Preventing Occupational Exposures to Infectious Disease in Health Care: A Practical Guide

This book provides a practical guide to preventing occupational exposures to bloodborne and infectious diseases in healthcare settings. It is a timely and essential resource given the higher incidence of occupational illness in the healthcare industry and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The guide offers easy-to-follow instruction for creating, implementing, and evaluating occupational health and safety programs, with a focus on the public health significance of building better, safer programs. Topics explored include OSHA regulatory compliance, hazard assessment, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and facing a modern pandemic. The book is useful for healthcare professionals, infection preventionists, risk managers, and environmental health and safety professionals in a variety of healthcare or patient care settings.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 171 pages
Publication date: 24 September 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

This book is a vital guide for preventing occupational exposures to bloodborne and infectious diseases in healthcare settings. Given the high incidence of occupational illness among healthcare workers, particularly in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, its timeliness and relevance cannot be overstated. While the guide primarily focuses on healthcare, its principles and strategies can be applied to other industries as well, safeguarding essential workers across various sectors.

The book offers a user-friendly approach, providing all the necessary instructions in one place for creating, implementing, and evaluating occupational health and safety programs. It offers practical information that readers can immediately apply to build new programs or enhance existing ones, ensuring the protection of workers from occupationally associated illnesses and infections.

With a strong emphasis on the public health significance of building better and safer programs in healthcare, the book goes beyond mere evidence-based or data-driven reasoning. It includes sample programs, plans, checklists, campaigns, and record-keeping and surveillance tools, empowering readers to develop comprehensive and effective strategies.

The chapters in the book cover a wide range of topics, including:

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regulatory Compliance
• Other Regulatory Requirements, National Standards, and Accreditation
• Performing a Hazard Assessment and Building an Exposure Control Plan
• Engineering Controls and Safer Medical Devices
• Personal Protective Equipment Placement and Use
• Facing a Modern Pandemic

By comprehensively addressing these topics, the book equips healthcare professionals and other stakeholders with the knowledge and tools they need to implement effective occupational health and safety programs. It serves as a valuable resource for improving the safety and well-being of workers in healthcare and beyond.

Weight: 296g
Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030560416
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020