Free Safety e-Newsletters

Emergency Management Alert Hospital Safety Connection Infection Control Weekly Monitor OSHA Healthcare Connection

Hospital Safety Connection

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

Subscribe »

2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003

Hospital Safety Connection

Issue 51, December 17, 2008

• Upcoming regulations will affect hospitals' day-to-day operations

  The end of the year brings an important Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) change and new Joint...

• Sentinel Event Alert about technology risks may trickle down to you

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

• From the editor: No e-newsletter until January 8

  Because of Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Thursdays over the next two weeks, the...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Curiously, the EC standards aren’t mentioned in the new Sentinel Event Alert

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

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

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

Issue 50, December 9, 2008

• Unannounced EPA inspections take place in the Southeast

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

• Patient wanders to a hospital roof and dies outside

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

• Mac’s Safety Space: EC plans should reflect your risk management process

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

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

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

Issue 49, December 3, 2008

• EPA publishes notices about pharmaceutical waste and medical incinerators

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

• Hospital allegedly didn't report gunshot wound suffered by pro athlete

  A New York City hospital is in hot water with the mayor after at least one healthcare worker...

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

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

Issue 48, November 19, 2008

• Wildfires and total power loss test a California hospital

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

• Medical center quick to react to an odd potential mercury exposure

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

• From the editor: No e-newsletter next Thursday

  Because of Thanksgiving, we won’t publish an issue of Hospital Safety Connection next...

• Mac’s Safety Space: When security gets drafted into caregiving mode

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

• Mac’s Safety Space: A quick rundown of certified safety programs

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

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

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

Issue 47, November 12, 2008

• Suspect in alleged patient assault slips by authorities

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

• Voters approve tax levy for hospital equipment upgrades

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

• Mac’s Safety Space: Daily crash cart checks aren't required, but it’s a slippery slope

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

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

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

Issue 46, November 5, 2008

• Observe an upcoming change in fuel requirements for EM.02.02.09

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

• State warning: Novartis vaccine lacks safety device

  If you are using Novartis flu vaccine products, you should probably take a second look.

• Tip of the week: Let TV play a role in your emergency management exercises

  We recently read about a disaster drill that utilized a component others might want to consider:

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

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

Issue 45, October 29, 2008

• Emergency management experts to discuss 2009 changes on Monday

  Next Monday, HCPro will present the final show in its three-part audio-conference series about The...

• NTSB targets medical flight safety for next year

  The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has formally put improved safety of medical...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Follow-up on wheeled items in egress corridors

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

• Tip of the week: One more reason to snuff out candles

  Open flames and incense embers are fire risks in the hospital environment for a host of reasons...

Issue 44, October 22, 2008

• Staff members must be made aware of unprotected barrier penetrations

  Unprotected penetrations can negate the fire protection features of smoke and fire barriers by...

• Once again, a medical chopper crash claims lives

  It’s getting more and more likely that regulations for medical helicopters will toughen after...

• Mac's Safety Space: Construction scrutiny will move to EC.02.06.05

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

• Tip of the week: Use Life Safety Code requirements to bolster your decoration policiesTip of the week: Use Life Safety Code requirements to bolster your decoration policies

  Many staff members enjoy hanging festive holiday decorations from Halloween through the end of the...

• Tip of the week: Use Life Safety Code requirements to bolster your decoration policies

  Many staff members enjoy hanging festive holiday decorations from Halloween through the end of the...

Issue 43, October 15, 2008

• California wildfires cause a medical facility to relocate some patients

  Huge wildfires in Southern California have forced at least one hospital to evacuate five critically...

• Study: Physicians and nurses worry about weak emergency response

  New research indicates that emergency department physicians and nurses have concerns that hospitals...

• Mac's Safety Space: An update on late-arriving life safety specialists

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

• Tip of the week: Security considerations under EC.4.15

  When it comes to safety and security during emergency responses under EC.4.15 (which will become...

Issue 42, October 8, 2008

• Former hospital official charged with stealing antiques from the facility

  Due to a good memory and some detective work by a plant operations manager, a former official at...

• October 21 audio conference taps life safety experts for their advice

  Of all the changes coming in 2009 from The Joint Commission, the new life safety standards are...

• Mac's Safety Space: The debate over storing cardboard boxes

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

• Tip of the week: Consider these steps to control Legionella

  Legionella continues to be a persistent adversary for hospitals, as one facility in New Jersey has...

