HCPro.com: Hospital Safety Center

Health care facilities face new requirements by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) this year. Is your facility ready? Be prepared with Briefings on Hospital Safety, the monthly newsletter that's full of the latest information on environment of care standards as well how to comply with other agency regulations, including OSHA and the EPA.

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June 2008 (Volume 16, Issue 6)	view entire issue

Tune up policies to eliminate surgical smoke hazards
There's fresh information from regulators and researchers about surgical smoke from laser and electrosurgical procedures, its dangers, and how to make operating rooms (OR) safer for employees exposed to smoke. The Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) published two articles about surgical smoke risks in its April AORN Journal. The author of one of the articles, Ben Edwards, MS, CLSO, a health physicist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC, and a subcommittee member for the American National Standards Institute's Z136 standard, which covers laser safety, says two things stood out in a survey he and his colleagues conducted involving more than 600 OR nurses in the United States and Canada: Some surgeons don't like using smoke evacuation devices during procedures, making compliance with policies requiring this equipment spotty.

Beef up your 96-hour plan with these 10 pointers
The Joint Commission's 96-hour provision under EC.4.12 has many hospitals scrambling to update their plans-especially those that are due for a survey. EP 6 under EC.4.12 requires hospitals to establish response efforts when local community support isn't available for at least 96 hours following a catastrophe. It has been a hot topic of discussion among safety officers and emergency planners ever since the new emergency management standards took effect in January. The 96-hour standard evolved from years' worth of post-disaster reviews by The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO), says Joseph Cappiello, president and CEO of Simulation Education Services in Oakbrook Terrace, IL.

Observing ADA rules harkens back to risk assessments
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says you need to assess whether employees or potential hires with disabilities can perform their jobs without posing a direct threat to the health or safety of themselves or others. To conduct this safety assessment, the law-and case settlements published by the federal government-suggest that you can enlist input from the following: The applicant or employee, if he or she has relevant experience from previous positions Opinions of medical doctors Other professionals or associates of the applicant who have direct knowledge of the applicant or expertise of his or her medical condition

OSHA official: Keep an eye on laundry worker safety
If laundry safety hasn't caught your attention recently, it might soon. That's because OSHA seems to be taking more notice of laundry facilities in stand-alone and in-hospital operations. A major point behind laundry safety is preventing bloodborne pathogens exposures. In 2007, federal epidemiologists were investigating four cases of HIV infection that may have resulted from laundry or housekeeping-related needlestick injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Laundry-related HIV exposures can be complicated to prevent because they require safety training and compliance from several groups (e.g., employees who wear hospital garb, housekeepers who handle linens, and laundry workers), says Dionne Williams, senior industrial hygienist at OSHA.

Other recently-published articles from Hospital Safety Center:

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

Ten tips to prepare for a surge in pediatric patients

Specialty hospital recovers after document slipups

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

Peel apart the distinctions of the 2009 EC standards

Upcoming EtO sterilizer rule takes effect in December

Organize disaster drills with a new, free government tool

For two hospitals, moving patients to new buildings offers a chance to fine-tune their evacuation plans

Patient suicides thrust prevention into a harsh spotlight

New clarifications, changed wording create challenges in 2009 life safety chapter

Ten ways to boost the value of your safety committee

Asbestos violations add up to a possible $110,000 fine

Your emergency plans must anticipate utility disruption

Plane crash tabletop highlights emergency prep session

Hospital’s water loss offers insight for disaster prep

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