HAZWOPER in Hospitals

Health care workers dealing with emergencies may be exposed to chemical, biological, physical or radiological hazards. Protecting health care workers who respond to these emergencies is critical. Hospitals responding to these emergencies must be prepared to carry out their missions without jeopardizing the safety and health of their staff.  
 
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) established a comprehensive rule to protect employee health and safety during hazardous waste operations, including emergency responses to the releases of hazardous substances. The Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard, 29 CFR 1910.120 became effective in 1990.
 
OSHA requires employers, including hospitals, to plan for emergencies if they expect to use their employees to handle an emergency involving hazardous substances. A hospital's exposure would be treating patients of chemical spills or releases (including spills that occur inside the hospital), industrial accidents or bioterrorist attacks. To determine the appropriate level and type of training needed, hospital personnel should assess the exposures in their community and must define their role in community emergency response.
 
HAZWOPER requires varying levels of training for personnel involved in hazardous materials releases or clean-up. After determining possible exposures through worst-case scenarios, all employees must be adequately trained to perform their anticipated job duties without endangering themselves or others.
 
Medical personnel who will decontaminate victims must be trained to the First Responder Operations Level with emphasis on the use of PPE and decon procedures. This Level of training is an 8-hour Course. SRP Environmental has also developed a 24-hour HAZWOPER course that combines the requirements of the OSHA HAZWOPER standard and principles of Bioterrorism evaluation and treatment. We also provide Incident Command Training (including HEICS protocols), Medical Triage and Decontamination Training.
 
SRP Environmental can also assist each hospital in performing the Hazard Evaluation required by JCAHO. We can also assist in the development and presentation of Emergency Drills, including Chemical Exposure Incidents and Mass Casualty Incidents.