Archive for: February, 2009
Ask the Expert—Timing for hepatitis B vaccination and titer
Q: Can you give me the schedule on when the three hepatitis B vaccination shots are given and when you have the titer drawn?
Who shoulders the blame for infections?
In infection control (IC) we often stress to frontline staff, “we don’t prevent infection, but help you prevent infections.”
Yet when outbreaks occur it is the Infection Preventionist (IP) that feels the heat from administration or regulatory agencies looking for answers.
Ask the Expert – Decontaminating EMS/firefighter equipment
Q: We have taught our paramedics and firefighters that their uniform is NOT PPE and that if their bunker gear gets soiled with blood or other potentially infectious materials, it may be hard to decontaminate. Do you have any suggestions for the cleaning of bunker gear and the heavy leather gloves they use?
A: While there are plenty of laundry regulations concerning PPE for healthcare workers, there are few guidelines for paramedics or firefighters. However, there are plenty of instances where both could come in contact with bloodborne pathogens.
Weekly Poll: Dangers of healthcare
Last week’s post on injury statistics from the Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) addressed the dangers of working in the healthcare setting. BLS lists healthcare workers tied for second on its list of non-fatal injuries and illnesses among private sector industries, with 5.6 reported injuries or illnesses per 100 full-time workers.
Are you surprised at those stats?
Note: Adobe Flash Player is required to view this poll. To download the latest version, click here.
Healthcare profession not injurious to your health? Wrong
A February 10 NIOSH eNews report about a new monthly feature showing a chart or statistical summary highlighting research, and prevention issues made a sobering point: healthcare jobs are as dangerous as manufacturing jobs.
Eight P’s of safety
It’s not uncommon for safety officers to be viewed by employees as more of an “officer” than a promoter. They often face the challenge of overcoming the watchdog perception, while maintaining a firm handle on the facility’s safety issues.
But part of changing that perception is building a culture where workers have an ingrained sense of safety. These eight, easy to remember tips should offer a simple reminder to you and your co-workers.
Lip synching to prevent flu
My colleagues at Patient Safety Monitor Blog posted a report about how a Philadelphia hospital produced a music video to boost its employee vaccination rate.
Click here to read how the intrepid folks at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP) produced the video. But if you need your YouTube fix for the day right now, here is HUP’s “Baby be wise—Immunize” video.
Ask the Expert—Syringes as medical waste
Q: For an uncontaminated syringe used only to flush an IV line, may we dispose as regular solid waste?
A: OSHA says you may, but it does not have oversight responsibility for state waste regulations.
Weekly Poll: OSHA time management
OHSA requirements squeeze a lot of time out of safety officers, whether it’s reading or interpreting standards, or just determining if a particular situation merits OSHA consideration. How much of your time is taken up by OSHA?
Note: Adobe Flash Player is required to view this poll. To download the latest version, click here.
Medical Environment Update—Ergonomics keeps workers healthy, budgets happy
Workplace injuries can be a huge burden, especially for small healthcare facilities. But an ergonomics policy doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles, reports the February issue of Medical Environment Update.
Numbers show that an ergonomics policy in healthcare is arguably more crucial than in any other industry.
