Safety

Safety Articles by Topic: Facilities Management

Questions & Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    Q: During a recent inspection, our fire marshal said the five-year standpipe waterflow test is...

Use these nine pointers to avoid life safety pitfalls

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    Compliance with The Joint Commission’s life safety and related EC standards often centers on...

Squeeze more energy efficiency out of your buildings

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    It can be difficult for facility managers to figure out just how effective their energy-reduction...

Survey monitor: Emergency management de-emphasized in Texas survey

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    The Joint Commission’s survey at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler continued what appears to...

A new breed of safety fair focuses on data-based trends

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    For years, employee safety fairs served as inexpensive ways to host informal refreshers about...

Use these 10 tips to tune up your RCRA compliance

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    The Environmental Protection Agency’s actions as part of a $533,570 hospital settlement...

Hospital Safety Center, December 2009

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2009

    Briefings on Hospital Safety is the industry leader in covering The Joint Commission, OSHA, and...

Tip of the week: Look to NFPA 96 for help with kitchen fire prevention

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 18, 2009

    A cooking fire at a New Jersey hospital serves as a reminder that grease can be a hazard.

Mac’s Safety Space: With OR humidity, follow CMS and risk assessment findings

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 18, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Large EPA settlement points to common problems with hazardous waste

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 18, 2009

    The Environmental Protection Agency’s actions as part of a $533,570 hospital settlement...

Medical chopper crash may bolster FAA regulation proposal

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 18, 2009

    Yet another medical helicopter crashed has killed people, this time near the California-Nevada...

Mac’s Safety Space: Digging into why LS.02.01.20 tops the most cited standards list

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 46, November 11, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Infectious disease groups appeal to Obama to pull back on N95 enforcement

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 46, November 11, 2009

    Three infectious disease professional associations have written to President Obama, asking him to...

Life safety concerns top The Joint Commission’s citation list

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 46, November 11, 2009

    In sobering news for hospital safety professionals, four of the top 10 most cited Joint Commission...

Tip of the week: Read our free article about dealing with the press after security-related incidents

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 45, November 4, 2009

    In the past month, hospitals across the country have dealt with alleged stabbings, muggings on...

CMS now permits six-year damper tests in hospitals

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 45, November 4, 2009

    As we first reported Tuesday on our “HospitalSafety” Twitter account, the Centers for...

Take our anonymous Joint Commission poll; results to be published in free report

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 45, November 4, 2009

    If your hospital underwent a Joint Commission survey in 2009, we want to hear from you about how...

Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, November 2009

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 11, November 1, 2009

    Healthcare Life Safety Compliance exclusively covers life safety issues in healthcare facilities...

Educate employees about the risks of using robotics

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 11, November 1, 2009

    Confirm all employees who work with robotics have received proper education about the use and...

Survey monitor: Surveyors zoom in on testing and a locked egress door

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 11, November 1, 2009

    During this Joint Commission visit, surveyors looked at glucometers in a lab, air-handler test...

A drill reveals lessons on evacuating cancer patients

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 11, November 1, 2009

    The principle of pushing an exercise to the breaking point often comes up in terms of healthcare...

Joint Commission: Smoke-free campuses will be the norm soon—ideas abound for execution and enforcement

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 11, November 1, 2009

    A report by The Joint Commission makes a bold prediction: The majority of U.S. hospitals will have...

Hospital Safety Center, November 2009

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 11, November 1, 2009

    Briefings on Hospital Safety is the industry leader in covering The Joint Commission, OSHA, and...

Tip of the week: Keep Lysol at home

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 44, October 28, 2009

    Although Lysol might be effective in killing 99% of bacteria on your kitchen counter, it’s...

Hospital president notes red bag slip-up to city aldermen

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 44, October 28, 2009

    The president of Waterbury (CT) Hospital told the city’s aldermen last week that the facility...

Boston hospitals experience alleged shooting, stabbings, and attempted rape

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 44, October 28, 2009

    The past eight days have been a particularly violent time for Boston hospitals, including a fatal...

Mac’s Safety Space: Joint Commission offers guidance, but no mandates, for patient-owned items

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 43, October 21, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Download 80 customizable paper patients for just $99

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 43, October 21, 2009

    As part of HCPro’s new Emergency Preparedness Solutions series, you can now download 80...

With the holiday season starting soon, here's a free checklist to monitor decorations

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 43, October 21, 2009

    It won’t be long before holiday decorations start to show up on units and in offices, which...

