Percepción y prevención de riesgos ocupacionales en veterinarios rurales

Abstract

Veterinary practice is associated with many occupational hazards. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the occupational risk perception (ORP), use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the associations between them and with socio-demographic characteristics of rural veterinarians of the Province of Santa Fe (Argentina). A cross-sectional study was carried out on n=562 veterinarians by means of a structured questionnaire. Although ORP tended to be correlated with each other, the coefficients were relatively low. Gloves were the most frequently used PPE, but other element usage was scarce. The use of PPE in conjunction in a single activity was low. PPE usage was independent of the ORP. Both ORP and use of PPE were associated with respondents' sex and age. The lack of use of PPE in conjunction indicates a real inconsistency in the professional behavior of self-protection.