Archive for: OSHA - General
Patient perturbed, doctor slain, but no finding for unsafe work conditions
The fatal shooting of a physician by a patient in a Kentucky medical clinic has police, workplace safety regulators, and healthcare workers pondering when disgruntled patients pose real threats for workplace violence.
On December 8, Dr. Dennis Sandlin was fatally shot in the Cornettsville clinic of Mountain Comprehensive Health Corporation, allegedly by John Charles Combs, according to a report obtained by the Lexington Herald Leader, March 6.
Using isopropyl alcohol in the lab
Q: The MSDS says to use isopropyl alcohol under a hood. Is that standard practice in a lab setting or are there occasions when isopropyl alcohol can be used without an exhaust hood? Also, are there products and services for measuring the air level of isopropyl alcohol in labs? Is this something the lab safety officer can do his/herself or is an expert needed to do this?
A: Isopropyl alcohol TWA is 400 ppm and STEL is 500 ppm. It would take a huge spill to even come close to those numbers.
Listening in as OSHA listens in
On Thursday, March 4, from 9:00 am – 6:00 pm ET, Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, will listen to about 45 stakeholders from a wide range of groups as they present their comments on key issues facing the agency during OSHA Listens.
And you can listen in on the proceedings by clicking here.
Weekly poll: Do you have AEDs in you facility?
February is American Heart Month, and as mentioned in a previous post, automated external defibrillators (AED) can be an important lifesaving device in workplaces.
Of the 220,000 victims of sudden cardiac arrest per year in the United States, about 10,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur at work. Waiting for emergency personnel to arrive results in only 5-7% survival, but immediate defibrillation can increase those odds to 60% survival one year after sudden cardiac arrest, says OSHA.
Does your facility have AEDs? Answer our poll question below.
Heart Month tip: Consider automated external defibrillators for your workplace
February is American Heart Month, and along with individuals’ assessing their part in responding to the leading cause of death in the United States, employers have an important decision, too.
“Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are an important lifesaving technology and may have a role to play in treating workplace cardiac arrest,” according OSHA’s AEDs in the Workplace safety and health page.
Why is tepid water required for emergency eyewashes and showers?
Q: Why is tepid water required for emergency eyewashes and showers?
A: In 1998, ANSI standard Z358.1 required the use of tepid water, and OSHA compliance officers use that guideline when they inspect facilities.
If tepid water is not available, the hot water tap to the eyewash station must be turned off at the source.
OSHA online training: A good safety prescription for your practice
If you have groups of employees for initial or annual OSHA training, an online training approach may be the way to go in protecting your workers while keeping you compliant with regulations.
OSHA proposes MSD check off for recordkeeping form
For businesses required to keep the OSHA Form 300 Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, OSHA is proposing to add a musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) check-off column. For those businesses unsure if they are required to keep the Form 300, see “Time to post your OSHA summary of injuries log…NOT.”
The rule doesn’t change the criteria for recording MSD-related injuries; it just makes the injuries easier to identify.
Time to post your OSHA summary of injuries log…NOT
No doubt this past month you have read or received in your email warnings that all businesses must post the OSHA 300-A form summary of last year’s injuries by February 1.
This is not entirely correct.
If your healthcare workplace is not a hospital or nursing care facility, there is a good chance you can ignore recording or posting injuries on any OSHA log.
Ask the expert: OSHA poster requirements
Q: What are the requirements for displaying the OSHA poster?
A: OSHA requires employers to continuously display a poster prepared by the U.S. Department of Labor that informs employees of protections afforded under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
