OSHA Rulemaking Webpage
OSHAS has updated the Laws and Regulations webpage. Under the third column, “Rulemaking,” there is now a list of several regulatory project webpages condensed into one location, which makes it easier for stakeholders to find out about the current status of projects, and links to important documents and locations like the docket for a particular project. The very last item in the third column, OSHA Rulemaking Process, now has content explaining to stakeholders how and when they can participate in the rulemaking process.
Certification - Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN) ABOHN
This credential is offered to registered nurses with an Associate, Diploma or higher degrees. The focus of the COHN certification examination is more directed toward direct clinical care, but contains questions that also apply to the role of advisor, coordinator and case manager.
Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialist (COHN-S)
This credential is offered to registered nurses with a Bachelor's degree or higher. The focus of the COHN-S certification examination is on the roles of management, education, consultation and case management in addition to direct care.
ABOHN announces the Availability of a Safety Management Credential for Certified Occupational Health Nurses... COHN-S/SM or COHN/SM
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Recommendations
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is a group of medical and public health experts that develop recommendations on how to use vaccines to control diseases in the United States...more
ACIP Vaccine Recommendations home page http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/index.html
ANA Leads Initiative to Develop National Safe Patient Handling Standards The American Nurses Association (ANA) is leading a broad-based effort to develop national standards to guide hospitals and other healthcare facilities in their implementation of policies and equipment to safely lift and move patients, a culture change many experts agree is necessary to reduce injuries to healthcare workers and patients.
ANA convened a panel of 26 specialists this summer with expertise in nursing, occupational and physical therapy, ergonomics, architecture, health care systems, and other disciplines to devise overarching standards for implementing safe patient handling programs and detailed guidelines for making them work effectively in practice. The Safe Patient Handling (SPH) National Standards Working Group plans to distribute the standards and guidelines to their professional memberships for comment in October, with publication and release set for March 2013.
The panel is seeking to build a consensus of evidence-based best practices in safe patient handling that will apply to multiple health care professions and settings. The panel’s goal is to develop language that can be incorporated nationwide into practices, policies, procedures, and regulations and become the basis for resource toolkits and certifications.
AOHP is proud to be part of the Safe Patient Handling National Standards Working Group.
Please visit to view the complete press release from ANA August 27, 2012 http://nursingworld.org/FunctionalMenuCategories/MediaResources/PressReleases/ANA-Leads-National-Safe-Patient-Handling-Standards.pdf.
Asbestos.com is a website and advocacy group that helps the victims of asbestos exposure and their loved ones. We connect our visitors with the resources they need to understand and fight asbestos-related disease, all at no cost. We research the latest data about asbestos and asbestos-related diseases to ensure an accurate, up-to-date site, and we maintain relationships with doctors and cancer centers to promote patient access to cutting-edge treatment. Go to www.asbestos.com to learn more.
ASPHP
The Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals is a non-profit association that brings together like-minded individuals that want to share ideas, support research, and advocate for sound regulatory activity that improves and promotes a safer working environment for all caregivers. We also seek to establish standards and practices for both the practitioner and the facilities where they work. Safe Patient Handling Professionals Certification
Availability of Influenza and PPSV Pocket Guides
This is the ninth consecutive year that the National Influenza Vaccine Summit will be producing laminated influenza vaccine pocket guides for front-line healthcare providers. As before, the Summit is pleased to be able to also provide pocket guides with information on the prevention of pneumococcal disease. The “2011-12 Influenza Vaccine Pocket Information Guide” is being revised in several areas to reflect the most current recommendations and issues in use of the vaccine. These include 1) rationale for why it is important to get this year’s vaccine, even though the vaccine viruses did not change from the previous year, 2) which children need two doses of vaccine, 3) vaccination of persons with egg allergy 4) the addition of an intradermal form of inactivated vaccine, and 5) the different age indications for the various vaccine products. We will post the draft version as soon as the ACIP influenza recommendations are issued in MMWR (anticipated in 1-2 weeks). There are no changes in the “Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination Pocket Guide” (8/10) that was distributed last year.
Each of these pocket guides are intended for use by healthcare providers only, not by patients. Both pocket guides will be available at no cost to your agency or organization. To order either or both pocket guides in quantity, go to http://www.immunize.org/pocketguides/ Please order early. We hope to begin shipping in next month.
For up-to-date information on influenza, visit the website of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit at www.preventinfluenza.org
Center for Health, Work & Evnironment
The Center for Health, Work & Environment is an academic center within the Colorado School of Public Health. The center is one of 10 Centers of Excellence for Total Worker Health® and houses the Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC), one of 18 centers of its kind supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The center team works with faculty, students, and community partners to advance worker health, safety, and well-being. The center is committed to developing education, research, and public health practice initiatives that address the problems of racial and environmental inequity and injustice facing workers.
Check their website for the courses they offer to the EH/OH professionals.
Crisis Prevention Training Resources
Looking for training for crisis prevention? Crisis Prevention Institute, INC provides training resources to address the need in safe, respectful, noninvasive methods for managing disruptive and assaultive behavior. Visit their website http://www.crisisprevention.com/ for more information. There is also a resources for workplace violence in a healthcare setting on the AOHP website. Click here to download the resource guide.
