Sunday, December 13, 2009

Helicopter Pad

We have a new helipad here at Parkview that we will need to maintain over the winter months. Ours is physically located within the ED parking area (set slightly above parking grade so that no one will park directly on the pad). Like many of you, we use salt exclusively for the treatment of roadways and parking areas. We have a concern that the salt itself may become a projectile hazard as helicopters land/takeoff. Question: What do you folks do to treat your helipad and any surrounding parking area? Does it need to be liquified salt (brine)? Do you treat the surrounding parking and roadways differently than the helipad?

Nurse Call System

We are thinking about replacing our Nurse Call system. I would like to know what you have and how it is working for you if possible.Vendor contacts would be great as well.

Gas Cylinder Pads - rust ring on floor issue

We have several gas cylinders stored on tile floors that are approximately 52" tall and 9" diameter with large collars that keep them from tipping. Unfortunately, the tanks tend to leave rust rings on the floor. Our gas company says that there really is nothing designed to place the tanks on. Have any of you experienced this and have devised some ingenious way of resolving this issue? Please let me know. We have some FRP board that would work as a giant coaster but I hate to "Mickey Mouse" this if there's a better idea.

Medical Laser Safety Officer

In healthcare organizations, who typically is the Medical Laser Safety Officer ?

Is this the Biomed Technician?
Nursing?
Other?

My sense is that this is a Nursing Function. Thanks

Monday, June 1, 2009

Fire Extinguishers in Operating Rooms

...was recently surveyed by the Joint Commission. It was recommended, by the survey team, that we add CO2 fire extinguishers in the OR rooms. It was explained to us that CO2 extinguishers were safe to use in the OR rooms during surgery. Is this is a code requirement or just a recommendation? Also, what do the other facilities use in the OR suites and rooms?

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Main and branch electrical circuit breaker testing

Would you be so kind as to forward this question to our membership.
1) Does anyone have an annual or any routine program for Main andBranch electrical breaker testing.
2) If yes how often and down to what breaker size do you test.
3) Does anyone have a program that includes anything more then visualor thermal imaging inspections.
Reason for asking, I recently read where a hospital was cited underImmediate Threat to Life and automatic Preliminary Denial ofAccreditation; for not testing it's main breakers. This is not somethingwe have done in the past and will be implementing starting this year.