Tag Archives: audits

ARE HOSPITALS TRUE TO SAFETY STANDARDS? THE INSIDE SCOOP! (GUEST POST)

Hospitals are supposed to put rigorous safety measures in place to ensure that all of the patients, visitors and staff will be kept safe at all times, but this does not always happen. In fact, many hospitals are shockingly lax in certain areas. Sadly, the usage of safety measures is sometimes skipped because of time or money constraints, which in-turn directly affects the staff and has a big impact on how the hospital’s operations are run. 

Hospital Safety Issues – If you observe any of these safety issues at your local hospital, it is a good idea to consider reporting them to a high-level employee or compliance officer.
 
1. Lack of Visitor Screening – Hospitals are supposed to check visitors in and out so that they can control the level of access that is given to their floors and each individual patient. However, there are several hospitals that fail to put someone in place at the information desk, and this causes several people to wander in and out without any staff members being aware of it. Although visitors are usually harmless, it is possible that someone could enter the hospital with ill intentions, so there should always be a sign-in procedure to protect the patients.
 
2. Locking Down Waiting Areas – During flu season, the flu will impact millions of people, but young children and the elderly run a much higher risk of dying as a result of contracting the illness. Therefore, it is a good policy to prohibit children who are not sick from sitting in the waiting area at the hospital during flu season. By putting this simple safety measure in place, it is possible to greatly reduce the total number of flu cases that originate at the hospital.
 
3. Proper Labeling – Hospitals have a lot of dangerous items, and there are also tests being performed on patients on a regular basis. To keep everyone safe, it is necessary to ensure that everything in the hospital is properly labeled. After all, without labeling, it would be very easy for someone to be accidentally exposed to a virus.
 
4. Slip and Fall Hazards – It is necessary to keep a hospital as clean as possible, and this requires the janitorial staff to quickly clean up spills. However, this means that there will be areas of the floor that are wet, and it is essential to properly mark them with signs in order to prevent people from slipping and falling. 
 
5. Product Audits – In the medical world, equipment and medication recalls are often made. Although most people associate malpractice cases with physicians, it is not uncommon for injuries to occur due to medical device and equipment issues. A prominent personal injury attorney, West Palm Beach based, states this warning, “Medical malpractice happens more often than you think and the repercussions can be serious.” Therefore, it is important for hospitals to have an auditing procedure that ensures that all of the recalled products are removed immediately, and for patrons to be made aware of the risks.
 
Sadly, there are several staff members, visitors and patients who will end up with a personal injury claim each year as a result of the hospital’s negligence. However, if the staff becomes committed to following the necessary safety guidelines, they can easily reduce the hospital’s potential liability and protect everyone who enters the building.
 
Researcher and writer Nickey Williams contributes this article to those concerned with hospital safety standards. The personal injury attorney West Palm Beach based firm of Steinger, Iscoe & Greene is dependable and experienced in matters concerning negligence. They work hard to hold healthcare providers and hospitals responsible for negligence.

HOW TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE (GUEST POST)

Free PPE Guide from Graphic Products Lists 12 Major Workplace Hazard Categories and Required PPE for Each Category

By Jack Rubinger, jarubinger@graphicproducts.com, 503-469-3024

Safety in the workplace is easy to neglect but the price of doing so can be high. Think increased Worker’s Comp and debilitating injuries. Certain procedures have been proven to increase workplace safety. So if you’re serious about safety, conduct an Industrial Facility Safety Audit at your workplace.  One reason? In the U.S. in 2005, OSHA conducted more than 38,700 inspections and over 85,000 violations were issued – almost half were un-programmed or surprise inspections.

Getting Started

Have you stopped and thought about facility-wide safety? If so, what activities were checked and implemented?  The following criteria should determine the task prioritization:

  • ·Accident frequency and severity
  • ·Potential for severe injuries and illness
  • ·New jobs
  • ·Infrequently performed jobs

Encourage co-workers to get on board with safety. Take a closer look at your facility and equipment. Then, re-read all the applicable documentation and chat with coworkers who work in these areas.

When evaluating the facility, assess the following:

  • ·Are workers wearing appropriate PPE – hard hats, boots, reflective vests?
  • ·Warehouse signage. Hazardous carbon monoxide fumes may be present around loading docks and forklifts. Clear all aisles for better traffic flow.
  • · Go through chemical storage areas. Look for spills, exposure to flammable materials, proper air flow and leaks.
  • ·Maintenance shops must be examined for chemicals hazards such as gas, solvents and cleaning supplies and possible electrical (arc flash) and mechanical hazards that need to be identified.
  • ·Ensure large format RTK and arc flash labels (6” x 9” and larger) are used in locations where greater visibility is needed.
  • · Turn off and lock out energy sources when machines are serviced to prevent accidents. Energy sources that can’t be locked out must be tagged out.
  • ·Buildings must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Life Safety Code 101. Check exits and restrooms for proper and required signage.
  • ·Conduct a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA).

Consultant James Pryor has conducted and been on the receiving end of many industrial facility safety audits. “The JHA, if conducted properly, is the single most important tool in preventing accidents,” explained Pryor.

JHA steps include:

  • ·Selecting job to be analyzed
  • ·Breaking job into sequences
  • ·Identifying hazards
  • ·Determining preventive measures to overcome hazards

It doesn’t help to develop a to-do list that winds up on a manager’s shelf. Safety action plans should be a work in progress. After the audit has been conducted and changes and corrections have been made, document the following in a safety log book and make it available:

  • ·Have injuries decreased?
  • ·Has exposure to potential hazards decreased?
  • ·Have attitudes changed? This is hard to gauge unless surveys and open discussions are conducted and recorded.
  • ·Have changes been made to increase safety?

While an industrial facility safety audit should result in a mutually-agreeable number of restorative phases to apply, consider this: Do you feel safe at work? If the answer “no,” then you’ve got your work cut out for you.

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Texas America Safety Company and Blog4Safety wish to thank Jack for these instructions on how to keep your workers safe and compliant.  We appreciate the information and hope you will think about following his instructions for a safe workplace.