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Hospital Safety Connection

Stay on top of hospital safety requirements and best practices with our free, fast-paced weekly update.

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Hospital Safety Connection

Issue 49, December 26, 2007

• Damaged hospital comes down to make way for a new facility

  Excavators started tearing down a hospital last week that a tornado severely damaged last March.

• Worker killed in UT trench collapse at a hospital

  Utah’s state OSHA agency is investigating a trench collapse outside a Salt Lake City hospital...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Thumbs tacks, bulletin boards, and risk

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

• Tip of the week: Advice on repairing small holes in fire-rated doors

  If you ever remove hardware or plates from fire-rated doors, the holes left behind technically...

Issue 48, December 19, 2007

• Reporting deadline is coming for homeland security rule

  A January 19 deadline is approaching for hospitals to submit a "top screen" questionnaire to the...

• Hospitals may not have practical staffing plans for alternate care sites

  In a weird dichotomy, poll results indicate that 76% of hospitals have developed plans for...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Platinum subscribers and free trial users to the Hospital Safety Center can check out the following...

• Mac's Safety Space: About those little plastic outlet cover thingies

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

• Tip of the week: Monitor 30-second manual release for access-controlled locks

  One of the key pieces of hardware that access-controlled locks must feature is a manual release...

Issue 47, December 12, 2007

• Proposed life safety chapter now open for field review

  As we discussed yesterday in our Mac’s Safety Space blog, The Joint Commission (formerly...

• Tulsa hospitals go to generators during icy weather

  At least three hospitals in Tulsa, OK, went on emergency generators on Monday after an ice storm...

• Mac’s Safety Space: It’s not 96 hours or bust for EC.4.12

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

• Tip of the week: Offer bomb recognition training in the mail room

  Your hospital’s mail room can be a gateway for suspicious devices, so employees there may...

Issue 46, December 5, 2007

• If the Democrats win the presidential election, ergonomics rules could resurface

  The Washington Times ran a lengthy article this week about the likely re-emergence of federal...

Issue 45, November 28, 2007

• Patient escapes restraints and allegedly attacks workers

  An attack at a hospital saw the assailant allegedly whip workers in the back of their heads with an...

• Life safety door locking requirements hinge on the ability to unlock

  If you lock doors within a required means of egress using criteria in the 2000 edition of the Life...

• NY hospital gets millions to protect against flood waters

  A hospital in Binghamton, NY, that suffered terrible flooding in 2006 will receive $6.9 million in...

• Have you told us about your EC experiences?

  There's still time to participate in our anonymous, online poll about EC standard citations. If The...

• Mac’s Safety Space: If your policy says you "must" use ILSMs, get out your highlighter

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

• Mac’s Safety Space: Is there anybody out there?

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

• Tip of the week: The FDA reiterates warning about specific canopy bed

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a follow-up alert this week that outlines a series of...

• Tip of the week: The LSC's rules apply to recyclable materials, too

  We saw an interesting discussion this week debating whether materials earmarked for recycling fell...

Issue 44, November 7, 2007

• Newspaper: Surgical fires may be more prominent than first thought

  We’ve read a couple of online stories in recent weeks that brought up longtime concerns about...

• Did The Joint Commission survey you this year?

  If your hospital underwent a Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) survey in 2007, we’d love for...

• CA hospitals await new earthquake law exemptions

  Many hospitals in California are anticipating a move by the state to exempt older medical centers...

• OSHA issues final rule on employer-paid personal protective equipment

  In an announcement yesterday, OSHA made it explicit that employers generally must pay for personal...

• Mac's Safety Space: When a Joint Commission EP goes 'ghost'

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

• Mac’s Safety Space: Don’t get tied down with event-specific emergency management plans

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

• Tip of the week: Monitor the shelf lives of drugs for disaster prep

  When it comes to emergency readiness, an important consideration is the expiration of equipment and...

• Tip of the week: Keep that hammer in sight

  If your facility deals with violent patients or has a behavioral health unit, take heed of this...

• Breaking news: Joint Commission's building maintenance program may change in 2009

  As we first reported yesterday in Mac's Safety Space, it appears that the Joint Commission's...

Issue 43, October 31, 2007

• Elevator manufacturer responds to a hospital’s close call

  An elevator scare at a hospital in Seattle caused the equipment’s manufacturer to take action...

