Safety - May 2016
What healthcare facility professionals need to know about the 2012 Life Safety Code
CMS has adopted the 2012 edition of NFPA 101: Life Safety Code® through a new rule changing its Conditions of Participation
5/31/2016
Hospital workers prep with earthquake simulator
To prepare for 'the big one,' a Canadian hospital used the Shake Zone to replicate an earthquake
5/31/2016
Surgical equipment safety issues remain at Ann Arbor VA
Six months after particulate matter on surgical equipment temporarily stopped surgeries, concerns are again being raised
5/26/2016
Clearing the air around hospitals
A collaboration in Charlotte, N.C., reduces air pollution at two medical construction sites
5/26/2016
Mass. hospital equips some staff with walkie-talkies to call for help
OSHA told the for-profit psychiatric hospital to equip its staff with panic buttons and improve staffing levels
5/25/2016
Protecting healthcare workers from Zika during birth process
Birthing process exposes healthcare staff to patients’ body fluids
5/24/2016
Healthcare facility staff called key to patient safety
NPSF president says patient safety initiatives are everybody's business
5/24/2016
N.Y. bill would give healthcare facilities' security officers peace officer status
Bassett Healthcare Network’s security staff will be given certain powers while on hospital and clinic grounds or immediately adjacent properties
5/24/2016
N.Y. adult care facilities reviewing security after robbery
Emergency room at the Eastern Niagara Hospital in Lockport robbed by armed man
5/24/2016
N.Y. healthcare facility resident contracts Legionnaires' disease
A resident at an Auburn facility has tested positive for Legionnaires' disease and trace amounts of legionella have been detected in the water system there
5/23/2016
Healthcare video surveillance balances security and privacy
Footage captures anesthesiologist removing drug vials, but also exposes many female patients
5/23/2016
Washington boosting healthcare facilities' security after escapes
Two patients escaped and another two went missing from the state's psychiatric hospitals in one week
5/19/2016
NIST design guide could impact healthcare cybersecurity
NIST released a guide for IT developers on integrating security measures into the development process
5/19/2016
Strategic dispenser placement key for hospital hand hygiene
Research shows that hand-hygiene dispensers have an impact on compliance rates
5/18/2016
Hospital's surveillance cameras identify woman stealing baby
A woman turned herself in to police after allegedly stealing a newborn baby from Louisiana hospital
5/17/2016
Visuals show where to place hand-sanitizer dispensers in healthcare facilities
When it comes to hand sanitizer dispensers, location matters more than quantity
5/16/2016
Creating a patient watch program
Appropriate staffing, training, collaboration and contract language can help ensure the safety of patients, clinicians and security officers
5/16/2016
Benefits of wireless access control in a healthcare facility
Key cards, PINs, passwords and biometrics are just a few of the options available
5/13/2016
Cross-contamination prevention tips
Infection preventionists discuss top infection threats and solutions
5/12/2016
Nursing homes working to protect wandering dementia patients
Two Eastern Iowa facilities faced combined fines of $17,000 last year for allowing residents to wander away
5/11/2016
An 18-year-old invents copper pajamas to fight MRSA
10 million MRSA bacteria on a copper surface will shrink to 0 in an hour
5/10/2016
Meet the microbes living on your hospital floor
While hospitals maintain strict protocols for minimizing infections and the spread of microbes, facility managers may be overlooking a prime area of concern
5/10/2016
NFPA to offer life safety specialist certification for healthcare facility professionals
Certification recognizes advanced knowledge of life safety in healthcare; code compliance in facilities
5/6/2016
Integrating security into healthcare design
Security plans for individual healthcare facilities should begin before a project even breaks ground
5/6/2016
CMS publishes final rule on fire safety requirements for certain healthcare facilities
The rule adopts updated provisions of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 2012 edition of the Life Safety Code (LSC) as well as provisions of the NFPA’s 2012 edition of the Health Care Facilities Code.
5/6/2016
Video games used in hospital safety training
Hospital staff will be trained using goggles that allow them to see the computer-generated facility 360 degrees around them
5/5/2016
Review of the HHS/CMS fire safety requirements completed
The proposed rule would incorporate much of the 2012 NFPA codes, but also makes exceptions
5/5/2016
Researchers develop an anti-biofilm nano coating
Coating can prevent destructive bacterial biofilm from forming on metal surfaces
5/4/2016
Boston hospital security officers 'armed' for on-site ODs
Security officers carry opiate antidote so they can save the lives of drug users who overdose
5/2/2016