There are four generally agreed upon categories of workplace violence. Once you know what the categories of violence are you and your employer can practice ways to protect you, co-workers, and the public from ha
Unexpected emergencies occur every day in many facilities, including laboratories, offices, and residential buildings. It might be a fire, flood, earthquake, shooting, tornado, or hazardous chemical spill. If you don’t know what to do during an emergency the odds increase that you or others around you will be injured or killed.
A helicopter transfer may be needed due to the remoteness of the patient when they need medical attention, or the severity of their need requires rapid transfer to hospital care. Sometimes they need to move to a different hospital for treatment. Whatever the specifics of the case, these medical needs are urgent and often life threatening. The fastest and safest way to get them to the care they need is by helicopter. But it’s not without risks.
A scientist was conducting an experiment using a portable fluorescent lighting rack. The lighting rack was plugged into an electric timer, which was plugged into the wall. However, since the timer only accepted a two-prong plug, an adapter was used to allow the three-prong plug of the lighting rack to be used with the two-prong outlet of the timer.
Since it was recognized in the late 1970s, allergies to latex have become a major health concern. Latex is used in a variety of applications and products, which leads to an increasing number of people in the workplace being affected.
A postdoc was badly scalded by water while removing items from the top autoclave of a tower-style autoclave. To autoclave her own materials, the doctor began to remove a load that belonged to another laboratory while standing on a low step-stool. The load in the autoclave consisted of a Nalgene tub that contained liter bottles of media with water around them. The water in the tub was near boiling temperature, and as the doctor attempted to remove it, the contents spilled down her torso and thighs.
All human body fluids, including sweat, saliva, vomit, and blood, can potentially be infected with bacteria or viruses. Some of these potentially infectious materials die almost immediately once outside of the body, but others can survive for several minutes, hours, or days in the air or on surfaces. Healthcare workers can never know until laboratory tests are returned which patients pose a threat.
We are all vulnerable to disasters–whether they’re the work of Mother Nature in the form of earthquake, tsunami, hurricane, tornado or flood or deliberate acts of mankind in the form of arson, bombing or other act of terrorism. Surviving such disasters often hinges on being prepared.
When a serious incident happens in the workplace, everyone will be busy dealing with the emergency. Helping injured victims, assessing if the danger has abated, trying to piece together what happened. So, it’s critical to be prepared to investigate an incident before one occurs.
Poisoning, accidental or intentional, causes significant harm or death to many US and Canadian people. Poisoning takes many forms as harmful chemicals can be breathed in, swallowed, touched or injected.
A laboratory was seriously damaged when the rotor of an ultracentrifuge failed while in use. Flying metal fragments damaged walls, the ceiling and other equipment. The shock wave blew out the laboratory's windows and shook down shelves.
Glutaraldehyde is a toxic chemical that is used in certain circumstances to disinfect and clean medical, surgical and dental equipment. It is used when equipment can’t be sterilized with heat, or if something can’t fit in a sterilizing unit.
An electrical burn occurs when skin meets an electrical voltage. It does not always leave a significant burn to the skin, but the electricity can cause significant internal damage to nerves, muscles and internal organs.
Two workers entered an unprotected trench (11 feet deep x 8 feet wide) to set new sections of pipe. Only one would survive.
Close to 400,000 healthcare workers a year sustain an injury by used hypodermic needles and other sharp instruments such as a scalpel blade and suture needles.
Recently, a researcher left a lit Bunsen burner inside a BSC, closed the sash and walked away. The type of biological safety cabinet she was using recirculates about 70% of the air with 30% of the air going out of the exhaust.
Housekeeping staff working in healthcare play an important role in keeping the environment safe for patients, staff, and visitors. They may not provide direct clinical care to patients, but they work around patients, and in areas where clinical care has been given.
Use this checklist as a starting point and edit the list as necessary for location specific regulations and work performed.
Staph is a very common, generally problem free, bacteria that lives in the nose or on the skin of up to 1 in 3 people. Staph only causes a problem if it gets somewhere it shouldn't, such as into a wound, or the blood. Staph can be easily treated with antibiotics but over time some bacteria have developed a resistance. These strains are commonly known as MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and can cause a variety of problems ranging from skin infections to pneumonia.
Infections are a serious problem in healthcare facilities. Many people develop an infection while using healthcare services. Such infections are known as healthcare associated infections (HAI).
Slips, trips, and falls are consistently rank as one of the top 2 causes of injuries and deaths on the job. Our contributor, Zachary O’Dell from SafetyLine asks, “Have you taken these 6 precautions to avoid injuries in your own workplace?”
During a busy shift, an OB technician helped with many crash deliveries and operations. Consequently, surgical instruments and trays that should have been washed, piled up on the sink counter and eventually knocked over a gallon jug of 4% formaldehyde. The employee was in and out of the utility room, doing the dishes between surgeries, and noticed that her throat was sore.
Hazardous walking and working surfaces account for hundreds of thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths every year. This translates into billions of dollars spent on work comp, lost-time injuries, and days away from work. Set yourself, your employees, and your organization up for success by doing your part to keep these surfaces safe.
Infographic - summer safety
Flammable and combustible liquids are responsible for workplace fires and fires at home. You may not realize it, but you probably have at least a few containers hanging out in your garage, basement, or under the kitchen sink.
Since it's your first time, you may want to checkout some of the video tutorials.
800-ICW-SAFETY (800.429.7233)
SAFETYOnDemand@icwgroup.com