Objective  To explore major microbiological health hazards and their health risks in public places in Liaoyang city, Liaoning province and to provide evidences for strengthening health management and disease prevention and control in public places.

  Methods  Based on ‘Regulations on Sanitation Management in Public Places’ and the National Technical Proposal for Monitoring on Health Hazards in Public Places, we performed detections quarterly on 6 main health-related microbiological indicators for indoor air, cooling/domestic/swimming pool water, surfaces of public articles and facilities, and employee′s skin at 52 public places (hotels/restaurants, public swimming pools, barber shops/beauty salons, and waiting rooms) in Liaoyang city during 2016 – 2019. The monitored microbiological indicators were total colonies, total fungi, coliform, heat-resistant coliform, Staphylococcus aureus, and Legionella pneumophila.

  Results  Totally of 8 757 specimens were tested during the period. The qualification rate was 100% and 95.3% for indoor air and public article/facility specimens. No Staphylococcus aureus positive specimens were detected and no coliform positive were detected for all specimens except for those of common towels and seat armrest surfaces in waiting rooms. The qualification rate of coliform was 99.0% for specimens collected in public swimming pools and that of Legionella pneumophila was 100% for specimens from public baths. The qualification rate of coliform was relatively low for surface specimens of hairdressing and combs.

  Conclusion  The sanitary condition is poor for bathing places and barber shops in Liaoyang city and effective measures should be implemented to sanitary conditions in public places.