Tip of the week: You decide whether to lock electrical panels

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 42, October 13, 2009

    The Joint Commission has no requirements for hospitals to lock electrical panels. However, an...

Mac’s Safety Space: Exit signs in mechanical rooms? It depends ...

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 42, October 13, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

New H1N1 cases nearly set a record at a children’s hospital in MN

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 42, October 13, 2009

    Here’s just a snapshot of how hospitals around the country are dealing with H1N1 outbreaks...

Alleged radiation overdoses and a coolant leak lead to CT scanner troubles

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 42, October 13, 2009

    Separate problems with CT scanner settings and coolant made the news in bad ways over the last...

H1N1 planning: Know when to open your emergency operations center

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 11, October 8, 2009

    As hospitals gear up for what could be the biggest influenza pandemic in a century, they must...

Tip of the week: Learn your state’s estimated bed capacity overrun during this H1N1 outbreak

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 41, October 7, 2009

    A new report from nonprofit organization Trust for America’s Health concludes that 15 states...

Mac’s Safety Space: Sinks, ice machines, and a little infection control

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 41, October 7, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

OSHA plans to align hazcom standard with Globally Harmonized System

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 41, October 7, 2009

    The idea has been kicked around for years, and now it looks like it’s finally going to...

Hospital hopes to avoid CMS action following fatal surgical fire

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 41, October 7, 2009

    An Illinois hospital’s alleged lapses when it comes to surgical fire prevention led to the...

Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, October 2009

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 10, October 1, 2009

    Healthcare Life Safety Compliance exclusively covers life safety issues in healthcare facilities...

NIOSH questions one method of UV infection control

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 10, October 1, 2009

    Ultraviolet-C light, when pointed straight down into a surgical site for infection control...

Explore the outside standards cited within EC chapter

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 10, October 1, 2009

    It seems like enough work to know The Joint Commission’s EC standards, but are you up on all...

Expect continued survey focus on life safety compliance

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 10, October 1, 2009

    In our report from the annual ASHE conference, we look at why life safety compliance will continue...

Hospital Safety Center, October 2009

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 10, October 1, 2009

    Briefings on Hospital Safety is the industry leader in covering The Joint Commission, OSHA, and...

Questions & Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 10, October 1, 2009

    Q: During some research in the area around our main security control room, we discovered that two...

Tip of the week: Those with incinerators must review new EPA revisions

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 40, September 30, 2009

    Although there are only 57 active medical waste incinerators in the country, if your facility is...

Mac’s Safety Space: Risk assessments are the way to go with power strip use

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 40, September 30, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Beyond architectural needs, CADD drawings can help you comply with fire protection requirements

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 40, September 30, 2009

    With a few tweaks, your computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) drawings can also become...

Tip of the week: Anticipate more security-related woes in your emergency room

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 39, September 23, 2009

    As you follow the healthcare reform debate raging across the country, it also makes sense to view...

Mac’s Safety Space: Most of you are well prepared for disaster response, but there’s always the unpredictable event

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 39, September 23, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Explore the outside standards cited within the EC chapter

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 39, September 23, 2009

    It seems like enough work to know The Joint Commission’s environment of care standards, but...

IL patient dies after an alleged operating room fire

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 39, September 23, 2009

    A patient's death following an operating room flash fire serves as a good reminder for surgical...

Mac’s Safety Space: Behavioral settings are tailor-made for risk assessments

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 38, September 16, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

NEXT WEEK! Practical take-home tools will be part of Life Safety Code Solutions for Hospitals

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 38, September 16, 2009

    Our new seminar, Life Safety Code Solutions for Hospitals, takes place September 24-25 in Boston...

Tip of the week: Take our H1N1 vaccine poll

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 37, September 9, 2009

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put healthcare workers who have contact with...

Mac’s Safety Space: Extra fire drill as part of The Joint Commission’s ILSMs

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 37, September 9, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Medical center signs first-of-its-kind agreement with the EPA

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 37, September 9, 2009

    A hospital on Long Island has become the first one in the nation to sign an agreement with the...

It’s not too late to join us for our newest approach to life safety education

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 37, September 9, 2009

    We’re just two weeks away from Life Safety Code Solutions for Hospitals, a convenient...

Emergency slide provides quick fire escape

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 36, September 3, 2009

    This week the two major hospitals in Missoula, MT, tested new emergency equipment that could be...

California hospitals seek exemption from earthquake standards

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 36, September 3, 2009

    Hospitals in California that are struggling financially are asking the state back off from...

