Category: Bloodborne pathogens
NIOSH Research Highlights Importance of Rigorous Standards for Gowns Used to Protect Healthcare Workers
Recent research performed at the NIOSH National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL), with support from Nelson Laboratories, suggests that some isolation gowns do not meet the performance standards established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). Isolation gowns are the second-most-used piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) Read More >
Posted on by 9 CommentsProtecting Workers from Ebola: Eight Knowledge Generation Priorities
On November 3, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council of the National Academies convened a workshop of distinguished representatives from the public and private sectors. The participants were asked to suggest priorities for research that will “provide public health officials, healthcare providers, and the general public with the most up-to-date information Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsHow Well Do You Think You Are Protected?
Understanding proper use and disposal of protective gowns for healthcare workers The prevalence of infectious diseases, such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV, SARS and avian flu, have raised the concern of hospital personnel over the possibility of acquiring such infections. Healthcare workers (HCWs) in or outside hospitals who have contact with patients, body fluids, Read More >
Posted on by 15 CommentsDoes your workplace culture help protect you from hepatitis?
May 19, 2013, is Hepatitis Testing Day. Health care workers are at risk of contracting hepatitis B and C in the workplace. Doctors, nurses, and other staff are predominately exposed to these devastating diseases through needle sticks and other sharps injuries or when fluids from patients splash onto their eyes, nose, or mouth. Hepatitis B Read More >
Posted on by 17 CommentsWomen’s Health at Work
This week is Women’s Health Week. With over 58% of U.S. women in the labor force[i], the workplace must be considered when looking at women’s overall health. We must keep in mind that susceptibility to hazards can be different for men and women. Additionally, women face different workplace health challenges than men partly because men Read More >
Posted on by 58 CommentsPuncture: Exposure for Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure
The movie "Puncture" tells the story of a nurse who contracts AIDS from a needle while at work. Unfortunately, this all-too-common scenario is not fiction. Read more about accidental needlesticks and a program from NIOSH that can reduce these injuries substantially. Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsSafety and Health for Tattooists and Piercers
Based on visits to tattooing and piercing studios and interviews with artists, researchers from NIOSH found that many artists and piercers had concerns about exposures to blood and bloodborne diseases. Read More >
Posted on by 49 CommentsPreventing Needlesticks in Surgical Personnel
Each year an estimated 385,000 needlesticks and other sharps-related injuries are sustained by hospital-based healthcare personnel; an average of 1,000 sharps injuries per day. Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsBody Art
Tattoo artists and body piercers are at increased risk of coming in contact with blood in the workplace, which may increase their exposure to bloodborne diseases. NIOSH recommends safe work practices to decrease body artists' exposure to blood and improve safety and health. Read More >
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