What is Hazard Surveillance?
The Hospital Safety Officers conduct hazard surveillance inspections 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. Find out more in the FAQ.

What is Incident Reporting?
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 (i178. Incident Report Program) 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. Find out more in the FAQ.

Respirator Fit Testing
OSHA Fit testing is conducted under the supervision of Mr. Bill Davis, Industrial Hygienist, UAB Department of Occupational Health & Safety (934-2487). For activities where respiratory protection is indicated, NIOSH-certified respirators may be used.

Each employee planning to use a respirator will complete a health screening questionnaire, fit testing, and training before they are cleared for use. During the fit testing session, employees learn the brand and size of respirator to wear, how to place it on the face and check for proper fit, how to care for and store it, and when to replace it.

The choice of respirator is based on activity specific risk assessment. In general, NIOSH-certified N-95 respirators are used for activities which may include spill clean up of material containing Tb; entrance into infected primate quarters; work involving the potential for aerosol production and where a biosafety cabinet or other closed system can not be used; entrance into an AFB Isolation room.

Employees may only use the respirator brand and size for which they have been fitted based on the tasks
to be performed.

To sign up for a respirator fit testing, see the TB Fit Testing Schedule.*

Training
For more information regarding medical waste training and defensive driving training, please read the FAQ.