Mac’s Safety Space: Mixing valves to control water temperature

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 36, September 3, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Eyewash stations: Although not a regulation, ANSI Z358.1 wields influence

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 9, September 1, 2009

    What is tepid water? For the purposes of eyewash safety, the American National Standards Institute...

Hospital Safety Center, September 2009

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 9, September 1, 2009

    Briefings on Hospital Safety is the industry leader in covering The Joint Commission, OSHA, and...

Update your OSHA safety manual: Bloodborne pathogens violations, whistleblower protection, and vaccinations

  • OSHA Watch, Issue 5, September 1, 2009

    This month, Quality America provides readers with a detailed look at bloodborne pathogens...

Questions and Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 9, September 1, 2009

    Q. Is it permitted to have a time clock in an exit stairwell of a hospital? My vice president of...

Tip of the week: Take this step when PFI funding is denied

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 35, August 26, 2009

    Generally, The Joint Commission would prefer to see your plans for improvement (PFIs) funded when...

Mac’s Safety Space: Hospital fire reveals several truths about emergency preparedness

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 35, August 26, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Veterans Affairs hospitals will pay nearly $534K to settle hazardous waste allegations

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 35, August 26, 2009

    In a settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a regional system of the U.S...

Tip of the week: Pay attention to required annual reviews in emergency management

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 34, August 19, 2009

    The Joint Commission encourages you to look at your facility’s emergency management plans as...

Mac’s Safety Space: Alarm transmission options are tight when it comes to fire drill requirements

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 34, August 19, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Understand how ESC ties in with challenges to life safety citations

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 34, August 19, 2009

    When it comes to successfully clarifying life safety citations from Joint Commission surveyors, key...

While not a regulation, ANSI eyewash standard wields influence

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 34, August 19, 2009

    What is “tepid” water? For the purposes of eyewash safety, the American National...

Tip of the week: An informal assignment from The Joint Commission

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 33, August 12, 2009

    A Joint Commission official assigned all attendees of the American Society for Healthcare...

H1N1: Nurses protest in CA, while regulators push mandatory vaccine in NY

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 33, August 12, 2009

    Controversy is swirling this month around protection measures for healthcare workers from the H1N1...

We’re now on Twitter covering hospital safety concerns

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 33, August 12, 2009

    If you’re a fan of Twitter or need a good excuse to check it out, Hospital Safety Connection...

Hospital safety measures contain chemical leak

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 32, August 6, 2009

    Firefighters responded to a chemical leak inside Clarkson Hospital at the Nebraska Medical Center...

Hospital Safety Center, August 2009

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 8, August 1, 2009

    Briefings on Hospital Safety is the industry leader in covering The Joint Commission, OSHA, and...

Protecting workers from MDROs in the workplace

  • Medical Environment Update, Issue 8, August 1, 2009

    In recent years, MDROs have come under increased scrutiny, particularly in the hospital setting. As...

Mac’s Safety Space: BMP and a tale of hiding in plain site

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 31, July 29, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Mac’s Safety Space: Keeping tabs on glutaraldehyde sneaking back in

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 30, July 22, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Life safety deficiencies top 2008’s citation list, says The Joint Commission

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 30, July 22, 2009

    It won’t take long for this cheery news to reach your bosses: Life Safety Code (LSC...

Tip of the week: Watch for this inadvertent exit sign violation

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 29, July 15, 2009

    The 2000 edition of the Life Safety Code (LSC) requires hospitals to post exit signs that are...

Tip of the week: Stay tuned about new infectious airborne disease standard in CA

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 28, July 8, 2009

    Starting August 5, California will become the first state to have a standard in place to protect...

Mac’s Safety Space: Be wary of MSDS exemptions for consumer cleaning products

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 28, July 8, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Facility receives $100K fine; equipment location blamed for resident death

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 28, July 8, 2009

    The California Department of Health has fined a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility...

Joint Commission engineer: BMP won’t return in 2010

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 28, July 8, 2009

    As we first reported last week on Mac’s Safety Space, there appear to be no plans by The...

Update your OSHA safety manual: General duty clause, hazardous drug list, and respirators in the pandemic influenza plan

  • OSHA Watch, Issue 4, July 1, 2009

    This month, Quality America focuses on changes in the general duty clause, the NIOSH hazardous drug...

Tip of the week: Review The Joint Commission's updated info about steam sterilization

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 27, July 1, 2009

    Based on discussions with industry groups, The Joint Commission plans to focus more closely on all...

