scholarly journals Hospital Workplace Violence Prevention in California: New Regulations

2017 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia (Pidge) Gooch
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Risk Identification ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Occupational Health Nurse

In response to startling statistics in the increasing number of workplace violence (WPV) incidents against health care workers, California employers across the continuum of care are preparing their organizations to comply with California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (CAL/OSHA) regulation SB 1299. This groundbreaking legislation requires hospitals and other health care settings to implement written strategic prevention plans and broaden the identification and reporting of incidents related to WPV. Also included in the law is a minimum staff education requirement and formal risk identification and mitigation plans. The occupational health nurse will play a critical role in preparing health care organizations and staff in this endeavor.

Strategies and Tools to Reduce Workplace Violence

AAOHN Journal ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 449-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Gallant-Roman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Full Time Equivalent ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Violence Prevention Program ◽  
In The Beginning

The U.S. health care system is in the beginning of a crisis that can barely be comprehended. If projections are accurate, the demand for nurses will increase 40% and a 400,000-hour full-time equivalent registered nurse shortfall will occur by 2020. Not only are nurses leaving the field, but fewer candidates are entering. The reasons are unclear, but research has shown that nursing is a dangerous occupation—four times more dangerous than most other occupations. Protection from an unsafe workplace is guaranteed under Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, and many national and international groups call for zero tolerance of workplace violence. Health care worksites must develop specific plans to minimize and prevent workplace violence. Additional research is necessary to determine which methods are most effective. This article examines the necessary components of a workplace violence prevention program.

scholarly journals Strategies and Tools to Reduce Workplace Violence

AAOHN Journal ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 449-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary A. Gallant-Roman
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Violence Prevention ◽  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Full Time Equivalent ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Violence Prevention Program ◽  
In The Beginning

The U.S. health care system is in the beginning of a crisis that can barely be comprehended. If projections are accurate, the demand for nurses will increase 40% and a 400,000-hour full-time equivalent registered nurse shortfall will occur by 2020. Not only are nurses leaving the field, but fewer candidates are entering. The reasons are unclear, but research has shown that nursing is a dangerous occupation—four times more dangerous than most other occupations. Protection from an unsafe workplace is guaranteed under Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, and many national and international groups call for zero tolerance of workplace violence. Health care worksites must develop specific plans to minimize and prevent workplace violence. Additional research is necessary to determine which methods are most effective. This article examines the necessary components of a workplace violence prevention program.

scholarly journals NSI: A major occupational hazards among the health care workers in Nepal

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaita Mondal
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Body Fluid ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Needle Stick Injury ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
B Virus

A percutaneous piercing wound as in needle stick injury is a typically set by a needle point, but possibly also by other sharp instruments or objects. These events are of concern because of the risk to transmit blood-borne diseases through the passage of the hepatitis B virus (HBV), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the virus which causes AIDS. The present study was done to determine the risk status regarding NSI among health care workers of Private Hospitals, Pokhara, Nepal. Samples were selected through purposive sampling. Self administered questionnaire & risk assessment tool were used to collect data. Study revealed that majority of health care workers were females (93%) with mean age of 22.66 years (±3.1). Sixty eight percent had got NSI, among them 41% had NSI more than 2times in life. Maximum NSI cases happened either by recapping of the needle (18%) or during disposal of sharps (16%) or while transferring a body fluid (blood) to a specimen bottle (15%). The study concludes that majority of health workers had NSI more than two times which denotes NSI is a major occupational hazard. Cases happened either by recapping of the needle or during disposal of sharps or while transferring a body fluid to a specimen bottle. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i1.9098   International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 3 No 1 (2013) 22-25

scholarly journals Occupational Health and Hazards among Health Care Workers

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tirthankar Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Health ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v3i1.9096 International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 3 No 1 (2013) 1 - 4

Workplace Violence in Healthcare: Strategies for Advocacy

2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
AnnMarie Papa ◽  
Jeanne Venella
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Violence ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Financial Impact ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Personal Safety ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Legislative Advocacy ◽  
Violent Acts ◽  
Advocacy Strategies ◽  
Jury Awards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that over 2 million American workers are victims of workplace violence each year. Violence can strike any workplace; no area is immune. But who may be more at risk? Commonly, violence occurs at work and refers to a broad spectrum of behaviors (e.g., violent acts by patients, visitors, and/or coworkers) that result in a concern for personal safety. This article provides a brief overview of workplace violence, and discusses the settings where it often occurs. The authors consider the direct and indirect financial impact of violent acts, such as jury awards for injuries; higher than average turnover; increased requests for medical leaves; unusually high time and attendance issues; and stress related illnesses. Advocacy strategies for nurses are offered to address workplace violence on several levels, such as legislative advocacy, workplace policy, and education.

