SAFETY in Healthcare

Who ensures Safety in the Work Place?

Government agencies

Facility Safety Officer

Government Agencies

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Established in 1970 Created by Congress to assure safe and

healthful working conditions Set and enforce standards of safety in

the work place Provide training, education and

assistance Enforces precautions in the healthcare field

set forth by the CDC.

Government Agencies

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Conducts research and makes

recommendations for the prevention of work-related disease and injury

Is part of the CDC

Government Agencies

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Provide education, immunization and

other health services

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Ensure safety for food, cosmetics and

medicine/medical devices

Government Agencies

Environmental and Protection Agency (EPA) Regulates waste disposal,

including needles and bio-hazardous wastes.

Facility Safety Officer

Responsibilities

Education Trains employees on accident prevention

Equipment use

Accident Investigations Find cause for accident

Ways to prevent accidents

Inspections of Equipment, facility Ensures all equipment is working properly

Building is up to code

Compliance with OSHA

Accidents in the Work Place

Usually due to Poor judgment Physical Limitations Lack of Training

All accidents MUST be reported and documented.

Preventing Accidents in the Work Place

Know your Physical Environment Chemical Safety Patient Care Safety

Safety in the Physical

Environment Know your Surroundings

Safety policies and procedures for your facility

Operate only the equipment your are trained to use.

Report all accidents, spills, and damaged equipment IMMEDIATELY

Safety in the Physical

Environment Electrical Safety

DO NOT USE frayed or damaged electrical cords. Do not use a piece of equipment that

does not have a third grounding prong.

Do not use damaged electrical outlets

Do not tug or pull on the cord of equipment to unplug it from the wall.

Chemical Safety

Uses in the Healthcare Facility Medications

Chemotherapy Drugs

Specimen Collection and Preservation Formalin

RPMI 1640 medium

Cleaning Bleach

Cidex

Chemical Safety

Never use any product that does not have a readable label, ALL chemical products MUST have a Label.

Read label at least 3 times before using product

Wear protective equipment when handling chemicals

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) any type of garment or equipment that

imposes a barrier between the wearer/user and the working environment. Gloves, goggles, mask, gown, shoe

covers.

Chemical Safety

Never mix chemicals or solutions

Know where spill kits are located

Report all spills

Chemical Safety

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) is a document that contains information on

the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical product. Contains information on how to use, store, handle, and emergency procedures on the hazardous material.

Manufactures must provide a copy of the MSDS for all products they sell

Facilities must have an MSDS on ALL chemicals in the facility

Chemical Safety

Information on a MSDS Chemical Name

Manufacturer’s Name and address

Safety Limit Exposures

Health Hazards (symptoms of overexposure)

How to handle chemical (use of gloves, goggles) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

any type of garment or equipment that imposes a barrier between the wearer/user and the working environment.

Chemical Safety

Information on a MSDS Flammability Level

Reactivity Level

What to do if chemical is exposed to skin or mucous membranes

How to handle/clean spills Is it diluted or powder used

Hazardous Rating for chemical Based on a scale of 0 to 4

0= no hazard

4=extreme hazard

Safety in Patient Care

Identify the patient Use to identifiers, patients name and date of birth

Have patient state this information to you

Be sure the patient knows the bathroom location Assist patient if

Received medication

Unsteady gate

disoriented

Provide privacy for the patient Pull curtains

Knock before entering

Safety in Patient Care

Only preform procedures that you have been trained on Explain procedure before preforming

Observe patient at all times Document and report any changes

Always ensure patient safety Assist patients when need

Lower and Lock beds

Raise siderails when needed

Safety and Emergency Signs

Essential to recognize safety insignia

Labels, signs and symbols are required to be posted by OSHA

Most insignia are standard in America

Safety and Emergency Signs

Biohazard Sign

Indicates actual or potential presence of a biohazard (any

item or material that is dangerous

to a person’s health)

Safety and Emergency Signs

Fire ExtinguisherIndicates that an

extinguisher is located in the area

Safety and Emergency Signs

First AidIndicates that first

aid or medical equipment/personel is located at this position

Safety and Emergency Signs

AED NearbyAutomated External

Defibrillatora portable device that

checks the heart rhythm and can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA)

Safety and Emergency Signs

GENERAL SIGNS

Eye Wash Station

device designed to wash chemicals bodily fluids, or foreign objects out of a person’s eye in the event of an exposureMounted to a sink

facuet or a specially designed sink

Safety and Emergency Signs

HandicapIndicates the route

that a handicap person should take

Safety and Emergency

It is the employee’s responsibility to know the facility’s safety practices, codes and disaster plans

Know the plans for Bomb threat/unruly person/internal

threat Dangerous/hazardous weather Hazardous spills Fire

Fire Safety

Are a dangerous threat do to

oxygen presence

chemicals

electricity

equipment

Fire SafetyFIRE

TRIANGLE3 elements are needed for fire

FuelSomething that will

burn

HeatTemperature high

enough to allow something to burn

Sparks, matches

QxygenFeeds the fire

Present in the air

Fire Safety

All 3 elements present a fire can occur

If one element is missing, a fire will not occur

Successful removal of one or more elements will stop a fire that has begun.

Fire Extinguishers

Classified according to the type of fires they extinguish

Extinguishers are labeled with a diagram or letter showing which type they are used for

6 Types

Fire Extinguishers

A---Used on ordinary combustibles

wood, cloth, paper

Uses pressurized water

B---Used on flammable liquids and gases

paint, oil, gasoline, grease

Uses carbon dioxide to smother fire

leaves a snow like residue

Fire Extinguishers

C---Used on electrical fires

electrical outlet, wiring, appliances

D---Used on burning combustible metals

magnesium, titanium and sodium

K---Used on cooking media

vegetable oil, animal fats

Fire Extinguishers

ABC---most common extinguisher Used on A, B, and C fires Uses Potassium Bicarb to

extinguisher fire

Fire Safety

So what do you do if you have a fire?

Fire Safety

YOU R.A.C.E.

R=Rescue (remove people from the area)

A=Alarm (someone pulls alarm, announces code over head)

C=Contain (close all doors, move behind fire walls)

E=Evacuate or Extinguish

FIRE SAFETY

TRY to extinguisher the fire

How to use an extinguisher

P.A.S.S.

Fire Safety

P=Pull the Pin

A=Aim at the base of the fire

S=Squeeze the handle

S=Sweep nozzle from side to side to displace oxygen

Fire Safety

Know your facilities evacuation plan and meeting location.

Know where alarms and extinguishers are located

Keep areas uncluttered and free of debris

Fire Safety

Never use elevators during a fire

Evacuate ambulatory patients first, then wheelchair-bound, then bed bound.

If possible have a list of patients and employees in the facility, do a head count upon arrival to meeting place.

Needle Safety