Check out the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s (NIOSH’s) newly posted Health and Safety Practices Survey of Healthcare Workers, which focuses on aerosolized medications, anesthetic gases, antineoplastic drugs, chemical sterilants, high level disinfectants and surgical smoke. The information was collected through a web-based survey of healthcare personnel who work with hazardous chemicals. The objectives of the survey were to:
- Better understand the circumstances to which healthcare workers may be exposed to hazardous chemicals.
- Gauge how well best practices [i.e., engineering and administrative controls and personal protective equipment (PPE)] are being used to minimize exposure.
- Evaluate barriers to using PPE and other exposure controls.
Other articles will be available later this summer, including exposure control practices for nitrous oxide in dental practices and effects of organizational safety practices and perceived safety climate on use of exposure controls involving liquid antineoplastic drugs among nurses.
Information provided by Denise Knoblauch, BSN, RN, COHN-S/CM and Elaine B. Dawson, RN, COHN