Archive for: October, 2011
Weekly poll: CDC and minimum expectations for outpatient infection control
Outpatient settings such as hospital-based outpatient clinics, nonhospital-based clinics and physician offices, ambulatory surgical centers, and many other specialized settings, have drawn the attention of CDC recommendations for safe care, especially in the area of infection control. Does your outpatient setting meet the following requirement as identified by the CDC Guide to Infection Prevention for Outpatient Settings: Minimum Expectations for Safe Care: “Assure at least one individual with training in infection prevention is employed by or regularly available to the facility.”
Take our OSHA Healthcare Advisor Weekly Poll and let us know.
Ask the expert: What occupations are subject to bloodborne pathogens regulations?
Q: What healthcare occupations does the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard cover?
A: The Bloodborne Pathogens standard does not list occupations that are automatically covered. Instead, the standard identifies the condition of occupational exposure under which the standard would apply.
It’s time for hospitals to address workplace bullying
If you thought bullying was only a problem among teenagers in school settings, think again.
The November issue of Hospital Safety Center examines bullying in healthcare settings, how it relates to OSHA and workplace violence prevention, what the Joint Commission’s position is on the topic, and how to create an effective anti-bullying policy.
CDC posts infection control resources for patients with cancer
The CDC introduced new educational and patient care tools as part of agency’s Preventing Infections in Cancer Patients program. The resources include an interactive web site for patients with cancer, their caregivers, and health providers, and a Basic Infection Control and Prevention Plan for Outpatient Oncology Settings, according to an October 25 CDC news release.
FDA says no to jet injector flu shots
The FDA, in an October 21 announcement, is advising healthcare professionals not to use injector devices when administering flu shots, and recommends that all vaccines, including influenza, be administered in accordance in accordance to label instructions.
Weekly poll: Injury and illness rates in healthcare
In commenting on the latest report on report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis noted that workplace injury and illness rate in private sector healthcare was too high, 5.2 cases for every 100 equivalent full-time workers, compared to the national average of 3.5 cases. Do you think the workplace injury and illness rate in healthcare will ever approach the national average rate? Take our OSHA Healthcare Advisor Weekly Poll and let us know.
It’s the season to remind staff about holiday decoration policy rules
With Halloween fast approaching, it’s time to remind staff about safety compliance with regard to the variety of holiday decorations that will be present through the end of the year.
Well-timed handouts to staff can serve as reminders of how decorations can present fire dangers and trip hazards. The following are some compliance snags to worry about:
Workplace injuries decrease, but healthcare injury rates still too high
Workplace injuries and illnesses are down from last year, but the rates in some sectors such as healthcare and social assistance remain alarmingly high.
CDC: MRSA down but C. Difficile up
The CDC says that some healthcare-assisted infections are on the decline, but that clostridium difficile infections are increasing, reports HealthLeaders Media, October 20.
OSHA posts resource for respirator use in small businesses
A new publication will help small businesses to better understand respiratory protection regulation, according to an October 17 OSHA announcement.
Small Entity Compliance Guide for Respiratory Protection Standard provides a comprehensive step-by-step guide, complete with checklists and commonly asked questions, that will aid both employers and workers in small businesses, including small healthcare facilities such as medical and dental practices
Call for Life Safety Code® stories and best practices
Healthcare Life Safety Compliance, a newsletter for healthcare facility managers, plant operations professionals, and directors of engineering, is looking for best practices, compliance strategies, and advice on compliance with Life Safety Code® standards.
Study examines MRSA colonization the NICU
Infants in NICU units were more likely to be colonized with MRSA through siblings than from other patients with whom they share nursing care, according to study published in Pediatrics, October 17.