Issue 41, October 1, 2008

• CMS approves DNV to accredit hospitals

  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday the approval of DNV...

• Four dead after another medical chopper crash

  A terrible medical helicopter crash in Maryland on September 28 killed four of the five people...

• Mac's Safety Space: Effective ventilation efforts are yours to define

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

• Tip of the week: Draft a cell phone picture policy

  If your hospital doesn’t have a policy for cell phone photography in the building, it may be...

Issue 40, September 22, 2008

• Hospitals remain closed as they continue to recover from Ike

  At least two hospitals in Texas remain closed in the wake of Hurricane Ike:

• Hospital employee allegedly pockets $234,000 in cafeteria funds

  Police in Fountain Valley, CA, are investigating an executive assistant who allegedly told them she...

• Mac's Safety Space: Workers must soon offer formal input into medical equipment purchases

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

• Tip of the week: Confirm training for disasters in the wee hours

  Emergency preparedness is an around-the-clock function, and as such it is important to verify...

Issue 39, September 17, 2008

• Heed some early lessons from hospitals hit by Ike

  Hurricane Ike caused plenty of trouble for hospitals along the coasts of Texas and Louisiana over...

• New ASHRAE standard details healthcare ventilation requirements

  A new ventilation standard for healthcare facilities aims to improve environmental and infection...

• Mac's Safety Space: No national regulations to lock utility rooms, but . . .

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

• Tip of the week: States may hold the key to vendor access during emergencies

  In the aftermath of Hurricane Ike, some hospitals in southeast Texas turned to the state for help...

Issue 38, September 10, 2008

• Keynote speaker encourages hospitals to explore vendor agreements

  Echoing a theme coming from The Joint Commission, the keynote speaker at HCPro’s Environment...

• Medical chopper crash leaves three people dead

  Yet another deadly medical helicopter accident has occurred, this time in Indiana last week.

• Mac's Safety Space: Identify your education goals under EC.03.01.01

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

• Tip of the week: Communicate regularly with your hospital CEO about security

  In order to build a relationship with administrators, it’s important for security directors...

Issue 37, September 3, 2008

• Friday's EC seminar will educate and inform

  Tomorrow is the big day for our Environment of Care in 2009 seminar, which takes place in Boston...

• Hospitals take next steps after Gustav blows through

  The recovery from Hurricane Gustav continues to keep Louisiana hospitals busy. State officials...

• Hospital to notify hundreds about TB exposure in maternity unit

  A healthcare worker with active tuberculosis (TB) may have exposed more than 1,000 newborns and...

• Mac's Safety Space: A fire safety nuance for your business occupancies

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

• Tip of the week: See how New Orleans facilities prepared themselves

  The preparations for Hurricane Gustav showcased how some hospitals think big when it comes to...

Issue 36, August 27, 2008

• Hospital decontaminates emergency workers after exposure

  A hospital in Schenectady, NY, used its decontamination unit to wash down nine firefighters and...

• Joint Commission Resources wants greater flu vaccination rates

  With the new influenza season just weeks away--and many healthcare workers typically not receiving...

• Mac's Safety Space: Meet EC.4.14 on the department level, not through a policy

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

• Tip of the week: Test dampers on a six-year timetable

  When it comes to smoke and fire dampers, hospitals should remember this equipment is now on a...

Issue 35, August 20, 2008

• Safety problems play role in lost accreditation for NC hospital

  A state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina has lost its Joint Commission accreditation in part...

• Life Safety Code Boot Camp hits the road again

  HCPro’s Life Safety Code Boot Camp—Hospital Version has three upcoming sessions in the...

• Mac's Safety Space: Safety + security = safe-curity

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

• Tip of the week: Note OSHA's flexibility for annual bloodborne training

  For safety professionals who scurry every year to complete annual bloodborne pathogens training on...

Issue 34, August 13, 2008

• 2009 EC standards more clearly define the role of hazard rounds

  With our Environment of Care for 2009 seminar in Boston coming up September 5, we wanted to share...

• CMS finally releases its nursing home sprinkler regulation

  By August 13, 2013, all nursing homes in the country must have sprinklers protecting them.

• CMS finally releases its nursing home sprinkler regulation

  By August 13, 2013, all nursing homes in the country must have sprinklers protecting them.

