I work at SFO Medical Clinic. I think for the most part, biological exposures are the greatest concern as I am sure it is in most healthcare settings. We have an x-ray machine in the clinic, so radiological exposures might be another concern. Additionally, the clinic is in an airport and we can sometimes smell the fumes from the airplanes in the clinic. I think this could be considered a chemical exposure.
The nurses are well-trained to triage and assess the symptoms of a person who presents in the clinic. If there is a chance that the patient might be contagious, he/she is put into an exam room immediately so that they are not sitting in the waiting room with other patients. We also have a negative pressure exam room that can be used to isolate the contagious individual. We regularly (especially after a possibly contagious person presents in the clinic) use Super Sani-Cloth to wipe down the check-in and check-out desks, clipboards, and pens that the patients use. As far as radiation exposure, the x-ray technicians are well-trained to protect themselves. There is also a light outside of the x-ray room that is lit when an image is being shot so that someone outside in the hallway does not enter. The smell of airplane fumes in the clinic occurs once in a while, but the airport does not do anything to prevent it nor do we do anything in response to the fumes.
From the lecture, we learned about the hygiene hierarchy of controls. Obviously the best and most effective control is to eliminate the hazard completely. In the case of biological exposures or even radiological exposures (x-ray in this case), it is impossible to remove these exposures in a healthcare setting. Clinics and hospitals exist to treat people who are sick. We use x-rays as a tool to treat people. We cannot eliminate these exposures here. The most obvious controls we must exercise in this setting are administrative controls and personal protective equipment, which is what I believe is currently being done in my workplace.
know that medical professionals are well-trained and in most cases are equipped with necessary protective tools. Glad to know that you're not an exemption. Unfortunately, on top of exposures related to medicine you're also exposed to airport pollutants. I am curious of something has been done about it. There might be studies or campaigns for protecting airport workers.
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ReplyDeleteHaving proper workplace additions on personal protective equipment are very critical to self care. Your workplace is doing its full part of making sure its employees are as safe as possible, which is great to hear!
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