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OSHA adds free online respiratory protection videos

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:01:00 GMT

OSHA announced its new respiratory protection video web page, January 31.

The OSHA Respiratory Protection Videos web page includes nine short videos that cover key compliance points for the Respiratory Protection Standard, 1910.134.

Safety officer tip: Enjoy recordkeeping exemptions, while you have them

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 18:57:00 GMT

Be grateful for the little things. While hospitals and long-term care facilities are busy this month posting workplace injuries to meet the federal OSHA posting requirements, you don’t have to—that is, as long as you understand the recordkeeping exemptions for your type of healthcare facility.

Click here for more information.

CEO admits to significant problems to handling discovery of child pornography

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 20:11:00 GMT

University of Michigan Health System CEO Ora Pescovitz has admitted the health system had "several problems" in how it handled the finding of child pornography in the hospital.

Though found in May 2011, the finding was not reported to police until November 2011, about six months later. The child pornography was found on a thumb drive in the Pediatric Emergency Department. The resident physician who found the image met with her supervisors, hospital security officials, and the Office of the General Counsel about it. A resident physician who worked at the hospital until December 2011 has been charged with four counts of possessing child sexually abusive material.

In her January 30th blog post, Pescovitz calls the incident "a painful moment in our history."

Source: AnnArbor.com

GHS review delayed

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:19:00 GMT

The much-anticipated chemical labeling change to the Hazard Communication Standard will take a bit longer.

Approval by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was expected last week, but the review process has been extended, reports National Safety Compliance, Inc, January 25.

AORN nixes multidose vials among other medication recommendations

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:14:00 GMT

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) hopes two new recommendations—puncturing intravenous solution containers as close as possible to time of use and discontinuing the use of multidose vials—will prompt healthcare facilities to rethink medication practices for safety’s sake.

Click here for more information, and see the weekly poll question below.

Colorado considers mandatory flu shots

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:45:00 GMT

The Colorado State Board of Health will vote next month on whether to mandate flu shots for healthcare workers.

The board is considering a recommendation by state health officials requiring influenza immunizations “for nearly all hospital and nursing-home employees, with no religious or other personal exemptions, saying patient protections outweigh individual choice,” reports The Denver Post, January 26.

Study: Workplace exposures put nurses at risk for lost pregnancies

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:34:00 GMT

Nurses exposed to cancer treatment drugs or chemicals used to sterilize medical devices may be at higher risk of spontaneous abortions, according to a study appearing in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, reports Reuters, January 13.

That exposures to some chemicals are tied to lost pregnancies is not surprising, but Christina Lawson of NIOSH and the lead author of the study told Reuters: “What surprised me the most was that (chemotherapy) drugs are something we’ve been trying to educate nurses on, about the hazards, and we’re still finding exposures during the first trimester.”

Study: Workplace exposures put nurses at risk for lost pregnancies

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:23:00 GMT

A study appearing in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology raises concerns about common workplaces exposures and reproductive risks with nurses.

In particular, nurses exposed to cancer treatment drugs or chemicals used to sterilize medical devices may be at higher risk of spontaneous abortions, according to a study.

"Wall fountains" may be spreading Legionnaires to patients, visitors

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:30:00 GMT

The calming, soothing modern-style wall fountains found in many hospitals may be getting patients, visitors, and staff sick.

A Milwaukee-area hospital's wall fountain is being blamed for contaminating eight people with the dsiease, none of whom were admitted to the hospital prior to catching it. If the water is contaminated, inhaling droplets could cause infection.

The report was published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, and researchers noted that regular maintenance and cleaning did not rid the fountain of bacteria, and that hospitals and healthcare settings should not install these types of fountains.

Sources: Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, The Washington Post

ANA survey: Workplace safer for nurses

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:49:00 GMT

A survey by the American Nurses Association shows that overall workplace safety has improved compared to 10 years ago, mainly due to the availability of safe patient lifting equipment and safety devices to prevent sharps injuries, but other hazards still exist.

Read the OSHA Healthcare Advisor blog post for more information.

Viewing the film Puncture

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:43:00 GMT

If you missed viewing the needlestick injury film Puncture, which was highlighted in the December Medical Environment Update, when it premiered last fall, you now have a chance to see it through DVD rental/purchase or online streaming.

Click here for more details.

State health officials will not investigate heightened security during celebrity’s delivery

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 19:37:00 GMT

Shortly after famous pop singer Beyonce Knowles gave birth at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital on January 10th, complaints from other parents in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) that private security disrupted their own patient access reached the media.

Parents visiting their twin daughters in the neonatal intensive care unit complained to the media, saying they were stopped by private security and saw security cameras taped over with paper. Rozz Nash-Coulan, the mother of the twins, says this put her own babies at risk. Another father said he was kept out of the neonatal unit for three hours as his wife and newborn child waited.

The hospital and the health department have yet to receive any formal complaints about the incident. The health department said it would not investigate the incident, though declined to comment whether it would if it received complaints.

Sources: New York Times, ABC News

CDC proposes safer work practices in medical labs

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:20:00 GMT

Experts convened by the CDC have produced guidelines that reinforce a common-sense approach to biosafety in day-to-day laboratory activities.

The guidelines, which were issued January 6, address safe work practices in human and animal diagnostic laboratory, including microbiology, chemistry, hematology, and pathology with autopsy and necropsy guidance.

Read the OSHA Healthcare Advisor blog post for more information and a link to the guidelines.

International study examines infection prevention practices in dental settings

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:15:00 GMT

A study assessing infection prevention practices of dentists in eight countries shows a wide variety of competency. U.S. practitioners consistently outscored international colleagues on infection prevention practices except in one category.

Click here for more details.

Triaging and treating during disaster

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:21:00 GMT

Physicians facing medical disasters will face ethical concerns not always taught during emergency preparedness drills, reports a new American Medical News story.

Though emergency triaging systems are often in place in case of emergencies, when the issue at hand is who should receive the gift of life-saving efforts and who should not when there is not enough help can be difficult for physicians and other clinicians to deal with. Some spend years questioning decisions, while others—as noted in the case of Hurricane Katrina—may even face legal battles as they defend their triage decisions.

Also not often addressed is whether physicians and other caregivers will provide care in the event of bioterrorism or pandemic. According to a 2010 BMC Public Health Report, 79.3% of physicians would report for duty in the case of an influenza pandemic if asked, but 90.4% would show if required.

Source: American Medical News

OSHA improves the "It’s the Law" poster page

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:38:00 GMT

OSHA has improved the Web page where employers go for information about the posting requirements for the OSHA Job Safety and Health: It's the Law poster.

Click here for the details.

Elevators are safe, but caution is still required

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:36:00 GMT

It's a question we probably take for granted, but are you exercising safe practices when using an elevator at your workplace? Or, do you know what to do—maybe more importantly what not to do—if stuck in an elevator.

Feds asking for healthcare worker flu shot advice

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:16:00 GMT

The US Department of Health and Human Services is asking for comments on a draft guidance for achieving a 90% influenza immunization rate for healthcare workers by 2020.

The guidance document is from the National Vaccine Advisory Committee , and the request for comments appeared in the Federal Register, December 19. The comment period ends January 16th, 2012.

Click here for the five recommendations and links to comment.

Sharp advice for healthcare leaders

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:08:00 GMT

As a subset of safety culture, sharps safety is critical to protecting healthcare workers. An article from the International Healthcare Worker Safety Center asks leaders how their institutions are faring in the continuous quality improvement efforts needed to maintain sharps safety. It’s a question relevant to all healthcare settings, large and small.