Safety Newsletters

Healthcare Life Safety Compliance Hospital Safety Center Medical Environment Update

A subscription to Medical Environment Update pays for itself by saving you time sorting through complex regulations and guidelines, so you know exactly what you need to do and when you need to do it.

Subscribe »

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004

Issue 11, November 2, 2019

• Cold weather is here; get your clinic in gear

  The cold weather can engender many dangers that can injure your patients, your employees, and the...

• The PPE compliance conundrum

  In a recent laboratory poll about personal protective equipment (PPE), 85% of respondents said...

• The workers to be thankful for...

  … and those to be worried about

Issue 10, October 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• The germs that should scare your clinic staff

  New superbugs are emerging that the CDC and other agencies say can’t be stopped. Here’s...

• Fighting stress and burnout in your clinic

  Some of the biggest hazards facing medical staff (and the patients they treat) are lack of rest...

• The lab and the Pharmaceutical Rule: Do they go together?

  Many laboratorians may not have noticed, but in February of this year, the EPA published the...

Issue 9, September 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Back to school: Teach employees safety rules by following the rules of the classroom

  At the beginning of each school year, teachers spend a month or more getting students into the...

• National falls prevention awareness day

  In honor of National Falls Prevention Day on September 22, we’ve made a list of several...

• The OSHA standards you didn't know you needed to follow

  There are many standards that OSHA requires you to adhere to, and it’s not always easy to...

• Flying the Lab

  In this guest column, Dan Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, laboratory safety officer for Sentara Healthcare...

Issue 8, August 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Get ready for the next flu season

  Infection control experts warn that it’s only a matter of time before another pandemic like...

• When your clinic staff are bored

  If you’re lucky, traffic at your clinic has slowed down a bit and your staff are getting a...

• The physical fix

  The microbiology laboratory was newly remodeled, and the staff was excited to have windows in the...

• 19H Update: August update covers specialty services

  The latest manual update covers information on specialty services in Tab 9 of the medical manual.

Issue 7, July 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Training tips: Protecting against bloodborne pathogens

  Bloodborne pathogens remain a constant threat to healthcare workers. It only takes a tiny bit of...

• Opioids: CDC clarifies prescribing guidelines

  In a letter released April 10, the CDC clarified its Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic...

• "Clinic in a box" brings healthcare in a hurry

  Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) have created a mobile healthcare clinic that may...

Issue 6, June 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Worker wellness: Summer 101 in the clinic

  As summertime arrives in the U.S., there’s a good chance you’re not thinking about the...

• Illinois passes workplace violence law

  In a sweeping act of legislation that may affect the future of healthcare safety, late last year...

• The cost of living dangerously

  Alicia was working the night shift, and she tripped on the edge of a floor mat while holding a rack...

• Sentinel event statistics for 2018

  “Organizations should continue their work toward minimizing risks associated with these types...

• PSMF takes aim at postoperative delirium in elders

  As it works toward its goal of eliminating preventable in-hospital deaths, the Patient Safety...

Issue 5, May 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• OSHA rule will help protect sensitive employee information

  Just when you thought you were getting the hang of OSHA’s complicated injury and illness...

• Food and drink in the clinic: Where can staff have lunch?

  Apparently, there have been lots of questions from the field about spaces where clinicians and...

• Review your medical evaluation of staffers who will wear respirators

  OSHA is reminding employers that a medical evaluation of each employee is required if that worker...

• The safety reaction

  In this guest column, Dan Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, laboratory safety officer for Sentara Healthcare...

• 19E Updates: May updates cover ergonomics

  The latest manual updates cover information on ergonomics in Tab 4 of both the medical and dental...

Issue 4, April 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• OSHA data shows decrease in healthcare worker injuries

  It turns out that 2017 was a slightly safer year to be a worker in the healthcare industry. That...

• How to create a culture of safety in your clinic

  Many experts say that the key to safety in any healthcare workplace is to develop a culture of...

• Check your states for deadlines on the new hazardous waste pharmaceuticals rule

  Let your pharmacists and anyone else in your organization who handle hazardous waste...

• Accidents happen: Now what?

  Editor’s note: In this guest column, Dan Scungio, MT(ASCP), SLS, laboratory safety officer...

Issue 3, March 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Training tips: Safe sharps and needlestick prevention

  Despite years of warnings of bloodborne infections and diseases, as well as improved safety...

• Tune up your clinic security and safety for spring

  Unless you take a good inventory of the safety issues around your facility, the medical clinic or...

• Look to "Blueprint" to understand new EPA requirements on hazardous drug waste

  Consider managing all your pharmaceuticals as hazardous waste, especially if you are a smaller...

• An emergency plan for your life

  I recently read a written laboratory emergency management plan, and at the end of the document...

Issue 2, February 1, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Ergonomics 101: A primer in safe clinic practices

  As the new year gets underway and winter weather throughout the country starts to take hold...

• EPA announces final rule to set new standards on hazardous waste pharmaceuticals

  However, get the word out to everyone in your organization who handles hazardous waste...

• Get the alcohol out: Your stethoscopes are dirtier than you think they are

  Stethoscopes are maybe the most common of all diagnostic tools used in a medical facility, among...

• Doing what we've always done

  The reference cytology lab has always had limited storage space for supplies and specimens. It uses...

Issue 1, January 2, 2019 - VIEW THE FULL ISSUE

• Focus on these four areas of improvement to avoid common safety errors

  In the healthcare safety world, much attention is paid to the need for hospitals to ramp up their...

• A month-by-month training guide for 2019

  It’s the New Year, and like us all, you probably want to start fresh and improve your staff...

• Planning a freestanding ER? ASHE suggests focusing on life safety issues

  As health systems constantly seek ways to increase revenues while keeping costs down and dealing...

• Wasteful questions

  Understanding the proper separation and disposal of the various waste types generated in the lab...

• MEU 2018 index

  MEU 2018 index

Issue 3, March 1, 2019

• Tune up your clinic security and safety for spring

  Unless you take a good inventory of the safety issues around your facility, the medical clinic or...