• The cause of a decon area crash remains unknown

  Police continue to investigate whether a man who crashed his pickup truck into the decontamination...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Are you threatening me? Do I look like I’m threatening you

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

• Tip of the week: Examine the gray areas of police actions versus patient rights

  We read an interesting story about one hospital’s disagreement with police over collecting a...

Issue 42, October 24, 2007

• The Joint Commission approves six-year damper testing

  In welcome news for hospitals, The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) announced that testing...

• CA fires force at least two hospitals to evacuate

  Hospitals are dealing with yet another large-scale disaster on home soil, this time in Southern...

• Mac’s Safety Space: 24 + 24 + 24 + 24 = ?

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

• Tip of the week: Verify that workers know how to clean IV pumps

  Staff members who clean IV pumps must know the proper methods to protect themselves and patients.

Issue 41, October 17, 2007

• EPA: Ephinephrine salt isn't a hazardous waste

  In good news for hospitals, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) posted an opinion this week...

• Car crashes into hospital, killing two employees

  It’s been a sad week at Brockton (MA) Hospital, as two staff members died and three others...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Butter isn’t the only thing you can clarify...

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

• Tip of the week: Verify your stairwell signs list the correct info

  There are plenty of signs throughout your hospital, but stairwell signs have the Life Safety Code...

Issue 40, October 5, 2007

• Ready-made kits will assist incident command activities

  Preparing incident command kits is one way to strengthen your hospital’s emergency management...

• HCPro poll: Most hospitals don't identify patients with violent histories

  Respondents to our online survey about hospital workplace violence policies revealed an interesting...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Things that go BMP in the night

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

• Tip of the week: Spy on good safety deeds

  A pharmaceutical manufacturer has taken a decidedly positive approach to making sure employees...

Issue 39, October 3, 2007

• Tip of the week: Learn more details about mixed occupancies

  We hate to say it, but in last week’s issue, our example of a mixed occupancy under the Life...

• Mac’s Safety Space: How the revised emergency management standards tie into federal rules

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

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Here’s an update on the useful tools and information you can find at the Hospital Safety...

• Electrical fire prompts patient relocations

  A Pennsylvania hospital relocated 30 patients from their rooms to the cafeteria after an electrical...

• Mandatory TB fit-testing will likely return, but it’s not here yet

  The return of annual fit-testing for tuberculosis (TB) is close, but not quite there.

Issue 38, September 26, 2007

• Postal service alters medical waste mailing rules

  On Tuesday, the United States Postal Service issued a revision to its requirements for mailing...

• If done right, mixed occupancies present code advantages

  When it comes to Life Safety Code compliance, it’s important to remember that when you have a...

• Mac's Safety Space: What's lurking with the storage revisions in the EC proposal?

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

• Tip of the week: Massive phone service loss offers a good drill scenario

  A real-life incident in Texas may provide some fodder to escalate your emergency management...

Issue 37, September 19, 2007

• A hospital finds crystallized picric acid in a building

  The Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Durham, NC, avoided a potentially bad situation when...

• Take our survey about hospital workplace violence

  We’ve wondered many times about workplace violence policies in hospitals, and a recent query...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Ahh, a gray area in the risk assessment process

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

• Tip of the week: Smoking bans need to consider the neighborhood

  While public health is often at the center of smoking bans on hospital campuses, there have been at...

• READER ALERT: The Joint Commission posts proposed EC revisions for 2009

  This is a special addition of your Hospital Safety Connection e-mail newsletter.

Issue 36, September 12, 2007

• Veterans hospital evacuates 2,000 after a bomb threat

  A three-hour search by authorities revealed no bomb at a Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital on Tuesday...

• Trade group: Medical workers do well with hand hygiene

  Healthcare workers got a B+ from a national group when it comes to their efforts to wash their...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Platinum subscribers to the Hospital Safety Center, as well as free trial users, will find the...

• Mac's Safety Space: Return of the son of the risk assessment process

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

• Tip of the week: Make provisional steps a part of any generator repair

  Should a generator test fail in your hospital, take interim steps immediately until repairs are...

Issue 35, September 5, 2007

• Workers with TB blame poor installation in a hospital

  Seven hospital workers in West Virginia have sued their employer after they tested positive for...