• Mac's Safety Space: Risk assessments will be prominent in the 2009 EC standards

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

• Tip of the week: EPA seeks comment about pharmaceutical questionnaire

  If you have an interest in the disposal of unused pharmaceuticals, you might want to get in touch...

Issue 33, August 6, 2008

• New EM standards further delineate annual review topics

  In advance of our Environment of Care for 2009 seminar in Boston on September 5, we wanted to share...

• CDC revises workbook on sharps injury prevention

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its Workbook for Designing...

• CDC revises workbook on sharps injury prevention

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its Workbook for Designing...

• Mac's Safety Space: Clearance around extinguishers and medical gas shut-offs

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

• Tip of the week: Know the hazards of hydrogen peroxide solutions

  Hydrogen peroxide might not sound like a huge risk, but one hospital’s experience contradicts...

Issue 32, July 30, 2008

• CA earthquake results in minor injuries to one site's patients

  At least one southern California healthcare facility dealt with damage and patient injuries after...

• 2009 life safety standards have nuances to be aware of

  In looking at The Joint Commission’s 2009 life safety chapter, there will be some standards...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Visitors and subscribers to our Hospital Safety Center can check out the following new features and...

• Mac's Safety Space: Communicating with LIPs about emergency responses

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

• Tip of the week: Be familiar with policies for expectant prisoner patients

  A recent incident in Tennessee may prompt you to review policies for prisoner patients who are...

Issue 31, July 23, 2008

• Life safety standards improve references with expanded EPs

  The Joint Commission has positioned its new life safety standards to tie in more explicitly with...

• Emergency planning a hot topic at ASHE's conference

  The American Society for Healthcare Engineering’s (ASHE) annual conference took place earlier...

• Mac's Safety Space: What to monitor within your EC management programs

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

• Tip of the week: Check generators for carbon monoxide venting

  A Massachusetts nursing home experienced high levels of carbon monoxide--more than 10 times a...

Issue 30, July 16, 2008

• 2009 emergency management standards will re-emphasize a prime Joint Commission focus

  The Joint Commission’s move to put its emergency management standards into a separate chapter...

• Are you going to the ASHE conference next week?

  For those of you who are attending next week’s American Society for Healthcare Engineering...

• Mac's Safety Space: The foundation of the EC standards remains the same . . . take two

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

• Tip of the week: New Sentinel Event Alert has some bearing for safety professionals

  Safety committee members may want to take a gander at The Joint Commission’s new Sentinel...

Issue 29, July 3, 2008

• 2009 EC standards combine safety and security concerns

  In renumbering its EC standards, The Joint Commission has made some notable revisions that safety...

• Hospital nearly in a tight squeeze over a sprinkler device

  A hospital in North Carolina was able to avert further delays in getting recertified for Medicare...

• Mac's Safety Space: The foundation of the EC standards remains the same

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

• Tip of the week: Track your tracer activities during surveys

  An Illinois hospital found a management grid to be a useful tool to prepare for Joint Commission...

Issue 28, July 2, 2008

• The Joint Commission posts its 2009 safety standards

  On Tuesday, The Joint Commission posted online its final 2009 standards, and safety professionals...

• Six die after medical helicopters collide

  In what has become a sad trend this year, six more people died in a medical helicopter mishap on...

• Mac's Safety Space: The 2009 standards are here--shuffling the deck!

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

• Tip of the week: The tools for emergencies can be old standbys

  Think about the kind of work tools you want to have available for staff members to use in an...

Issue 27, June 25, 2008

• OSHA proposes $110,000 in fines for alleged asbestos problems

  A hospital is facing $110,000 in fines from OSHA for allegedly not following federal requirements...

• CMS indicates nursing home sprinkler regulation is coming

  In a press release issued last week, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS...

• Mac's Safety Space: It's okay to smile for the camera

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

• Tip of the week: Monitor your air handling systems for outside fumes

  After the recent floods in Cedar Rapids, IA, Mercy Medical Center relayed a cautionary tale about...

Issue 26, June 18, 2008

• Catastrophic flooding batters hospitals once again

  In a series of incidents reminiscent of Hurricane Katrina, floodwaters have devastated areas of the...

• The next steps should flooding disable your fire protection features

  Recent hospital flooding raises the concern of total power loss in a medical...

• Preview our popular video titles online

  Have you checked out clips from our DVD library on You Tube? Get a preview of the following videos:

• Mac's Safety Space: Standing upon the broad shoulders of risk assessments

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

• Tip of the week: Spread disaster updates beyond just your workers

  Here’s a piece of advice regarding communication during emergencies straight from a Joint...

