OSHA

Course overview

COURSE DESCRIPTION This CEIJ course will provide healthcare providers with two contact hour of continuing education. This CEU can be used for license requirements. This course will cover the history of OSHA and its process. Prevention and community issues are also discussed. COURSE OBJECTIVES e Be able to recognize OSHA regulations of blood borne pathogens. Be able to identify the importance of OSHA regulations in the workplace setting. Be able to identify steps to be taken with an exposure. Be able to recognize different blood borne diseases that are common with healthcare workers. e Be able to identify the regulations with sharps safety and the handling of them. COURSE REQUIREMENTS Completion of this two contact hour will earn the participant two contact hour of continuing education. A minimum score of 80% as well as the completion of the course evaluation form. A certificate will be given once all course completion is finished. HISTORY •OSHA was started by an act of congress in 1970 with the mission to assure the safety and health of all American workers by enforcing and setting standards. •OSHA provides outreach, education, and training in the community and the workplace. •JCAHO (Joint Commission) works in hand with OSHA to regulate agencies by making sure their compliant. •The need for OSHA especially in the healthcare setting arose related to the increase concerns of HIV. e OSHA will prosecute violations if any standards are not being met. The final OSHA rule was published for healthcare workers in 1991 after multiple experts of the healthcare settings recommended change. BLOOD BORNE PATHOGENS The act of blood borne pathogens of 1991 was implemented to decrease the exposure of healthcare workers to body and blood fluids. All employers are required to have an exposure control plan that mandates Universal Precautions and treats all body and blood fluids as infectious, without including sweat into this category. The exposure control plan focuses on hand washing hygiene and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to reduce exposure against body and blood fluids (Shenold, 2008). PPE includes gloves, masks, googles, and gowns. These items are are available to the employee at no charge to them. All healthcare workers are offered the hepatitis B vaccine if they will be exposed to blood within 10 days of employment at no charge. The blood borne act also set standards to prevent needle sticks and blood exposures with ensuring the appropriate handling and packaging of the bloody waste, and shipping of the specimens. Healthcare workers that are exposed will have post exposure followup and evaluation that may include medication or counseling in some cases (Shenold, 2008). HEPATITIS B (HBV) Is a transmittal virus A highly infectious virus Needle stick exposures that resulted in transmission of Hepatitis B was between 6 and 62%. Hepatitis B vaccination has greatly decreased this percentage. Not all healthcare workers that are at potential risk of blood exposure vaccinate against this virus.