Mac’s Safety Space: Risk assessments offer good foundation for OR extinguisher choice

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 27, July 1, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Security officer allegedly plans massive computer attack

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 27, July 1, 2009

    A security officer at a medical clinic in Dallas was arrested by the FBI after he allegedly planned...

Hospital briefly locks down following Michael Jackson's death

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 27, July 1, 2009

    The outpouring of fan grief and media interest following Michael Jackson’s death last...

Questions & Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 7, July 1, 2009

    Q. Are smoke detectors required to be installed in hospital corridors? I attended a seminar...

Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, July 2009

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 7, July 1, 2009

    Healthcare Life Safety Compliance exclusively covers life safety issues in healthcare facilities...

Mac’s Safety Space: Don’t park your wheeled computers in egress corridorsMac’s Safety Space: Don’t park your wheeled computers in egress corridors

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 26, June 24, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Important ethylene oxide sterilizer deadline hits this week

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 26, June 24, 2009

    In response to a new rule, if you haven’t yet notified the Environmental Protection Agency...

Joint Commission test appears to conflict with NFPA 25

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 26, June 24, 2009

    In an exclusive story from HCPro, it appears The Joint Commission?s provisions for main drain tests...

Tip of the week: Get outsiders involved in drills

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 25, June 17, 2009

    We read about some interesting participants in a hospital disaster drill last week: construction...

Mac’s Safety Space: Tread carefully on the new fire watch interpretation

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 25, June 17, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Construction crew exposed to small amount of mercury at a hospital

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 25, June 17, 2009

    A trio of construction workers at the Phoenix Veterans Affairs Medical Center got a surprise when a...

Mac’s Safety Space: PI ’til you’re PO’d

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 24, June 10, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

The Joint Commission further explains its fire watch policy

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 23, June 3, 2009

    The Life Safety Code requires hospitals to carry out fire watches when a fire alarm or sprinkler...

Questions & Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 6, June 1, 2009

    Should a freestanding medical office (business occupancy) be required to evacuate everyone when an...

NFPA: Nursing home fires kill an average of 16 annually

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 6, June 1, 2009

    Here’s an interesting statistic: Although about half of all nursing home fires involved...

Physician offices should seek business occupancy status

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 6, June 1, 2009

    In smaller settings, life safety can easily be buried at the bottom of the to-do list, in part...

Some hospitals will get Joint Commission life safety specialists for three days

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 22, May 27, 2009

    Particularly large healthcare facilities now face the possibility of hosting a life safety...

Tip of the week: Keep late-night fire drills hush-hush

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 21, May 20, 2009

    It’s well known that the Life Safety Code and Joint Commission standard EC.02.03.03 require...

Mac’s Safety Space: iPods and device interference -- and how many downloaded songs does Mac have?

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 21, May 20, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

SPECIAL EDITION: Coverage from the Hospital Safety Center Symposium

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 20, May 14, 2009

    Hospital actions in response to the H1N1 swine flu outbreak served as a "good dress...

Tip of the week: Double-check your hazard vulnerability analysis, says Joint Commission engineer

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 19, May 12, 2009

    Some hospitals have received citations this year during their Joint Commission surveys because...

Mac’s Safety Space: Two approaches--or maybe more?--to thwarting latex balloons

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 19, May 12, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Construction chute contributes to an AZ hospital fire

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 19, May 12, 2009

    A fire in an outside Dumpster climbed up an attached construction debris chute and into part of a...

Update your OSHA safety manual: Injection safety, fire evacuation and portable fire extinguishers

  • OSHA Watch, Issue 3, May 8, 2009

    This month, Quality America focuses on injection safety practices in ambulatory settings and OSHA...

Mac’s Safety Space: Hazmat inventory provisions under EC.02.02.01

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 18, May 6, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Three hospitals in one FL community plan to ban smoking on their campuses

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 18, May 6, 2009

    A trio of hospitals in a Florida community will be among the latest to embrace smoke-free campuses...

Questions & Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 5, May 1, 2009

    Magnetic latches on suites We recently had an inspection in our hospital where the inspector cited...

NFPA: Cooking fires remain the top threat in hospitals

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 5, May 1, 2009

    Every year in hospitals and hospices, there are 1,600 fires that result in an average of one death...

Door gaps and wire tied to sprinkler brace grab notice

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 5, May 1, 2009

    The life safety specialist who visited Parrish Medical Center in Titusville, FL, was a former Air...

Tip of the week: In the wake of TB exposures, check your facility’s isolation rooms for air leaks

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 15, April 15, 2009

    A pediatric physician-in-training who inadvertently saw young patients at three Chicago area...

