Hospital Employee Health – August 1, 2007
August 1, 2007
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NIOSH to mandate better-fitting respirators, ease fit-test requirements
Better-fitting respirators are on the horizon. Newly proposed criteria will require manufacturers to prove that their N95 filtering facepiece respirators meet a minimal level of fit -- right out of the box. -
CDC issues new checklist for pandemic planning
A new checklist for pandemic influenza planning emphasizes the role of occupational health to manage absenteeism, symptom surveillance, and personnel needs. -
XDR-TB incident raises specter of quarantine
Andrew Speaker causes an international incident by getting on an airplane although he has been diagnosed with active XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis) — and asked not to travel. -
Blood test shifts HCWs from TB-positive to negative
Switching from the skin test to the blood test can completely change the profile of your tuberculosis screening program, as many TB-positive employees suddenly learn that they are not infected. -
NIOSH being marginalized? GAO study called for
Concerned that occupational health and safety research is getting short shrift from the Bush administration, professional organizations are calling for a study of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and a commitment to boosting its financial resources. -
Patient safety suffers with poor work conditions
Patients in intensive care units are more likely to develop serious and possibly deadly infections if units were understaffed and nurses worked more overtime. -
Hospital battles depression in the workplace
Listless, fatigued, emotionally drained. Employees are dragging themselves to work despite a bout of depression. And while they may not see much hope that they will feel better, you should.