Health Care Facilities Work Hazards - Term Paper Example

Health Care (Hospitals) Facilities Work Hazards The study intends to evaluate the hazards faced by the people working in the healthcare industry. It has been determined that various forms of hazards are faced by the workers in the industry and hence they are evaluated to determine the reasons as to why these hazards are caused and how they emerge. The study reveals that the hazards faced by the people are many but with the help of the precautionary measures they can be mitigated. Introduction Healthcare is one of the fast growing sectors in the economy of the United States. The healthcare sector in the US employs about 18 million workers which is approximately 10 per cent of the entire workforce (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014). The healthcare sector is involved with the health and safety of the people. The healthcare workers face various hazards in their workplace in relation to their jobs. Few of the hazards faced by the workers in this sector include the needle stick injuries, back injuries, violence and also stress. Hazard can be determined as anything that causes harm to the people in the workforce. Healthcare industry is assumed to be a safe and healthy place to work. However, working in the healthcare facilities such as hospitals can be hazardous due to the environment and the nature of the job. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) gathers information and data related to the healthcare hazards faced by the workers every year. It is viewed that the workers face various serious safety along with health hazards in the hospitals. Due to the occupational diversity and exposure, the healthcare hazards can be of various forms such as the chemical, physical, psychological, biological and ergonomic hazards. In addition to the infectious diseases and workplace violence, the workers in the healthcare facilities encounter various other hazards. More people are injured due to the hazards in the healthcare sector than any other. According to the statistics of the year 2010, this sector has the highest rate of work related illness and injury issues amounting to 653,900 cases (3U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). Correspondingly, the study intends to evaluate the various hazards faced by the workforce in the health care sector. The problems faced due to the hazards and its effect on the future of the industry will also be evaluated. Chemical Hazards In the modern world, it is impossible to survive without being exposed to hundreds of chemical constituents in the healthcare sector primarily owing to the presence of hazardous toxic chemicals. Any chemical has the ability to harm the people and is dangerous in the healthcare sector which is of regular use. Contacts to the hazardous chemicals are a common scenario faced by workers in the healthcare facilities. The chemicals are used in the laboratories for the ‘diagnostic’ and ‘therapeutic’ process and also for the cleaning activities by the workers. The healthcare sector is the most labor intensive industry even though it faces a threat from the exposure of chemicals used. This has become the major concern for the healthcare department as it relates to the health and safety of the workforce looking after the patients. The types of chemicals that the workers are potentially exposed include disinfectants, sterilants, medicines, laboratory reagents, housekeeping and also pesticides. Even though the exposure and the hazard from these infectants are low but cumulatively the danger from the chemical is high for the workers appointed in the healthcare sector. The healthcare workers especially the nurses might face allergic reaction to the exposure to drugs on a regular basis (Stellman, 2011; Wilding & Hood, 2010). In the healthcare sector, the workers are exposed to a vast collection of chemicals on a regular basis. The gases from the chemicals cause much harm to the workforce if not handled with safety. The chemical Ethylene Oxide (Eto) is flammable as well as a colorless gas which is found in the fumigants and sterilants causing health hazards for the workers if the chemical is above 51.3 ºF temperature. It smells similar to ether at the toxic level. Moreover, a report regarding the hazardous chemicals in the healthcare facilities is maintained in order to evaluate the degree of risk faced by the workers (2U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). It is witnessed that the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) lead a survey to identify the exposure healthcare workers have towards the chemicals. The blood of the workers was tested and it was found that nearly every worker had 18 chemicals in the body which creates a risk for the safety and health of the workers. The chemical disinfectants and the sterilizing agents create hazards to the health of the workers due to its exposure. Exposure to the chemicals brings about harm to the healthcare people by causing mild irritation which might lead to cancer. Chemicals not only affect the health of the workers but also can present a physical hazard i.e. the potential to kindle and also explode. The chemicals in the healthcare sector can have a major adverse effect if they are not handled with care (BVSDE, n.d.). In order to minimize such healthcare workers hazards and ensure better safety in the healthcare industry, the OSHA requires providing training to the healthcare people, warning labels along with rendering access to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) to ensure their safety in the workplace (4U.S. Department of Labor, 2010 ). The basic safety method to avoid the hazards can be the use of gloves and splash apron while handling the chemicals. Physical hazards Physical hazard is one of the common exposures faced by the workers in the healthcare sector. This type of hazards is usually caused due