HCPro.com: Hospital Safety Center

Health care facilities face new requirements by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) this year. Is your facility ready? Be prepared with Briefings on Hospital Safety, the monthly newsletter that's full of the latest information on environment of care standards as well how to comply with other agency regulations, including OSHA and the EPA.

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August 2008 (Volume 16, Issue 8)	view entire issue

Safety competency rules will return to the EC chapter
For several years, EC competency requirements have been under the purview of the HR chapter of the Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals. However, in 2009, those provisions will return to the EC standards, and that could bring some changes for your compliance program. At presstime, The Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) hadn't yet posted online its final version of the renumbered EC standards, which will take effect January 1, 2009. Along with the EC requirements, The Joint Commission will also debut its life safety and emergency management chapters on that date.

NRC notes hospital gaffes in annual report to Congress
Abnormal occurrences, defined by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as incidents determined to be significant from the standpoint of public health or safety, can happen in any setting where nuclear materials are handled. Every year, the NRC must report abnormal occurrences to Congress. In the fiscal year 2007 report released in April, medical incidents constituted all of these events.

Helicopter crash drills prove useful for Florida hospital
In the July Briefings on Hospital Safety, we published a story outlining the general principles of hospital helipad safety. Four helicopter crashes within a 30-day span in May and June have only reemphasized the need to assess helicopter landing safety measures (see "Recent chopper crashes raise concerns" for details about the crashes). These recent accidents-and several others in the first half of this year-accounted for 10 deaths and several injuries. Chances are the headlines will increase scrutiny on medical helicopter flights and shine a spotlight on your hospital's preparedness.

Emergency session highlighted by tornado exercise
Editor's note: The following survey occurred May 28-30 at Graham Hospital in Canton, IL, a 124-bed acute and long-term care hospital. May 28 seemed like a typical day at Graham Hospital in Canton, IL, until surveyors from The Joint Commission showed up in the lobby. The accreditation officer charged with scanning the hospital's Joint Commission (formerly JCAHO) extranet site daily had been dispatched to give a presentation and was unable to do her morning check. She was summoned from the meeting, which was on hospital premises, to find "seven people in suits" waiting for her, says Michelle Florea, chair of the facility's EC committee.

Outdoor pesticide handling boils down to common sense
New research stresses the fact that chemicals used outdoors to combat insects, weeds, and other nuisances around your hospital can be dangerous to workers who handle them. A study funded by the National Institutes of Health examined the medical records of tens of thousands of licensed pesticide applicators, and the results suggest a link between exposure and diabetes incidences. The study appeared in the May American Journal of Epidemiology.

Other recently-published articles from Hospital Safety Center:

Healthcare’s "dirty little secret" can create a big security challenge

Ten tips to prepare for a surge in pediatric patients

Specialty hospital recovers after document slipups

Hospitals live through Ike and Gustav and tell you what they learned about emergency preparations

Peel apart the distinctions of the 2009 EC standards

Upcoming EtO sterilizer rule takes effect in December

Organize disaster drills with a new, free government tool

For two hospitals, moving patients to new buildings offers a chance to fine-tune their evacuation plans

Patient suicides thrust prevention into a harsh spotlight

New clarifications, changed wording create challenges in 2009 life safety chapter

Ten ways to boost the value of your safety committee

Asbestos violations add up to a possible $110,000 fine

Your emergency plans must anticipate utility disruption

Plane crash tabletop highlights emergency prep session

Hospital’s water loss offers insight for disaster prep

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