Section 11: Safety

Types of Hazards

Bloodborne pathogens and other biological infectious material are not the only risks to be aware of in the workplace. There are several safety protocols that should be followed to keep yourself and others safe. In the healthcare setting, there are numerous other safety hazards to be aware of to prevent serious injury and disease. OSHA has an entire manual of training materials for employees in the workplace. This manual goes over each hazard OSHA has identified in the workplace and has a list of rules and regulations to minimize the exposure. Employers are mandated to institute policies to ensure safe working conditions. Employees are requireD to know and follow these policies. You can access the manual through your workplace and also on the OSHA website. (See the Reference Page for more info.) Let's review some of these safety protocols to help keep you safe in class and prepare you for the workplace.

Biological

Non-reusable items contaminated with blood or body fluids are biohazardous waste and must be disposed of in special containers or bags marked with a biohazard symbol. Filled biohazard waste containers require special handling prior to decontamination and disposal. OSHA, EPA, and state and local agencies regulate biohazard waste disposal. Do not put needles, sharps, or broken glass in these containers as they can poke holes through the bag. There are specific ways to dispose of those as you will read below.

Universal Precaution:

***TREAT ALL BLOOD/BODILY FLUIDS AS IF THEY ARE INFECTED WITH BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS.***

Sharps

Use caution whenever handling needles and other sharps. Accidental needle sticks from potentially infectious dirty needles can lead to transmission of bloodborne pathogens. Many needles now have safety features that can be engaged after use to cover the needle. But not all needles do, so don't assume all needles are unexposed in a sharps container. Here are some basic rules to protect you when handling sharps:

Never recap a needle. This is different than engaging the safety. Recapping a needle is a risk because you could always miss and stick yourself instead.
Never break the needle
Only dispose of needles in labeled sharp containers, not biohazard bags, or trash cans.
Do not reach into a sharps container
Lock the container when 2/3 full (there is a fill line on the container) and follow procedures to have it disposed of. Never reopen a locked container.
Be sure the container is locked before removing it from its designated location.
Never overflow the sharps container.

A sharps container must be closeable/lockable, puncture resistant, and leak proof. They must all be labeled.

broken glassware

Broken glassware should never be picked up by your hands as this puts you at risk for cutting yourself and exposing yourself to infectious material, even bloodborne pathogens in some cases. When cleaning up broken glass, use forceps, tweezers, dustpan, and broom. Do not dispose of the glass in a regular trash can or in a biohazard bag. You should dispose of the glass in a sharps container or a designated glass disposal box that is puncture proof.

Other Hazards in the workplace

Chemical: Preservatives and chemicals can be toxic, carcinogenic, or caustic.

Electrical: High voltage equipment can cause burns or electrical shock.

Fire or Explosives: Oxygen tanks, Bunsen burners, and chemicals can cause burns or dismemberment.

Physical: Wet floors and heavy lifting can lead to falls, sprains, and strains.

Allergic Reaction: As mentioned in a previous section, latex allergy and sensitivity can cause allergic reactions ranging from mild ones like dermatitis and more severe ones like anaphylaxis.

kNOW HOW TO READ THE N. F. P. A. DIAMOND

The National Fire Protection Association (N. F. P. A.) diamond is the standard label that displays potential hazards that are present in your workplace at a quick glance. The blue diamond indicates health hazards. Red indicates flammability and fire hazards. Yellow refers to reactivity or explosive hazards and white are specific hazards. Each diamond has a number in it. The number is on a scale of 0-4. Zero is minimal hazard and 4 means maximum hazard. Study the image below.

RETURN TO THE GOOGLE CLASSROOM AND DO THE PRACTICE WORKSHEET.

For more information and references on the reading material found in Section 11: Safety, click the link below. Test questions will be based on the reading in the sections and not from more information found in external references and website links.

Reference Page

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