Issue 25, June 11, 2008

• Grant applications, due next week, will affect hospitals

  The U.S. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) has made $398...

• Joint Commission engineer stresses the importance of new chapters

  The Joint Commission’s upcoming life safety and emergency management chapters should be high...

• Mac's Safety Space: No great mystery to your EC risks

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

• Tip of the week: Ensure interactive bloodborne pathogens training

  Under the bloodborne pathogens standard, OSHA mandates that a hospital must ensure that training...

Issue 24, May 30, 2008

• Chopper crash into hospital roof forces patient evacuations

  A medical helicopter on a training flight crashed onto the rooftop landing pad of a hospital last...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Subscribers to our comprehensive online resource, the Hospital Safety Center, will find the...

• Mac's Safety Space: A further thought about ILSMs and surveyors

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

• Tip of the week: Be up front about struggling performance improvement efforts

  When tracking your performance improvement activities, don’t be afraid to have indicators...

Issue 23, May 28, 2008

• Free white paper now available to everyone at the Hospital Safety Center

  All visitors to the Hospital Safety Center can read and download a brand new white paper...

• Cappiello to speak at our upcoming seminar about 2009 changes

  HCPro has just announced that the keynote address for its upcoming Environment of Care for 2009...

• Mac's Safety Space: You know your EC risks--and yes, you know how to manage them

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

• Tip of the week: Smaller hospitals should gear up for emergency management scrutiny

  With all the talk about The Joint Commission’s life safety specialists now visiting all...

Issue 22, May 21, 2008

• Joint Commission: 2009 standards to be posted online in July

  In what will hopefully amount to advanced warning for safety officers, The Joint Commission has...

• Helicopter landing results in brief power loss at a hospital

  The wind from a medical helicopter’s rotors snapped a tree branch, leading to a power outage...

• Mac's Safety Space: Responding to a reader's comment about eyewash station citations

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

• Tip of the week: Take in these caveats about training approaches

  Safety training is often a thorn to deal with, and there are a variety of formats to consider that...

Issue 21, May 14, 2008

• Hospital Safety Symposium attendees pose great questions and comments

  Last week’s Second Annual Hospital Safety Symposium in Las Vegas proved that healthcare...

• OSHA seeks comments on draft respirator supply guidance

  OSHA released an interesting draft guidance on stockpiling respirators and facemasks during an...

• Mac's Safety Space: No prohibition on emergency codes on ID badges, but . . .

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

• Tip of the week: Get extension and equivalency requests in quickly

  When it comes to Life Safety Code concerns and your Joint Commission plans for improvement, timing...

Issue 20, May 8, 2008

• SPECIAL EDITION: Highlights from the Hospital Safety Symposium

  Welcome to this extra edition of Hospital Safety Connection, as we cover yesterday’s sessions...

• Mac's Safety Space: Live from Las Vegas

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

Issue 19, May 6, 2008

• Hospital Safety Symposium opens today in Vegas

  HCPro’s Second Annual Hospital Safety Symposium begins this morning at Caesars Palace in Las...

• GAO: Healthcare evacuations tie in better with federal planning

  Federal authorities have made strides in better preparing to help hospitals and nursing homes...

• Mac's Safety Space: Live blogging from the Hospital Safety Symposium

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

• Tip of the week: Your name and rank, please

  When surveyors conduct emergency management tracers at hospitals, a simple but important step can...

Issue 18, April 30, 2008

• The Joint Commission caps certain EP scores under emergency management

  As we first reported last Thursday in our Mac’s Safety Space blog, The Joint Commission...

• One week and counting until the Hospital Safety Symposium

  We are just seven days away from the Second Annual Hospital Safety Symposium in Las Vegas, and we...

• Mac's Safety Space: Joint Commission's announcement is a good development for hospitals

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

• Tip of the week: Confirm you don't use mesh filters in kitchen hood systems

  When it comes to fire safety in your kitchens, here’s an important point to remember: Mesh...

Issue 17, April 23, 2008

• Hospital Safety Symposium update: Free speaker interviews now online

  Two weeks from today, our Second Annual Hospital Safety Symposium will take place in Las Vegas with...

• Check out the latest agenda for the Hospital Safety Symposium

  Thank you to everyone who has already registered for the Second Annual Hospital Safety Symposium...

