Work accidents with exposure to biological material in physiotherapists according to formal and informal employment bonds

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Health workers, including physiotherapists, are at greater risk of occupational injuries involving exposure to biological material (OI-bio), when compared to others. OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiological profile of OI-bio in physiotherapists, according to their work contracts (formal/informal). METHODS: A case study of work-related notifications by biological material in physiotherapists, registered in the Information System for Notifiable Diseases, Brazil, from 2008 to 2018. RESULTS: There were 2,565 OI-bio records in physiotherapists, with an increase in notifications (169.2%) in the period, The majority among those with formal contracts (68.3%). Among formals, the majority were female (82.7%), aged between 30 and 39 years (46.8%) and white people (69.6%). Among the informal, the majority were also female (85.3%), younger, 18 to 29 years old (62.2%) and white people (69.8%). In both groups, the specific occupation was general physiotherapist, cases evolving to discharge from a negative patient/source. Formals had 1 to 6 years of occupational experience (44.8%) and record of Work Accident Communication (WAC) in 58.1% of cases. Among the informals, the work experience time was less than 1 year (47.7%) and only 28.6% had WAC registration. The use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) had little difference between groups, with gloves, aprons and masks being the most used. CONCLUSION: Although OI-bio are more reported in physiotherapists with formal contract, among informal ones they occur in younger people, with less experience and without WAC registration, in addition to worse information registration and abandonment of developments, indicating greater vulnerability, especially in relation to social protection measures.