Category Archives: Healthcare

In a single year, an estimated 20 million people, globally, acquired HBV infections from unsafe MEDICAL injections.

Biohazard Waste Disposal, Healthcare, Healthcare Industry, Healthy Living, Hygiene And Infection Control, Medical Waste Disposal, Public Safety, Removal Of Hazards

To me this is a rather scary number. The amount of people injured from unsafe injections and acquired HBV infections is 20 million, and that’s just the beginning. This calculation hasn’t factored in people getting pricked from used needles and other such outbreaks related to Bloodborne Pathogens and unsafe needle use and disposal.  In fact risks may go unreported; 35 hepatitis OUTBREAKS from healthcare settings were reported to the CDC from 2008 to 2012 and furthermore  one outbreak can affect THOUSANDS of people; 35 outbreaks resulted in the notification of more than 100,000 people who needed to be tested for hepatitis. Healthcare workers often do NOT report their sharps injuries; estimates of under-reporting are 22% to 99%.

Now some of these injuries and accident are possibly unavoidable, no matter how much laws, regulations and safeguards are in place accidents can always occur, however, everyone can do their part to help these number decrease, and the first step is knowing and being able to recognize and correct unsafe situations before an accident occurs. The key to this is the OSHA Training program, which is designed to explain and insure that you know everything necessary to stay safe and compliant.

Our OSHA Compliance program is a comprehensive, user friendly program that will train and certify you and your employees in OSHA compliance. In addition it provides step by step instructions and the ability to create a working safety plan, perform safety audits, search and save MSDS’s, ICD’s and more.

For more information visit our OSHA Training page

 

BLOODBORNE INFECTIOUS DISEASES: HIV/AIDS, HEPATITIS B, HEPATITIS C

Healthcare, Healthcare Industry, Hygiene And Infection Control, Public Safety, Regulatory Compliance

EMERGENCY NEEDLESTICK INFORMATION

Overview

Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needlestick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. The pathogens of primary concern are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Workers and employers are urged to take advantage of available engineering controls and work practices to prevent exposure to blood and other body fluids.

for more info http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/bbp/

Quick tips to handling BBP’s (Bloodborne Pathogens)

Healthcare, Regulatory Compliance

 

 

Here are a few simple rules to follow when faced with the possibility of exposure to bloodborne pathogens, or any body fluids for that matter. This information is presented as guidelines for both employees and employers. The American Heart Association calls it “Making a PACT, Know How to Act.”

PROTECT — Protect yourself from blood or blood-containing materials. This includes wearing protective equipment such as gloves and goggles and using a breathing barrier if you are performing CPR. Consider your options if you find yourself with no protective equipment.

ACT — If you find you have come into contact with another person’s blood or other body fluids, act quickly and safely. Wash the area immediately with hot, soapy water for up to a minute before rinsing. If your eyes have been contaminated, flush them with clean water for up to five minutes. If a flushing agent is not available at the scene, have someone get water for you. Firefighters or paramedics can assist you if they are still at the scene.

CLEAN — After an emergency, especially in the shop area or office, clean any areas contaminated with blood or body fluids. Wear protective equipment. Clean the area with a solution of one part Clorox and eight parts water. Completely flush the area and let the solution stand for at least three minutes. Be careful when wiping up the area, especially if you are dealing with broken glass or wood or metal splinters. Put all soiled items, including soiled cleaning materials, in a plastic bag and take it to the dumpster as soon as you are finished. If there is an injection device (such as a needle) involved, try to give it to the medics or firefighters before they leave; otherwise, get it in the dumpster and use extreme caution while doing so.

TELL — Report the incident immediately to your supervisor or human resources department. Ask for a dated copy of the report (even if it is only handwritten).

Are you OSHA Compliant?

Healthcare, Regulatory Compliance

1. Are you OSHA certified?

2. Are all your MSDS’s compiled and easily accessible?

3. Can you easily search and save ICD’s ?

4. Do you have a working Safety Plan?

If you answered no to any of these questions, we can help! Our easy-to-use OSHA compliance training program makes it easy for you become OSHA certified, search and save all your MSDS’s in one location online (no more  printing and maintaining a huge paper folder), and create a working Safety Plan in less then an hour.

Click here to find out more about our OSHA Compliance Program

 

Some OSHA Statistics

Healthcare, Regulatory Compliance
1.  At medical offices and clinics, 73% of OSHA penalties cited the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
2.  Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) was also the most frequently violated standard cited by OSHA at residential care facilities, hospitals, AND dental offices.
3.  At medical AND dental offices and clinics, the second most commonly cited standard that resulted in fines was Hazard Communication (HazCom).
4.  HazCom was the 3rd most frequently cited standard that resulted in penalties for hospitals AND residential care facilities.
5.  The deadline for HazCom Training on recent changes to the Hazard Communication Standard is Dec 1, 2013.
6.   Initial amounts for OSHA violations of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard can be as high as $40,000+.
7.    In April 2012, OSHA announced it would be targeting nursing homes and residential care facilities for the next three years. It is also inspecting surgical centers, medical practices, and dental offices.
8.   Proposed OSHA fines for nongovernment healthcare facilities can be as much as $89,000.
9.   The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 600,000 sharps injuries, such as needlesticks, annually among healthcare workers, placing them at risk of exposure to viruses for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
10.  Other important standards for healthcare related offices and facilities are Respiratory Protection, Portable Fire Extinguishers, and Eyewash requirements.