Occupational Health and Safety
The health and safety of public facilities is an important part of healthy communities. ANTHC offers support programs in areas of Occupational Health & Safety, Industrial Hygiene and handling of Hazardous Drugs.
Occupational Health & Safety
ANTHC’s Institutional Environmental Health Program offers a broad range of support and assistance addressing occupational health and safety issues for the Tribal health facilities we serve.
The program works with local partners to provide assessments of the physical environment of public facilities, including Life Safety Code and OSHA compliance.
- The Life Safety Code is developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and is the most widely used source for strategies to protect people based on building construction, protection, and occupancy features that minimize the effects of fire and related hazards.
- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is part of the federal Department of Labor and ensures safe and healthy working conditions for Americans by enforcing standards and providing workplace safety training.
In addition, the team provides program review and support for Joint Commission Environment of Care standards, Emergency Management, Life Safety and Infection Control. They also offer respiratory protection training and education.
Industrial Hygiene
Radiological, chemical and biological exposures are all potential risks in health care settings. The Institutional Environmental Health Program’s Certified Industrial Hygienists offer professional services devoted to anticipating, recognizing, evaluating, controlling and preventing hazards. When appropriate, the IEH program can monitor for the following substances and other chemicals used in a facility:
- Glutaraldehyde
- Formaldehyde
- Mercury
- Nitrous Oxide
- Carbon Monoxide
- Carbon Dioxide
- Waste Anesthetic Gases
- Solvents (toluene)
- Ventilation Studies (indoor air quality investigations)
- Noise
- Ergonomic Surveys
- Ortho-Phthalaldehyde (OPA)
- Welding fumes
The program is also a source of industrial hygiene equipment and instruments that can be shipped to facilities upon request.
Hazardous Drugs
Hazardous Drugs are drugs that are associated with or suspected of causing adverse health effects in humans including: a mutation in genetic material; defects in fetal development of fetal malformation; fertility impairment or adverse reproductive outcomes in both men and women; serious toxicity at low doses; and cancer.
ANTHC can provide consultation on safe disposal of hazardous drugs as well as reducing potential occupational exposures to hazardous drugs. They can also conduct wipe sampling to assess environmental contamination potential in the facility.
Additionally, the program can verify proper operation of Compounding Aseptic Containment Isolators used for compounding of hazardous drugs in pharmacy and review plans for pharmacy compounding areas during new construction or renovations.
NIOSH List of Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings