Assessment of Biological, Ergonomic and Psychological Workplace Hazards Among Medical and Paramedical Staff of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Lahore, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Occupational hazards are defined as unfavorable workplace activities that have the potential to injure or sicken the healthcare personnel. In low- and middle-income countries, a significant percentage of healthcare professionals are subjected to biological, psychological, ergonomic, and chemical hazards. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of various types of biological, ergonomic and psychological workplace hazards faced by medical and paramedical staff of a tertiary care hospital of Lahore. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Lahore, involved 90 healthcare workers including doctors, nurses and lab technicians. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Chi square tests and FisherFreeman Halton Exact tests were applied to analyze the associations between healthcare profession type and exposure to various hazards. Results: This study reveals that out of the 90 healthcare professionals, 71.1% of the respondents were exposed to blood-borne pathogens, and needle-stick injuries were highly prevalent (72.2%). Moreover, 81.1% of the respondents had experienced Workrelated musculoskeletal disorders WRMSDs, with low back pain being the most prevalent (63.3%). Psychological hazards were also very common as 86.7% of the respondents reported that they often felt stressed at work, particularly due to high workload and long working hours. Conclusion: This study highlights various biological, ergonomic and psychological hazards faced by healthcare workers. A significant association was found between the type of profession and exposure to biological and psychological hazards. This study emphasizes the importance of measures for reducing occupational hazards.