Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection

Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030921548X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 74

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Book Description
Occupational health nurses (OHNs) are front-line advocates for preventing illness and injury and protecting health in a variety of workplace settings, including the areas of agriculture, construction, health care, manufacturing, and public safety. OHNs need education and training in respiratory protection in order to ensure both their safety and the safety of America's workers. At the request of the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) examined existing respiratory protection curricula and made recommendations to improve education and training in respiratory protection for OHNs. The IOM finds that current respiratory protection education receives varying amounts of dedicated time and resources and is taught using a variety of approaches. Several recommendations are made to improve the respiratory protection education and training of OHNs.

Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices for Occupational and Non-Occupational Uses

Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices for Occupational and Non-Occupational Uses PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030968384X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 153

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Book Description
To address approaches to the respirator approval process in the current landscape for both occupational and non-occupational use of respirators, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Standing Committee on Personal Protective Equipment for Workplace Safety and Health convened a virtual workshop, Current Issues in the Assessment of Respiratory Protective Devices: Nontraditional Workers and Public Use on August 4â€"5, 2020. Additionally, the workshop considered gaps in respiratory protection for outdoor workers and the general public. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care

Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309485150
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
Protecting the health and safety of health care workers is vital to the health of each of us. Preparing for and responding to a future influenza pandemic or to a sustained outbreak of an airborne transmissible disease requires a high-level commitment to respiratory protection for health care workers across the wide range of settings in which they work and the jobs that they perform. Keeping health care workers healthy is an ethical commitment both in terms of addressing the occupational risks faced by health care workers and of providing for the continuity of patient care and services needed to maintain the health of individuals and communities. During a public health emergency, challenges will arise concerning the availability of respiratory protective devices (i.e., respirators). Reusable respirators (specifically, reusable half-facepiece elastomeric respirators) are the standard respiratory protection device used in many industries, and they provide an option for use in health care that has to date not been fully explored. The durability and reusability of elastomeric respirators make them desirable for stockpiling for emergencies, where the need for large volumes of respirators can be anticipated. However, they are used infrequently in health care. Reusable Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care explores the potential for the use of elastomeric respirators in the U.S. health care system with a focus on the economic, policy, and implementation challenges and opportunities. This report examines the practicability of elastomeric use in health care on a routine basis and during an influenza pandemic or other large aerosol-transmissible outbreak, when demand for respiratory protective devices by U.S. health care personnel may be larger than domestic supplies. The report also addresses the issues regarding emergency stockpile management of elastomeric respiratory protective devices.

Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Threat to Occupational Health in the U.S. and Canada

Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Threat to Occupational Health in the U.S. and Canada PDF Author: William Charney
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780849346378
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 478

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Book Description
Hospitals in the US and Canada are ill-prepared for the threat of emerging infectious diseases, especially in the area of protecting healthcare workers, nurses, doctors, and first responders from transmissions. Current protocols from guideline agencies and health organizations and health departments that include state pandemic flu plans do not follow scientific evidence in many of their recommendations. Economics and 'ease of use' are trumping good science in the decision making process. For example, protocols do not demand the most stringent precautions that would protect for healthcare workers from unknown factors of transmission in the case of rapidly emerging diseases. Respiratory protection, negative pressure isolation rooms, training of healthcare workers, personal protective equipment, ventilation designs, triage of surge patients, funding issues are all areas of concern that remain controversial in current occupational health protection models. Emerging Infectious Diseases and the Threat to Occupational Health in the US and Canada offers a critical review of existing plans and infrastructures for emerging diseases and the response capabilities of healthcare delivery systems to protect the occupational health and offers many solutions. The authors perform failure analysis that cannot be found in other texts, and offer positive solutions, strategies, and tactics for strengthening the hospital and the public health response to potentially catastrophic health crises. This book contains invaluable information for managers, professionals, and policy makers in infectious disease organizations, public health organizations, as well as occupational health organizations.

