It’s hurricane season, and the time to prepare was yesterday. As climate change increases the strength and frequency of hurricanes and storms, hospitals and healthcare facilities in hurricane-prone areas need to be vigilant about staying prepared—harden their facilities, train their staff, and...
Check your eyewash stations, verify air pressure relationships, ensure exit signs are functioning, review surgical instruments for proper sterilization, ensure food temperatures are within range, and train surgical staff on the fire safety timeouts.
I have an absolutely clear understanding that there are very few (OK, very, very, very few) healthcare facilities for which there is enough space for all the “stuff.” Depending on...
The University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering, in conjunction with the Keck School of Medicine at USC, and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, has launched the first master of science in ...
The University of Southern California (USC) Viterbi School of Engineering, in conjunction with the Keck School of Medicine at USC, and the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, has launched the first master of science in ...
When you’re the only critical access hospital around for hundreds of miles, you’d better have the resources for treating patients in need of emergency care—or the means for quickly and effectively getting patients to the care they need.
Regularly check the humidity and temperature in storage areas for sterile supplies to ensure you are meeting requirements outlined in NFPA 99-2012 and highlighted in a recent Quick Safety alert from The Joint Commission.
Healthcare Life Safety Compliance - Volume 25, Issue 8
Paul Calderwood is a Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator, a Certified Fire Protection Specialist, a Certified Fire Plans Examiner, and a certified Fire Inspector and Instructor. He holds a master’s degree in emergency management and is an international speaker on that...
I am often asked how somebody responsible for laboratory safety, yet with other duties to fulfill, can do the job well. Today’s labs have tight staffing, tight budgeting, and a score of regulatory duties that must be accomplished—not all of which revolve around safety.
The fire began in the university chemistry laboratory and quickly got out of hand. The local fire department was called as the flames became too much for extinguishers to handle. When the fire trucks arrived, the battalion chief asked for a chemical inventory so that his crew would be aware of...