• New disaster preparation guidance available for health centers

  The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has released guidance for designated...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Looking at security’s rules of engagement

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

• Tip of the week: Appreciate a Taser’s injury risk

  If your hospital allows its security officers or local police officers to carry Tasers into the...

Issue 34, August 24, 2007

• Study finds hospitals should test water systems for bacteria

  Hospitals should regularly test their water systems for bacteria that cause Legionella, better...

• Stay vigilant about interior finishes in your facilities

  The Life Safety Code (LSC) presents certain provisions for interior finishes (e.g., exposed...

• Tip of the week: Mind your decon suit inventory

  We read about a community disaster drill in Wasilla, AK, that brought up two useful pointers.

• Mac's Safety Space: Since I'm already on the subject of BMPs . . .

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

Issue 33, August 22, 2007

• Nurses group puts the spotlight on assaults

  The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) has gone on the offensive against workplace violence...

• Federal bill aims to end The Joint Commission's deeming authority

  Under a recently approved U.S. House of Representatives bill, Joint Commission-accredited hospitals...

• Mac’s Safety Space: When you implement a new EC program, don’t forget to look back

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

• Tip of the week: Look into certification if your hospital is environmentally progressive

  One way to go "green" in your hospital is to take the lead with LEED.

Issue 32, August 15, 2007

• ASHE official: EC.5.40 may soon recognize six-year damper testing

  The Joint Commission might formally adopt six-year damper testing frequencies starting in January...

• Surgical fire prevention guidelines are in the works

  The American Society of Anesthesiologists plans to release guidelines later this year about...

• Mac’s Safety Space: There’s gold in them thar minutes

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

• Tip of the week: Double-check infusion pump service records

  If your hospital sent infusion pumps to Baxter Healthcare Corporation for servicing or repairs...

Issue 31, August 8, 2007

• Bridge collapse and water pressure problems prompt hospital emergency responses

  Two hospitals activated their emergency plans last week after the following incidents:

• OSHA publishes a new online healthcare module

  OSHA has posted a new healthcare Web site that collects various occupational safety requirements...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Subscribers to the Hospital Safety Center, as well as free trial users, will find the following new...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Is the clock ticking when it comes to NFPA fire watches?

  Mac’s Safety Space has replaced our "Ask the Expert" column. Join Steven MacArthur, safety...

• Tip of the week: Amateur videos can be useful tools

  Consider using an everyday digital camera to shoot footage of your facility during an emergency...

Issue 30, August 1, 2007

• A bomb scare forces a large evacuation

  A children's hospital evacuated more than 550 patients and staff members from the building after...

• Construction collapse at a hospital kills two contractors

  A scaffold collapse at a Texas hospital's work site killed two construction workers on Saturday.

• Tell us what you think of the Hospital Safety Center

  Have you had a chance to check out our new online resource, the Hospital Safety Center?  This...

• Tip of the week: Ebb and flow with your building maintenance program inspections

  If you use The Joint Commission’s optional building maintenance program, you can take...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Getting back to whether surveyors are always correct

  Mac’s Safety Space has replaced our "Ask the Expert" column. Join Steven MacArthur, safety...

Issue 29, July 26, 2007

• Boiler cleaning fumes force an evacuation

  A mechanical error appears to be behind a release of toxic fumes that forced a medical facility to...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  If you haven’t had a chance to sign up for a free trial of our new Hospital Safety Center...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Are the surveyors always correct?

  Mac’s Safety Space has replaced our "Ask the Expert" column. Join Steven MacArthur, safety...

• Tip of the week: Treat dust and soil the same

  When it comes to infection control, you might as well consider landscaping to be a construction...

Issue 28, July 18, 2007

• Hospital Safety Center: A new resource for the safety community

  It's an exciting week for HCPro as we debut our new resource, the Hospital Safety Center.

• Joint Commission official expresses unhappiness with EC.5.40 compliance

  The Joint Commission isn't pleased about hospital performance with fire protection equipment...

• Tip of the week: Take a friendly approach to lab chemical use

  When it comes to environmental violations, laboratories can straddle a thin line by virtue of the...

• NEW! Mac's Safety Space: Welcome to the jungle . . .

  Starting this week, Mac's Safety Space will replace our "Ask the Expert" column. Join Steven...