• Mac's Safety Space: Business continuity plans: Use HVAs and The Joint Commission's six critical areas

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

• Tip of the week: Learn how a CMS reimbursement proposal ties into your water systems

  Infection control is a growing emphasis with regulators, and the Centers for Medicare &...

Issue 16, April 16, 2008

• State OSHA office fines hospital $75,000 for worker fatality

  Minnesota authorities fined a hospital $75,000 for violations stemming from the death of an...

• Fire officials believe someone meddled with a hospital sprinkler

  While full details are still sketchy, it appears a sprinkler mishap at a hospital in Elmira, NY...

• Mac's Safety Space: Joint Commission queries about lockdowns

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

• Tip of the week: When it comes to life safety, take a conservative approach to new hazardous areas

  A Life Safety Code issue that can lead to considerable debate is what happens when you construct a...

Issue 15, April 9, 2008

• Katrina physician: More steps needed in disaster preparation

  Hospitals and the government need to take further steps to better prepare for community...

• Three people die during Georgia hospital shootings

  A man faces murder charges after going on an alleged shooting spree that killed three people at...

• Mac's Safety Space: Tales of survey derring-do, part two

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

• Tip of the week: Smaller hospitals must take heed of life safety building tours

  If your hospital has less than 200 beds and is accredited by The Joint Commission, you’ll...

Issue 14, April 2, 2008

• Life safety surveyors may arrive separately from regular survey team

  In a move that has not been publicized yet, The Joint Commission's (formerly JCAHO) life safety...

• Plans scrapped for industrial autoclaves in FL city

  Residents in Largo, FL, received their wish to not have a large medical waste facility located in...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Tales of survey derring-do

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

• Tip of the week: Keep dialysis clinics open during disasters

  Make sure your emergency plans don’t short-change an important service to the community...

Issue 13, March 26, 2008

• Former Joint Commission official: EM proposal doesn't set new provisions

  The Joint Commission's (formerly JCAHO) proposed emergency management chapter for 2009 will have...

• Police shoot and kill a man involved in a hospital bomb scare

  Police shot a man, who claimed he had a bomb and was going to detonate it, inside the lobby of...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Don’t just implement ILSMs--analyze them, too

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

• Tip of the week: Note the difference between flammable and combustible liquids

  The distinction between flammable and combustible liquids is determined by how easily they...

Issue 12, March 19, 2008

• Patient trapped in elevator later dies

  Despite extraordinary efforts by firefighters, a large patient who was rescued from a stalled...

• HCPro launches new logo and tagline as part of its new corporate branding initiative

  HCPro, Inc., is launching a new corporate branding campaign designed to reflect the company's focus...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Does the proposed emergency management chapter clarify or confuse?

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

• Tip of the week: Cell phone cameras can raise tricky consent issues

  A move by a hospital within the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) health system may...

Issue 11, March 12, 2008

• The Joint Commission investigates a hospital power loss

  It’s the not the first time we’ve heard about this type of reaction, and it probably...

• Joint Commission posts emergency management standards field review

  On Tuesday, The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) opened a field review for its proposed emergency...

• New hospital opening delayed to fix possible suicide risks

  A new state psychiatric hospital will delay its opening in part to fix potential suicide risks in...

• New this week at the Hospital Safety Center

  Check out the latest features and downloads available at the Hospital Safety Center:

• Mac’s Safety Space: Distant early warning

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

• Tip of the week: Ideas to increase flu vaccination rates for employees

  Decrying the low rate of healthcare workers flu vaccination, the National Foundation for Infectious...

Issue 10, March 5, 2008

• Possible ricin exposure patient treated at a Las Vegas hospital

  A hospital in Las Vegas is treating a patient who may have been exposed to ricin, while at least...

• Attention subscribers: Healthcare Security Alert has moved online

  All subscribers to Briefings on Hospital Safety will now be able to read our popular Healthcare...

• Mac’s Safety Space: EP 5 is a growing influence under EC.1.10

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

• Tip of the week: Avoid these spots when mounting sharps containers

  The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health dissuades you from mounting sharps...

Issue 9, February 27, 2008

• Firefighters bring generators to darkened CA hospital

  While a widespread power outage in Florida got national attention on Tuesday, a smaller disruption...

• Pysch patient allegedly stabs healthcare workers

  Two hospital employees suffered injuries after a patient allegedly stabbed them in the neck with...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Getting away during an emergency--literally

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

• Tip of the week: Educate pest control contractors about the hospital environment

  If there comes a point when your hospital needs to call in a professional pest control...

