1 The Karmanos Cancer Center’s ENVIRONMENT OF CARE 2009

2 The Environment of Care Program has an overall goal to keep the environment safe. Goals: Reduce and control environmental hazards and risks Prevent accidents and injuries Maintain safe conditions for patients, staff, visitors & volunteers The EOC oversight committee reviews the program and its outcomes ENVIRONMENT OF CARE

3 The first of seven plans, is Safety Management Here are some things you can do to keep your work environment safe: Know your job, Keep alert; don’t take shortcuts Report hazardous conditions to your manager Learn and follow safety rules, policies and procedures SAFETY MANAGEMENT HAZARD SURVEILLANCE

4 Safety Management Frequent types of injury are  back injuries  slips and falls  exposures to chemicals  blood and body fluids exposures  ergonomic injuries

5 Injury Prevention Watch where you are walking Report hazardous conditions such as uneven flooring Report wet floors to Environmental Services department

6 Injury Prevention Sit close to your work Hips, knees and ankles are open to 90 degrees Elbows are open to degrees Wrists are in relaxed and neutral position (not bent) Both feet are flat on the floor or use a foot rest Shoulders are low and relaxed Head and neck are aligned with spine

7 You have a Right-To-Know about hazardous chemicals in your workplace! Review all policies and procedures before handling materials Locate emergency numbers and equipment Wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Do not eat or drink while handling chemicals HAZARDOUS MATERIALS & WASTE MANAGEMENT

8 Request a copy of a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) if you have questions on the hazardous chemicals in your area MSDS is your guide to chemical safety. It is where you find information on hazardous chemicals. The MSDS contain basic information on the chemicals like: Chemical Identification Hazardous Ingredients Fire and Explosive Data Health Hazards Spill Response MDS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS & WASTE MANAGEMENT MSDS

9 Environment of Care also includes safe management of medical equipment - Be sure to review procedures for the proper use of equipment. - Immediately take any faulty equipment out of service and tag it for repairs. - Notify your supervisor if the faulty equipment has caused serious harm to patients or employees. - Know the location of the medical gas shut off valves on your unit in case of fire MEDICAL EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT

10 Red outlets are connected to emergency power. Only use them with critical equipment. Medical Gas Lights Heat Water Electricity Communications Emergency Plans UTILITIES MANAGEMENT Hospitals have back-up or contingency plans for its utility systems so we can continue patient care services during an outage. Know your emergency plans in the event of a utility failure.

11 Fires can happen anytime and in any place, even in hospitals. If a fire does start, you need to know what to do and do it quickly. Remember—stay calm and do the following: (RACE): - Rescue anyone from immediate danger to a safe area past the fire doors. - Pull the Alarm box nearest you. Contact your operator or security department and give exact location of fire. - Confine the fire. Close all doors. - Extinguish (put out the fire) with the appropriate fire extinguisher, if you are trained to do so. Fire Safety Management

12 Other Expectations: DO NOT USE ELEVATORS LIMIT TELEPHONE USE You must be able to locate the following: Nearest extinguishers Pull alarm boxes Evacuation plan Two exit routes in your assigned area Fire Safety Management

13 Some practical tips on fire safety: Practice good housekeeping by keeping your area clean Keep overhead storage at least 18 inches below the sprinkler heads Minimize storage Do not prop open doors Fire Safety Management

14 Fire Safety Management Do not prop doors open Keep hallways clear Do not use personal cooking devices such as toasters & small ovens Do not overload electrical circuits

15 When using an extinguisher: P A S S - Pull the pin Aim low, at the base of the fire Squeeze the handle Sweep from side to side at the base of the fire Fire Safety Management

16 KCC Safety Officer Mary Ellen Lesperance

17 As a healthcare worker, you must be alert to the dangers of infection and injury. Making your safety and health a priority is one of the best ways to create a safe and healthy environment for patients and for you! And above all, apply a healthy dose of common sense to everything you do on the job. ENVIRONMENT OF CARE SUMMARY