Environment of Care Report: How Are We Doing?

DART nearing its mark

The Health System continues to close in on its 3.0 Days Away/Restricted or Transferred target—a calculation of the number of recordable injuries or illnesses per 100 employees. In the last year, DART decreased but has been hovering at 3.1 to 3.3. We know that high occupancy increases our activity level, which, in turn, can impact our ability to stop and think about injury prevention techniques. Take a few minutes to review ways to avoid workplace injuries help meet our 3.0 goal.

Life/Fire Safety changes

In January 2006, all units should have switched to using fire safety cards during drills instead of posted fire plans. Using cards clarifies and streamlines the fire response process. For units that have not created fire cards, templates are available online. During a fire alarm it’s critical that all staff respond. This ensures preparedness during a real fire emergency and when responding to questions during a Joint Commission or CMS survey. Be sure to review your unit’s fire safety cards so you know where to find fire alarm pull stations, fire extinguishers and exit routes. A new area of focus in Life/Fire Safety is preventing procedural fires, such as during surgery or medical procedures. Current Fire Safety mandatories have been revised to include this new information for clinicians and non-clinicians working in patient care areas.

Addition to Equipment Management Plan

There’s a new program to manage failed medical equipment called “Tag and Sequester.” Those who encounter an improperly or non-working medical device now have specific instructions for tagging and removing it from circulation. Questions about medical devices? Call BioMedical Engineering: 734-936-5056.