Hospital Employee Health – December 1, 2011
December 1, 2011
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Stymied OSHA is politically incorrect in campaign season
Growing anti-regulatory pressure and presidential politics bring new hurdles for the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which was already known for its snail-like pace of rulemaking. The agency has delayed the release of several key regulations, and observers expect little to emerge in the midst of an election year. -
A look at the top 10 hazardous industries
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these industries had the highest rates of work-related injury and illness in the United States in 2010: -
HCWs aren't healthy — and that is costly
America's health care workers may provide the best of care to their patients, but they aren't very good at caring for their own health. They have a greater burden of chronic diseases than other workers which also means higher medical costs for their employers. -
Wellness a winner for hospitals, HCWs
Almost six years ago, OhioHealth in Columbus began to face up to a problem: Many employees at the multi-hospital system in central Ohio were unhealthy. They were smokers, overweight, physically inactive, stressed out. -
Seek best practice for protection
Two years after the emergence of the H1N1 pandemic, hospitals are still learning lessons that may help avert serious problems in a future outbreak. Respiratory protection in particular became a contentious issue during the pandemic, and it remains an area of concern. -
Don't make an N95 fashion statement
Beware of the beautiful respirator. Efforts to make a fashion statement with an N95 respirator degrade the protective qualities and negate its approval by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, says Roland Berry Ann, deputy director of NIOSH's National Personal Protective Technology Lab. -
CA law calls for hospital lift teams
Lift teams are now the law in California. After seven years and five vetoes, a safe patient handling bill was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown that requires hospitals to have "trained lift teams or other support staff trained in safe lifting techniques." -
Hired hands can boost no-lift efforts
As hospitals ramp up their efforts to provide safe patient handling, there's also an increase in the services available to help them. In fact, even beyond training and traditional consulting, hospitals now can hire contracted lift teams. -
New spotless spotlight shines on EVS workers
Cleaning patient's rooms may not seem like the most important job in the hospital. But environmental service workers save lives in their own way by preventing the spread of infections. A new spotlight on their role may boost the resources, communication and training focused on this group of workers. -
OSHA offers resource on lab safety
With a myriad of potential hazards, laboratories need a complex array of safety measures. They must develop a Chemical Hygiene Plan, detailing how they will minimize the risk of exposure to chemicals, monitor the workplace and respond to exposures. Beyond the Laboratory Standard, there are a number of other regulatory standards that impact labs, including respiratory protection, hazard communications, control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) and personal protective equipment.