Mac’s Safety Space: What The Joint Commission says about housekeeping activities

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 14, April 8, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Questions & Answers

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 4, April 1, 2009

    We currently have a building maintenance program (BMP) that surveyors said was a good program...

Joint Commission notebook: Life safety specialist scheduling remains in flux

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 4, April 1, 2009

    Following is a list of documentation that The Joint Commission’s life safety specialists are...

Documentation and doors remain survey trouble spots

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 4, April 1, 2009

    To nip potential Joint Commission problems before they become bigger, you may want to immediately...

Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, April 2009

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 4, April 1, 2009

    Healthcare Life Safety Compliance exclusively covers life safety issues in healthcare facilities...

Mac’s Safety Space: Wag the magnet: An MRI cleaning tale

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 11, March 18, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Hospitals can take advantage of new environmental tools

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 11, March 18, 2009

    A healthcare environmental group Practice Greenhealth has teamed with consumer health and medical...

Chemical fumes force 500 to evacuate part of a hospital campus

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 10, March 11, 2009

    National Jewish Health in Denver evacuated about 500 staff members and students on Monday after a...

Mac’s Safety Space: Getting clinicians to see the importance of unobstructed fire safety equipment

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 9, March 4, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Symposium spotlight: Brad Keyes will detail the importance of life safety drawings

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 9, March 4, 2009

    Considering our first item above, you’ll have a renewed appreciation of life safety floor...

Life safety violations top The Joint Commission's most cited standards list

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 9, March 4, 2009

    In a statistic that can only be bad news for hospitals, the former EC.5.20 was the most cited Joint...

The weapons dilemma: Should you arm security?

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 3, March 1, 2009

    The threat of weapons inside a hospital is a terrifying scenario for any safety officer. Yet every...

Roof fire offers insights to fine-tune your response plans

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 3, March 1, 2009

    A fire on the roof of a New Hampshire hospital proved the need to keep tabs on projects involving...

Update your OSHA safety manual: PPE clarification, sharps container placement, and dental decontamination guideline

  • OSHA Watch, Issue 2, March 1, 2009

    This month, Quality America focuses on the new OSHA personal protective equipment (PPE...

Tip of the week: Communication methods during an emergency go beyond satellite phones and text messaging

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 8, February 25, 2009

    You often hear about the need to have redundant communication strategies for a community...

Hospital window is partially implicated in a patient’s death

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 8, February 25, 2009

    A hospital in Indiana is reconfiguring its patient bedroom windows to no longer fully open after a...

Tip of the week: If budget cuts come calling, prioritize security training for staff members

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 6, February 11, 2009

    In this period of potential cutbacks in training budgets, one quick idea for security education is...

Mac’s Safety Space: The use of safety vests by snow-clearing workers hinges on risk assessment

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 6, February 11, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Free hospital safety audio conference is now archived online

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 6, February 11, 2009

    A free online recording is now available of HCPro’s popular audio conference, “Hospital...

Tip of the week: You don't need to see two exit signs in all cases

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 4, January 28, 2009

    Last week a competitor of ours ran a story that perpetuated the myth that you must always be able...

Mac’s Safety Space: Though EPA is proposing pharmaceutical waste changes, pay attention to your state

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 4, January 28, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

There's still time to submit comments about relaxed pharmaceutical waste proposal

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 4, January 28, 2009

    February 2 is the deadline for hospital safety professionals and others to submit their comments...

Mac’s Safety Space: New Joint Commission FAQs should prompt a critical review

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 3, January 21, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Tip of the week: Inauguration offers all hospital a chance to review emergency plans

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 2, January 14, 2009

    Though any other city outside of Washington, D.C., will probably never host a presidential...

Mac’s Safety Space: Question yourself about inventories under EM.01.01.01

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 2, January 14, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Tip of the week: Think about how you’d locate a missing patient

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 1, January 7, 2009

    Last month, we reported on a patient who wandered onto the roof of The University of Pittsburgh...

Mac’s Safety Space: Some thoughts about The Joint Commission’s new EPs

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 1, January 7, 2009

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Even more Joint Commission changes occur to the standards

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 1, January 7, 2009

    As we reported earlier this week in Mac’s Safety Space, The Joint Commission released a...

The time is here - new life safety standards take effect

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 1, January 1, 2009

    With The Joint Commission’s new life safety standards taking effect on January 1, let’s...

