Healthcare Safety Training

Healthcare safety training is a necessity for those in the healthcare industry. Working in this industry can expose staff to a wide range of health and safety issues. These issues may be associated with healthcare itself, or they may be related to non-medical responsibilities and positions.

Principles

• Those who work in healthcare facilities may be exposed to many significant safety and health issues. These issues range from those that are specific to healthcare itself, such as exposure to pathogens or chemicals, to certain non-medical issues such as repetitive stress injuries. Governments around the world have become more aware of the hazards of healthcare work over the years, and as such have crafted legislation in support of healthcare workers. In the United States, one of the preeminent laws concerning healthcare safety is the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHAct).

Healthcare-specific Health and Safety Issues

• Many healthcare-specific safety and health issues may imperil the health and well-being of workers in the healthcare industry. For instance, those who work with blood or tissue samples may be prone to infection by bloodborne pathogens or other biological hazards. Workers may come into contact with many of the potentially deadly or harmful chemicals commonly used in such facilities, such as formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde and ethylene oxide. Workers can also be exposed to high amounts of radioactive material or x-rays.

Non-healthcare Specific Health and Safety Issues

• Healthcare workers may also be subject to risk factors from certain non-healthcare specific responsibilities. One of the foremost is the ergonomic hazard resulting from lifting heavy or cumbersome objects without the use of special machinery. Another is repetitive stress injury (RSI) that can occur when repetitive physical tasks are performed without sufficient countermeasures such as proper exercises or sufficient rest. Both blue-collar healthcare workers, such as those employed as maintenance or housekeeping staff, and white-collar workers may be subject to these risk factors.

Healthcare Safety Regulations

• The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHAct) was conceptualized and passed in order to improve healthcare safety and prevent healthcare workers from being seriously harmed or hurt in their workplaces. The law requires companies in the healthcare industry to provide staff with working conditions that are free of dangers, and also created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The administration crafts and enforces protective workplace health and safety standards, and also offers healthcare safety training, assistance and information to both employers and their staff.

Training and Certification

• The OSHAct and OSHA work to provide (whether directly or by grants and contracts) educational programs to empower companies and personnel to carry out the act, as well as provide informational programs to educate people regarding the significance of and proper use of healthcare resources and equipment. Healthcare companies can make use of this information, which is available on the OSHA website, to reduce their workers' risk factors. In addition, organizations such as the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS) offer formal certification in healthcare safety and security. Healthcare safety training certification can formally equip healthcare workers to better manage workplace risk.