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Submitted by: Greg Garner

OSHA or the Occupational Safety & Health Administration in Washington, D.C has specific requirements and procedures to follow in the event of a hazard in a medical facility. To allow staff to recognize these standards and procedures there are specific training classes that need to be taken concerning the categories of chemicals and how they are to be disposed cleaned up, reported and policies outlined.

Rules and Procedures

Minor chemical spills require that spill areas be evacuated immediately. This includes any chemicals required to clean up or take care of medical equipment. During clean up procedures prohibit general entry and contact your in house OSHA compliance officer.

Blood and or body fluids require the cleaning staff to wear personal protective equipment which includes eye protection and gloves. Use paper towels to soak up the spills and use a red biohazard bag as the waste receptacle. When the spill is absorbed and towels thrown away spray the area with strong disinfectant. Let the disinfectant soak for at least 15 minutes then wipe dry with paper towels. Discard these paper towels in red biohazards bags and throw away all gloves and paper gowns used in cleaning up. Thoroughly wash and disinfect your hands. Make a complete record of everything you have done in regards to clean up and send it to the proper OSHA compliance officer in the clinic.

Communication Procedures

Hazardous Communication Standards are applicable to certain drugs, chemical accidents as well as blood and human fluid spills. A hazardous chemical is described as any chemical that causes physical harm or is a health hazard. Blood and human fluid hazards come from broken vials, containers or the patient.

All employers need to develop maintain, and implement a workplace written hazard communication program for those who handle or are exposed to chemicals, drugs, and body fluids. This written program outlines how the criteria specified in the Communications Standards concerning labels and warnings, plus MSDS, employee information and training will be handled.

A list of all hazardous drugs present in the building will be listed using an identify number that matches the MSDS.

Methods used by an employer to inform employees of hazards in the workplace.

Written hazard communication program is available to employees and their designated representatives plus the Assistant Secretary of OSHA.

Communication Work Plan

Ensuring that everyone is informed of the policies and procedures of a hazardous waste problem, OSHA has mandated that a workplan be developed. The first step is to establish a chain of command and determine who carries out the safety and health program and how to report problems.

Supervisor and employee responsibilities and exact means of communication in case of a hazardous event.

The name of the person who supervises the hazardous waste operations.

The clinic site supervisor who has responsibility for developing the communication and compliance program.

All communication programs must have a complete list of tasks and objectives and the resources needed to take care of hazards. There needs to be written communication for anticipated clean-up, full definitions of work tasks and methods of carrying out these tasks. Communications channels and implementation for training, medical surveillance requirements and information seminars also need to be outlined. Communication in the event of a hazardous event must be in writing, sent to the proper division of OSHA, and posted in staff areas.

About the Author: For more information, please visit our

Hazard Communication Training

website.

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Submitted by: Theresa Goodman

If you follow these 5 tips for successful container gardening you will not only save time, but money, frustration and possibly embarrassment. As this is an increasingly popular venue for gardening, container gardening is making a fashion statement. Container gardens are already very popular for entries, patios and decks. Maybe you’ve thought about incorporating them into your office or home, but haven’t. If by chance you feel a little overwhelmed on the basics, here are 5 tips for successful container gardening, even if it’s your first.

Before you run off in all directions as if you had 2 hours to create a masterpiece, pause to do some planning. First think about what type of feeling you want to have, when you look at your container. For me, I want to feel like I’ve walked into my own “secret garden” and have a sense of calm. I think about how it will smell, and feel among other things. Is it going to be a focal point in a room, or mixed in as part of a theme? Will it be the centerpiece on a table, or placed in a semi-lit hallway?

Tip #1

Anything can be used as a container. If you are purchasing a container from the store, choose ones with drainage holes. However, if you can poke, drill or carve a hole in it then use it. Container gardens have been made from tables, old pots, milk cartons, cans, gloves, boots, pocketbooks, suitcases, pots, pans and mailboxes, just to name a few. You can be creative and recycle items to use as containers. Allow yourself to be creative. Be sure to clean it out, and let it dry thoroughly. If you’ve used any chemicals or any type of varnish, clean and let dry. Look around for anything that can be shaped to hold dirt.

Tip #2

Use containers larger than the root ball of your plant, considering the size of the mature plant. This is really important and sometimes we forget about how big the plant may actually grow or say to ourselves we’ll just transplant it as it grows. Therefore, you want your roots to be able to expand; otherwise the plant is going to eventually die. So read the information card to get a good idea of what size container you will ultimately need.

Tip #3

Use a good potting soil, compost or combination of both. I didn’t realize how many types and combination soils are available. Just because a bag of soil is on sale, doesn’t mean it’s good. Think of your soil as a primary food for your plants food chain. To get the desired results it pays to know what’s in a particular soil and if it what your plant/flower needs. Also, sometimes the soil may be too heavy for what you are planting. Just filling a pot up with dirt and stuffing your starter plant therein, may cause you to waste time and money.

Tip #4

In most containers the weight and scale of a container can become an issue when the pot has to be transported to a new location. The best thing to do is to move your pot to its final location before you plant it. You do have the option of reducing the overall weight of a large container. You can fill it with lightweight potting soil, ceramic beads, Styrofoam, broken pieces of pot, drainage gravel, pine cones, aluminum cans or small plastic nursery pots. I’ve even used an empty plastic milk carton.

Tip #5

Select plants that suit your light conditions. Too much sun for one plant will kill it while do little sun for another plant will do the same. Full sun means your plant will receive a minimum of six hours of sunlight daily.

If you follow these 5 tips, you will experience success in container gardening with flowers. You won’t pull your hair out, or throw darts at a dart board out of frustration, because you can get it right the first time.

About the Author: I enjoy gardening, specifically container gardening,so you can learn from my mistakes. I was a remedial gardener gone pro. That’s my final answer. The site is regularly updated. Be my guest and stop by!

containergarden411.com/blog

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