SPOTLIGHT ON RISK CONTROL

Current Issue:
Bed Safety

Between January 1, 1985 and January 1, 2006, the FDA received 691 incidents of patients caught,
trapped, entangled, or strangled in hospital beds. The reports included 413 deaths, 120 nonfatal
injuries, and 158 cases where staff needed to intervene to prevent injuries. Most patients were
frail, elderly or confused.

Organizations who utilize hospital beds on inpatient units, or who provide hospital beds to home
based clients, should make sure there is a good program in place for preventive maintenance
of beds/side rails. In addition, you should also take these precautions:

1. Provide orientation and training to staff about entrapment dangers with bed rails and assessment of patients/residents for entrapment risk.
2. Assess patients/residents for risk of entrapment, including physical, mental, behavioral or medication impairment.
3. Re-evaluate beds for entrapment potential, including "gap" measurement and appropriate sizing of mattresses for bed frames.
4. When possible, keep patients/residents with risk factors for entrapment under more frequent observation.
5. Educate the patient/resident and/or his or her family about the purpose and potential dangers of bed rails.

Additional information can be found at:

www.fda.gov/cdrh/beds/
www.jointcommission.org/SentinelEvents/SentinelEventAlert/sea_27.htm

Past Issue:
Thrift Stores and Recalls

The media has been full of stories recently regarding product recalls, particularly toys. This is a good
time for thrift stores to re-evaluate their procedures for sorting donations and identifying unsafe products.

Way back in 1999, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission conducted a national study of thrift and consignment stores. They visited over 300 thrift stores across the country. Overall, 69% of those stores that were visited had at least one product that was hazardous. The top three hazardous products were drawstrings on children’s outerwear, hair dryers without protection against electrocution, and cribs that did not meet current safety standards.

The current area of specific concern is with toys. An average of 450 products are recalled each
year, and this year 45 have been for children’s toys. If your organization accepts and resells donated
toys, it is important to have very stringent guidelines for evaluating their safety and recall history. You can find specific information on the Mattel and Fisher-Price recalls at:

http://www.cpsc.gov/recentrecalls.html.

Does your organization have a good process in place for evaluating all donated items for potential safety concerns or a history of recalls?

Every organization should have a standing policy that identifies those items that are not eligible for re-sale.

This might include items such as:

• Cribs
• Hair Dryers
• Halogen Floor Lamps
• Playpens and Play yards
• Car Seats
• Any item with a recall history

You can find additional information and a “Thrift Store Safety Checklist” at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission website: www.cpsc.gov.

Past Issue:
Kitchen Safety

Hospice and home care aides and other staff are often involved in preparing food for clients. This occurs
in both the home based and inpatient settings. Unattended cooking remains the leading cause of U.S.
home fires (National Safety Council, 11/05). Glatfelter Insurance Group and Hospice and Home Care
Insurance Services have also seen claims arising out of this scenario.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that over 50,000 fires occur each year in kitchen
ovens and ranges. It is important for those preparing meals to be alert and attentive while cooking.
Food preparation and kitchen safety should be included in staff training. Some tips to prevent kitchen
fires include:

• Make sure there is a working smoke detector in the home.
• Never leave food unattended while cooking.
• Use thick, dry, flame-resistant potholders when handling lids and pans.
• Never use an oven or range to heat a room.
• Keep oven and range clear and clear of anything that can burn.

Additional tips and information on kitchen and food safety can be found at www.nsc.org and www.foodsafety.gov.

Past Issue:
Employment Practices Liability

Since 2000, the number of employees alleging discrimination, wrongful termination, sexual harassment and retaliation has increased steadily. (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission/EEOC) According to the EEOC, settlements and judgments in these suits are also on the rise. Employment Practice liability suits are time consuming and costly to defend. What can your organization do to protect itself against this significant exposure?

One new resource that you can take advantage of is the “My Community Workplace” website, which you can register for under the Education and Training tab of this website. This resource offers useful tools such as analysis of EEOC data, employment practice training programs and model policies, along with an extensive database of employment practice topics.

My Community Workplace can help you create a safe and productive workplace. It covers timely issues such as third party harassment and catastrophic violence. You’ll discover that using this free service can save you time and money. When a new issue arises, you’ll know about it. All you need is a user name and password, and you’ll have access to one of the most powerful employment liability tools available.