Injuries among medical laboratory housekeeping staff: incidence and worker perceptions

Housekeepers' injury experiences in medical laboratories have not been reported previously. Review of injury incident reports for housekeepers assigned to medical research laboratories in a major university revealed an incidence rate of 46 injuries per 100 housekeepers per year from 1985 to 1988. Thirty-seven percent of the injuries were cuts and punctures, with 70% of these attributable to glass, needles, or cutting instruments. In a survey, 65% of housekeepers indicated that they do not always report their injuries, but the injury pattern they described paralleled those recorded in incident reports. Housekeepers identified behavioral and environmental factors that can contribute to laboratory injuries, including: lack of knowledge; failure to use protective equipment; carelessness; and, "sharps" (ie, sharp needles or glass) in the trash.