OSHA Medical Office Ultra Demo

Small Healthcare Facilities & OSHA: 

Small Healthcare Facilities & OSHA Question to OSHA: Are physician offices and clinics required to provide safety-engineered sharp devices and needleless systems to employees? Is there a minimum number of employees that must be employed to be governed by this Act [Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act]? Are health care facilities, even those that currently use appropriate safety devices, required to review any new technological developments with regards to safety devices if these may reduce the risk of exposure? Do they have to have this review at least annually and document these reviews? Can an individual manager choose not to review a new safety device without the input from non-managerial workers? Answer from OSHA: OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard, including its 2001 revisions, applies to all employers who have employees with reasonably anticipated occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). However, workplaces classified in certain Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes are not required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, including sharps injury logs. Health care facilities with SIC codes 801, 802, 803, 804, 807, and 809 are included in this partial exemption for recordkeeping. OSHA's bloodborne pathogens standard requires employers to review and update the Exposure Control Plan (ECP) at least annually, even those who currently use appropriate safety devices. It is also a requirement that the annual review and update of ECPs reflect changes in technology that eliminate or reduce exposure to bloodborne pathogens and that employers document annually their consideration and implementation of appropriate commercially available and effective safer medical devices. It is the employer's responsibility to determine which engineering controls are appropriate for specific hazards, based on what is appropriate to the specific medical procedures being conducted, what is feasible, and what is commercially available. However, it is necessary that employers include solicitation of input on the identification and selection of available engineering controls from non-managerial employees who are potentially exposed to sharps injuries. Source: Richard E. Fairfax, Director Directorate of Enforcement Programs OSHA, January 20, 2004

Bloodborne Pathogens & Four Critical Concepts:: 

Bloodborne Pathogens & Four Critical Concepts: Occupational Exposure : reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membrane, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that may result from the performance of an employee's duties. Universal Precautions : is an approach to infection control. According to the concept of Universal Precautions, all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if known to be infectious for HIV, HBV, and other bloodborne pathogens. Work Practice Controls : controls that reduce the likelihood of exposure by altering the manner in which a task is performed (e.g., prohibiting recapping of needles by a two-handed technique). Engineering Controls : controls (e.g., sharps disposal containers, self-sheathing needles, safer medical devices, such as sharps with engineered sharps injury protections and needleless systems) that isolate or remove the bloodborne pathogens hazard from the workplace.

Medical Office Injuries by Job Classification:: 

Medical Office Injuries by Job Classification: Source: University of Virginia Health System, 1993-1998

Medical Office – Device Causing Injury:: 

Medical Office – Device Causing Injury: Physicians’ Offices/Outpatient Clinics 925 Injuries Source: University of Virginia Health System, 1993-1998

Medical Office – Original Purpose of Device Causing Injury : 

Medical Office – Original Purpose of Device Causing Injury Physicians’ Offices/Outpatient Clinics 925 Injuries Source: University of Virginia Health System, 1993-1998