In an attempt to define better situations involving exposure to blood, we surveyed nurses (N = 565) in a 1000-bed university hospital to determine the following for the last working shift: the rate of cutaneous exposure to blood for different procedures, the rate of needlestick injury, and the prevalence of hand lesions. Among nurses who had performed at least one of the specified procedures, 42% had been exposed to blood with unprotected skin. Direct examination of 100 pairs of hands revealed that 57% of the nurses had either acute or chronic skin lesions. Universal precautions were introduced, and a similar survey (N = 541) was carried out 1 year later to assess compliance. Exposure of unprotected skin to blood had been reduced to 27%, although 46% of nurses had not used gloves for any of the procedures they had performed. The main reason given by nurses for not wearing gloves was that they did not consider the patient to be at risk for carrying a blood-borne infection. The rate of needlestick injuries was high and had remained stable at approximately 2.8 needlesticks/nurse per year, as determined by information from the last working shifts. We conclude that compliance of nursing personnel with universal precautions was insufficient, despite an informational campaign throughout the hospital. Repeated instruction on barrier precautions and the prevention of needlestick injury (including the correct use of disposable containers) is necessary to ensure optimal protection.