Identify two hazardous chemicals to which workers are exposed in your facility. In any occupational environment, regardless of location and setting, employees will always be exposed some type of hazards or risk. Some hazards might small while others might be large and life threaten and the proper the precaution needs to be taking while facing or handling hazards materials. In any medical facilities around the country, the exposures to physical or chemical hazards are extremely high. Hospitals and medical facilities are traditionally risky environment to work in. Experience working in a clinic and hospital setting has proven that injury rates at medical facilities are higher than most other occupational settings. Slips, trips, and falls …show more content…
The clinic public health department catches mosquitoes to test for viruses that they might carry and the possibility of a west Nile virus or Ebola outbreak. A few authorized employees are allowed to deal with this chemical because of the hazards it possess. The easy and most common route of exposure to this chemical is Inhalation. Although this chemical is non –toxic, exposure to large amount without proper protective equipment can cause asphyxiation. Cryogenic liquid nitrogen can cause suffocation by displacing the oxygen in air and making difficulty to breath. Exposure to low oxygen atmosphere can cause dizziness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, excess salivation, alter mental status, loss of consciousness and in rare cases death. Working with cryogenic liquid nitrogen can lead to eye exposure, which can severely burn the eyes and skin contact, which burns the skin and can cause freeze skin tissue. The other chemical that only certain people have access to is our fluoride reagent which stored in public health department. This chemical product is used to determine the level of concentration of fluoride in different samples of water that tested around the clinic and based. This product used weekly by the public health department and exposure to this chemical is high because of the usage and amount. This product
The risk management program in any business, especially in a health care organization is an integral part of its day to day operation. The purpose of the risk management department is summed up by Kavaler & Alexander (2014), “…a program designed to reduce the incidence of preventable accidents and injuries to minimize the financial loss to the institution should any accident or injury occur” (p. 5). Protecting employees, patients, vendors and visitors is an ongoing process and one that needs to be updated when the healthcare organization has deemed necessary. This paper will demonstrate the importance of presenting the risk management program to new employees, compliance with the standards set forth by the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), propose recommendations or changes needed to further improve the program, as well as examine the administrative process of managing a risk program.
Management in healthcare institutions obtains presentations that pertain to workers’ injuries and illness costs. The figures acquire adequate support from the management provided that the data cites credible and the right references. However, researchers lack adequate hard data and research backing to defend direct and indirect cost ratios that they frequently utilize in relation to the safety-related literature.
Specific health problems associated with the workplace have contributed to the development of Particular health issues connected with the work environment have added to the advancement of the cutting edge safety and health development. These issues incorporate lung infections in diggers, mercury harming, and lung tumor attached to asbestos. Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals have an above normal extent of all day employments. For Occupational and Environmental Health Professionals working all day, normal week by week hours are 42.3 and profit are high - in the ninth decile. Unemployment for Health Professionals is underneath normal. H&S Professionals have an expansive extent of specialists amongst individuals in the 25-34 age section, making it an energetic and dynamic workplace. The unavoidable consequence of the expanded consideration given to safety and health is that bigger organizations are utilizing safety and health professionals and all organizations big or small are relegating these obligations to existing representatives.
At 2012, the population of the workforce in the United States was estimated by the U.S. civilian labor force as 155 million workers. Having a stable job can contribute positively to that individual’s physical and psychological health. However, work environment can be a source of many hazardous issues that may lead to work-related injuries or illnesses, which may be fatal and in many cases nonfatal. On the other hand, occupational injuries can have a negative effect on the United States’ economy; it is estimated that nonfatal injuries can cost the economy approximately $200 billion annually, while fatal injuries are estimated to cost $6 billion annually. Managing these issues is an important task which could be approached in many different ways. Dealing with the issues helps in the protection of workers, not to mention it can decrease the losses to the economy associated with this matter. An example of prevention efforts, is the CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report (CHDIR), which assess disparities across a wide range of diseases, behavior risk factors, environmental exposures, social determinants, and health-care access. But in order to establish such programs and reports, an initial and important step is having information on the most frequent occupational fatal and non-fatal injuries and illnesses in the United States, which should be provided through routine, if not annual statistical reports. Fortunately, such information exists in the United States, those
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is found throughout the world. This substance was commonly used prior to the 1980’s in building and construction materials such as floor tile, insulation, ceilings, wall panels, siding, etc. Asbestos was a preferred substance because, “Asbestos fibers are incredibly strong and have properties that make them resistant to heat, chemical damage and insulate against electricity as well as adding durability to a product” (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2007).
