Health Care Safety Protocols: Preventing Accidents and Ensuring Patient Well-being

1. SAFETY Objectives: Essential Questions: How does proper body movementprotect both theHealth Care Worker and the patient? Why do health care workers need to be aware of and practice safetystandards? What is required to prevent or respond to a fire in a health care facility? • Explain how muscles, bones, and joints work together to provide movement • Identify the principles of body mechanics • Evaluate potential safety hazards for the Health Care Worker and how to correct them • Evaluate potential safety hazards for the patient and how to correct them. • Recognize fire safety hazards and the meaning of the acronyms RACE and PASS • Compare and contrast types of fire extinguishers. • Assess fire prevention and safety practices according to facility protocol • Propose an emergency action plan

2. General Safety • Freedom from harm or danger

3. How Accidents Happen • Individual behavior frequently cause of accident: • Poor judgment • Failure to recognize potential danger • Physical limitation • Not tall or strong enough • Not enough training or experience

4. OSHA • Occupational Safety and Health Administration • Outlines required safety and health standards • ALL employers must conform • Any worker may contact about unsafe working conditions

5. General Safety Rules • Walk • Never run • Walk on right hand side of hallway • Use handrails on stairway

6. General Safety Rules • No horseplay • Wipe up spills/pick up litter • Report any unsafe conditions

7. Develop a Safety Attitude • A way of thinking or feeling about a situation

8. Needle/Sharps Safety • Risk of contracting Hepatitis B or HIV from body fluids and blood • All sharps disposed of in sharps container • A red puncture-resistant container • Never recap or manually remove dirty needles

9. Needle/Sharps Safety • Never carry sharps from one location to another • Never pass sharps across a patient • Report any incidences to supervisor

10. Chemical injuries • Acid, base or other chemical substance • Causes injury: • Direct contact on skin • Inhalation of fumes • Most common type of chemical injury is a burn

11. Chemical injuries • Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided on every chemical • Info about chemical • Indications & uses • Hazards • First aid

12. Chemical Guidelines • Always wear gloves when using solutions • Always read label on container at least 3 times • Do not use if label is illegible or missing • Always use in a well-ventilated area • Immediately clean up spills

13. Equipment Guidelines • Do not use any equipment until you have been properly trained • Do not use damaged or malfunctioning equipment

14. Patient Safety

15. Patient Safety • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeldVu-3DpM • The health care professional is responsible for patient safety • Patients are partly helpless • Equipment presents safety problems • Hazards in environment • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXQhVzemLck

16. Ambulation Devices • Used to assist patients walking by giving additional support • Examples: • Canes • Crutches • Walkers • Structurally sound • Areas touching ground must be covered by rubber tips

17. Transportation devices • Devices to transport patients to other areas for treatment or procedures • Examples • Gurney • Wheelchairs

18. Safety Precautions for Transportation Devices • Always lock brakes when moving patient on or off • Secure straps or put side rails up

19. Side Rails • Uses: • to keep patient from falling • aid in turning or moving patients

20. Side Rails Precautions • Always use at night • Always use with: • small children, • heavily medicated or confused patient, • elderly patients • If taken down during a procedure, must be up when leaving

21. Bathroom • May be most hazardous area in patient’s room • Use handrails/grab bars to avoid falls • Use rubber mats to prevent slipping

22. Slips, Trips & Falls • These things can be done to promote safety awareness in the workplace: • Work with employer to identify, report, and correct unsafe conditions & behaviors • Develop an awareness of potential hazards • Organize a safety committee

23. Slip, Trips & Falls • These things can be done to promote safe behaviors: • Stay focused • Take short breaks • Get plenty of rest • Manage stress • Control drug and alcohol use

24. Slips, Trips & Falls • These things can be done to identify and remedy unsafe conditions: • Wet or uneven surfaces • Clean up spills • Fix/report problems • Poor lighting • Change bulbs • Create more lighting • Bad weather conditions • Wear slip resistant shoes • Report problem areas

25. Slips, Trips & Falls • These things can be done to identify and remedy unsafe conditions: • Wrong tools • Use proper tools • Poor housekeeping • Keep floor clutter free • Big loads • Get help • Being in a hurry • Slow down, take smaller steps

26. Slips, Trips & Falls • Slips, trips, and falls account for 20% of all nonfatal injuries. True • Slips, trips, and falls rank third as causes of lost workdays. True • Leaving an office file drawer open can be dangerous. True-someone can trip over it • Carrying big loads puts one at risk for slips, trips, or falls. True • Synthetic rubber soles (neoprene) are safe for most working surfaces. True-not on oily surfaces

27. Slips, Trips & Falls Standing on a ladder to reach something is safer than using a chair. True-can also use safety stool 7. Wearing the right shoes can help me prevent slips, trips, and falls. True-types depends on facility Walking in poorly lit areas increases risk for serious injury, especially on stairs. True Getting only a few hours of sleep each night does not put me at risk for slips, trips, and falls. False-rest helps you stay focused Reporting hazards is not my responsibility. False-it is everyone’s responsibility

28. The End for Now