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Safety Issues in Healthcare

Safety management is a vital part of any business. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) makes it a requirement that employees are safe from hazards, or anything that threatens their health and safety, in the workplace. As a result, employers take precautionary measures to minimize the potential for these risks to occur by establishing safety management protocols. Safety management protocols are unique to the company and may be industry-specific. The health care field, for instance, requires certain safety measures that are not relevant to other industries.

  1. Bloodborne Pathogens and Needle-Stick Prevention

    • OSHA explains that blood-borne pathogens and needle-stick prevention are a major safety concern for health care facilities, such as doctors' clinics and hospitals. Keeping health care employees, patients and visitors safe from exposure to blood-borne pathogens, such as HIV and Hepatitis C, is crucial to maintaining health and safety. Exposure to blood-borne pathogens can cause a public health concern. Therefore, health care companies establish safety protocols to address the disposal of sharp needles and how to respond to bodily fluid spills.

    Chemical Hazards

    • Health care facilities usually have heavy-duty chemicals on the premises that are required for sanitization, sterilization, testing and certain types of chemical treatments. However, chemicals can be unsafe and unhealthy if not used properly, or if they have reactive properties when exposed to other chemicals. As a result, health care facilities must make sure that they are using chemicals properly, and storing them away in safe locations where patients do not have access to them.

    Medical Equipment

    • Medical equipment can pose a safety hazard to employees and patients. If employees do not know how to properly use the equipment, they can harm themselves and possibly the patient. In the health care industry, medical equipment is used to treat or test patients for medical conditions. Even small tools, like metal instruments, can be dangerous if left unattended. Crushed fingers, burns or cuts are potential injuries that can be caused by misusing equipment. Therefore, OSHA identifies equipment as being a safety issue in health care.

    Radiation Hazards

    • The Arizona State University Office of Radiation Safety explains that radiation is a safety concern in the health care field. The use of X-rays, for instance, can have adverse affects on employees and patients who do not adhere to the safety protection protocols. Scattered radiation can be just as harmful as primary radiation, in that slivers of the radiation hazard can still do potential damage to the person exposed.

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