Sace calls for measures to avoid risks when handling 156 dangerous drugs

73% of nurses suffered from biological injuries during their work (punctures, cuts, splashes of liquid…) while handling more than 156 dangerous drugs in their daily work, handling of which can cause damage to the DNA and chromosomes of cells, toxicity in some organs and even cancer in the most serious cases. This is why the Satse nurses’ union is demanding preventive measures and the acquisition of zero-risk devices to protect the group that works with dangerous drugs, “since they currently do not have the ideal tools to crush this medicine,” they point out.

Satse launched a campaign demanding that León Hospital management take preventative measures to guarantee the safety of nurses, “which is not currently happening,” they said. For this reason, the union has already met with the management of the León hospital to adapt the drug grinding devices used in the center to achieve zero risk for nurses and received a commitment to solve this problem, but the purchase has still not been carried out. This means that their dust ends up being dispersed into the environment, with the potential damage that inhalation can cause,” they note.

The campaign promotes the continuation of healthy practices and work practices at the León hospital, as the European Agency for Occupational Health has linked occupational exposure to these drugs to 1,467 deaths among European professionals. Sace insists that nurses work in a safe environment, free from risks such as those that may arise when using these medications or when preparing for an appointment.

Satse believes that León Hospital should “urgently implement devices that protect nurses when working with dangerous drugs, otherwise their health will be at risk.”