A vulnerabilidade de agentes comunitários de saúde frente ao risco biológico

Abstract

The objectives were to identify occupational exposure of community health workers to biological material; to characterize the means of exposure, organic secretions and circumstances involved; to describe the behaviors adopted, and verify the participation of these workers in training on biological risk and biosafety. Descriptive cross-sectional study. Participants comprised 80 workers of the 89 members of family health teams from a sanitary district of the municipality of Goiânia. Results: 23 (28.8%) reported occupational exposure and 10 (43.5%) reported more than one exposure. Most exposures involved saliva on intact skin or mucous membrane. Less than half reported participating in any form of training that addressed biological risk and biosafety. The community health workers were exposed to biological material and they were predominantly unprepared. Public policies for these workers must clearly observe biological risk and its control as a strategy guideline, provide worker protection, and ensure this subject is included in the education of community health workers.