BALANCING WORKFLOW AND BIOSECURITY: A QUALITATIVE INQUIRY INTO HAND HYGIENE AND OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY IN ZOO ANIMAL CARE

Abstract

Background: Zoo caretakers operate on the frontlines of global health, directly exposed to diverse zoonotic pathogens. While biosecurity protocols like hand hygiene exist to blunt this transmission risk, actual compliance is notoriously volatile. Standard quantitative research logs when protocols fail, but ignores why. This study conducts a qualitative deep dive into the raw, systemic realities and psychological barriers that dictate safety behaviors within a major zoological institution. Methods: Utilizing a qualitative descriptive design, we conducted semi-structured interviews with frontline animal caretakers. Purposive and snowball sampling guided recruitment until true data saturation was achieved. Verbatim transcripts were evaluated using inductive thematic analysis. To maintain absolute professional protection, the facility's identity was strictly non-disclosed. Results: Thematic extraction yielded three major operational realities: (1) Operational Friction: Demanding workloads, multi-species rotations, and rigid deadlines force caretakers to trade thorough biosecurity for task completion. (2) Environmental Detractors: Displaced washing infrastructure and seasonal freezing water actively restrict compliance, while chemical induced occupational dermatitis creates a painful physical barrier to hygiene. (3) The Familiarity Bias: Long-term bonds with healthy-looking animals erode subjective risk perception, driving a normalization of deviance. Conclusion: Safeguarding zoological spaces requires moving past passive compliance training. Success demands a structural shift: deploying touchless, point-of-care, traditionally-derived polyherbal sanitizers to salvage the skin barrier, coupled with peer-led, dynamic safety huddles designed to disrupt cognitive familiarity traps.