@article{ref1,
title="Risks associated with occupational glass injury in bar staff with special consideration of hepatitis B infection",
journal="Occupational medicine",
year="1997",
author="McLean, W. and Shepherd, Jonathan P. and Brann, C. R. and Westmoreland, D.",
volume="47",
number="3",
pages="147-150",
abstract="Since bar workers often sustain cuts from unwashed bar glasses, the aims of this study were to investigate risk of injury and to examine the sero-prevalence of markers for hepatitis B amongst bar staff. Ninety-one bar staff recruited by newspaper advertisement were asked about injury experience and life-style risks associated with transmission of hepatitis B and were tested for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and core antibody (anti-HBc). Seventy-four per cent reported lacerations from broken glassware at work: 18% had sustained such injuries in more than 10 incidents. Fifty-five per cent of respondents reported occupational skin contact with body fluids. Anti-HBc prevalence for the study group was 1.1%, suggesting that bar staff were not at increased risk from hepatitis B infection. Although 30% wore gloves for high-risk tasks, there was no evidence that glove wearing prevented glass lacerations. This level of injury experience and exposure to body fluids is unacceptable and represents a potential risk of cross-infection. Hepatitis B immunization should be considered in this group. Urgent action, including the replacement, wherever possible, of annealed with tempered bar-glassware, is necessary to protect bar workers from glass injury.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0962-7480",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}