to the environment and the working condition. The main causes of such hazards include abnormal temperature, noise and also vibration. Moreover, the other physical agents such as lasers, x-rays and also the other forms of radiation used by the patients can be of hazardous nature if they are not handled or used carefully by the healthcare workers. The level of radiation needs to be controlled properly to be effective and not of harm for the healthcare people. It is observed that if the chemicals used in the healthcare sector are not maintained in a moderate temperature, it might cause injuries due to the burn and heat stress. Issues related to electric plugs and unsafe wire might also cause harm to the people working in the healthcare sector. Excessive loud noise, violence, slips and cuts are the common hazards faced by the workers. The common physical hazards are caused due to slips, trips and fall in the workplace if the floor in the healthcare facility is kept wet thus making it slippery. Besides, if the wires in the laboratory and various departments are not plugged properly then it might cause injury to the workers. The slips, trips and fall are second leading causes of injuries amid the healthcare workers due to a lack of proper maintenance and knowledge (3U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). The physical hazards are often caused to the workers during the course of providing Medicare and routine drugs. These forms of hazard are caused usually due to a lack of attentiveness as well as a lack of knowledge. The resistance of the healthcare department to spend money and time in initiating necessary improvement steps might result in causing physical hazards for the workers. An unsafe environment laden with a lack of cleanliness might cause the workers to face injuries and increase the rate of attrition (3U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). Another major hazard faced by the workers in the healthcare industry is workplace violence. Workplace violence is often caused due to harassment and also disruptive behavior. In keeping with the statistics determined in 2010, it is recognized that approximately 11370 assaults were faced in the entire industry wherein almost 19% of the workplace violence occurred in the healthcare sector. In order to minimize the hazard, the employers in the healthcare facilities might offer a zero tolerance policy to the workers of the healthcare sector (1U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). The health care workers include nurses, doctors, staff, radiography technicians and housekeepers among others. In the clinical area, the physical hazards can emerge due to slip, trip, cuts with the use of sharp objects and also the use of chemicals causing burns. In the radiography department, the constant contact of the workers with the radiation waves might cause health issues for them. The workers in the laundry have to be in regular contact with high noise which affects their health and safety. It is reported than several workers face hearing loss due to the noise of the laundry equipment which is a commonplace physical hazard for healthcare workers (1U.S. Department of Labor, 2010). Biological Hazards The workers of the healthcare facilities are majorly exposed to a number of biological hazards. In the healthcare facilities, the patients and clients are affected with various germs which they carry without any knowledge. Consequently, the workers get affected from viruses such as hepatitis B, bacteria and other biological agents. In the healthcare sector, the risk from germs and biological agents is the most as it causes infections to the healthcare people resulting in absenteeism. The biological agents causing issues to the healthcare workers include the virus, bacteria and fungi which might lead to allergies and toxic effects. The nurses and the doctors come in regular contacts with the patients and their family members thus their risk of getting affected is more. The housekeeping personnel cleaning the floors and the laundry personnel cleaning the contaminated bed sheets and dresses get affected by the biological agents. The biological hazards are transmitted in the body of the workers through the process of respiration, transference through the contact of the body fluid along with contaminated objects. The biological hazards posed in the human body cause infections, allergy along with poisoning (Ontario Safety Association for Community Healthcare, 2006). The biological hazard can be avoided by providing vaccination to every worker in the healthcare facilities so that they are immune from the external risk. Furthermore, providing proper ventilation in the medical wards allows the chances of contamination to reduce to a certain level. Maintenance of personal hygiene is one of the best approaches to avoid biological hazards in the healthcare sector. Use of gloves, surgical masks along with protective clothes by the healthcare workers is amid the key precautionary measures to minimize the risks. Subsequently, in terms of another vital measure, sterilization can be upheld which is the procedure used to eliminate the bacteria found in the needles. With the help of sterilization, the healthcare workers can be safe from the biological hazards and avoid infections and dangers as it acts as disinfectant. The bacterial hazard can cause disease due to the transfer of living organisms such as bacteria and parasites. To reduce the risk from the hazards, an infection control program will be helpful (Ontario Safety Association for Community Healthcare, 2006). The reason for the increase in the number of biological hazards is due to the direct contact of the healthcare workers with numerous sources of infections causing harm to the workers. With the help of maintaining hygiene, the prevention or transfer of the biological agents harmful for the workers will be reduced. These methods