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When a barrel at an East St. Louis plant was dropped containing the highly toxic chemical nitroaniline, the lid popped off. White powder spilled and coated eight workers. Instead of calling 911, however, the workers went home. When they began having breathing problems, some drove themselves to the nearest emergency departments (ED). Others waited hours before seeing medical care.
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Do these four things so employees know what to do if an incident occurs, whether it be a catastrophe, disaster, or injury:
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The fact that employees exposed to a toxic chemical at a St. Louis plant drove themselves to the emergency department reinforces one of the key lessons learned from the Tokyo sarin gas attack of 1995, says Robert Emery, DrPH, assistant vice president of safety, health, environment and risk management at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.
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Lapses in personal protective equipment and training could soon become a lot more costly. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a "clarification" of rules, including the respirator protection and bloodborne pathogen standards, that give it authority to magnify fines for employers.
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The problem with presenteeism is proving that money is saved by decreasing it. "It's not impossible, but it's very, very difficult, to show this," says Joseph Fortuna, MD, co-chair of the Health Steering Committee of the Automotive Industry Action Group.
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To tackle presenteeism, assess it first, and then use the information wisely. Take these three steps:
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Although a new study says that sedentary workers double their risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), it's difficult to gauge the true risk of DVT, according to Monika Fischer, MN, RN, APRN BC, CCM, COHN-S, FAAOHN, health services administrator for the City of Glendale, CA. For one thing, Fischer points to the "extremely small sample size" in the study and other confounding factors.
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All employees should know the following steps in order to prepare for workplace incidents, says Anita M. Holloway, MD, MBA, manager of health strategy and clinical programs at Warrenville, IL-based Navistar:
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OSHA has proposed wording changes to the following sections of standards that related to the health care industry:
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The thought of being liable for multiple violations can be daunting. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently inspected a veterinary lab within the Marshfield (WI) Clinic in response to a complaint, says Bruce Cunha, RN, MS, COHN-S, manager of employee health and safety at the clinic.
