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Summer 2002 Circulate to: ____ Safety
____ Infection Control ____ Plant Operations ____ Other Mel
Creeley, President, East Liverpool City Hospital
presented Pat Martin, President and CEO of Fisher-Titus Medical Center in
Norwalk, the first ever John Chapman award. This award was given to honor an
Ohio hospital CEO who has shown excellence in initiating or supporting hospital
pollution prevention programs. The award is named after John Chapman, popularly
called “Johnny Appleseed,” who planted thousands of apple trees across the
Midwest during the 19th century. Pat
Martin’s life-long concern for the environment is carried out in his role at
Fisher-Titus Medical Center, which this year won the Ohio EPA's Mercury
Challenge Award, and was named a Partner for Change by the AHA-affiliated
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. The
ongoing pollution prevention program, fueled by Pat Martin’s support and
passion, so far has collected 1,645 mercury thermometers, removed a total of 28
pounds of mercury from the environment, and has been successful in other areas
of pollution prevention and waste-stream volume reduction. EPA Releases Environmental educational resources directoryThe Office of Environmental Education (OEE) of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently published a directory that gives regional information on environmental resources available to Ohio communities in a single, easy-to use volume. The manual is a result of a six-year partnership between OEE and the Environmental Education of Ohio. The free manual aids educators in finding information and resources in their area, and provides contacts for state and federal environmental education programs. The 236-page guidebook includes an index that details a myriad of exhibits, tours, and hikes, outdoor adventure courses, speakers’ bureaus, publication, residential programs, arboretums, conservatories, camps, environmental organizations, museums, planetariums, science and nature centers, preserves, parks, zoos and aquariums and programs they offer. The directory will be
updated and printed regularly. You can download a copy at www.environmentaleducationohio.org/.
Copies can also be requested by calling 614.644.2873. H2e
recognizes hospitals for environmental programs
Hospitals for a Healthy Environment (H2E) bestowed its premier award on three hospitals at the American Hospital Association (AHA) annual meeting. The Environmental Leadership Award, recognizes outstanding environmental performance. H2E also recognized 11 health-related organizations with the Champions for Change Award, which honors their work in promoting pollution prevention and for bringing new hospitals into the H2E program. Seventeen hospitals were also recognized with the Partners for Change Award for making significant progress in reducing waste and eliminating mercury. Our very own Fisher-Titus Medical Center in Norwalk was one of the 17 hospitals. Additionally, 20 hospitals were presented the Making Hospital Mercury Free Award. H2E is a joint program with the AHA, the American Nurses Association, Health Care Without Harm and the Environmental Protection Agency. The
Environmental Leadership Council of the Ohio Hospital Association, Greater
Cincinnati Health Council, Greater
Dayton Area Hospital Association, and the Health Council of Northwest Ohio would
like to thank MedCentral Health System, Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
and St. Charles Mercy Hospital, for hosting the Pollution Prevention Waste
Assessment Training Program. These hospitals opened their doors to OHA members
for a hands-on approach to evaluate waste systems. Salute to our P2 graduates MedCentral Kathy
Albert Sharon
Bohnak Rose
Heard Elizabeth
Newlen Rich
Schuffert Cincinnati
Children’s Medical Center Pam
Amos Larry
Baldwin Terry
Dalton Terri
LoPresti Gary
Taylor St.
Charles Mercy Hospital Mike
Carales Greg
Kulow Selene
Svejkovsky Nancy
Whitney Kevin
Zimmerman Governor
Unveils Fuel Cell Initiative
Gov.
