Occupational Hazards in a Pathological Anatomy Service

摘要

Based on an Ergonomic Work Analysis the objectives of this study were to assess and evaluate the working conditions of a Pathological Anatomy Service (PAS) in a Private Portuguese Hospital. Twelve workers participated in the study and six tasks were analyzed and assessed with the RULA method. The main results of this study have highlighted that the work done in this PAS entails risk factors probably responsible for the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and the high levels of eyestrain. According to RULA results, the risk for the development of MSDs is present in almost all tasks suggesting that investigation and adjustments in the work situation are required. Considering the chemical risk assessment, several nonconformities were found in terms of labeling, storage, workplace and worker's training. Globally, the obtained results are in accordance with those reported by other studies.