Employee Health Surveillance in the Health Care Industry

AAOHN Journal ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 423-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Hood ◽  
Michael Larrañaga
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Health Care Industry ◽  
Health Surveillance ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Surveillance Program ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Care Industry ◽  
Safety And Health

This article provides an overview of the fundamental and inherent challenges in developing a health surveillance program for a health care facility. These challenges are similar to those facing individuals responsible for developing health surveillance programs for multiple industries because several “mini-industries” exist within hospitals. Hazards can range from those that are regulated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to those that are unregulated but pose a threat to health care workers. Occupational hazards that are unique to the health care industry also exist. A health surveillance program can be developed with focused assessment and a strong occupational safety and health program. Implementation can occur within a health care setting with the buy-in of the many stakeholders involved, especially supervisors managing departments where chemical and other hazards are present.

Recent Developments in Health Law

1994 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-92
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Health Administration ◽  
Bloodborne Pathogens ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Safety And Health

In American Dental Association v. Martin, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reviewed a challenge to a rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). In December, 1991, OSHA passed a standard to protect health care workers from viruses transmitted by blood—bloodborne pathogens—including the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and the human immunodeficiency virus, the virus known to cause AIDS. Three health care organizations, whose members are dentists, medical personnel firms, and home health employers, petitioned the court to review OSHA's rule.The Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed to assure employees that they would have as safe and healthy a working environment as feasible. Congress sought to ensure this by vesting the Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health with the authority to promulgate mandatory safety and health standards. In promulgating standards concerning toxic materials or harmful physical agents, the secretary sets rules that most adequately assure that an employee will not suffer a material impairment of health or functional capacity while performing work-related duties.

scholarly journals Respiratory Protection Toolkit

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 596-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Ann Bien ◽  
Gordon Lee Gillespie ◽  
Cynthia Ann Betcher ◽  
Terri L. Thrasher ◽  
Donna R. Mingerink
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
Interdisciplinary Collaboration ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Observation Data ◽  
Respiratory Protection ◽  
Respiratory Illnesses ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Current Program

International travel and infectious respiratory illnesses worldwide place health care workers (HCWs) at increasing risk of respiratory exposures. To ensure the highest quality safety initiatives, one health care system used a quality improvement model of Plan-Do-Study-Act and guidance from Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) May 2015 Hospital Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) Toolkit to assess a current program. The toolkit aided in identification of opportunities for improvement within their well-designed RPP. One opportunity was requiring respirator use during aerosol-generating procedures for specific infectious illnesses. Observation data demonstrated opportunities to mitigate controllable risks including strap placement, user seal check, and reuse of disposable N95 filtering facepiece respirators. Subsequent interdisciplinary collaboration resulted in other ideas to decrease risks and increase protection from potentially infectious respiratory illnesses. The toolkit’s comprehensive document to evaluate the program showed that while the OSHA standards have not changed, the addition of the toolkit can better protect HCWs.

scholarly journals THE STATE OF SAFETY AND HYGIENE OF WORK OF MEDICAL WORKERS IN MODERN CONDITIONS

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 59-65
Author(s):  
V. Fedorchuk-Moroz ◽  
M. Rudynets ◽  
M.-B. Moroz
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Occupational Diseases ◽  
Occupational Safety ◽  
The State ◽  
Occupational Safety And Health ◽  
Safety And Health ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Coronavirus Infection

Problem. In modern conditions as health care workers are fighting the coronavirus infection, the state of their occupational safety and hygiene needs to be studied. The article is devoted to this problem.Aim. The work aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of occupational safety and hygiene of health care workers and develop recommendations for its improvement in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.Research methods. During performing the research used complex methods of scientific knowledge: the philosophi-cal (dialectical), general (methods of complex, formal-logical and systematic analysis and synthesis) and comparative-law.The object of the study is the safety and hygiene of health care workers.The scientific novelty lies in a comprehensive study of theoretical and practical aspects of occupational safety and hygiene of medical workers to reduce occupational injuries and occupational diseases, as well as to lower the degree of occupational risks.Results. The article considers the state of occupational safety and health of health care workers, who in the performance of their professional duties face a whole range of dangerous and harmful factors that can lead to the development of occupational diseases. Coronavirus infection paid particular attention. The article analyzes the latest research and publications on this issue, examines current law and regulations, considers the rights of physicians to healthy and safe working conditions.Conclusions and recommendations. In order to improve the state of occupational safety and hygiene of health care workers we recommend: to resume the operation of sanitary and epidemiological services in the country; to continue the educational training of epidemiologists and hygienists in universities; to ensure the organization of special training for all employees of medical institutions on modern methods of infection prevention, post-exposure prevention, as well as measures and means of infection control (introductory - during employment, periodic - once a year before the annual outbreak of infectious diseases, target - in case of sudden mass outbreaks of dangerous infections and their significant spread or after an occupational accident (infection)); to oblige to teach occupational safety disciplines in universities of medical profiles; at the state level to provide for the establishment of an appropriate system of occupational safety and health in the field of health care; to carry out obligatory assessment of working conditions and determination of the category of severity of work of medical workers; to provide all medical workers involved in the fight against infectious diseases with personal protective equipment at the required amount; to provide rational working and leisure conditions for medical workers in order to protect and preserve their health and ability to work; to ensure proper control over com-pliance with safety requirements when working with equipment that is a source of physically hazardous and harmful production factors; to carry out constant control over the amount of chemical and biological substances in the air of the working zone, air ionization, not allowing the maximum permissible concentrations to be exceeded.

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