National Technical Reports Library

The National Technical Information Service acquires, indexes, abstracts, and archives the largest collection of U.S. government-sponsored technical reports in existence. The NTRL offers online, free and open access to these authenticated government technical reports. Technical reports and documents in its repository may be available online for free either from the issuing federal agency, the U.S. Government Publishing Office’s Federal Digital System website, or through search engines.

Details

Health and Safety Pollution Prevention in Hospitals.

PB2004105250

Publication Date	2003
Personal Author	Quinn, M. M.
Page Count	64
Abstract	Numerous initiatives and government, industry, labor and community-based partnerships have recently been established to foster pollution prevention in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. A major focus is to replace medical products, materials and work practices that generate pollution with those that are more environmentally-sound. Thus far, many of these pollution prevention initiatives are applied without considering their impact on workers, even though it is well-known that changes in materials and work practices can have significant health effects on occupational safety and health (OSH). Traditionally, occupational and environmental health and safety hazard assessments and interventions have been conducted separately. The purpose of this work was to develop an integrated approach to assess occupational and environmental health and safety in hospitals and use the approach to: (1) identify and implement effective intervention strategies to replace the use of conventional materials and products with more environmentally-sound, healthy and safe alternatives; and (2) to evaluate the impact of the alternatives on worker health and safety.
Keywords	Pollution prevention Hospitals Environmental protection Occupational safety and health Work environments Health facilities Intervention Environmental impact Medical wastes Hazards Assessments Implementation
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Corporate Authors	Massachusetts Univ. at Lowell. Dept. of Work Environment.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	200421

Health and Safety Pollution Prevention in Hospitals.

Health and Safety Pollution Prevention in Hospitals.
PB2004105250

Publication Date	2003
Personal Author	Quinn, M. M.
Page Count	64
Abstract	Numerous initiatives and government, industry, labor and community-based partnerships have recently been established to foster pollution prevention in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. A major focus is to replace medical products, materials and work practices that generate pollution with those that are more environmentally-sound. Thus far, many of these pollution prevention initiatives are applied without considering their impact on workers, even though it is well-known that changes in materials and work practices can have significant health effects on occupational safety and health (OSH). Traditionally, occupational and environmental health and safety hazard assessments and interventions have been conducted separately. The purpose of this work was to develop an integrated approach to assess occupational and environmental health and safety in hospitals and use the approach to: (1) identify and implement effective intervention strategies to replace the use of conventional materials and products with more environmentally-sound, healthy and safe alternatives; and (2) to evaluate the impact of the alternatives on worker health and safety.
Keywords	Pollution prevention Hospitals Environmental protection Occupational safety and health Work environments Health facilities Intervention Environmental impact Medical wastes Hazards Assessments Implementation
Source Agency	National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Corporate Authors	Massachusetts Univ. at Lowell. Dept. of Work Environment.; National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Supplemental Notes	Sponsored by National Inst. for Occupational Safety and Health, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
Title Note	Final rept.
NTIS Issue Number	200421