VIEWPOINT
By Thomas P. Fuller, ScD, MSPH, MBA
An Updated Hazard Communication Standard Knowledge about chemical dangers is essential to nurses’ safety.
I
nadequate hazard communication (training work- distress, emesis, diaphoresis, nausea, and hallucinaers about toxic chemicals they may be exposed to) tions. In an Emergency Medicine Journal study of is the second most cited Occupational Safety and EDs by George and colleagues, it was found that Health Administration (OSHA) violation in health many facilities don’t have adequate information on care in the United States. From October 2012 through hand or proper training to safely and effectively reSeptember 2013, health care and social assistance fa- spond to chemical emergencies. cilities were assessed nearly $125,000 in penalties. In health care settings, nurses are commonly exWith the alignment of OSHA’s Hazard Communica- posed to hazardous levels of chemicals used in cleantion Standard with the Globally Harmonized System ing products, sterilants, medications, and pesticides. of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals in DeA 2009 biomonitoring study by the American Nurses cember 2013, along with training requirements that Association and Physicians for Social Responsibility went into effect, we can expect a sharp increase in found that all 20 of those nurses surveyed had toxic enforcement citations for chemicals associated with nurses and other workers using health care in their systems. hazardous chemicals without Numerous associations for We need to proper training. nurses and other workers in As an occupational health health care settings have enbetter educate and safety consultant, I’ve dorsed the adoption of the nurses about found that many hospitals new globally harmonized aren’t yet compliant with the standard. these hazards. new OSHA global harmoniAccording to OSHA, the zation requirements. Nurses new standard will affect about are regularly exposed to new 90,000 establishments, save 43 hazardous chemicals and are often unaware of the lives, and prevent 585 injuries to workers a year. The risks involved or of how to protect themselves. purpose of this system is to harmonize the classificaAccording to OSHA, in 2009 nursing homes and tion, labeling, and SDS information of hazardous hospitals were ranked 6th and 7th, respectively, as the chemicals worldwide so that the same set of rules most hazardous places to work in America, with num- applies. Labels will now include simplified signal bers of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses words such as “warning” for less severe hazards and just below those from police work and iron found“danger” for those that are more severe. Pictograms ries. Many of these injuries result from exposure to representing different kinds of hazards, such as untoxic chemicals. stable explosives, flammables, oxidizers, gases under Many nurses do not know what a safety data pressure, corrosives, and aquatic toxicity, will be on sheet (SDS; formerly known as a material safety data each chemical label. sheet or MSDS) is, how to decipher the information The alignment of OSHA’s Hazard Communication it contains, or where to find SDSs in their workplaces. Standard with the Globally Harmonized System will Without this knowledge, they are more likely to be protect employee health and make work environments accidentally exposed to hazardous chemicals. Hospisafer. It may also reduce the costs and time needed to tals that don’t train nurses in the new Hazard Commu- comply with multiple classification systems. Nurses nication Standard are in violation of the new OSHA need to be familiar with the new system to ensure their regulation for toxic and hazardous material identifiown safety and to provide timely and effective medical cation and classification. For their own safety, nurses response. Employers are responsible to ensure that all need to ensure that their employers comply with the workers using, or in contact with, hazardous chemiOSHA directive. cals are trained in accordance with the OSHA law. ▼ Several reports have been published about nurses Thomas P. Fuller is an assistant professor and director of the who became ill from treating patients exposed to hazsafety program in the Department of Health Sciences at Illinois ardous chemicals. EMS Village reported a case in State University, Normal. Contact author: [email protected]. The which the nurses who treated a patient contaminated author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. with a pesticide subsequently suffered respiratory
[email protected]
AJN ▼ November 2014
▼
Vol. 114, No. 11
11
By Thomas P. Fuller, ScD, MSPH, MBA
An Updated Hazard Communication Standard Knowledge about chemical dangers is essential to nurses’ safety.
I
nadequate hazard communication (training work- distress, emesis, diaphoresis, nausea, and hallucinaers about toxic chemicals they may be exposed to) tions. In an Emergency Medicine Journal study of is the second most cited Occupational Safety and EDs by George and colleagues, it was found that Health Administration (OSHA) violation in health many facilities don’t have adequate information on care in the United States. From October 2012 through hand or proper training to safely and effectively reSeptember 2013, health care and social assistance fa- spond to chemical emergencies. cilities were assessed nearly $125,000 in penalties. In health care settings, nurses are commonly exWith the alignment of OSHA’s Hazard Communica- posed to hazardous levels of chemicals used in cleantion Standard with the Globally Harmonized System ing products, sterilants, medications, and pesticides. of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals in DeA 2009 biomonitoring study by the American Nurses cember 2013, along with training requirements that Association and Physicians for Social Responsibility went into effect, we can expect a sharp increase in found that all 20 of those nurses surveyed had toxic enforcement citations for chemicals associated with nurses and other workers using health care in their systems. hazardous chemicals without Numerous associations for We need to proper training. nurses and other workers in As an occupational health health care settings have enbetter educate and safety consultant, I’ve dorsed the adoption of the nurses about found that many hospitals new globally harmonized aren’t yet compliant with the standard. these hazards. new OSHA global harmoniAccording to OSHA, the zation requirements. Nurses new standard will affect about are regularly exposed to new 90,000 establishments, save 43 hazardous chemicals and are often unaware of the lives, and prevent 585 injuries to workers a year. The risks involved or of how to protect themselves. purpose of this system is to harmonize the classificaAccording to OSHA, in 2009 nursing homes and tion, labeling, and SDS information of hazardous hospitals were ranked 6th and 7th, respectively, as the chemicals worldwide so that the same set of rules most hazardous places to work in America, with num- applies. Labels will now include simplified signal bers of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses words such as “warning” for less severe hazards and just below those from police work and iron found“danger” for those that are more severe. Pictograms ries. Many of these injuries result from exposure to representing different kinds of hazards, such as untoxic chemicals. stable explosives, flammables, oxidizers, gases under Many nurses do not know what a safety data pressure, corrosives, and aquatic toxicity, will be on sheet (SDS; formerly known as a material safety data each chemical label. sheet or MSDS) is, how to decipher the information The alignment of OSHA’s Hazard Communication it contains, or where to find SDSs in their workplaces. Standard with the Globally Harmonized System will Without this knowledge, they are more likely to be protect employee health and make work environments accidentally exposed to hazardous chemicals. Hospisafer. It may also reduce the costs and time needed to tals that don’t train nurses in the new Hazard Commu- comply with multiple classification systems. Nurses nication Standard are in violation of the new OSHA need to be familiar with the new system to ensure their regulation for toxic and hazardous material identifiown safety and to provide timely and effective medical cation and classification. For their own safety, nurses response. Employers are responsible to ensure that all need to ensure that their employers comply with the workers using, or in contact with, hazardous chemiOSHA directive. cals are trained in accordance with the OSHA law. ▼ Several reports have been published about nurses Thomas P. Fuller is an assistant professor and director of the who became ill from treating patients exposed to hazsafety program in the Department of Health Sciences at Illinois ardous chemicals. EMS Village reported a case in State University, Normal. Contact author: [email protected]. The which the nurses who treated a patient contaminated author has disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise. with a pesticide subsequently suffered respiratory
[email protected]
AJN ▼ November 2014
▼
Vol. 114, No. 11
11
