Hospital Safety FAQ
Environmental Tours
Q: What is an environmental tour?
A: It is a survey of hospital areas intended to identify environmental deficiencies, hazards and unsafe practices. Surveyors examine not only the physical aspects of the building and equipment but will also randomly assess staff knowledge of critical environment of care functions.
Q: What are environmental tours?
A: The Hospital Safety Officers
conduct environmental tours at least once every six months in
patient care areas and at least once a year in non-patient care areas. A schedule
of inspections is maintained in the office of Hospital Safety as well as a
database of areas surveyed and findings. Inspection reports are sent to the
cost center managers with copies to appropriate administrators. Written responses
from each area surveyed are required. Inspection reports and responses are
maintained in binders arranged by building and floor in the office of Hospital
Safety.
Q: Who conducts these inspections
and how often?
A: The Hospital Safety Officers
conduct environmental tours at least once every six months in
patient care areas and at least once a year in non-patient care areas. This
is a Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)
requirement. A schedule of inspections is maintained in the office of Hospital
Safety as well as a database of areas surveyed and findings. Inspection reports
are sent to the cost center managers with copies to appropriate administrators.
Written responses from each area surveyed are required as evidence of correction
of deficiencies noted. Inspection reports and responses are maintained in
binders arranged by department in the office of Hospital Safety.
Incident Reporting
Q: What Is INCIDENT REPORTING?
A: Accidents/incidents involving property damage, personnel, student, or visitor injury and/or occupational illness, are reported in accordance with the Hospital Incident Report Program standard (Incident Reporting) and procedures outlined in the "You and UAB Handbook"(Section 3.2). Hospital Safety reviews incident reports and conducts further investigation when warranted. Incident information is entered into a database for analysis of trends relating to injury type, location, body part, severity and contributing factors. Trends are reported to the Hospital Safety Committee quarterly.
Q: How are the results communicated
in the organization?
A: Patterns and trends in
the type and frequency of several categories of deficiencies are reported
quarterly to the Hospital Safety Committee. This information is also used
to structure the annual Environment of Care update that all hospital staff
are required to complete.
Q: Even if I've only had
a small cut that I treated myself?
A: ALL injuries, no matter
how small must be reported. Trends discovered through the reporting of minor
injuries may lead to the prevention of more serious incidents. Minor injuries
can lead to complications as well and the incident report is the best way
to document the event accurately.
Fire Drills
Q: What is a Code Red?
A: This is the emergency code for a fire.
Q: What is RACE?
A:
Rescue anyone from immediate danger
Alarm: pull the fire alarm near exits
Confine the fire: close the door to where the fire is located
Evacuate and/or extinguish
Q: Why are fire drills conducted?
A: Fire drills are required
by The Joint Commission (TJC). In addition, drills offer an opportunity to practice the Hospital's
fire response plan CARE.
Q: How often are fire drills
conducted?
A: Once a quarter (One per
shift, per quarter, per building). Business occupancies are conducted annually.
Q: What is a Building Block?
A: The buildings/blocks are defined as follows: Old and New Hillman Buildings; Jefferson Tower, North wing, and Quarterback Tower; Spain Wallace, West Pavilion and Medical Education Building; Russell Ambulatory Center; Spain Rehab and Rehab Addition; Center for Psychiatric Medicine; General Services Building; Wallace Tumor Institute; Women's and Infant Center
Q: Who has to evaluate the
drill using the Code Red drill evaluation form?
A: An evaluation of an areas
response is required from all occupied areas in the entire building/block.
The above, below and adjacent areas also send a representative to the point of origin. Therefore, everyone must be familiar with which units are above, below,
and adjacent to your unit in order to respond appropriately.
Fire Drill Staff Participation Form
Fire Drill Evaluation Form
Medical Waste Training
Q: Who is required to complete
medical waste training?
A: Any employee who may reasonably be expected to come
into contact with medical waste in the performance of their work duties.
Q:
How often am I required to take this class?
A: You are normally required
to take the class once during your orientation period. The Hospital Education
Committee can and has made the class mandatory for all appropriate staff based
upon recommendations from Hospital Safety.
Q: How do I find out when
the classes are held?
A: They are offered once per month through Nursing Staff Development for all new hires during the employee's orientation classes.
Q: What if I need a class
for a large number of staff?
A: The instructors for the
class will schedule special sessions of the class to meet specific needs of
your department.
Defensive Driving Training
Q: What is the Defensive Driving Class?
A: It is the National Safety Council's four hour class (DDC4) designed to provide drivers with knowledge and safe driving techniques to help prevent collisions and violations. The course focuses on hazard recognition and application of collision-avoidance techniques.
Q: Who is required to take
DDC4?
A: Any UAB employee who drives
a UAB vehicle as part of their job duties must take the course every three years.
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