Human health and safety in small animal veterinary anaesthesia

Abstract

Background: Veterinary practice is a hazardous work environment with high levels of occupation‐related injuries and illness reported compared to general practitioners of human medicine (Nienhaus and others 2005). There are occupational hazards that veterinary staff may face when performing veterinary anaesthesia and so it's important to know how to minimise the risks.Aim of the article: This article outlines the physical, biological, chemical and potential psychological hazards encountered in veterinary anaesthesia, and examines what can be done to minimise the risks to those involved.