can include hand washing and maintenance of a clean environment (Ontario Safety Association for Community Healthcare, 2006). Ergonomics Hazards Ergonomics hazards causing harm to the healthcare sector workers involve lifting, strain in the eyes, repetitive motion and also long standing working hours. The repetitive assigned tasks such as transferring of patients and lifting the beds can cause ergonomics hazards to the healthcare workers at large. Handling of the patients is a continuous job role of the healthcare workers which can cause stain in the hands along with stress. Moreover, the poor lighting in the facilities in few departments can cause strain in the eyes of the workers resulting in health issues. Overexertion is another vital issue faced by the healthcare workers causing injury and illness. The works such as handling of the laundry bags and pushing carts of the patients in the wheelchairs cause strain. The health workers have to face issues due to the awkward postures caused while dealing with the patients, unloading as well as loading the carts, continued use of computer keyboards along with sitting uncomfortably in a chair that cause stress and strain. Due to the severe workload, the healthcare industry has the highest non-fatal injury which causes repeated trauma for the healthcare workers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Lifting along with transferring the patients from one bed to the other and from bed to the wheelchair causes dangerous injuries if the caregivers are not properly trained. It is observed that various caregivers experience injuries, due to the lifting of the patients, such as sprain and strains associated with these performed activities. Other healthcare workers have jobs which require repetitive movement that cause ‘cumulative trauma disorder.’ Moreover, the works related to laundry and kitchen require the healthcare people to have awkward positions during their long working hours which cause injury to the muscles and bones. This hazard usually takes place due to the manual handling of the patients and the materials especially in the laundry (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). The key precautionary measure to avoid such hazards is by providing supportive devices for the purpose of lifting the patients. Redesigning the instruments used for the surgical purpose and computer workstation can facilitate to avoid the health related hazards (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Psychological Hazards Psychological hazards are also often faced by the healthcare workers due to discrimination caused, technological changes, malfunctioning equipment, downsizing, overwork, violence and due to death of the patients as well. The stress in the workplace due to the increase in the workload and violence in the workplace can be the major reasons of harm for the staff in the healthcare sector. At times the patients, their family members and the visitors use abusive languages towards the workers in the healthcare facility, which creates a psychological effect on them in the form of mental stress. The healthcare facilities are invariably open 24/7 and provide services round the clock. This requires the workers to work even in the night shifts. Working in the nights shifts for several months causes a kind of psychological hazard on the health of the caregiver. Besides, shifting jobs in the healthcare can also be of stress for the workers as the change in the shift will cause biological effect on the health of the workers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008). Working with the people who are ill mentally due to the stress faced regularly can be emotionally wearing for the staff. Furthermore, due to the economic crisis, the rate of attrition has increased in every sector along with the healthcare sector. The fear of layoff and the workload are creating an inherent psychological pressure on the healthcare workers. As the healthcare sector has employed more women, the risk from the psychological hazards is more (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2008; 1U.S. Department of Labor 2010). In order to avoid such hazards, the healthcare sector can implement stress audit and stress management program to reduce the effect of hazards in the healthcare sector. Conclusion Healthcare is an extensive sector which employs several personnel. The people working in the healthcare facilities owing to their job role and design often need to face several hazards which cause health issues for them. The hazards faced by the workers are several including chemical, biological, ergonomics, physical and psychological. The key reasons for these hazards entail regular contact of the workers with serious injuries faced by the patients and the influence of the unkind working environment as well. People involved in the laboratory works and radiography face chemical and physical hazards affecting their health. This can be minimized by taking proper precautionary measures such as using gloves, having proper knowledge about the chemicals being used and being careful while using the electronic gadgets. Therefore, the hazards faced by the healthcare workers are many which can be minimized through avoiding the unsafe environment. References BVSDE. (n.d.). Occupational hazards for health care workers. Hazards, 1-27. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Healthcare workers. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/healthcare/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Exposure to stress. Occupational Hazards in Hospitals, 1-10. McDiarmid, M.A. (2006). Chemical hazards in health care. Living in Chemical World, 601-606. Ontario Safety Association for Community Healthcare. (2006). Hazards in health care workplaces. Fast Facts, 1-2. Stellman, J.M. (2011). Overview of chemical hazards in health care. 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