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|Articles|May 1, 2000

Infection Control Today - Operating Room - Hazardous MaterialsEmergencies in Surgery

Table 1: Agencies and their concerns for hazardous materials.

Agency Name/Address/Telephone/Web Address
General Description of Purpose
Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) 1600 Clifton Rd. N.E. (E-28) Atlanta, GA 30333 (404) 639-0727
Provides guidance for responding to victims of acute hazardous material exposures. For free publication: "Medical Management Guidelines"
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) (404) 639-5313
Provides assistance for dealing with accidents and damage to packages containing biologic and etiologic hazards such as specimen.
Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) 2170 South Parker Road, Suite 300 Denver, CO 80231-5711 (800) 755-2676
Publishes standards, recommended practices, and guidelines each year. The followings topics relevant to hazardous materials are addressed in the publication: (1)Environmental waste (2) Regulated medical waste (3)The use of chemical germicides (4)Chemical sterilization (5) Radiological exposure (6) Universal precautions (7) Chemical hazards
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) 3330 Washington Blvd., Suite 400 Arlington, VA 22201
Establishes and publishes standards and recommended practices for the effective application of present-day technologies relative to medical instrumentation. The following topics relevant to hazardous materials are addressed in the publication: (1) Ethylene oxide (2) Chemical sterilents (3) Safe handling of biologically contaminated instrumentation (4)Glutaraldehyde-based products (5) Radiation sterilization
Joint Commission on Accrediation for Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
Addresses the management of hazardous materials in section EC.1.5 of the Comprehensive Accrediation Manual for Hospitals: The Official Handbook
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Technical Program Division Emergency Management Institute Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Responsible for federal training courses for hazardous materials. Publications: "Digest of Federal Training in Hazardous Materials."
Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) 301-443-4190
FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health is responsible for ensuring the safety and effectiveness of medical devices and eliminating unnecessary human exposure to man-made radiation from medical, occupational, and consumer products.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Primary organization dedicated to ongoing oversight of medical supplies.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Has authority, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, to issue citations if an employer fails to keep the workplace free of a recognized hazard that is or is likely to cause, death or serious physical harm, and that for which a feasible and useful method of abatement exists



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