[Biological risk for health care workers: updates and good medical practices from a multicentre study: foreword].

The topic of health and safety of health care workers exposed to biological agents appears as a relevant issue for the occupational physician, within a multidisciplinary context, while taking into account technical and scientific evolution, ethics, and principles of Occupational Health, current legislation. Through description of methods and results of a large multicentre study, good medical practices are proposed within the various areas of competence in occupational health, in particular for a few priority topics, such as blood borne or airborne diseases, fitness for work and danger to third parties, epidemiologic, clinical and medico-legal aspects.