BACKGROUND: This study stands for the first Spanish investigation that rigorously evaluates the compliance regarding the use of biological protection gloves as essential personal protective equipment (PPE) in companies with exposure to biological agents in workplaces. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to analyse the degree of use of biological protection gloves as personal protective equipment (PPE), the factors that influence its use, and the profile of workers exposed to occupational biological agents in Spanish companies in the health sector, farms, meat industry, waste treatment plants, food industry and veterinary centers. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study involving 590 Spanish workers from 51 companies. We developed a 34-item questionnaire to assess workers’ risk perception related to exposure to biological agents in their workplaces. Among the questions, three were designed to find the degree of use of key protective equipment in sectors with biological agent exposure: protective gloves, goggles or face shields, and respirators. We performed various statistical analyses, including Cronbach’s alpha, frequency of endorsement, Content Validity Ratio (CVR) using Lawshe’s method, Varimax rotation, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO), and Bartlett’s sphericity test, to assess the internal consistency and reliability of the questionnaire. Additionally, we employed a CHAID segmentation analysis, using workers’ responses regarding their attitude toward glove usage as PPE for protection against biological risks, with demographic variables as independent factors. RESULTS: The CHAID analysis yielded a segmentation diagram, revealing five distinct groups or profiles of workers based on their use of protective gloves. CONCLUSION: Our study, through CHAID analysis, highlights that workers tend to use protective gloves more frequently when there is an internal Health and Safety department within the company.

El pasado día 21 de junio se publica en el BOE el Real Decreto 524/2023, de 20 de junio, por el que se aprueba la Norma Básica de Protección Civil. Esta nueva norma deroga, con un plazo de 4 años, otra norma fundametal para la Seguridad y Salud de los trabajadores, la Norma Básica de Autoproteción (Real Decreto 393/2007). Esta derogación en diferido genera una gran incertidumbre para los Técnicos/as de Prevención.

El uso de las mascarillas es un factor de protección muy importante en salud pública y en Prevención de Riesgos Laborales, por lo tanto, nos planteamos la siguiente pregunta ¿Usamos las mascarillas correctas para la COVID-19?

Objectives. Professionals in the perfume industry are routinely exposed to numerous chemical substances during olfactory evaluations, some of which may pose inhalation hazards. Existing qualitative risk assessment tools, such as Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Essentials, provide approximate estimates and may not be well suited to industries with highly specific exposure conditions like perfumery. This study evaluates the applicability and limitations of COSHH Essentials in perfume laboratories and proposes an improved qualitative framework tailored to perfumers' exposure scenarios. Methods. A total of 626 substances from a perfumer's palette were assessed using COSHH Essentials, which classifies substances into risk levels based on hazard, volatility and quantity. A complementary method incorporating molecular-level hazard analysis, exposure patterns, occupational exposure limits and conservative inhalation dose estimations was developed. Statistical agreement between both methods was examined using Cohen's κ, and McNemar's test assessed significant differences. Results. COSHH Essentials identified 76 hazardous substances, while the enhanced method identified 81 substances, including five additional requiring local exhaust ventilation. Agreement was moderate (κ = 0.58; p = 0.031). Conclusion. COSHH Essentials provides a useful baseline but lacks the specificity needed in industries with intentional close-range exposure. The enhanced method enables more precise, context-sensitive assessment and better protection in fragrance laboratories.

Objective: To examine whether technostress-related technological overload was associated with SF-36 vitality and general health during COVID-19 telework, and whether organisational IT resources showed direct or buffering associations. Methods: In 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional anonymous online survey among Spanish-speaking teleworkers (N=735). Technological overload and organisational IT resources were analysed as predictors of SF-36 Vitality and General Health. Adjusted multiple linear regression models and interaction terms were estimated. Results: Technological overload was associated with lower vitality (b=−0.222, p=.002; N=361) and poorer general health (b=−0.131, p=.014; N=359). Organisational IT resources were positively associated with vitality (b=0.260, p<.001), but not with general health (p=.409). No buffering effects were observed. Conclusions: Reducing technology-driven workload and time pressure may be more relevant for protecting worker health than IT support alone.