Page 8 - OOHNA Spring-Summer 2017
P. 8
Practice n Occupational Health Services: Communicable Disease Prevention and Management
Emerging Infectious Diseases and lack of vaccine or effective review and quality improvement
and Emerging Issues medication all contributed to high initiatives. the internal respon-
HcWs around the globe are at risk anxiety worldwide. sibility System is a fundamental
HcWs were also disproportion-
principle of canadian oH&S leg-
for occupationally acquired infec- islation where all individuals in
tion and death. in many cases the ately affected. a 2015 WHo report
root cause of infection transmis- on Ebola infections in Guinea, the workplace (employees and
sion has been inadequate basic liberia and Sierra leone reports employers), are responsible for
infection prevention and control 815 confirmed and probable infec- their own safety and for the safety
(iPac) practices, either through tions in HcWs accounting for 3.9% of their co-workers.
lack of education and training, or (815/20,955) of all cases. HcWs
lack of access to essential resourc- were between 21 and 32 times Occupational Hazard Risk
more likely to be infected than the
es such as soap and water in Categories
impoverished areas. general adult population. risk is the probability that harm,
Severe Acute Respiratory Syn- Occupational Health Service injury, or disease will occur as a
drome (SARS): the World Health Programs result of an exposure to a hazard.
organization (WHo) 2003 sum- WHo, cdc and the National
mary report on SarS states HcWs Health care organizations have a institute of occupational Safety
accounted for over 40% of cases. legal and ethical responsibility to and Health classify occupational
PHac reported both suspect and protect the health and safety of hazards by category of exposure:
probable cases for a total of 375 their workers. an organizational biological (e.g. bacteria, viruses,
risk assessment is a critical step to
cases. there were 44 deaths in moulds, prions); chemical (e.g.
canada; three were HcWS (two identify and analyze biological haz- cytotoxic drugs, disinfectants,
nurses and one physician). ards based on inherent risk, activity anesthetic gases); physical (e.g.
exposure risk, and determination radiation, noise, wet work); ergo-
Middle East Respiratory Syn- of appropriate control measures, nomic (e.g. shiftwork, lifting/push/
drome (MERS-CoV): in 2012
as determined by the hierarchy pull) and psychosocial (e.g. stress,
MErS-coV was first identified
of hazard controls. Full support bullying, post-traumatic stress dis-
in the Kingdom of Saudi arabia of the facility lead administrator order). Each category requires
(KSa). Multiple health care asso- and engagement of occupational careful assessment and interven-
ciated outbreaks have occurred Health & Safety (oH&S) and iPac tion. the main focus for this article
since, with approximately 20% is biological hazards.
are key to its success.
affecting HcWs (Mackay & arden, Most oH&S rely on adminis-
2015). Most outbreaks have been trative control measures. Pro- Organizational Risk Assessment
in the KSa, except for a large
grams are responsible for HcW (ORA)
outbreak in 2015 in the republic pre-placement screening and com-
of Korea related to a single travel- municable disease surveillance, tB an ora is central in determin-
ler. all known cases are linked to status, exposure management; and ing the location of hazards and
travel or residence in the arabian timely post-exposure prophylaxis likelihood of exposure. an ora
Peninsula. investigations reveal for biological hazards requires a
(PEP). infectious disease contact
hospital outbreaks are generally tracing and outbreak protocols are systematic review of each hazard,
associated with poor iPac prac- central to preventing further infec- and application of the hierar-
tices. tion transmission and require close chy of controls to mitigate the
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): iso- collaboration with iPac and the risk, essential components of an
effective health and safety frame-
local public health unit.
lated outbreaks of EVd have work. Material Safety data Sheets
been reported in remote african occupational illness and injury (MSdS) and Pathogen Safety data
communities for decades. the reporting are legally required by
emerging issue in 2014/2015 was the Workplace Safety and insur- Sheets (PSdS) are valuable tools in
hazard identification and mitiga-
the extent of simultaneous out- ance Board (WSiB) and by the
tion strategies.
breaks in three african countries, ontario Ministry of labour (Mol).