Issue 27, July 11, 2007

• The Joint Commission releases its new PFI import tool

  On Monday, The Joint Commission formally unveiled its new tool to import Excel-based plans for...

• A name change is coming for your e-newsletter

  Starting next week, Safety Connection will change its name to Hospital Safety Connection to better...

• Ask the expert: Covering oxygen outlets in psych units will plastic boxes

  Is it standard practice to cover oxygen outlets in psych units will plastic boxes that lock?

• Tip of the week: Test supplier agreements during emergency planning

  Checking your vendor agreements during emergency plan tests might be a good idea in light of a...

Issue 26, July 3, 2007

• Four-hour generator test should be on the books now

  As of this past Sunday, most hospitals needed to have tested their emergency generators for at...

• Attention Healthcare Life Safety Compliance readers: We need your help

  Those of you who subscribe to our Healthcare Life Safety Compliance newsletter can give us a hand...

• Ask the expert: The size of trash containers in soiled utility rooms

  Are there regulations about the size of trash containers in soiled utility rooms? There is no trash...

• Tip of the week: Take extra precautions with prisoner patients

  After an inmate undergoing an MRI procedure wrestled a gun from a corrections officer and allegedly...

Issue 25, June 27, 2007

• New homeland security rule will likely affect hospitals

  The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) hopes a new regulation will shore up security for...

• The CDC publishes revised isolation precautions recommendations

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finally released a long-awaited set of...

• Ask the expert: Limiting cell phone use in certain areas of the hospital

  My consultative advice to folks is to avoid general prohibitions as much as possible. You can...

• Ask the expert: Limiting cell phone use in certain areas of the hospital

  Does anyone still limit cell phone use in certain areas of the hospital, such as ICU, OR, or ER?

• Tip of the week: Make a call from the parking lot

  At this week’s International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety annual conference...

Issue 24, June 20, 2007

• The Joint Commission releases final emergency management revisions

  The Joint Commission has published final revisions to its emergency management requirements. The...

• Hospital linen company pays $41K fine to the EPA

  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has settled with a healthcare line company over alleged...

• Tip of the week: You can go "green" with fire suppression

  While touring the National Fire Protection Association’s World Safety Conference exhibit hall...

• Ask the expert: Should patient bedroom doors be at least 20-minute-rated?

  Should patient bedroom doors be at least 20-minute-rated?

Issue 23, June 13, 2007

• Tampa hospital receives millions for hurricane prep

  Tampa (FL) General Hospital will receive a $3.2 million federal grant to help better protect the...

• Antibiotic plan results from hospital workers with whooping cough

  Last week, Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, MA, began offering antibiotics to about 1,000 patients...

• Ask the expert: Storing linens in an outside shed

  Our linen provider has offered us a large shed that we could place outside to store linen in until...

• Tip of the week: Forceps? Check. Meat tongs? Check.

  With summer officially starting soon, barbecues are an affordable and easy way to reward the safety...

Issue 22, June 6, 2007

• New PFI conversion tool will debut in July

  The big news coming out of this week’s National Fire Protection Association World Safety...

• The EPA probes a NJ company's hospital disinfectant claims

  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) alleges that one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of...

• Ask the expert: Number of oxygen cylinders stored in an exam room

  Is there a limit to number of oxygen cylinders than can be stored in an exam room? I thought it was...

• Tip of the week: It’s not too early to plan for EC.4.10 changes

  The release of final revisions to Joint Commission standard EC.4.10 (emergency management plans) is...

Issue 21, May 30, 2007

• A hospitalized man goes on the lam

  In a story that’s almost hard to believe, a patient being held by police--whom court records...

• Life safety surveyors will scrutinize your ILSM policies

  Anecdotes from several hospitals we’ve talked to recently indicate that medical facilities...

• Ask the expert: Poster boards displayed in various parts of the building

  What do you think about poster boards displayed in various parts of the building, other than what...

• Tip of the week: Establish a quick way to suspend drills

  Emergency and fire drills usually involve simulated scenario, but sometimes reality may need to...

Issue 20, May 23, 2007

• OSHA publishes pandemic influenza guidance for healthcare

  On Monday, OSHA released a new pandemic flu document for healthcare workers.

• Personal protective equipment changes are on the horizon

  OSHA has proposed revisions to its personal protective equipment requirements.

