Stockpiling Respirators and Facemasks for Pandemic Flu

Is your facility concerned about a possible pandemic flu? Are you stockpiling respirators and facemasks in anticipation? OSHA has a proposed guideline on just this issue and you have until July 8, 2008 to coment. Check out the May 9th Federal Register for details on how to submit coments.

Hurricane Matrix from OSHA

June is fast approaching and for those of us living in Hurricane Alley it is time to review our safety policies and procedures. OSHA has tools on its website (http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hurricane/index.html) that can help. In this Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix, OSHA provides information on many of the most common and significant additional hazards that response and recovery workers might encounter when working in an area recently devastated by a hurricane. This Matrix highlights a number of tasks and operations associated with disaster response and recovery. The Matrix is designed to help employers make decisions during their risk assessment that will protect their employees working in hurricane-impacted areas. In this Hazard Exposure and Risk Assessment Matrix, OSHA provides information on many of the most common and significant additional hazards that response and recovery workers might encounter when working in an area recently devastated by a hurricane. This Matrix highlights a number of tasks and operations associated with disaster response and recovery. The Matrix is designed to help employers make decisions during their risk assessment that will protect their employees working in hurricane-impacted areas.

Hepatitis B Vaccination

Any employee who declines the hepatitis B vaccination is still covered by the bloodborne pathogen standard, 1910.1030(f)(2)(iii), and may accept the offer of vaccination at any time even if the request is months or even years from the original offering. Furthermore, the employer must still make the vaccination available at no cost to the employee.

Hepatitis Vaccinations and Identity Theft

Identity theft has become a real concern in today's world. Some facilities use Social Security numbers for hospital IDs. OSHA does NOT require the use of your Social Security number for medical records such as Hepatitis vaccination records. OSHA recommends following the CDC definition of a "reliable vaccination history to be a written, dated record of each dose of a complete series".

Preparing Your Lab for a Major Disaster

In just a few short weeks the hurricane season begins in many parts of the country. Joint Commission requirement EC.4.10 received a major overhaul in January (split into EC.4.11-EC.4.18) that addresses issues associated with the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. One of the most important components involves the requirement that hospitals determine whether they can survive on their own without community support for up to 96 hours during a disaster. This means the entire hospital, including the laboratory. Has your lab assessed its ability to stand alone during a prolonged disaster?

Figuring out what factors will limit you is a challenge for anyone. For example, you might have a two-week supply of gloves or a 10-day supply of reagents, but only a two-day supply of vehicle fuel for the courier's cars to transport specimens to and from the laboratory. It is easy to address the big things that we order frequently, but we tend to overlook the everyday purchases that we take for granted, such as gas for our automobiles.

If you haven't done your assessment, do so this week and rest easier knowing you are prepared for any disaster, no matter what time of year it is.

Chemical Hygiene

Under the OSHA Chemical Hygiene Standard of 1990, chemicals that are in kits or contain less than 1% of a hazardous chemical do not have to be listed or treated differently. Many of the stains and reagents come in kits and rarely contain any chemical that is more that 1%. One colleague asked specifically about the Hematek packs. Under OSHA's definition they are considered a kit. They can remain on the shelf until they are opened and put on the machine where they remain until the pack is empty.

May is Healthy Vision Month

Healthy Vision Month is an annual observance coordinated by the National Eye Institute of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) each May. It encorages workers to make vision a health priority in the workplace. OSHA is reminding everyone about the importance of eye protection on the job. Here is what you can do to protect your eyes:

• Choose effective protective eyewear deisgned for your specific lab task
• Make sure the eyewear is properly fitted
• Know where the protective eyewear is located and how it should be used

For more informatio on prevening workplace injuries visit OSHA's Web site.