HealthCarePathway.com is based off the career cluster design, this resource breaks down areas of health care into segments and then into careers within those segments. Specific career plans offer a suggested step-by-step approach to pursuing a selected career. There are over 90 health related career profiles and career plans. www.healthcarepathway.com
The Joint Commission (TJC)
The Joint Commission - An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States. Joint Commission accreditation and certification is recognized nationwide as a symbol of quality that reflects an organization’s commitment to meeting certain performance standards.
Joint Commission Websites
Masters in Health Administration - Online MHA Degrees and Programs
NIOSH
December 2006
Broadening the Reach for Best Practices of Handling Antineoplastic Drugs NIOSH Offers Storm and Flood Cleanup Information Resources
Workers and volunteers involved with flood cleanup should be aware of the potential dangers involved and the proper safety precautions, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Work-related hazards that could be encountered include electrical hazards, carbon monoxide, musculoskeletal hazards, heat stress, motor vehicles, hazardous materials, fire, confined spaces and falls. Links to information about hazards associated with storm and flood cleanup can be found on the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood.
NIOSH HAZARDOUS DRUG EXPOSURES IN HEALTH CARE
NIOSH has a website for many resources for addressing hazardous drug exposures in health care. You might want to save this link in your FAVORITES. Here is the introduction from the web page to give you an idea as to its contents: Health care workers who prepare or administer hazardous drugs (e.g., those used for cancer therapy, and some antiviral drugs, hormone agents, and bioengineered drugs) or who work in areas where these drugs are used may be exposed to these agents in the workplace. About 8 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs, including pharmacy and nursing personnel, physicians, operating room personnel, environmental services workers, workers in research laboratories, veterinary care workers, and shipping and receiving personnel.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hazdrug/.
Online Nurse Practitioner Programs
100 Sites on the Real Science of Immunization - http://onlinenursepractitionerprograms.com/vaccine-immunization/
Opioid Epidemic
https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/work-environment/health-safety/opioid-epidemic/
Publications from OSHA
Safe Patient Handling: Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Homes Brochure
(OSHA Publication 3708) (Feb. 2014) • Hospital Safety Fact Sheets (Feb. 2014) -
How Safe is Your Hospital for Workers? Learn More and Take Action
(OSHA Publication 3688)
Worker Safety in Your Hospital. Know the Facts
(OSHA Publication 3689)
How Safe is Your Hospital for Workers? A Self-Assessment
(OSHA Publication 3690)
Worker Health Chartbook NIOSH recently released its 2004 Edition of the Worker Health Chartbook. The Chartbook provides baseline and trend data to support researchers, program development, and the evaluation of impact measures. The Chartbook resources have been made available in a variety of formats (government document, HTML, acrobat/PDF), and the underlying data and charts are available for downloading as MS Excel files and encapsulated postscript EPS files. The Chartbook includes more than 400 figures and tables. The Web site for the Chartbook is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/chartbook/. The data available to utilize from this document will be reviewed along with how it can improve one’s knowledge, skills and abilities in the use of occupational surveillance information.
Nursing Reference Center (NRC)
Nursing Reference Center (NRC) is a web-based nursing reference system designed by the makers of CINAHL to provide the latest evidence-based clinical information for nursing practice, education and research at the point-of-care. Click here Nursing Reference Center for more information.
Nursing Schools and Degree Programs nursing education resource
Safe Lifting Program SafeLiftingPortal.com offers you instant access to a broad array of information, resources and services designed to support your safe patient handling and caregiver injury prevention programs.
http://www.SafeLiftingPortal.com
The Difference Between Respirators and Surgical Masks
The Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center is one of 17 NIOSH-sponsored university academic programs in occupational health and safety in the US. We are recruiting experienced nurses interested in obtaining a graduate degree in occupational and environmental health. MPH, MSN/MPH, PhD and DrPH degree programs are offered. For more information, please contact Sheila Fitzgerald, PhD, RN at sfitzger@jhsph.edu or view the following link:
http://www.jhsph.edu/erc/oehn.html
Mesothelioma Group - Aesothelioma Support Community
www.mesotheliomagroup.com
Mesothelioma is a small team of healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and communication specialists who have one goal: to lead the way in supporting and encouraging mesothelioma patients and their families. All of their services are free to use, including high-quality and reliable information about mesothelioma, so you can understand the disease, find the best treatment, and learn about the latest research. They also provide personalized help finding a top doctor, filing VA claims, and connecting with other mesothelioma patients and families. They believe that any individual that is diagnosed with this cancer deserves to have the best information and support available.
The Impact of Leader Behavior on Employee Health – Jul 2012 The cost of employee illness to employees is their health, welfare and sometimes their income; the cost of absenteeism to workplaces is lost productivity, turnover, training, disability payments and staggering health insurance premiums. The Impact of Leader Behavior on Employee Health: Lessons for Leadership Development discusses the review of the research on leadership behavior and employee health yields some important surprises about leadership development and its potential impact on employee health and performance. Check it out!
