Risks associated with occupational glass injury in bar staff with special consideration of hepatitis B infection

Since bar workers often sustain cuts from unwashed bar glasses,the aims of this study were to investigate risk of injury andto examine the sero-prevalence of markers for hepatitis B amongstbar staff. Ninety-one bar staff recruited by newspaper advertisementwere asked about injury experience and life-style risks associatedwith transmission of hepatitis B and were tested for hepatitisB surface antigen (HBsAg) and core antibody (anti-HBc). Seventy-fourper cent reported lacerations from broken glassware at work:18% had sustained such injuries in more than 10 incidents. Fifty-fiveper cent of respondents reported occupational skin contact withbody fluids. Anti-HBc prevalence for the study group was 1.1%,suggesting that bar staff were not at increased risk from hepatitisB infection. Although 30% wore gloves for high-risk tasks, therewas no evidence that glove wearing prevented glass lacerations.This level of injury experience and exposure to body fluidsis 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 protectbar workers from glass injury.