Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Healthcare Compliance Means Better Health for Everyone

It's true.  Healthcare compliance means better health for everyone.  When healthcare facilities comply with OSHA standards it means better care for all people.  That means all employees who work in the health care industry must follow the guidelines set up by OSHA.  It is for their own good as well.  With bloodborne pathogens being a problem and so many bloodborne diseases that have no cure, no one can afford not to comply.

Most of the necessities of healthcare compliance are for the benefit of the work force that is around healthcare.  One of the biggest concerns is bloodborne pathogens.  There are several diseases that are bloodborne and without healthcare complying to OSHA standards diseases could spread.  Some bloodborne pathogens can only be transferred through the blood while others can go from the blood of one person and into the eyes, nose or mouth of another person.  By taking safety precautions these diseases can be kept under control and the spread can be kept down.

Healthcare compliance with these pathogens means employees that are around blood and blood products should always wear latex gloves.  Something else that should be worn if working with blood is eye gear and lab coats.  It is important that all needles that have been contaminated with someone's blood should be disposed of properly.  This usually means putting them in a container that the needles and other sharps cannot puncture.  No one should ever come in contact with these used needles.

When a needle prick occurs there are steps that should be taken to assure the person injured by the prick is well taken care of.  This means cleansing the area immediately.  Phlebotomists are healthcare professionals who draw blood.  They are around contaminated needles all day long.  It is for these dedicated people that healthcare compliance is so important.  These people should never draw blood without wearing latex gloves.  They should have cleansers handy in case of an accidental needle prick.  They have an important job that is really quite hazardous.  They may not have any idea who has a bloodborne disease.  They must treat everyone as if their blood was contaminated.

It is not just for the safety of the employees who have to deal with blood.  Healthcare compliance is for the patients as well.  A patient should never allow their blood to be taken unless the phlebotomist wears gloves.  Who knows if the healthcare giver has a bloodborne illness?  There are many thousands of people out there with bloodborne diseases.  Many of these people know they have a disease yet there are probably just as many who aren't aware of it yet.  With healthcare compliance healthcare workers will be safer and so will the patients.  If there is a way to prevent the spread of HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C we should all be ready to do what it takes.  If stopping the spread is as easy as wearing latex gloves and eye protection don't you think you should use them?  Don't risk yourself and others by being careless.  Comply with the rules set forth by OSHA and the CDC.

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