Avoid violence in the emergency department

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 1, January 1, 2009

    Ask any hospital safety director and they will tell you violence in the ED is becoming an...

Hospital finds life safety, disaster prep reviews helpful

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 1, January 1, 2009

    Atlantic City, NJ, may be known for its casinos, but Larry Sweeney—AtlantiCare’s...

There is a familiar feel to DNV’s safety standards

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 1, January 1, 2009

    It appears that Det Norske Veritas’ (DNV) new accreditation program for hospitals will give...

Sentinel Event Alert about technology risks may trickle down to you

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 51, December 17, 2008

    On December 11, The Joint Commission released a Sentinel Event Alert about how safety interacts...

Tip of the week: Take part in our budget cuts poll

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 51, December 17, 2008

    Our colleagues over at OSHA Healthcare Advisor have an online survey up about whether budget cuts...

Tip of the week: Watch for a slight twist in your surveillance rounds

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 50, December 9, 2008

    Hospital safety officers have long been familiar with required hazard surveillance rounds required...

Patient wanders to a hospital roof and dies outside

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 50, December 9, 2008

    The family of a dementia patient is wondering why the woman got out of her room at a Pittsburgh...

Unannounced EPA inspections take place in the Southeast

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 50, December 9, 2008

    Mirroring a tactic that New England hospitals will remember from years past, the Environmental...

Tip of the week: Check the status of your kitchen hoods

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 49, December 3, 2008

    A few weeks back, we read about a hospital that received some unwanted surveyor attention related...

EPA publishes notices about pharmaceutical waste and medical incinerators

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 49, December 3, 2008

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been busy this week with proposed hospital...

Healthcare’s "dirty little secret" can create a big security challenge

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    In October 2007, a New Jersey hospital suspended 27 workers for accessing actor George...

Ten tips to prepare for a surge in pediatric patients

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    Research showing how well hospitals nationwide are equipped to handle disasters affecting children...

Specialty hospital recovers after document slipups

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    SIR doesn’t have everything in common with large, acute care hospitals. The facility...

Hospitals live through Ike and Gustav and tell you what they learned about emergency preparations

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    When Hurricanes Gustav and Ike respectively slammed southwest Louisiana and east Texas in late...

Peel apart the distinctions of the 2009 EC standards

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    You’ve probably spent a good chunk of this year getting ready for The Joint...

Upcoming EtO sterilizer rule takes effect in December

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    You should pay attention to an important upcoming deadline, as a rule mandating that hospitals run...

Watch for door gap scrutiny, multiple concerns in 2009

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    Seven tips to keep you ahead By now, most of you have had a chance to peruse The Joint...

Life safety citations play a big role in lingering struggle

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 12, December 1, 2008

    In an example of the long-term ramifications behind requirements for improvement (RFI) from The...

Tip of the week: Review the CDC's new sterilization recommendations

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 48, November 19, 2008

    Safety committees may want to discuss a new guideline from the Centers for Disease Control and...

Medical center quick to react to an odd potential mercury exposure

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 48, November 19, 2008

    Workers at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise, ID, dealt with an unusual mercury threat last...

Wildfires and total power loss test a California hospital

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 48, November 19, 2008

    Wildfires that have been raging in Southern California created problems for Olive View-UCLA Medical...

Tip of the week: Review OSHA’s healthcare workplace violence guidelines

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 12, 2008

    A story about assaults on nurses in the Boston area should remind everyone that while OSHA...

Voters approve tax levy for hospital equipment upgrades

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 12, 2008

    While the eyes of the world were on the U.S. presidential race, taxpayers in Pomeroy, WA, had their...

Suspect in alleged patient assault slips by authorities

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 47, November 12, 2008

    Authorities in Scranton, PA, are looking for a man who allegedly fondled a patient at Mercy...

Weigh your risks when protecting electronic records

  • Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, Issue 12, November 11, 2008

    Healthcare facilities protect paper medical records from fire by installing sprinkler systems and...

Mac’s Safety Space: Document all your ILSM assessments--even if you don’t implement an ILSM

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 46, November 5, 2008

    Join Steve MacArthur, safety consultant for The Greeley Company, as he offers advice and best...

Observe an upcoming change in fuel requirements for EM.02.02.09

  • Hospital Safety Connection, Issue 46, November 5, 2008

    As you fine-tune your emergency operations plans, note a slight change in wording that will aid you...

Review wipe policies with infection control

  • Hospital Safety Center, Issue 8, August 1, 2008

    A new British study suggests that antibacterial wipes can actually spread "superbug"...