Property and Casualty Profile – Health Care
Did You Know?
According to a recent hospital rating by Consumer Reports, only 6 percent of hospitals examined had a zero patient infection rate for both MRSA and Clostridium difficile.
The report also showcases two basic practices that can help reduce the transmission of these diseases:
- Engage in responsible antibiotic prescription.
- Maintain clean facilities and engage in proper hygiene and hand-washing techniques.
OSHA Updates Instructions on Inspections for Tuberculosis in Health Care Settings
OHSA has updated its instructions for inspections related to tuberculosis (TB) in health care settings. The revised procedures incorporate guidance from a report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), though the procedures do not demand any additional enforcement requirements of employers.
The revised instructions address the evolving face of health care by expanding the environments that count as health care settings, such as laboratories handling clinical specimens and settings where emergency services are performed.
Additionally, the revised instructions include new blood-screening methods, a new risk classification system and reduced frequency of TB screenings for workers.
Though incidents of tuberculosis have been falling, there is still plenty of reason for health care employers to remain vigilant. Drug-resistant strains of TB pose a serious threat to health care workers, who accounted for 4 percent of all TB cases reported in the United States in 2013.
N95 Day Coming Sept. 4
NIOSH and The Joint Commission are partnering for N95 Day—an event designed to highlight a pair of educational tools that promote proper respiratory protection.
On Sept. 4, the agencies will partner to offer a webinar to health care employers highlighting the following two resources:
- Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit: Resources for Respirator Program Administrators
- Implementing Hospital Respiratory Protection Programs: Strategies from the Field
Enrollment in the webinar and other resources on respiratory safety can be found at NIOSH’s N95 Day website.
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