, using the general population and physicians and lawyers as comparison groups. RESULTS: Female dentists from both age strata showed higher risks for breast, colon-rectum, lung, brain, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Compared to physicians and lawyers, higher MOR estimates were observed for brain cancer among female dentists 20-49 yr. Among male dentists, higher cancer mortality was found for colon-rectum, pancreas, lung, melanoma, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Higher risk estimates for liver, prostate, bladder, brain, multiple myeloma and leukemia were observed among 50-79 yr old male dentists. DISCUSSION: If confirmed, these results indicate the need for limiting occupational exposures among dentists in addition to establishing screening programs to achieve early detection of selected malignant tumors.

Assessment of knowledge, attitudes, and practices of occupational risks and diseases among healthcare providers of the Regional Hospital Center of Dosso, Niger.

Background: In Niger, a low-income country, occupational medicine is little known and practiced, particularly in the health sector, where healthcare workers are exposed to numerous occupational risks. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices about occupational risks and diseases among healthcare providers working at the Hospital of Dosso (Niger) to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices level about occupational risks and diseases. Methods: A descriptive and quantitative census-based study was conducted among the 105 healthcare providers practicing at the hospital of Dosso between 1 April and 31 May 2023, using a self-administered questionnaire in the French language comprising a sociodemographic part and a knowledge, attitudes, and practices part about occupational risks and diseases. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices scores were calculated and Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to assess their association with sociodemographic characteristics. Results: In total, 83 healthcare providers agreed to participate in the study, with a participation rate of 79%. A total of 28% of participants had received training on occupational risks and diseases. The knowledge score about occupational risks and diseases showed that 55.4% of participants had a knowledge level varying from medium to high. The score of attitudes and practices showed that 68.7% of responders had an attitudes and practices level varying from medium to high about occupational risks and diseases. According to the composite score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices, 53% of participants had a knowledge, attitudes, and practices level between medium and high. A significant association was found between the composite score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices and the workstation occupied, mainly medical imaging service (p = 0.006). Conclusion: The study showed that 53% of responders had an overall level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices about occupational risks and diseases between medium and high. Among their sociodemographic characteristics, only the workstation occupied (mainly medical imaging service) was statistically associated with the composite score of knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Considering these findings, the administrators of the Hospital of Dosso must recruit an occupational medicine specialist to provide information and prevention visits on occupational risks and diseases to healthcare providers working in this institution.

Sneddon's Syndrome and the Capability to Work: With Regard to a Clinical Case.

Sneddon's syndrome is a rare condition characterized by the presence of neurocutaneous lesions, including reticular livedo and an increase in thrombotic risk, and it is associated with a greater risk of cerebrovascular disease. It is diagnosed through a skin biopsy and neurological manifestations. In this study, we present a clinical report of a 39-year-old nurse exposed to shift and night work in an intensive care unit. She was diagnosed with Sneddon's syndrome, whose workplace had to be readapted, considering the complications and restrictions of her condition and aiming her protection and healthcare promotion. Night work can exacerbate cerebral and cardiovascular events due to its impact on metabolism, blood pressure profile, and hormone concentrations. Therefore, given a syndrome characterized by an increased thrombotic risk associated with cerebrovascular events, the restriction of night work is imperative. The occupational physician is responsible for intervening in the workplace and preventing long-term consequences for employees.

[Men working through mobile applications in Brazil: Reflections from occupational health]. / Hombres que trabajan a través de aplicaciones móviles en Brasil: reflexiones desde la salud ocupacional.

Work through mobile applications emerged as an alternative for many Brazilian men during the economic crisis and rising unemployment. However, these workers operate informally, without a formal employment relationship, leading to labor precariousness and a lack of workers' rights. Using a theoretical-reflexive, this study analyzes the intersection between occupational health, the platformization of work, and the specific challenges faced by male delivery app workers, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflective categories are divided into two thematic sections: "Labor insertion through mobile applications in Brazil and the algorithmic work model" and "men, health, and motorcycles: occupational health and male behavior in app-based delivery work." The study examines the expansion of this type of work in the Brazilian socio-economic context, the lack of security and labor protection for these workers, as well as the risks faced, particularly during the pandemic, within a male-centric culture.

El trabajo a través de aplicaciones móviles surgió como una alternativa para muchos hombres brasileños durante la crisis económica y el aumento del desempleo. Sin embargo, estos trabajadores operan de manera informal, sin relación laboral, lo que genera precariedad laboral y falta de derechos laborales. Desde un abordaje teórico-reflexivo, este artículo analiza la intersección entre la salud ocupacional, la plataformización del trabajo y los desafíos específicos que enfrentan los hombres repartidores de aplicaciones, especialmente durante la pandemia de covid-19. Las categorías reflexivas se dividieron en dos secciones temáticas: "La inserción laboral a través de aplicaciones móviles en Brasil y el modelo de trabajo mediante algoritmos" y "hombres, salud y motocicletas: la salud ocupacional y el comportamiento masculino en el trabajo a través de aplicaciones de entrega". Se examina la expansión de este tipo de trabajo en el contexto socioeconómico brasileño, la falta de seguridad y protección laboral para estos trabajadores, así como los riesgos enfrentados, especialmente durante la pandemia, en el marco de una cultura masculina.

Adherence to standard precautions by nursing professionals in a public university hospital: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyze the adherence to standard precautions by nursing professionals in a public university hospital, and to identify associated factors. METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study with the nursing staff of a public university hospital. The participants provided sociodemographic and immunization data, training data on standard precautions and occupational accident history, and responded to the questionnaire on adherence to standard precautions (QASP). Descriptive data analysis and Pearson's Chi-square test (χ²) were performed, followed by Fisher's exact test to verify the association between the adherence to standard precautions (total score ≥ 76 points) and the sample characterization variables. Additionally, binary logistic regression indicated the odds ratio (OR) of the sample characterization variables for adherence to standard precautions. A p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The average score for adherence to standard precautions, through QASP, by nursing professionals evaluated was 70.5 points. Association between the adherence to standard precautions and the professionals' sample characterization variables was not identified. However, it was observed that experienced professionals (≥15 years of experience in the institution) were more likely to adhere to standard precautions (OR 0.062; IC95% [0.006-0.663]; p = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: In general, the adherence to standard precautions by nursing professionals working in health service in this study can be considered inadequate, highlighting major weaknesses in hand hygiene practices, use of personal protective equipment (PPE), recapping of used needles, and conduct after suffering occupational accidents. Experienced professionals were more likely to adhere to standard precautions.