Hospital Work Environment and Maternity Protection: A Scoping Review on Assessment and Perception of Occupational Risks

Hospital occupational risks can negatively impact workers’ health, including reproductive health. The present study carried out a scoping review on assessing and perceiving occupational risks to raise methods and tools replicable in the hospital work environment, focusing on maternity protection. Online databases were used to identify peer-reviewed scientific English articles published from 2011 to 2020, based on PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. Almost half of the included studies (19) are cross-sectional. The distribution of articles by research subjects was as follows: risk perception (9), risk assessment (11), and both together (2); health professionals (13); pregnancy (4); and pregnant health professionals (1). As for occupational risks: physical (6); chemical (4); biological (2); psychosocial (5); psychosocial and physical (5); ergonomic, biomechanical, and organizational (15). The literature provides adaptable methods, instruments, and tools to assess and perceive occupational risks in the hospital sector, focusing on maternity protection. The integration and quality of the methods increase the robustness of occupational risk assessment and perception, allowing more reliable preventive measures to protect workers’ reproductive health.