Occupational diseases are a significant issue worldwide. These diseases cause major economic and social problems and influence statistics representing sick-leave periods, disabilities, and even deaths. In the developed countries, work within the health care system is considered among the jobs that are associated with highest risk of developing occupational skin diseases, diseases caused by biological materials as well as illnesses of musculoskeletal systems. In the European Union, approximately 15% of the employees state that they spend over a half of their working day in the environment that is polluted with toxic materials. Within the health care system and the social care sector, 17% of the employees manage or are exposed to toxic materials and products, while 12% work in the environment where, in the air that they breathe, there are aerosols, dust, and biological materials. Between 4.0% and 13.0% of the European Union employees think that their immediate work environment is directly related with health problems. Up to 13% of the personnel working in the health care system and the social care sector are convinced that chemical materials present in the work environment serve as causes of skin problems that they experience. In the United States, up to 14% of the health care personnel develop bronchial asthma, an illness that is caused by working conditions. Moreover, 43% of nurses and 29% of doctors experience micro-traumas (pricking – in the majority of cases). As a... [to full text]