Author Archive for: David LaHoda
Ask the expert: OSHA fire drill requirements
November 6th, 2009 
Q: What are the OSHA fire drill requirements for medical and dental offices?
A: Federal OSHA does not specifically require fire drills, but the agency’s Small Business Handbook recommends that employers “conduct frequent drills to ensure that all employees know what to do under stressful conditions.”
OSHA violations by healthcare facility type
November 5th, 2009
Total OSHA fines were down across all types of healthcare facilities as of the end the federal government’s fiscal year 2009, according to OSHA Statistics and Data Web page. (www.osha.gov/oshstats/index.html, accessed October 5, 2009.)
Medical and dental practices and hospitals saw the greatest decreases, 30%-40%, with nursing care facilities and laboratories showing more modest decreases at 12%-14%.
Authors of N95 study retract findings
November 4th, 2009
Talk about throwing a monkey wrench into the swine-flu preparedness works.
The authors of a key study on N95 respirator use for H1N1 influenza protection have retracted their conclusion about favoring N95 masks over surgical or procedure masks, according to a October 31 MedPage Today article.
Nurses group to CDC: No excuse for N95 shortage
November 3rd, 2009
Given all the warnings to prepare for pandemic influenza during the past few years, it is just inexcusable for employers to shortchange nurses by not providing proper respiratory protection with N95 respirators, says the American Nurses Association (ANA).
Ask the expert: Who can perform needlestick evaluations?
November 3rd, 2009
Q: May the licensed healthcare professional indicated in the postexposure evaluation be nurses or physician assistants (PA) and from our practice?
Fast-track guide to H1N1 OSHA compliance
October 29th, 2009
The H1N1 Preparedness–Lessons Learned & Successful Strategies webinar presented by Premier, Inc. on October 28 excellently distilled CDC and OSHA compliance issues for protecting workers from H1N1.
The key is to customize your policy while staying within CDC recommendations and OSHA regulations. Sure that takes more time and effort, but it gives you more flexibility, for compliance.
I have found that so much angst about not having N95 respirators and not being able to fit test and train employees to use them is because healthcare facilities have jumped to the personal protective equipment (PPE) option without working through the hierarchy of controls and prioritization of PPE.
ANA nixes forced flu shots, except under special circumstances
October 28th, 2009
Except for that nuisance of a line between theory and practice, the American Nurses Association (ANA) might support mandatory flu vaccinations for the profession.
Acknowledging H1N1 as a public health emergency, the ANA is “urging all registered nurses to get the H1N1 vaccine to protect themselves, their families, and the patients they serve,” according to an October 27 news release, yet it stops short of supporting mandatory flu shots.
Getting schooled: N95 and surgical mask 101
October 27th, 2009
With all the hubbub concerning whether to use N95 respirators or surgical/procedure masks for H1N1 protection, NIOSH posted a nice piece on the history, development, and effectiveness of these medical devices on its science blog.
Ask the expert: Voluntary use of N95 respirators
October 23rd, 2009
Q: A worker who is not exposed to H1N1 influenza patients wants to wear an N95 respirator. We are not opposed to this but wonder what we must do for OSHA compliance? Normally her duties would not require her to be part of our respiratory protection plan.
H1N1 respirator vs. mask Xs and Os
October 22nd, 2009
Did your healthcare facility cover the spread on H1N1 respiratory protection? If not, your facility is probably scrambling to acquire N95 respirators and figuring out how to fit-test and educate employees on their use.
At the risk of delving into Monday-morning quarterbacking, did you really think the CDC was going to say it was OK to use surgical masks over the more highly-protective N95 respirators in protecting U.S. healthcare workers from H1N1 influenza? Apparently, others thought so, too.
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David LaHoda
David LaHoda, the managing editor of Medical Environment Update and OSHA Watch, has produced healthcare training videos and consulted for medical practices and ambulatory healthcare facilities.
David has written 187 posts.