• Ask the expert: Hazmat team activation depending on spill severity

  Should we activate out hazardous materials team for all internal spills or just spills that qualify...

• Tip of the week: Train with education in mind

  Congressional testimony given last week by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) brought...

Issue 19, May 9, 2007

• Once again, a twister hits a medical center

  An immense tornado struck the town of Greenburg, KS, last Friday, causing part of Kiowa County...

• Revised emergency management standards take effect on January 1

  The Joint Commission announced last week that extensive revisions to EC.4.10 (developing emergency...

• Safety professionals congregate--and learn--in Vegas

  Last week’s Hospital Safety Symposium brought safety officers from across the country to Las...

• Do you have a good safety risk assessment? Let us know about it

  HCPro is interested in publishing examples of successful EC risk assessments from our hospital...

• Ask the expert: What is the standard volume for

  What is the standard volume for "large" and "small" spills?

• Ask the expert: Fire drills in a hospice

  Our hospital will be opening an off-site, 20-bed hospice. How often will the hospice need to...

• Tip of the week: Take bomb drills down to the wireless

  During our Hospital Safety Symposium last Thursday, one attendee offered an interesting twist on a...

• Tip of the week: An explanation behind the flu term

  When we attended the annual safety committee retreat last month for Baystate Health System in...

Issue 18, May 2, 2007

• Hospital Safety Symposium debuts today in Vegas

  HCPro’s first Hospital Safety Symposium will convene this morning in Las Vegas, with a...

• Once again, a twister hits a medical center

  An immense tornado struck the town of Greenburg, KS, last Friday, causing part of Kiowa County...

• Power loss, including generator failure, hits a FL hospital

  Orlando (FL) Regional South Seminole Hospital most of its power late Saturday night, possibly...

• Ask the expert: Temperature checks for patient food refrigerators

  When it comes to nutritional refrigerators for patients, what are the minimum requirements for...

• Ask the expert: Temperature checks for patient food refrigerators

  When it comes to nutritional refrigerators for patients, what are the minimum requirements for...

• Tip of the week: Look at light costs 10 years down the road

  Last week, we had the pleasure of attending the annual safety committee retreat at Baystate Health...

Issue 17, April 25, 2007 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Smoking ban at one hospital has a city’s muscle behind it

  A ban on smoking cigarettes on the campus of Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau, AK, is about to...

• No patients are hurt during a hospital roof fire

  A fire under an air-handling unit on a hospital’s roof caused about $10,000 in water damage...

• Ask the expert: Use of an open flame for a procedure

  Can an organization use a lighter and burn a candle to remove ear wax as part of an alternative...

• Tip of the week: Avoid fire risks during cauterizing pen disposal

  Regardless of whether your hospital allows staff members to deposit cauterizing pens in sharps...

Issue 16, April 18, 2007

• New bulletin focuses on surgical needlesticks

  Let your surgical teams know about a new alert to protect them from needlesticks while using suture...

• Risk assessment's reach proves to be a survey hot spot

  The term "risk assessment" comes up quite often because Joint Commission surveyors invoke this idea...

• Ask the expert: Can we charge patient care equipment in our corridors?

  Can we charge patient care equipment in our corridors?

• Tip of the week: "The following recipient could not be reached"

  A new report on a county emergency drill that occurred last October highlights a key point for all...

Issue 15, April 11, 2007

• Uncle Sam will study cough particle protection for workers

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health plans to study cough-generated aerosols...

• EC.4.10 proposal should prompt hazard vulnerability scrutiny

  The Joint Commission continues to review proposed revisions to EC.4.10, which covers emergency...

• Ask the expert: Inspecting nonpatient care electrical devices

  We inspect nonpatient care electrical devices owned by the hospital upon arrival (e.g., computers...

• Tip of the week: Annual OSHA training isn’t always the rule

  In an interpretation letter, OSHA reminds people about the importance of reviewing bloodborne...

Issue 14, April 4, 2007

• Prisoner takes hostages at a hospital and beyond

  A wild crime spree all started at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, OH, on Monday.

• The EPA wants to amend solid waste definition

  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a revised definition of solid waste.

• Ask the expert: Does CMS post forms for its fire safety inspections?

  Does the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services post forms for its fire safety inspections?

