Evaluation of risk levels due to exposure to biological agents during the process of collecting household urban solid waste

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of risk due to exposure to biological agents in the activity of wa ste collectors working in an organization dedicated to the private collection of household solid urban waste in Ecuador. The BIOGAVAL-NEO 2018 method proposed by the Instituto Valencia de Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo (INVASSAT) for the evaluation of biological risk in various work activities was applied. This method observes the determination of the job to be assessed, the identification of the biological agent involved, quantification of the variables determining the risk, hygiene measures adopted, calculation of the level of biological risk and interpretation of the levels of biological risk. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. From the results obtained in the present study after applying the BIOGAVAL-NEO 2018 method, it was found that the biological risk level (R) for the most common biological agents in this activity were: leptospira interrogans, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus and SARS-CoV-2, being equal to and above the biological action level (BAC), and below the biological exposure limit level (BEL). T he applied BIOGAVAL-NEO 2018 quantification method is a practica l and highly useful tool with priority orientation of hygienic and biosafety measures allowing to reduce the level of biological risk in collectors during the household solid urban waste collection process in Ecuador.