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Best Practices for the Assessment and Control of Physical Hazards Best Practices for the Assessment and Control of Physical Hazards VOLUME 4 Best Practices Guidelines for Occupational Health and Safety in the Healthcare Industry CREDITS This document has been developed by the Government of Alberta, with input from: » Alberta Employment and Immigration » Alberta Health Services » Alberta Continuing Care Safety Association » The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) » United Nurses of Alberta » Alberta Union of Provincial Employees » Alberta Home Care and Support Association » Alberta Health and Wellness COPYRIGHT AND TERMS OF USE This material, including copyright and marks under the Trade Marks Act (Canada) is owned by the Government of Alberta and protected by law. This material may be used, reproduced, stored or transmitted for non- commercial purpose. However, Crown copyright is to be acknowledged. If it is to be used, reproduced, stored or transmitted for commercial purposes written consent of the Minister is necessary. DISCLAIMER The information provided in this Guidance Document is solely for the user’s information and convenience and, while thought to be accurate and functional, it is provided without warranty of any kind. If in doubt, please refer to the current edition of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation and Code. The Crown, its agents, employees or contractors will not be liable to you for any damages, direct or indirect, arising out of your use of the information contained in this Guidance Document. This Guidance Document is current to May 2011. The law is constantly changing with new legislation, amendments to existing legislation, and decisions from the courts. It is important that you keep up with these changes and keep yourself informed of the current law. This Guidance Document is for general information only and may be applicable to assist in establishing of a compliant health and safety system at your work site. However, it is critical that you evaluate your own unique circumstances to ensure that an appropriate program is established for your work site. It is strongly recommended that you consult relevant professionals (e.g. lawyers, health and safety professional and specialists) to assist in the development of your own program. This document is available on the website at: www.employment.alberta.ca/ohs-healthcare Copyright© 2011 Government of Alberta VOLUME 1 Table of Contents Section 1: overview .......................................................................................3 Section 2: Roles and Responsibilities ......................................................... 9 Section 3: Best Practice Features of an injury and illness Prevention Program ........................................................................................ 13 Section 4: Hazard Assessment ...................................................................19 Section 5: Physical Hazards and controls .................................................25 Biomechanical Hazards .............................................................................27 Radiation .....................................................................................................54 Falling Hazards ......................................................................................... 70 Cutting Hazards .........................................................................................77 Temperature-related Hazards .................................................................. 79 Noise Hazards ............................................................................................87 Pressure Hazards .......................................................................................93 Confined Spaces ........................................................................................ 98 Electrical Hazards ....................................................................................102 Centrifuge Hazards ..................................................................................108 Vehicle Driving Hazards ......................................................................... 110 Mechanical Hazards ................................................................................ 116 Non-patient Lifting Device Hazards ........................................................121 Patient Handling Equipment ..................................................................124 Fire / Explosion Hazards ......................................................................... 125 Section 6: Practices for the control of Physical Hazards, by Functional Areas .......................................................................................129 APPendix 1: References Used in Preparing this document................... 199 APPendix 2: Glossary of terms ................................................................. 215 VOLUME 4 1 2 VOLUME 41 Section 1 Overview Section 1: Overview this is the fourth volume in a series of five manuals that describe methods for employers and workers in the healthcare industry to improve occupational health and safety. Unique to this best practice volume is that it is a companion document to the No Unsafe Lift Workbook – where the features of safe patient handling are described. Patient Handling is the predominant physical hazard in the healthcare sector. the No Unsafe Lift Workbook was developed to focus on this leading healthcare hazard. For more information on patient handling hazard assessment and control refer to: www.employment.alberta.ca/ohs-healthcare. together, this document and the No Unsafe Lift Workbook combine to provide a comprehensive summary of best practices that have been shown to be effective in controlling the leading physical hazards in the healthcare industry. Please note, the physical hazards associated with workplace violence and working alone will be addressed in the “Best Practice for controlling Psychological Hazards in Healthcare”. Healthcare workers are exposed to a variety of potential physical hazards in their daily work. Physical hazards include biomechanical hazards, radiation, noise, extreme temperatures, pressurized systems, confined spaces, falling hazards, electrical hazards, etc. Physical hazards should be identified, assessed and ultimately controlled for all healthcare positions. the healthcare work environment and functions are variable and the range and complexity of physical hazards is diverse. this best practice document will address key physical hazards that exist in the healthcare work environment that have been responsible for injuries and illnesses of healthcare workers. A best practice is a program, process, strategy or activity that: » Has been shown to be effective. » can be implemented, maintained, and evaluated. » is based on current documented information. » is of value to, or transferable to, other organizations. VOLUME 4 | SECTION 1 5 Best practices are living documents and must be reviewed and modified on a regular basis to assess their validity, accuracy, and applicability. they may exceed, but cannot be less than, the requirements of occupational Health and Safety (oHS) legislation. in Alberta, the requirements for occupational health and safety are outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act), Regulation (OHS Regulation) and code (oHS code). the Act, Regulation and code are available for viewing or downloading on the Alberta Government, occupational Health and Safety (oHS) website at www.worksafe.alberta.ca. this document does not replace the OHS Act, Regulation and code and does not exempt anyone from their responsibilities under the legislation. official printed copies of the Alberta OHS Act, Regulations, and code may be purchased from the Queen’s Printer at www.qp.alberta.ca or: Edmonton Resources Main Floor, Park Plaza 10611- 98 Avenue edmonton, Alberta t5K 2P7 Phone: 780-427-4952 Fax: 780-452-0668 toll-free in Alberta via 310-0000 How this document is organized this document approaches the examination of physical hazards in the healthcare setting by identifying types of physical hazards, outlining the scope and complexity of the physical hazards, reviewing assessment strategies, and discussing control methods. Finally, a scan of the healthcare environment identifies major functional areas, potential physical hazards and control methods. 6 VOLUME 4 | SECTION 1 How to use this document this best practice document is designed to be used to assist those responsible for the design and implementation of occupational health and safety programs with a specific focus on physical hazards. A companion document, the No Unsafe Lift Workbook, addresses patient handling issues. For more information on patient handling hazard assessment and control, refer to: www.employment.alberta.ca/ohs-healthcare. Sections in this document will be useful for healthcare employees and employers in developing hazard assessments and determining appropriate control measures. the volume draws from published literature (see Appendix 1) to provide information about practices that are widely considered to be effective in developing and improving oHS programs with respect to physical hazards. Consider these Alberta OHS Resources for obtaining more information: » Alberta Government www.employment.alberta.ca/ ohs-healthcare » Alberta continuing care Safety Association. Resources » Your organization’s occupational Health and Safety department. » Your organization’s occupational Health and Safety committee. » Your union occupational Health and Safety Representative. » Your department
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