Safety In Health Care Essay

While it may come as a surprise to many people throughout the Media area, occupational injuries are all too common for health care workers. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported that there were more than 253,000 work-related injuries recorded by hospitals across the country in 2011. Some of the dangers that those in the health care industry face are inherent to the jobs they perform and the environments they work in. However, hospital workers may avoid other injury risks by taking certain precautions.

Common workplace hazards for health care workers

Employees in the health care industry, particularly those who work in hospitals, face a range of hazards in the workplace. Some of the most common causes of occupational injuries for such workers include the

This includes educating workers about the potential hazards they face in the workplace, as well as establishing and implementing safety protocols. Workers should be encouraged to practice proper hand hygiene, and to take other steps to help prevent workplace injuries.

Implement an exposure control plan

In the hospital setting, workers may be exposed to bloodborne pathogens, radiation and other dangerous substances. Thus, it is advisable to establish medical surveillance to monitor for and identify such hazards. OSHA suggests that health care workers should use personal protective clothing and equipment in order to avoid such exposures. Furthermore, it is advisable that employers require their workers to stay up to date on their vaccinations, including their Hepatitis B vaccination.

Using engineering controls may also help health care workers avoid exposure to certain contagions. These include shielded needle devices, needleless devices and plastic capillary tubes.

Practice safe patient