Il rischio biologico nei luohghi di lavoro: aspetti e normativa

Biological risk at workplaces requires a complex approach in relation to risk assessment and risk management, due to: variety of biological agents, working environments and working techniques; lack of limit values; workers with defective immune systems; worker’s perception. The Italian legislation is in line with European directives and covers both the field of prevention in the workplace and the medico-legal field (recognition and reporting of occupational diseases). While at workplace the employer is responsible of assessment and management of biological risk and the occupational physician of health surveillance, in notifiable occupational diseases every doctor is involved. Occupational diseases by biological agents are frequently caused by accidents, in which every doctor is equally involved. Also, the lesions induced by occupational diseases and some accidents are considered by our legislation offenses prosecutable ex officio and every doctor is obliged to report them.