Occupational Exposures

Advice for Implementing Sharps Safety Strategies

ICT invited members of industry to share their perspectives on sharps safety strategies. What are the key benefits of proper and safe sharps disposal to healthcare workers and patients? Hospital staff should look for several things when considering a sharps management ...More
March 11, 2013
Posted in Articles
Safe in Common Crystalizes Call for Unified Protection Against Needlestick and Sharps Injuries

More than 1,150 global healthcare leaders and personnel registered for Safe in Common’s online conference, “The Unfinished Agenda: Addressing the Challenges,” as an ongoing indication of the healthcare industry demand for unification surrounding protection from needlestick ...More
February 26, 2013
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
ECRI Institute Shows How Medical Device Accident Investigations Can Save Lives

ECRI Institute, a nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, will present “Medical Device Accident Investigation – Getting it Right Can Save Lives,” a live web conference on Feb. 20, 2013, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET. Medical ...More
January 29, 2013
Posted in News
Twelve Years After Legislation, Sharps Safety Still a Concern in All Healthcare Settings

On Nov. 6, 2012, U.S. clinicians and sharps-device manufacturers celebrated the 12th anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act. Since the legislation was signed into law, the number of needlestick injuries decreased by one-third; however, the numbers of ...More
December 3, 2012
Posted in Articles, PPE & Standard Precautions
Occupational Health: Protecting Workers Against Chemical Exposures

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that more U.S. workers are injured in the healthcare industry than any other. This sector has one of the highest rates of work-related injuries and illnesses, and in 2010, it reported 653,900 injury and illness ...More
October 11, 2012
Posted in Articles, Disinfection & Sterilization, Environmental Hygiene
Researchers Say Evidence Lacking on Link Between Asthma and Exposure to Cleaning Products

Researchers exploring the relationship between asthma and exposure to consumer products and product ingredients say the database of current studies is not sufficiently robust to demonstrate a causal relationship between product exposures and new-onset asthma. But some ...More
October 11, 2012
Posted in News, Environmental Hygiene
Uncovering the Mystery of Type IV Allergies

Imagine a nurse, let’s call her Jill, who faces multiple scrub-ins everyday as part of her operating room (OR) role. She struggles with a rash on her hands and wrists that just won’t go away, causing both physical and emotional trauma. These recurring and often painful skin ...More
April 5, 2012
Posted in Articles, PPE & Standard Precautions
New Report on Sharps Injuries Among Hospital Workers in Massachusetts is Available

A new data report, “Sharps Injuries among Hospital Workers in Massachusetts, 2010," is available from the Occupational Health Surveillance Program website under "Needlesticks and other Sharps Injuries, Data and Statistics." The direct link is: ...More
March 29, 2012
Posted in News
Nursing and Healthcare Organizations Endorse Roadmap for Future Needlestick Prevention Efforts

In the 10 years since the passage of the federal Needlestick Safety and Protection Act, much progress has been made to reduce the risk of healthcare worker exposure to bloodborne pathogens—yet significant challenges remain. The International Healthcare Worker Safety Center ...More
March 8, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice
Study Shows Nurses Face Blood Exposure During Insertion and Removal of Peripheral IV Catheter

About 1 in 2 nurses experience blood exposure, other than from a needlestick, on their skin or in their eyes, nose or mouth at least once a month when inserting a peripheral intravenous (IV) catheter, according to a new study by the International Healthcare Worker Safety ...More
March 7, 2012
Posted in News