Nursing home cited for workplace hazards

OSHA fines New Jersey nursing home for exposing workers to excessive heat and health hazards

CARNEYS POINT, N.J. – The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Carneys Point Care Center for 10 alleged serious violations and one other-than-serious violation found at the nursing home in Carneys Point.

OSHA's May inspection was initiated as part of the agency's national emphasis program for nursing and residential care facilities.

Nursing facilities can harbor many
health hazards.

"The increasing rate of injuries and illnesses among hospital and health care workers underscores OSHA's concern about the safety and health of these workers," said Paula Dixon-Roderick, director of OSHA's Marlton Area Office.

"The workers that care for our loved ones deserve a safe workplace. OSHA is committed to ensuring effective hazard prevention measures nationwide."

Among the serious violations cited involves OSHA's general duty clause because workers in the laundry department were exposed to excessive levels of heat. OSHA proposed a fine of $6,300 for this violation.

Serious violations, carrying $42,300 in proposed penalties, include

• failing to ensure workers wore appropriate eye protection; 
• ensure easy access to a sharps container; 
• correct exposed wires from an industrial washer; 
• provide suitable eyewash facilities, bloodborne pathogen training, Hepatitis B vaccines and effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in the workplace; 
• properly use flexible electrical cords and label hazardous chemical containers; 
• develop a written hazard communication program; and 
• have material safety data sheets and safety data sheets for each hazardous chemical used in the workplace. 

A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Source: OSHA

Protect nursing home workers and patients

The indoor air quality in a nursing home can suffer from airborne chemicals, certain odors, bacteria, viruses, mold, particles, dust and other contaminants.

A well-placed air purifier
helps provide cleaner and
healthier air in rooms and
gathering places.

With strict source control, proper ventilation and the right air cleaning system, staff and patients will be able to breathe healthier air.

Electrocorp has developed a range of indoor air purifiers for nursing homes, hospitals and health care settings that feature a highly efficient activated carbon and HEPA filter system plus optional UV germicidal filtration.

Activated carbon (or charcoal) is the best way to remove airborne chemicals, odors, volatile organic compounds and gases, while HEPA traps particles and dust. UV helps neutralize biological contaminants such as bacteria, viruses and mold, so that they won't affect human health anymore.

For more information and a free IAQ consultation, contact Electrocorp today.

Chemicals at work linked to miscarriages for nurses

Exposure to certain chemicals may increase the risk
of miscarriage for nurses, researchers say.

A new study shows that nurses who worked with chemotherapy drugs or sterilizing chemicals had double the chance of losing a pregnancy than nurses who didn’t handle these materials.

Researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) say the study confirmed fears that exposure to certain chemicals would lead to miscarriages.

Exposure may occur during the first trimester when many nurses are still unaware that they are pregnant, they say.

Chemotherapy drugs target rapidly dividing cells such as those in a tumor – but a developing fetus also has rapidly dividing cells.

Previous research on the subject was inconclusive and showed different results, so for this study, researchers surveyed nearly 7,500 nurses who became pregnant between 1993 and 2002.

They asked the nurses to remember how often during each trimester they might have been exposed to certain chemicals or equipment, including X-rays, anesthesia, anti-cancer drugs and disinfectants.

One out of 10 nurses had a miscarriage before the 20-week mark, which is similar to the rate of the miscarriages in the general population.

However, the rate was double for nurses who handled chemotherapy drugs for more than one hour a day.

The risk was also higher for nurses who gave patients X-rays and nurses who handled sterilizing agents such as ethylene oxide or formaldehyde.

The researchers warn that the study only drew a link between the chemicals and the miscarriages and that it did not prove that the chemicals actually caused the miscarriage.

The survey relied on the memory of the nurses as far back as 8 years sometimes, which leaves room for inaccuracies.

On the other hand, other workers (including pharmacists, drug manufacturers and veterinarians) may also be affected since they handle these chemicals as well.

Two million female nurses work in the United States, making up 4 percent of the female workforce, according to a Reuters article.

Reduce chemical exposure at work

Nurses and their employers should stick to safety guidelines and take precautions to avoid exposure to potentially harmful chemicals.

Electrocorp offers air cleaners for hospitals and healthcare facilities that can also help keep the air clean.

The air cleaners contain deep-bed activated carbon filters to remove a wide range of chemicals and gases (including formaldehyde and ethylene oxide), while a HEPA filter also reduces the amount of particles and allergens in the air. Optional UV germicidal filtration helps neutralize bacteria, viruses and mold.

Contact Electrocorp for more information and options.