Chapter 3 CENG Safety in Healthcare Institutions Flashcards by xfiy xyad

What are some main sources of safety threat to patients and staffs?
10 in total.

Natural Elements (i.e. earth, air, fire and water).
Chemicals and Drugs
Microorganisms and Vermin
Waste
Sound and Radiation
Electricity
Natural and Unnatural Disasters
Surroundings
Gravity and Mechanical Stress
People

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What is the purpose of The Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC)?

Sets the occupational safety and health standards to protect individuals in the workplace

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What are the standards that are commonly practiced in the hospitals of Singapore? 5 in total.

Hazard evaluation.
Labels and other forms of warning.
Materials safety datasheet (MSDS).
Employee training.
Written hazard communication program.

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What is hazard evaluation?

Chemical manufacturers and importers are required to evaluate chemicals produced or imported to determine if they are hazardous.
Any substance that presents a reactive, flammable or health hazard is considered regulated.

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What is the purpose of labels and other forms of warning?

Purpose is to warn about potential danger or significant risk.

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What are the 4 product identifiers in a Hazardous Materials Identification System (HMIS)?

Health, flammability, reactivity and PPE (0-4)

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What are some health hazards? 8 in total.

Carcinogenic (cancer causing), Mutagenic (affects gene), Hepatotoxin (affects liver), Nephrotoxin (affects kidneys), Neurotoxin (nerve poison), Sensitizer, Corrosive, Irritant

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What are some reactive hazards?

Unstable (reactive)
Compressed gas
Water-reactive
Organic compounds
Inorganic compounds
Corrosive

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What are the hazards and use of asbestos?

Hazards:
-Highly toxic and cancer causing
-When disintegrate into dust, can be inhaled
Use:
-Ceiling materials
-Floor coverings
-Around pipes
-Insulation and fire retardant

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What are the hazards and use of Ethylene oxide?

Hazards:
-It is an irritant
-Can cause blisters and burns
Uses:
-Sterilizing agent for heat-sensitive medical equipment such as flexible fibre-optic endoscopes

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What is MSDS?

Material safety datasheet

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When must MSDS be provided for all distributors and employers?

During the initial shipment of chemicals and 1st shipment after an MSDS update.

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Must MSDS be available to employees during each work shift?

Yes

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What is employee training and when must it be conducted?

Employers must establish a training and information program for all
employees routinely exposed to hazardous chemicals in their workplace.
This training must be provided at the time of initial assignment and
whenever a new hazard is introduced

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Why is general hospital safety important?

-Patients are in a physically weakened condition and are more
susceptible to infection.
-Hospital staff are exposed to a variety of bacteria and virus in the
hospital. They may also come in contact with patient waste and there is
the general aerial spread of infection from patients.

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Name 2 types of radiation

Ionising and non-Ionising radiation.

Examples of Ionising radiation

alpha (α) rays, beta (β) rays, gamma (γ) rays, x-rays,
neutrons, protons,

Why is Ionising radition hazardous?

Causes electrons to be kicked out of orbits (ionisation), hence
altering the chemical composition, and resulting in damage to the
tissue.

What are alpha rays?

Alpha rays have a positive charge and low penetration.
They cannot penetrate paper, clothing or even skin. Therefore, it is
not a hazard unless ingested.

What are beta rays?

Beta rays are negatively charged electrons traveling at
high speed. They will penetrate skin and tissue to a few mm, and is
therefore a hazard if the energy is greater than 150KeV.

What are gamma rays?

Gamma (γ)rays are electromagnetic radiation with no
charge. Like x-rays, several inches of lead can stop the more
energetic of these rays.

What are neutrons?

Neutrons have no charge and are produced as a result of
accelerators used in treatment. They are very penetrating and mass
alone will not shield them. The shielding material must have a high
hydrogen atom content.

What is the activity of a radionuclide determined by?

The activity of a radionuclide is determined by the radioactivity of the
substance and measured in Becquerel (Bq)

What is the relationship between the decay and λ value?

The greater the λ value, the greater the decay and the smaller the
activity of the radioactive material will be after a given time.

What is a half-life characteristic?

The half-life of a radioactive substance is the time taken for its activity to fall to half of its initial value

What is T½?

T½ is the half-life characteristic of a radionuclide. It is not related to the atomic number or mass number of the material. The decay of radioactive substances occur at a fixed rate.

What are the four measurements of radiation that healthcare workers need to be familiar with when working with equipment like x-rays machines? 4 in total.

exposure, dose, dose rate, and dose equivalent.

What is exposure?

It is a measure of the strength of a radiation field in air and is commonly measured in roentgen (R).

What is absorbed dose?

It is the amount of radiation absorbed by an object and commonly measured in rad (radiation absorbed dose). Different objects that receive the same exposure may not absorb the same amount of radiation. In human tissue, it can be assumed that 1 R of radiation exposure results in about 1 rad of absorbed dose

What is dose rate?

It is a measure of how fast a radiation dose is being received. Dose rate is usually presented in terms of R/minute, mR/hour, rem/hour, mrem/minute, rad/minute, mrad/hour, etc

What is Dose Equivalent?

the absorbed dose multiplied by a “quality (Q) factor” indicative of the relative biological-damage potential of the particular type of radiation. The SI unit is the Sievert (Sv), but the roentgen equivalent in man (rem) is still commonly used. 1 rem is equivalent to 0.01 Sv. rem = rad × Q factor

What are the exposure limits of radiation for workers and members of the public?

 Radiation workers: 20 mSv a year (due to occupational risks).  Members of the public: 1 mSv per year.

What are the three basic ways of controlling exposure to harmful radiation? Explain all 3.

Shielding To reduce exposure to radiation is to place something between the healthcare worker and the radiation source. In general, the more dense the material is, the more shielding it will provide. Lead is a commonly used radiation shielding materials primarily because it is easy to work with and is readily available Time Radiation dose is directly proportional to the time spent in the radiation. Thus, a person should minimise the time near a source of radiation when possible. Dose = Dose Rate × Time "Stay" Time = Dose "Limit"/Dose Rate Distance Increasing distance from the source of radiation will reduce the amount of radiation received. As radiation travels from the source, it spreads out becoming less intense. This can be expressed by the inverse square law, which states that as the radiation travels out from the source, the dosage decreases inversely with the square of the distance. Inverse square law, I1/I2=(D2)^2/(D1)^2

What are examples of non-Ionizing radiation?

microwave, infrared (IR), ultra-violet (UV), and lasers.

What is disaster preparation?

A disaster is any situation which seriously overtaxes or threatens to overtax the routine capabilities of a hospital. This situation creates the need for emergency expansion of facilities and operation of the facility in an unfamiliar environment. For example, the SARS situation in Singapore severely overtaxed the capabilities of the public hospitals.

When should inspection programs be conducted?

Should be scheduled on a regular basis since unsafe conditions and acts are created continually.

What are safety records for?

 Allows potential hazards to be discovered based on the observed trend of accidents.  Minutes of Safety Committee meetings are part of the safety records