raising the threat of global dis- internal reporting to the Joint
Hierarchy of Hazard Controls
ease transmission. the severity Health and Safety committee
for Communicable Diseases
of the disease, the catastrophic and the infection Prevention con-
results for pregnant women, the trol committee promote incident the hierarchy of controls originated
rapid increase in number of cases root-cause analysis, sharps injuries in industrial settings and has been
6 OOHNA JOURNAL n spRiNg/sUmmeR 2017
Emerging Infectious Diseases and lack of vaccine or effective review and quality improvement
and Emerging Issues medication all contributed to high initiatives. the internal respon-
HcWs around the globe are at risk anxiety worldwide. sibility System is a fundamental
HcWs were also disproportion-
principle of canadian oH&S leg-
for occupationally acquired infec- islation where all individuals in
tion and death. in many cases the ately affected. a 2015 WHo report
root cause of infection transmis- on Ebola infections in Guinea, the workplace (employees and
sion has been inadequate basic liberia and Sierra leone reports employers), are responsible for
infection prevention and control 815 confirmed and probable infec- their own safety and for the safety
(iPac) practices, either through tions in HcWs accounting for 3.9% of their co-workers.
lack of education and training, or (815/20,955) of all cases. HcWs
lack of access to essential resourc- were between 21 and 32 times Occupational Hazard Risk
more likely to be infected than the
es such as soap and water in Categories
impoverished areas. general adult population. risk is the probability that harm,
Severe Acute Respiratory Syn- Occupational Health Service injury, or disease will occur as a
drome (SARS): the World Health Programs result of an exposure to a hazard.
organization (WHo) 2003 sum- WHo, cdc and the National
mary report on SarS states HcWs Health care organizations have a institute of occupational Safety
accounted for over 40% of cases. legal and ethical responsibility to and Health classify occupational
PHac reported both suspect and protect the health and safety of hazards by category of exposure:
probable cases for a total of 375 their workers. an organizational biological (e.g. bacteria, viruses,
risk assessment is a critical step to
cases. there were 44 deaths in moulds, prions); chemical (e.g.
canada; three were HcWS (two identify and analyze biological haz- cytotoxic drugs, disinfectants,
nurses and one physician). ards based on inherent risk, activity anesthetic gases); physical (e.g.
exposure risk, and determination radiation, noise, wet work); ergo-
Middle East Respiratory Syn- of appropriate control measures, nomic (e.g. shiftwork, lifting/push/
drome (MERS-CoV): in 2012
as determined by the hierarchy pull) and psychosocial (e.g. stress,
MErS-coV was first identified
of hazard controls. Full support bullying, post-traumatic stress dis-
in the Kingdom of Saudi arabia of the facility lead administrator order). Each category requires
(KSa). Multiple health care asso- and engagement of occupational careful assessment and interven-
ciated outbreaks have occurred Health & Safety (oH&S) and iPac tion. the main focus for this article
since, with approximately 20% is biological hazards.
are key to its success.
affecting HcWs (Mackay & arden, Most oH&S rely on adminis-
2015). Most outbreaks have been trative control measures. Pro- Organizational Risk Assessment
in the KSa, except for a large
grams are responsible for HcW (ORA)
outbreak in 2015 in the republic pre-placement screening and com-
of Korea related to a single travel- municable disease surveillance, tB an ora is central in determin-
ler. all known cases are linked to status, exposure management; and ing the location of hazards and
travel or residence in the arabian timely post-exposure prophylaxis likelihood of exposure. an ora
Peninsula. investigations reveal for biological hazards requires a
(PEP). infectious disease contact
hospital outbreaks are generally tracing and outbreak protocols are systematic review of each hazard,
associated with poor iPac prac- central to preventing further infec- and application of the hierar-
tices. tion transmission and require close chy of controls to mitigate the
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD): iso- collaboration with iPac and the risk, essential components of an
effective health and safety frame-
local public health unit.
lated outbreaks of EVd have work. Material Safety data Sheets
been reported in remote african occupational illness and injury (MSdS) and Pathogen Safety data
communities for decades. the reporting are legally required by
emerging issue in 2014/2015 was the Workplace Safety and insur- Sheets (PSdS) are valuable tools in
hazard identification and mitiga-
the extent of simultaneous out- ance Board (WSiB) and by the
tion strategies.
breaks in three african countries, ontario Ministry of labour (Mol).
raising the threat of global dis- internal reporting to the Joint
Hierarchy of Hazard Controls
ease transmission. the severity Health and Safety committee
for Communicable Diseases
of the disease, the catastrophic and the infection Prevention con-
results for pregnant women, the trol committee promote incident the hierarchy of controls originated
rapid increase in number of cases root-cause analysis, sharps injuries in industrial settings and has been
6 OOHNA JOURNAL n spRiNg/sUmmeR 2017
