Introduction The fish industry is a growing sector worldwide, due to the increase demand for its products. To make its products competitive and attractive to consumers, the industry uses strict quality standards.

Objective To identify and understand the environmental risks that workers in the fish processing industry are subjected to, based on the field of biosafety, health and safety at work.

Methods For this purpose, an observational study was carried out with the help of a script to survey the process and flows at work and the physical-environmental aspects in a company in Macaé, Rio de Janeiro. For the analysis of the collected data a documentary research was carried out, to survey the legal requirements, which contemplate aspects related to the field of biosafety, health and safety at work. In addition, a literature review was conduced to identify the main occupational diseases that can affect workers in the sector.

Results Workers were exposed to biological, chemical, physical, ergonomic and accident risks. Among the risks identify, we can highlight: intense physical effort, manual lifting and carrying of weight, inadequate posture, high pace, contact with biological samples, bioaerosols inhale, excessive noise, intense cold, excessive humidity, vibration, contact with chemical products, poor lighting, inadequate electrical installations, handling of sharp objects, and others. The literature review allowed us to identify the possibility of occupational asthma, work-related asthma, occupational rhinoconjunctivitis, musculoskeletal disorders (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome, epicondylitis, and tendonitis), hives, and contact dermatitis.

Conclusion The recognition and evaluation of situations at risk in the fish processing industry is of great importance to avoid unnecessary exposure and to take measures to prevent, mitigate and control existing risks in order to preserve the health of the workers and other impacts on both society and the environment.