• Tip of the week: Vigilant staff make a difference

  Last week a TV reporter was arrested on attempted kidnapping charges after she snooped around...

Issue 13, March 29, 2007

• The Joint Commission extends its e-PFI deadline to September 1

  In a change that HCPro was the first to make public to safety professionals last week, The Joint...

• Ask the Expert: Do housekeeping closets in hospitals need smoke detectors in the

  Do housekeeping closets in hospitals need smoke detectors in them?

• Tip of the Week: When you adopt NIMS, plan to monitor your progress

  When it comes to compliance with the federal requirements for the National Incident Management...

• New England VA hospitals run into aging problems

  A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) review has turned up pest and physical plant problems in...

Issue 12, March 21, 2007

• Waters flood IA hospital’s electrical panels

  A water main break last week had harsh consequences for Central Community Hospital in Elkader, IA.

• Seventeen elements to consider for NIMS compliance

  As part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), hospitals need to be familiar with a...

• Tip of the week: An important half hour to know about

  Just this week we saw an update from The Joint Commission regarding when it will post notice of...

• Ask the expert

  I’m confused-aren’t all parts of the Statement of Conditions (SOC) mandatory?

Issue 11, March 14, 2007

• Alleged infant abduction suspect captured; baby safely returned

  A successful infant abduction over the weekend should be cause for all hospitals to review their...

• Walter Reed Hospital's problems could be yours

  While the political fallout is on a national scale, the fact remains that some of the publicized...

• Migrations offer emergency planning lessons

  We read about an interesting drill last week that could take place in any community with a large...

• Do I need to have a log for blanket warmers?

  To read the answer, click here.

Issue 10, March 6, 2007

• OSHA will again not inspect for TB fit-testing

  For the third consecutive year, Congress has prohibited OSHA from spending funds to enforce annual...

• Tornadoes give hospitals a bad week

  The damage suffered by at least two hospitals during tornadoes last week gives other facilities...

Issue 9, February 27, 2007

• FDA proposal aimed at oxygen equipment fire prevention

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a proposed rule on Tuesday that would reclassify...

• Safety risk assessments prove to be thorny during surveys

  EC.1.10 citations landed in the top 10 list of most problematic standards in 2006, according to the...

Issue 8, February 21, 2007

• Hospital fined for worker’s fatal rooftop fall

  OSHA has fined a hospital $4,000 for a violation that led to an employee falling off a roof to his...

• Company alleged to have forged UL symbol on extinguishers

  Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an independent testing group in Northbrook, IL, says that a...

Issue 7, February 14, 2007

• Federal electrical regulations get a facelift

  OSHA released a significant revision to its electrical standards in the Feburary 14 Federal...

• Fire safety violations continue to bother accredited hospitals

  Joint Commission standard EC.5.20 (Life Safety Code compliance) remains one of the top 10...

Issue 6, February 5, 2007

• Inconclusive evidence may not stop case against New Orleans clinicians

  The coroner for Orleans Parish in Louisiana has indicated that there isn’t enough physical...

• Hospital: Miscommunication caused a surgical fire

  Waterbury (CT) Hospital has said that miscommunication between a surgeon and anesthesiologist led...

Issue 5, January 31, 2007

• Veterans hospitals to set up hazardous waste system in response to violations

  The U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) will create a hazardous waste and chemicals inventory system...

• Don't forget to post your annual OSHA injury summary

  Here are two OSHA notes to be aware of:

Issue 4, January 24, 2007

• Gas main fire puts hospital on emergency power

  An Ohio hospital was forced onto emergency power for about four hours on January 22 after utility...

• Centralized info can help during surveys

  Unannounced Joint Commission surveys make a good argument for centralized, easily accessible data...

Issue 3, January 17, 2007

• Uncle Sam is happy with The Joint Commission’s conflict of interest policies

  A government report about the relationship between The Joint Commission and its affiliate, Joint...

• Hospital worker dies during storm cleanup

  A facilities management worker at Grinnell (IA) Regional Medical Center died on Monday after he...

Issue 1, January 3, 2007

• Poll points to EC.5.20 problems

  Several weeks back, we asked readers who went through a Joint Commission survey in 2006 which EC...

• Now is a good time to review qualifications of SOC staff

  If surveyors from the Joint Commission are unhappy with your Statement of Conditions (SOC), they...