Islamabad Technical Institute of Technology

The Role of the Safety Officer
I frequently get asked to comment on the role of the Safety Officer in healthcare. Who should the Safety Officer report to? What qualifications or background should the Safety Officer have? I thought I would share these thoughts with you today.
Safety is a different issue in healthcare, as compared to general industry. In the general industry, OSHA compliance is king, and takes most of the efforts of the safety professional to ensure compliance. That isn’t the situation in healthcare. While OSHA compliance is still important, it doesn’t take nearly as much of the safety professional’s efforts as Life Safety does. The main reason why is you have patients that are nonambulatory and incapable of self preservation in the hospital in the event of a fire. You also have 5 or 6 different agencies (Joint Commission, CMS, State health departments, local fire marshal, state fire marshal and insurance companies) that expect you to comply with the NFPA 101 Life Safety Code, and they will frequently inspect your facility.
The whole concept of Life Safety pertains to getting out of the building alive if it is on fire. In other words, the Life Safety Code is primarily building oriented (with some exceptions). Therefore, I have always been a believer that the role of Life Safety Compliance is a role that belongs in Facilities Management, or at least report up to the VP in charge of facilities management. This way, if the Life Safety person needs assistance in changing something in the building, he/she already has a certain built-in cooperation because the facility person is directly involved with the Life Safety person.
Some hospitals have the role of Safety Officer be a manager’s position and report directly to the Director of Facilities management, which I think is a good situation. But if the facility person is not a director, then the Safety Officer person could report to the VP in charge of facilities. I believe the role of Safety Officer should not be higher than a manager’s position, because if it was a Director (or heaven forbid, a VP) then that person would have a tendency to stay in their office. The Safety Officer needs to be a person who walks around and is visible to the rest of the staff in the hospital. It needs to be a person who is willing to “get his hands dirty” and be frequently seen on the floors. He/she needs to build a positive relationship with others who will come to see him/her as a resource.
Some hospitals have the Safety Officer report up through Risk Management, but I don’t see that. If the Safety Officer is not in the same camp as the facilities person then there is too much of a possibility of silos being built and the cooperation level between Safety and facilities diminishes. I would advise you to not make the position of Safety Officer anything less than manager. He/she needs to be at least a manager to have a certain level of authority and access to administration.

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Safety and Health in the Workplace needs to focus on electrical safety. Recognizing electrical hazards
There are four main hazards associated with electrical dangers. Each hazard deserves thorough and adequate training.The four main hazards associated with electrical safety are electrocution, electrical shock, electrical burns and falls.
Electric shock
An electric shock is received when the current passes through the body.
The severity of the shock depends on three elements. First, the path that the current path. If the current traveled
through the arms or legs, the damage would be less severe if he had traveled through the major organs such as as the heart, lungs or kidneys. The second factor that determines the severity is the amount of current flowing through the body. 1-6 milliamp currents for example,would range from a tingling soft spot for a painful shock. current 25/06 milliamperes can lead to loss of muscle control.
The last factor that determines the severity of shock is the length of time the body is in circuit.
electrical burns Electrical burns are the most common non-fatal shocks related injury.
Electrical burns
occur when a person touches electrical wiring or equipment that is improperly used or maintained.
The lesions typically occur on hands. Electrical burns can be very serious and need medical care immediately. There are three types of electrical burns. The first is electrical, and occurs when someone touches a live wire. The second is a arc burn. An arc occurs when current travels through the air.
The third type of electric burn is a contact burn. What happens when copper or aluminum blend components.Falls
Electrical shock can also cause indirect or secondary injuries such as falls. Workers in areas of high work, which could occur Shock may fall, causing serious injury or death. The people who work on or around power lines require special training and protective equipment in To work safely. Some precautions for electrical safety and health in the workplace include not using metal ladders and always be aware of the power when the lines on the scaffolding.Health and safety in the workplace is all about keeping safe from all accidents, including electrical accidents.

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safe from electricity hazards