Archive for: July, 2009
CMS awards funds to improve infection control in ambulatory surgical centers
The government is funding states’ efforts to inspect and shore up infection control gaps in ambulatory surgical centers (ASC).
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is awarding $572,250 for 12 states to conduct surveys of 125 ASCs by September 30, according to a CMS July 30 Press release.
CDC sets H1N1 flu shot priority list; take a number please
The CDC yesterday established the pecking order for those individuals first in line to receive the vaccine for novel influenza A H1N1.
There are 160 million of them, since the government doesn’t think it will have enough doses initially to vaccinate every person in the U.S., according to a report by the NPR Health blog.
Don’t worry; healthcare workers make the first cut.
UCLA report details lab safety improvements
A UCLA report released last week seems to be the final chapter on an extensive and well-publicized lab safety incident dating back to the beginning of the year.
Chancellor Gene Block commissioned a campus-wide laboratory safety committee after a staff research associate died in January from injuries suffered in a lab fire on December 29, 2008. The committee was asked to assess safety programs and make recommendations to avoid further safety related incidents.
Obama taps epidemiologist to lead OSHA
President Obama wants David Michaels, Ph.D., MPH to serve as the next head of OSHA, according to the Associated Press.
Michaels is currently the research professor and interim chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.
Sterilization expectations from The Joint Commission
There’s been quite a bit of controversy surrounding The Joint Commissions’ recent position on sterilization requirements. In its attempt to solidify some survey standards, it seems The Joint has issued some confusion instead.
Many healthcare workers familiar with the sterilization process question whether The Joint Commission consulted many expert sources, since some of the terminology in the position statement seems dated.
OHA is a’ twitter
Yes, OSHA Healthcare Advisor is twittering.
An increasing number of people are using—make that getting hooked on—the social media network, which allows users to send out quick, 140-character updates on what they’re doing and what they’re interested in.
Time for Feds to turn to ATD standard
Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in California doesn’t necessarily stay to California.
The July 20 issue of Inside OSHA reports that the House Appropriations Committee would like to see OSHA develop an airborne transmissible disease (ATD) standard in fiscal 2010 similar to the one recently approved in California.
Weekly Poll: Workplace MRSA infections
Prevention of MDROs including MRSA is a major concern for healthcare facilities large and small. In smaller facilities in particular, one study has shown MDROs are increasingly dangerous.
Although much of the focus remains on patient safety, the spread of bacteria can potentially infect workers as well, which highlights the importance for enforcement of best-practices and proper use of personal protective equipment.
Profiting from H1N1
Swine flu may be the goose the lays the golden respirator for 3M.
The company which is a major manufacturer in providing N95 disposable respirators for protection from novel influenza H1N1 will invest $20 million to increase production—upping the capacity worldwide by 10 percent—reports Bloomberg, July 23.
Notes from the field: You really don’t need a designer first-aid kit
When I do my mock OSHA inspections, I always ask to see the staff first-aid kit. The majority of the time the staff will tell me they use the STAT kit required by the insurance carriers.
I proceed to inform them that OSHA regulations/guidelines pertain to the employees, not the patients. OSHA requires that all medical workplaces have supplies to handle minor emergencies. OSHA requires a separate, readily available, first-aid kit for employee injuries.
During this last inspection, the manager smiled broadly and stated that she had personally bought the first-aid kit. She left the room to retrieve the kit.
Ask the expert: Trainer qualifications for fit testing
Q: Who would be qualified to do N95 respirator fit testing in our practice?
A: OSHA does not have a certification requirement for fit test training, only that the person be familiar with one of the two acceptable fit test methods as well as the limitations of the models of respirators being tested:
An OSHA Q&A on MRSA infections in the workplace
Working in a healthcare facility of any size means exposure to highly contagious MDROs such as MRSA is an everyday occurrence. By wearing the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and following standard precautions, workers can protect themselves from these infections, but what if an employee claims their MRSA infection was contracted at work?
The following questions were submitted through email to an OSHA spokesperson for clarification on how to determine if a MRSA infection is workplace related.
