[KJMC] Happy World Day for Safety & Health at Work

7 Work-related Safety Issues In Healthcare Sector You Needs To Know

For a medical institution such as a hospital, whether we like it or not we need to acknowledge that the only common objective that we will be able to guarantee the achievement of overall quality is the target to ensure patient safety. Not only aimed at staff who are directly involved in patients care but should include the entire healthcare workers  in the organization.  Each staff has a role to play in ensuring the safety of the hospital’s customers, namely the patients. Below are amongs the 6 work-related safety issues in the hospital that you must know :-

1.Workplace safety issues

The issue :Hospital work environment can be harmful. Medical staffs often face the risk of injury by lifting heavy objects, slipping and falling or being harmed by irritated patients or visitors,and dealing with surgical instruments. Obviously, patients are also exposed to many of these risks. Occupational Safety & Health Administration ( OSHA 1994) stated hospitals are one of the most hazardous places to work. 

2. Aging hospital facility issues

The issue :The buildings of healthcare organization are often old and therefore poorly designed for today’s health care standards. These may cause issues such as illness due to bad ventilation or injuries from ceiling and floor layouts that don’t fulfil KKM standards.

3. Medication error

The issue :Medication errors include patients getting the wrong drugs, the wrong dosage or poor combination of drugs. Its may be caused by error in documentation or human error. In Malaysia, 2572 cases of medications were reported and it was identified as a main adverse event issue that impacted on patient outcome in 2009 (Hariati Johari, Journal of  Nursing and Health Science Jan – Feb 2013).

4. Diagnostic errors

The issue:A diagnostic error occurs when a health care provider gets a diagnosis wrong. In some cases, the mistake can be minor and simply delay recovery or treatment; other errors can be much more serious. 

5. Instrument sterilizing issues

The issue :Instrument sterilizing refers to proper cleaning, disinfecting and storing for surgical instruments and other objects used to diagnose or treat conditions; improperly processed items can spread disease or injure patients.

6. Medical devices security

The issue :Medical devices that transmit patient data to remote in real time may be vulnerable to be hacked. With patient security at risk, health care provider need to establish policies, procedures and training to ensure patient data is protected. 

7. Data management problems

The issue:In healthcare organizations, like most large companies, generate large amounts of data on outcomes, patient load, employee scheduling and so on. Mining all this data properly becomes an important challenge for healthcare institutions.

As 22 years Kelana Jaya Medical Centre serve the community, we success manage all the risk and safety to all our patient, guest and also staff. We would like thanks to everyone who supporting our healthcare service. “Happy World Day for Safety & Health at Work”

Source : Becker’s Infection Control & Clinical Quality, Journal Nursing and Health Science 2013
Prepared By : En Syafiq Bastamam, Safety & Quality Department