Abstract
BACKGROUND:
This study stands for the first Spanish investigation that rigorously evaluates the compliance regarding the use of biological protection gloves as essential personal protective equipment (PPE) in companies with exposure to biological agents in workplaces.
OBJECTIVES:
This study aims to analyse the degree of use of biological protection gloves as personal protective equipment (PPE), the factors that influence its use, and the profile of workers exposed to occupational biological agents in Spanish companies in the health sector, farms, meat industry, waste treatment plants, food industry and veterinary centers.
METHODS:
We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 590 Spanish workers from 51 companies. We developed a 34-item questionnaire to assess workers’ risk perception related to exposure to biological agents in their workplaces. Among the questions, three were designed to find the degree of use of key protective equipment in sectors with biological agent exposure: protective gloves, goggles or face shields, and respirators. We performed various statistical analyses, including Cronbach’s alpha, frequency of endorsement, Content Validity Ratio (CVR) using Lawshe’s method, Varimax rotation, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), and Bartlett’s sphericity test, to assess the internal consistency and reliability of the questionnaire. Additionally, we employed a CHAID segmentation analysis, using workers’ responses regarding their attitude toward glove usage as PPE for protection against biological risks, with demographic variables as independent factors.
RESULTS:
The CHAID analysis yielded a segmentation diagram, revealing five distinct groups or profiles of workers based on their use of protective gloves.
CONCLUSION:
Our study, through CHAID analysis, highlights that workers tend to use protective gloves more frequently when there is an internal Health and Safety department within the company.
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