Safe Work in the 21st Century

Safe Work in the 21st Century PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309070260
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
Despite many advances, 20 American workers die each day as a result of occupational injuries. And occupational safety and health (OSH) is becoming even more complex as workers move away from the long-term, fixed-site, employer relationship. This book looks at worker safety in the changing workplace and the challenge of ensuring a supply of top-notch OSH professionals. Recommendations are addressed to federal and state agencies, OSH organizations, educational institutions, employers, unions, and other stakeholders. The committee reviews trends in workforce demographics, the nature of work in the information age, globalization of work, and the revolution in health care deliveryâ€"exploring the implications for OSH education and training in the decade ahead. The core professions of OSH (occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and occupational medicine and nursing) and key related roles (employee assistance professional, ergonomist, and occupational health psychologist) are profiled-how many people are in the field, where they work, and what they do. The book reviews in detail the education, training, and education grants available to OSH professionals from public and private sources.

Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic

Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309101824
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 106

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Book Description
Any strategy to cope with an influenza pandemic must be based on the knowledge and tools that are available at the time an epidemic may occur. In the near term, when we lack an adequate supply of vaccine and antiviral medication, strategies that rely on social distancing and physical barriers will be relatively more prominent as means to prevent spread of disease. The use of respirators and facemasks is one key part of a larger strategy to establish barriers and increase distance between infected and uninfected individuals. Respirators and facemasks may have a role in both clinical care and community settings. Reusability of Facemasks During an Influenza Pandemic: Facing the Flu answers a specific question about the role of respirators and facemasks to reduce the spread of flu: Can respirators and facemasks that are designed to be disposable be reused safely and effectively? The committee-assisted by outstanding staff-worked intensively to review the pertinent literature; consult with manufacturers, researchers, and medical specialists; and apply their expert judgment. This report offers findings and recommendations based on the evidence, pointing to actions that are appropriate now and to lines of research that can better inform future decisions.

Dermal Exposure

Dermal Exposure PDF Author: World Health Organization
Publisher: Environmental Health Criteria
ISBN: 9789241572422
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
"IPCS, International Programme on Chemical Safety."

Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A

Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A PDF Author: Committee on Respiratory Protection for Healthcare Workers in the Workplace Against Novel H1N1 Influenza A
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309144604
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 66

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Book Description
In the event that the H1N1 virus creates a surge of patients during the upcoming flu season, it will be critical to protect health care workers from infection, given their central role in treating sick people and lessening the pandemic's overall impact. This new report from the Institute of Medicine recommends strategies for health care organizations and employees to prepare for the H1N1 virus. These recommendations include wearing fitted N95 respirators to guard against respiratory infection by the virus, and establishing policies for innovative triage processes, handwashing, disinfection, and more. The report also calls for a boost in research to answer questions about how the flu viruses can be spread, and to design and develop better protective equipment that would enhance workers' comfort, safety, and ability to do their jobs.

Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals

Occupational Health and Safety in the Care and Use of Research Animals PDF Author: Committee on Occupational Safety and Health in Research Animal Facilities
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309520398
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 167

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Book Description
Much has been written about the care of research animals. Yet little guidance has appeared on protecting the health and safety of the people who care for or use these animals. This book, an implementation handbook and companion to Guide For the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals, identifies principles for building a program and discusses the accountability of institutional leaders, managers, and employees for a program's success. It provides a detailed description of risks-- physical and chemical hazards, allergens and zoonoses, and hazards from experiments--which will serve as a continuing reference for the laboratory. The book offers specific recommendations for controlling risk through administrative procedures, facility design, engineering controls, and periodic evaluations. The volume focuses on the worker, with detailed discussions of work practices, the use of personal protective gear, and the development of an emergency response plan. This handbook will be invaluable to administrators, researchers, and employees in any animal research facility. It will also be of interest to personnel in zoos, animal shelters, and veterinary facilities.

Guidelines for Nursing Homes

Guidelines for Nursing Homes PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic government information
Languages : en
Pages : 44

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Book Description