Author Archive for: David LaHoda

OSHA violations by healthcare facility type

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Ask the expert: Bloodborne pathogens training documentation

Q: What must I have on hand to document bloodborne pathogens training for
staff members?

A: “Training records shall be maintained for three years from the date on which the training occurred,” according to OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.

Those training records must include:

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 196 posts.

• Categories

  • Ask the Expert—Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Ask the expert—General OSHA
  • Ask the Expert—Hazard Communication
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Emergency Action Plans
  • Featured
  • First Aid
  • General Safety and Health
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Infection Control
  • Lab Safety
  • Needlesticks & Sharps Injuries
  • Notes from the field
  • OSHA – Citations & Fines
  • OSHA – General
  • Pandemic Influenza
  • Popular
  • Uncategorized
  • Waste Management
  • Weekly Poll Questions

• Archives

  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008

• Feeds

  • Subscribe to RSS Feed
  • Subscribe to Comments