Bob Taft unveiled a new $100 million, three year initiative that will position
Ohio as a national leader in the growing fuel cell industry through investments
in research, project demonstration and job creation for Ohio citizens. According
to the governor, Ohio is well-positioned to be a leader in the fuel cell
industry. The $100 million fuel cell initiative is an integral part of the Third
Frontier Project, a 10-year, $1.6 billion plan to create high-tech, high-paying
jobs through the expansion of the state’s high-tech research capabilities and
promotion and start-up of companies. The
initiative will focus on three core areas: ·
Expand the state’s
research capabilities by building on work at universities ·
Participate in
demonstration projects involving hydrogen infrastructure; and ·
Invest in expanding the
fuel cell industry in Ohio, to attract companies and the jobs they provide. Highly
efficient and environmentally friendly, fuel cells directly convert the chemical
energy in a fuel, such as hydrogen, natural gas, methanol and others into
electricity. Fuel cells can deliver more energy per volume and weight than
batteries, even including the volume and weight of stored fuel. Equally
important, fuel cells represent clean sources of energy and the use hydrogen,
the most abundant element on earth. Source:
Hannah News Service Clarifying
Policy
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has clarified its policy on the prohibition of removing contaminated needles from blood tube holders in order to reduce the dangers of needlesticks for health care workers. Announced Wednesday, OSHA explained that the bloodborne pathogens standard requires blood tube holders with needles attached to be immediately discarded into a sharps container. In the revised Bloodborne Pathogens compliance directive, the agency says that removing a needle from a used blood-drawing/phlebotomy device is rarely, if ever, required by a medical procedure. Because the devices involve the use of a double-ended needle, removing the needle exposes employees to additional risk, as does the increased manipulation of a contaminated device. OSHA Administrator John Henshaw said removing contaminated needles can expose workers to multiple hazards, and the practice is prohibited in order to protect workers from being exposed to contaminated needles. For more, visit www.osha.gov/wutsnew.html. Low Staffing Levels Increase Chances
of Needle-Stick Injuries
Needle-stick injuries in hospital nurses increase dramatically when nurse staffing levels are low, University of Pennsylvania researchers concluded in the June 2002 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. Current research indicates that patient outcomes suffer when nurse staffing levels fall; however, this is one of the first studies linking on-the-job injuries in hospital nurses with heavier workloads. The study, conducted
in 22 U.S. hospitals, all with reputations for excellence, found that poor
working conditions and high workloads were associated with 50 percent to 200
percent increases in needle-stick injuries and near-misses. The report went on
to say that hospital cost-cutting might have a double-edged effect on injuries.
"Nurses potentially unfamiliar with safe use of sharps were often forced to
become proficient while their workloads were increasing in other ways,"
said Sean Clarke, RN, Ph.D, associate director of the Center for Health Outcomes
and Policy Research at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Types
of Environmental Purchasing Programs at 50 Top Hospitals
Sixty
percent of the hospitals have no purchasing policies regarding office paper and
eight percent have purchasing policies promoting use of unbleached paper
product. Source:
Environmental Working Group.
“Greening” hospitals an analysis of pollution prevention in America’s top
hospitals. Falls Church (VA): Health Care Without Harm; 1998 Jun. Questions and Answers
Can suction canisters contaminated with blood can be poured into the drain instead of adding a solidifying agent? Paragraph C (3) of Rule 3745-27-30 of the Ohio Administrative Codes states: Generators of infectious wastes may discharge untreated liquid or semiliquid infectious wastes consisting of blood, blood products, body fluids, and excreta into a disposal system, as defined in section 6111.01 of the Revised Code, unless the discharge of those wastes into a disposal system is inconsistent with the terms and conditions of any permit for the system issued under Chapter 6111 of the Revised Code. Is there any relief from the requirement that “all syringes” be discarded into a sharps container? Sadly there is no relief at present because the infectious waste statute includes “syringe” in the definition of “sharp.” The strategy to pursue is to have the manufactures label such devices as something that does not include the word “syringe” and see if the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency rep (and perhaps your waste hauler too) will allow you to dispose of them as non sharps. If you have questions for an expert, please send them to Rick Sites at OHA at ricks@ohanet.org. Audio Tapes AvailableOHA
is hosted a series of telephone briefings to assist you with EPA regulatory
compliance, waste stream management and volume reduction, mercury elimination
and pollution prevention. Audio tapes from those telephone briefings are
available for $5. each, including shipping and handling. Tapes available are
JCAHO Standards for Environment of Care; Addressing Hazardous Material, and
Creating a P2 Plan; Surviving an EPA Inspection; Holding a Mercury Thermometer
Exchange; and Green Cleaning, Keeping Score, and Reducing Red Bag Waste.
CONTACT: Susan Zabo at 614.221.7614 or e-mail susanz@ohanet.org Report offers help for emergency responders in terrorist eventsThe
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently released a report
highlighting for emergency responders how to adequately prepare for major
disasters such as the World Trade Center attacks or the anthrax scare. The
report, released by Rand, covers information gleaned from a two-day workshop in
New York City last December for responders such as firefighters, emergency
medical services, health and safety professionals, and others. According
to the report, important areas for preparations include: developing guidelines
for use of personal protective equipment, effectively outfitting all responders
at sites of large-scale incidents, establishing effective management as early as
possible at sites of large-scale incidents and identifying ways to provide
real-time safety and health information to responders at incident sites and
ensure appropriate training on use of personal protective equipment. The report is available online at www.cdc.gov/niosh.
OHA EnviroNews Editors: Rick Sites, OHA
(ricks@ohanet.org) |
