Medycyna Pracy (May 2018)

Selected risk factors for occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens in cosmetics salons

  • Maria Gańczak,
  • Marta Paczewska,
  • Zbigniew Szych,
  • Katarzyna Topczewska,
  • Marzena Drozd-Dąbrowska

DOI
https://doi.org/10.13075/mp.5893.00689
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 69, no. 3
pp. 281 – 290

Abstract

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Background Services offered in the esthetic/beauty industry poses the risk of blood-borne infections (BBIs) due to carrying out invasive procedures. The study objective: was to assess the number of sharps injuries, occupational risk factors, and preventive methods used among cosmetologists. Material and Methods The anonymous survey was conducted (February–April 2017) in randomly selected beauty/esthetic medicine clinics in Szczecin, Poland; 96 cosmetologists were invited. Results Eighty cosmetologists (83.3%), responded. The mean age of the group was 25 years (range: 20–60 years). The majority of the respondents (95%) used sharps while at work, 41.3% had suffered at least one sharps injury during their occupational career. Clippers were the most common injury-causing instrument (39.4%), and manicure/pedicure was the most common injury-causing procedure (51.5%); 84.8% of injuries were not reported. The number of injuries was associated with age (34.9% in the group of 20–29 years old respondents vs. 64.7% in respondents ≥ 30 years old, p = 0.05), work experience (32.6% in the respondents working for 1–3 years vs. 68.8%, in those working ≥ 7 years, p = 0.03), and working hours/week (28.9% in those working ≤ 40 h vs. 57.1% of those working > 40 h, p = 0.02). Needle recapping was reported by 47.5% of respondents, 13.8% did not dispose used needles into a container, 17.5% did not routinely use gloves. Conclusions Cosmetologists are at risk of sharps injuries. Inconsistent use of preventive methods and failure to report incidents may result in contracting BBIs. There is a need to implement education and intervention measures to prevent occupational injuries, particularly with regard to cosmetologists aged over 30 years, with a longer professional experience, working over 40 h/week. Med Pr 2018;69(3):281–290

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