Issue 8, February 20, 2008

• The Joint Commission issues MRI safety recommendations

  As we first reported in Mac's Safety Space on the Hospital Safety Center last Friday, The Joint...

• Life safety violations continue to emerge at hospitals

  EC.5.20 remains a heavily cited standard, according to Joint Commission data published in the...

• Mac’s Safety Space: MRI concerns aren’t new to us

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

• Tip of the week: Watch your body language when it comes to patient violence

  Averting a violent situation with an upset or unstable patient can sometimes come down to basic...

Issue 7, February 13, 2008

• Top Louisiana lawman backs clinical decisions during disasters

  The new attorney general in Louisiana has said that under his watch, clinicians will not need to...

• Burst sprinkler creates a smoky appearance at PA hospital

  Onlookers mistook mist from a broken sprinkler for smoke coming out of an entry way of Saint...

• Mac’s Safety Space: HICS is a good starting point for useful response plans

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

• Tip of the week: Review generator test requirements under EC.7.40

  To comply with Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) standard EC 7.40, hospitals need to have completed...

Issue 6, February 6, 2008

• Joint Commission: Field review is coming for emergency management

  The February issue of Joint Commission Perspectives indicates that a field review is imminent on...

• Don't forget to post your OSHA Form 300A

  If you're covered by federal OSHA regulations, here's a reminder that you should have posted your...

• Mac’s Safety Space: If weapons of mass destruction are among your true worries . . .

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

• Tip of the week: Learn how to recognize a two-hour-rated wall

  In some cases, your main hospital may be separated from other occupancies by a two-hour fire wall...

Issue 5, January 30, 2008

• The FDA warns hospitals to stop using certain syringes

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning hospitals to stop using two brands of syringes...

• Join our roundtable group and be eligible for a free book

  Long-time readers of Briefings on Hospital Safety know that we put a lot of faith in the opinions...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Reducing alarm decibel levels, NFPA 72 style

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

• Tip of the week: Watch for easy-to-make medical waste mistakes

  The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a hefty fine to a hospital for...

Issue 4, January 23, 2008

• Johns Hopkins bans the use of latex gloves

  The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has taken a big step towards latex safety by banning the...

• Just announced: Former surveyor to speak at the Hospital Safety Symposium

  Former Joint Commission life safety specialist Brad Keyes will join the roster of presenters at our...

• Occupancy types present code and Joint Commission nuances

  Misclassifying an occupancy type carries with it many underlying factors within the Life Safety...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Speaking of EC.4.12 and the 96-hour rule . . .

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

• Tip of the week: Take this somber look at evacuation decision-making

  In disasters like the one that Hurricane Katrina imposed on Memorial Medical Center in New...

Issue 3, January 16, 2008

• The Joint Commission’s life safety field review closes next Tuesday

  If you haven’t already, there’s still time to comment on The Joint Commission’s...

• New study: A trio of technologies can best thwart Legionella

  A recent journal article outlines three ways to minimize the risk of Legionella in your water pipes:

• Mac’s Safety Space: What are your thoughts about the costs of annual TB fit-testing?

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

• Tip of the week: Focus on hazcom problems throughout the building

  During the period from October 2006 through September 2007, hazard communication was the third...

Issue 2, January 9, 2008

• OSHA can now enforce annual TB fit-testing

  It’s official now: President Bush has signed into law an OSHA budget that no longer includes...

• Gastrointestinal illness sidetracks dozens of Boston hospital workers

  Two Boston hospitals took extra housekeeping and educational steps within the past month after...

• Mac’s Safety Space: Getting locked in the bathroom--a risk assessment awaits

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

• Tip of the week: Test your site’s prisoner patient policies

  A prisoner escape at a hospital in Maryland included an unlikely chain of events that could make...

Issue 1, January 2, 2008

• Pay attention to the new emergency management standards

  As of New Year’s Day, several important Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) changes took effect:

• Attention Briefings on Hospital Safety readers: We need your help

  Those of you who subscribe to Briefings on Hospital Safety and the Hospital Safety Center can give...

• Mac’s Safety Space: A Joint Commission reference raises EC questions

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

• Tip of the week: Double-check infant security measures against these surveyor questions

  Based on information told to us by hospital folks last year, Joint Commission surveyors may ask the...