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Nursing Homes and Personal Care Facilities |
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| Hazards and Solutions |
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Most prevalent hazards in this industry include: musculoskeletal disorders related to resident
handling; needlesticks and exposure to blood and other potentially infectious
materials; exposure to tuberculosis; and slips, trips, and falls. The following references provide information about
possible solutions for hazards associated with working in nursing homes and
personal care facilities.
General
Bloodborne Pathogens/Needlesticks
Revision
to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard - Technical Background and Summary.
OSHA, (2001, April). Includes revised information regarding the identification, evaluation, and selection of effective
engineering controls, including safer medical devices.
OSHA's Revised Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. OSHA
Slide Presentation, (2001), 34 slides. Provides a PowerPoint presentation on the revised Bloodborne Pathogens Standard.
Frequently
Asked Questions. OSHA. Provides some commonly asked questions
and answers regarding needlestick hazards and prevention.
Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures
to HBV, HCV, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly
Report (MMWR) 50(RR-11), (2001, June 29), 334 KB
PDF, 67 pages. Guidelines for management of occupational exposures to the
hepatitis B virus (HBV), the hepatitis C virus (HCV), and the human
immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and recommendations for post-exposure prophylaxis.
What
Every Worker Should Know: How to Protect Yourself From Needlestick
Injuries. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for
Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
Publication No. 2000-135, (1997, July).
For additional information, see OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention Safety and Health Topic Page.
Hazardous Drugs and Chemicals
Musculoskeletal Disorders
- Ergonomics:
Guidelines for Nursing Homes. OSHA Safety and Health Topics Page.
- Hospital.
OSHA eTool. Provides modules that assist healthcare workers to recognize
hazards associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).
- A Back Injury Prevention Guide for Health Care Providers. Cal/OSHA, (2001, April),
2 MB PDF, 47 pages.
Provides general guidelines designed to help prevent staff injury from lifting or moving patients.
- Caring for Caregivers. Job Safety & Health Quarterly
(JSHQ), (2002), 7 MB PDF*,
page 25. Outlines ways to teach workers how to protect themselves on the job.
- For additional information, see OSHA's Ergonomics Safety and Health Topics Page.
Slips and Falls
Falls in Nursing Homes. Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), (2000, January 27). Provides information to help prevent falls in nursing homes.
Tuberculosis (TB)
For additional information, see OSHA's Tuberculosis Safety and Health Topics Page.
Workplace Violence
*These files are provided for downloading.
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