Workplace Safety for Healthcare Providers

Workplace Safety for Healthcare Providers

• Healthcare providers face many hazards: infections, patient handling, chemical exposures, radiation exposure, mental health issues, violence, and environmental stress.
• Patient safety and well-being of healthcare workers are crucial.
• Improved workplace safety leads to reduced absenteeism, better efficiency, less economic burden, increased quality of life, and reduced burnout.

Infections

• Common workplace infections include tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS and respiratory infections (coronaviruses, influenza).
• Needlestick injuries account for a significant portion of these infections (hepatitis C – 39%, hepatitis B – 37%, HIV – 4.4%).
• Acute hepatitis B prevalence among healthcare workers is 5.3%.
• A significant number of healthcare workers in low- and middle-income countries have latent TB.

Infection Prevention

• Adhere to strict infection control measures, including hand washing, respiratory hygiene, and safe waste disposal.
• Provide immunizations for healthcare workers.
• Implement WHO recommendations for vaccinations (BCG, hepatitis B, polio, pertussis, diphtheria, measles, rubella, meningococcal, influenza, varicella, COVID-19, cholera).
• Ensure adequate ventilation in healthcare settings.

Patient Handling

• Many nurses suffer from non-specific chronic low back pain.
• Occupational hazards related to patient handling are frequent causes of this pain.
• Implement preventive measures to reduce ergonomic stress: careful task planning, use of lifting aids, adequate staffing for patient transfers, training, adjusting work areas for safe patient transfers, and installing steps/ramps on equipment.

Chemical Hazards

• Disinfectants, cleaning products, sterilants, anesthetic gases, mercury, hazardous drugs, and pesticides can be harmful to healthcare workers.
• Cleaning agents and disinfectants are associated with a 67% increased risk of new-onset asthma in nurses.
• Bleach and glutaraldehydes increase the risk of asthma in nurses even more.

Chemical Hazard Prevention

• Eliminate unnecessary chemicals or substitute with less toxic alternatives.
• Ensure adequate ventilation and closed systems when handling chemicals.
• Implement safe work procedures and follow manufacturer recommendations regarding handling, storage, transportation, and disposal of chemicals.
• Provide facilities for hygiene (i.e., washing and changing clothes).
• Ensure safe disposal of chemical containers.
• Organize emergency care procedures.
• Provide appropriate protective equipment.

Radiation Hazards

• Ionizing radiation can cause skin and blood damage, cataracts, infertility, birth defects, and cancer.
• The risk of radiation-induced harm increases with dose but no level is entirely safe.
• Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin cancer, burns, cataracts, and tissue damage, while lasers can cause burns, eye damage, fire, and system failures.

Radiation Prevention

• Use radiation only where benefits outweigh the risks.
• Employ shielding, protective barriers, safety interlocks, and warning signs.
• Limit access to radiation-using areas.
• Conduct regular inspections of radiation equipment.
• Monitor radiation exposure and provide medical surveillance to exposed workers.
• Support pregnant workers.
• Issue necessary personal protective equipment (protective clothing, respirators, protective aprons, gloves, and organ shields).

Mental Health

• Intrinsic job demands, individual susceptibility, and poor work organization contribute to stress in healthcare workers.
• Prolonged stress can lead to burnout, chronic fatigue, absenteeism, high staff turnover, reduced patient satisfaction, and diagnostic errors.

Mental Health Prevention

• Implement organizational interventions: managing workload, creating flexible schedules, improving communication, and fostering team spirit.
• Provide reasonable work accommodations for workers with mental health conditions.

Violence in the Workplace

• Violence and harassment affect all healthcare workers.
• Workplace violence affects up to 62% of health workers.
• Verbal abuse (58%) accounts for the majority, followed by threats (33%), and sexual harassment (12%).

Violence Prevention

• Recognize, identify, and document risks of violence.
• Improve workplace organization.
• Ensure optimal staffing levels, working conditions, supportive work teams, and minimize patient waiting times.
• Provide timely information to patients and families.
• Initiate security measures (good lighting, security cameras, alarms, emergency signalling).
• Security escorts to parking lots.
• Lock valuables.
• Train workers in conflict resolution and assault management, counselling, and physical/emotional stability.
• Establish a confidential reporting system that encourages reporting.

Environmental Stress

• Noise above 85 dB(A) can cause temporary and permanent hearing damage; lower levels can cause annoyance, sleep disturbances, and increased stress.
• Heat stress can arise in full personal protective equipment.
• Working outdoors in extreme temperatures.
• Poor lighting.

Environmental Stress Prevention

• Keep noise levels low.
• Improve ventilation in areas with high noise levels.
• Provide cooling measures when needed.
• Use protective equipment thoughtfully.
• Ensure good lighting in healthcare settings.

Workplace Hazards

• Wet floors, spills, clutter, poor vehicle maintenance, lack of driver training and safety restraints in ambulances, unsafe electric work practices.

Workplace Hazard Prevention

• Ensure access to and use of slip-resistant shoes.
• Install slip-resistant flooring and improve cleaning frequency in areas prone to spills.
• Implement measures to minimize tripping hazards.
• Ensure safety railings.
• Train workers on fall prevention, and safe electrical equipment use.
• Ensure availability of adequate electrical outlets and remove tripping hazards.

Hygiene (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene)

• One-third of health facilities lack necessary hygiene provisions for hand cleaning.
• 800 million people use health facilities lacking toilets.
• One-quarter of health facilities lack water services.

Hygiene Prevention

• Ensure access to safe and adequate water.
• Provide toilets and other necessary hygiene facilities.
• Ensure proper safe waste disposal.
• Keep environmental spaces clean.
• Practice safe food handling and storage.
• Implement measures to minimize disease transmission.
• Maintain a healthy and comfortable environment for everyone and protect from vector-borne diseases.
• Promote proper use of sanitation and waste facilities.
• Ensure adequate ventilation.