In 1954, Hinkley, California was a sleepy little town located in the Mojave Desert. People went about their normal, daily lives without ever suspecting that they were in danger of chemical poisoning. Little did they know that natural gas compressor station was slowly leaking hexavalent chromium into the groundwater. Over the course of ten years, hexavalent chromium steadily spread over the town of Hinkley, unbeknownst to the citizens. The chemical, originally intended to prevent rust in water towers, was causing health issues in the unsuspecting citizens of Hinkley. For ten whole years, the leakage of hexavalent chromium was affecting the health and environment
One challenge a nurse faces at work is workplace hazardousness. This means that they work in a hospital where 1000 sick people come and go having germs float around in the air. We know that all nurses and doctors receive their shots before they are able to work but doesn’t mean there is no risk. Research says “5.6 million out of roughly 12.2 million workers in the healthcare industry and related occupations are at risk of occupational exposure to blood borne pathogens.” This is clearly saying that no matter how hard you try to stay safe in an occupation that involves working with people you can’t stay germ free. Protecting nurses and doctors can be very hard. “As cold and flu season nears, hospitals and health systems can prepare to protect
Darren, you wear the proper personal protective equipment (i.e., gloves, goggles) before you begin your work, which promotes the highest level standards within the department. You do a good job at communicating safety hazards in your
There are many different types of safety concerns, when it comes to an individuals working environment. The wide range of safety concerns in the work place can vary all the way from a faulty light bulb to a high crime location. There are many different places for Public Health internships, but the one’s this paper focuses on are; Ben Taub Hospital, the Saafe House, and Healing Species of Texas.
The job market is a hazardous environment, whether you work in an office setting or manufacturing setting, every occupation has it dangers. In my current occupation I work in a medical facility. Healthcare is about working directly or indirectly with providing of health and medical care to individuals and their families. The types of service we render at this facility is basic medical services. We are small military clinic in middle of the desert, but that doesn’t mean we don’t face the same dangers as regular or larger medical facility. “Healthcare workers face a number of serious safety and health hazards. They include bloodborne pathogens and biological hazards, potential chemical and drug exposures, waste anesthetic gas exposures,
Patient safety is an important aspect of hospital care. Hospitals are expected to keep patients safe and protect them from harm, while delivering the highest standard of care (Graham, 2012). Since the changes announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) that injuries acquired during hospitalization, such as inpatient falls, will not be reimbursed any longer, hospitals are now proactive in implementing measures in order to avoid these events (Graham, 2012). In addition, reduction of harm from falls was identified by the Joint Commission as a national patient safety goal (Hicks, 2015).
Safety is a top priority for all health care workers, but more emphasis is centered on the patients. The environment should be safe so that nurses can perform up to his or her maximum potential. The American Nursing Association (ANA) had been working with this special program called Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) to advocate for nurses and other health care workers to prevent injuries. They have now develop they have developed guidelines for employers and healthcare workers (ANA, 2016). Although health care systems provided the necessary equipment for safe handling and moving patients, nurses are still more prove to back and shoulder injuries. In survey conducted by ANA the article stated that “62% of nurses
Having an action plan for reducing the risks of slips, trips and falls on the worksite is imperative to protect an organization’s bottom line. The very nature of the construction industry involves various risks for workers, so preparing for such issues is an essential aspect of maintaining a workplace that is as safe as possible. By encouraging and enabling employees to take full advantage of OSHA training programs, many employers may significantly reduce potential hazards at their worksites. Additionally, companies in the Pittsburgh area can consult Pittsburgh insurance brokers for details on the best construction industry insurance for their circumstances. The purpose of this white paper is to provide area employers with comprehensive information on creating a safe workspace – from proper planning of where to store equipment, how to manage accidents as they occur, and what types of insurance and specialty risk services they might purchase to protect themselves.
The potential of risk within healthcare is a high factor concern when dealing with hundreds of patients, staff, and the organization as a whole. Defining what risk is and the level of importance it represents is the first objectives taken on when risk is presumed. Risk within a healthcare facility is when anybody inside the organization or the organization itself is somehow put in harm 's way due to ill practice or internal error residing in the hospital. Proper risk Management defined in healthcare means patient safety, mandatory federal regulations, potential medical error existing and future policy legislation impacting the field of healthcare. Potential risk for patients is the number one concern because patient safety is the whole
Taking up an occupation or work either as a full time worker, part time worker or an industrial trainee within any organization simply implies working under the terms and conditions which that organization imposes. Such includes the human nature, technical nature and environmental impact risks. Workers and trainees in a workplace are both exposed to the unforeseen and sometimes violent events that arise from work situations which may cause cuts/lacerations, burns, fractures/dislocations, contusion, sprains/strains, loss of limb, eyesight or hearing and, in the extreme, of life itself. The type of mishap the workers are exposed to is a function of the potential hazard present in the work environment [3, 4]. Potential hazards due to