Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) and members of the Taiwan Nurse Rights Promotion Association yesterday urged the Council of Labor Affairs and the Department of Health to better address the safety and health of nurses in the workplace.
Association chairwoman Lin Pei-fen (林佩芬) told a press conference that the council and the department should inspect local hospitals after a recent survey that the group conducted found that nurses often work in dangerous environments.
The poll of 600 nurses found that up to 75 percent of respondents are surrounded by chemicals such as sterilizers that could amount to a biohazard.
About three-quarters of the nurses’ administrators were indifferent to the nurses’ occupational health and safety because they were not taking measures to minimize hazards, the survey showed.
Fifteen percent of respondents had touched sterilizers, chemicals or anti-cancer medication without wearing masks or gloves, she said.
Less than half of the respondents said that their employers had provided information on safety in the workplace, Lin said.
About 40 percent of respondents were unaware that they could seek compensation from employers for occupational injuries, she said.
Huang urged the council to distribute occupational safety information and ensure that hospitals meet standards. The department should also evaluate hospitals on whether they had taken action to prevent nurses from being injured, she said.
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