SCERC Continuing Education Courses
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Southern California Education and Research Center (SCERC), hosted at UCLA, is one of 18 NIOSH ERCs. Their goal is to train occupational health and safety professionals. Their Continuing Education program hosts an array of occupational safety and health courses throughout the year.
They offer a FREE monthly webinar series, presented by OSHA Authorized Trainer and ERC Course Director Alba Vazquez, that will discuss safety updates and how to be compliant with Cal/OSHA. This series will feature a variety of different topics each month. Check their website to view the list of courses. This series will be hosted the first Friday of every month, unless noted. Click here for more information.
OSHA
OSHA's mission is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health.
October 2013- OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits: Movement on Updating
On October 24, 2013 The American Industrial Hygiene Association® (AIHA) released a statement that they were encouraged by the decision of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration to reopen discussion on outdated PELs. OSHA has developed a toolkit to assist with identifying safer chemicals at https://www.osha.gov/dsg/safer_chemicals/index.html and an Annotated Occupational Exposure Limits table https://www.osha.gov/dsg/annotated-pels/index.html that provides current chemical information. The AIHA press release can be found at http://www.aiha.org/about-aiha/Press/2013PressRelease/Pages/OSHA-Renews-Focus-on-Outdated-Permissible-Exposure-Limits.aspx.
December 2015: New OSHA Webpage Offers Resources for Protecting Healthcare Workers from Workplace Violence
OSHA has developed a new webpage that addresses workplace violence (WPV) prevention in healthcare settings. The webpage, part of OSHA’s Worker Safety in Hospitals Caring for Our Caregivers webpage contains three documents. One of the documents contains tools to help healthcare facilities design a violence prevention program using core elements and provides real-life examples from healthcare facilities that have integrated successful workplace violence prevention programs. These documents can be found at https://www.osha.gov/dsg/hospitals/workplace_violence.html.
OSHA Launched Campaign to Prevent Heat Related Illness in Outdoor Workers- Jul 2012
OSHA has again launched a campaign to prevent heat related illness in outdoor workers. Water, rest and shade are the three key elements in preventing heat-related illness. There is a wealth of information at the following link. Information includes fact sheets in multiple languages, an app to calculate the heat index and a variety of other educational tools. Visit the OSHA website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/heatillness/index.html for more information. OSHA Injury and Illness Prevention Programs
White Paper Jan 2012
OSHA Information - Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention
OSHA Information - Healthcare Facilities
OSHA Information - Biological Agents
OSHA Information - Emergency Preparedness and Response
OSHA Information - Hospital and Community Emergency Response
OSHA Information - Nursing Homes and Personal Care Facilities
OSHA Information - OSHA Best Practices for Hospital OSHA QuickCard: Safe Driving Practices for Employees
This QuickCard (English on one side and Spanish on the other) offers tips to help ensure that employees stay safe on the road. Print copies of the laminated cards will be available from OSHA's Publications Office in September 2006. The QuickCard is a companion to Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes, which was issued earlier this year by OSHA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin: Hazards Associated with All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) in the Workplace
Starting a Safe Patient Handling Program https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthcarefacilities/safepatienthandling.html#5B
While most ATV-related injuries and fatalities occur during recreational use, workplace use of ATVs is increasing in some industries. This bulletin identifies: 1) the operating conditions and activities that most often lead to ATV-related injuries and fatalities, 2) guidelines and training employers can use to help protect employees, and 3) work practices that employees can follow to reduce the potential for ATV-related accidents.
Based First Receivers of Victims from Mass Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances. Sign up for free list to network with others in the practice of medical center occupational health.
OSHA Sites Health Center for Not Protecting Employees from TB
A health center in Hartford, CT has been cited by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for three alleged serious violations of workplace health standards involving inadequate safeguards for employees exposed to tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.
The health center faces proposed fines of more than $17,000 after complaints that it failed to take appropriate action to safe guard employees following exposure to a patient with tuberculosis. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=22809
IAC Updates Two Handouts That Advise Patients with Hepatitis C or HIV Which Vaccinations They Need
IAC completely revised and reformatted Vaccinations for Adults with Hepatitis C Infection (formerly titled "If you have hepatitis C, which vaccinations do you need?") and Vaccinations for Adults with HIV Infection (formerly titled "If you have HIV infection, which vaccinations do you need?").
IAC's Handouts for Patients and Staff web section offers healthcare professionals and the public more than 250 FREE English-language handouts (many also available in translation), which we encourage website users to print out, copy, and distribute widely.
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville www.healthcare.utk.edu
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville is launching an Executive MBA (EMBA) for Healthcare Leadership program in January 2015. This 11-month program combines distance learning with 4 one-week residency periods including one week spent in our nation's capital gaining “real time” perspective on the politics of health care. The innovative EMBA curriculum was developed by the same faculty who teach in the University of Tennessee’s award winning Physician Executive MBA program. This newly-designed program connects business acumen and transformational leadership with issues and challenges facing today’s healthcare industry, equipping students with tools and knowledge to become a driving force behind healthcare improvements and innovations. A one-year investment of time in this program will lead to a lifetime of dividends. If you are interested in learning more about this program contact embahcl@utk.edu or 1 (865) 974-5001.