ORIGINAL PAPER
Selected risk factors for occupational exposures to blood-borne pathogens in cosmetics salons
 
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Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny / Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland (Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Zakład Epidemiologii i Zarządzania / Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Epidemiology and Management)
 
2
Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny / Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland (Zakład Informatyki Medycznej i Badań Jakości Kształcenia / Department of Computer Science and Education Quality Research)
 
 
Online publication date: 2018-03-22
 
 
Corresponding author
Maria Gańczak   

Pomorski Uniwersytet Medyczny, Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Zakład Epidemiologii i Zarządzania, ul. Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin
 
 
Med Pr Work Health Saf. 2018;69(3):281-90
 
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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
eISSN:2353-1339
ISSN:0465-5893
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