[Biological hazards in the work environment].

Infections are a common occupational hazard, especially in health care (and laboratory) workers, but also for the staff of daycare centers, food handlers, forestry and agricultural workers and persons occupied in waste management and sewage work. EC directives and national German regulations have been implemented to facilitate risk assessment, risk management and prevention of infections. In this contribution, the classification of microbiological agents and their seroprevalence (or one of their antibodies) in different areas of the work environment and the different methods of prevention (technical, organisational, personal, immunological) are discussed.