[NRSKarenRN]

Updated extensively 5/25/07

Health & Safety Issues
American Journal of Nursing - December, 2002 - Volume 102, Issue 12

On the Web
The Internet provides a wealth of information for controlling hazards.

By Susan Wilburn, MPH, RN
http://www.ana.org/AJN/2002/dec/Health.htm
Where can I find reliable health and safety information on the Internet?

Two Web sites from the federal agencies:
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), are among the best sources on the Web for information about health and hazards to health care workers and resources for prevention and control of hazards. Following are some other useful sites.

General health and safety

The American Nurses Association web page

ANA’s health and safety columns in AJN

OSHA Office of Occupational Health Nursing

OSHA eTools and Electronic Products for Compliance Assistance(eCAT). Helps workers and employers identify and address potential occupational hazards in hospitals by describing standard requirements and safe work practices.

OSHA Workers' PageWhat are my rights under OSHA? The OSH Act grants workers important rights.

NIOSH/Health Care Workers Guidelines/Title Page

Women's Safety and Health Issues at Work -- From The National ...


American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
Guidelines for Employee Health Services in Health Care Facilities


The AFL-CIO health and safety page Safety & Health at Work

The National Network of Committees on Occupational Safety and Health, which forms committees around the United States to advocate for health and safety programs.


Sustainable Hospitals Project (SHP) at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell has a Web-based clearinghouse for selecting products and work practices that eliminate or reduce hazards.


Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E), a joint project of the ANA, the American Hospitals Association, Health Care Without Harm, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Bloodborne pathogens and preventing needlestick injuries


ANA’s Needlestick Prevention Web site.


OSHA’s needlestick Web pages.


CDC Guidelines for the management of occupational exposure to HBV, HCV, and HIV and recommendations for postexposure prophylaxis.


NIOSH alert on preventing needlestick injuries.
NIOSH safer medical device implementation in health care facilities:
lessons learned.


National Institutes of Health consensus statement on hepatitis C, 2002.


Safety feature evaluation forms and clinical simulations for safer device evaluation and selection.


Virginia Univ.: EPINET-- Statistics about exposures to blood, an epidemiological program for needlestick injury recording, and a list of sharps with engineered safety features.

Tuberculosis (TB) and control of airborne pathogens

NIOSH and CDC respiratory protection program administrator’s guide.

CDC guidelines for preventing TB transmission of mycobacterium

OSHA enforcement policy on TB


Safe patient handling and lifting (including no-lift policies)

The Department of Veterans Affairs Patient Safety Center Web site provides background and tools for a comprehensive program of safe patient lifting and handling.

OJIN: Evidence-Based Practices for Safe Patient Handling and Movement

ANA: Handle with Care campaign
The Elimination of Manual Patient Handling to Prevent Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Violence in the workplace
OSHA guidelines for preventing workplace violence for health care and service workers

ANA: Workplace Violence, Can you close the door on it?


Latex allergy
ANA brochure Latex Allergy:
Protect Yourself, Protect Your Patients

OSHA Technical Information Bulletin Potential for Allergy to Natural Rubber Latex Gloves and other Natural Rubber Products


NIOSH alert—preventing allergic reactions to rubber latex in the workplace

Chemicals and hazardous drugs
OSHA hazardous drugs Web page index with links to guidelines to control exposure to hazardous drugs.


NIOSH- Glutaraldehyde:
occupational health hazards in hospitals.

[pickledpepperRN]

Wow! Valuable resources.
Thank you, Karen.

[SUE BUTTERMORE]

Going to NIOSH for safety and health issues in your workplace has been marginally effective at best for our RN's. Even before the hurricanes hit there were substantial mold and air quality issues in one of the buildings due to a persisitently leaking roof that the hosptial adminstration kept patching when the building needed a new roof. (money was the reason the kept patching it) Several RN's continued to report respiratory symptoms and one RN grew MRSA and MOLD in her sinuses! Patients and management were also experincing symptoms. Finally one of the MD's found a mushroom growing out of the baseboard in his office! Despite filing grievances over this issue, management insisited the air quality was decent. We asked NIOSH to intervene. At first they just sent recommendations to the hospital, and the hospital said it followed them, but the repiratory symptoms of RN's, other staff, and patients continued. They attempted to remedy the problem by replacing wall paper,cleaning vent covers, replacing some carpet and repainting but the black mold kept growing thru it. Finally NIOSH Rep came down, yet the hospital refused to let him inspect. seeing as how he was not from a regulatory agency, they did not have to let him inspect. After haggling by Lawyers over this, NIOSH was allowed to inspect. Lo and behold they have verbally reported they felt the air quality was okay. (We have yet to see the written report) Hmmmm, sounds really fishy, since the RN's are continuing to report respiratory problems and more mushrooms growing from baseboards! There are many MD's who refuse to enter this building because it is a sick building and even the Workman's Comp Representative has told two of the RN's that they are aware that this is a sick building. The reality is all government agencies are now controlled by a federal government that consistently puts corporate interests over the interests of the people they are supposed to represent. Mushrooms growing out of baseboards! And NIOSH did not come down hard on this company! Something is very wrong. Good luck in trying to get any support from these agencies!