Do I Need to Disinfect My HVAC System for the Coronavirus Before Re-Occupancy?

Kevin Coghlan | April 27, 2020

We are fast approaching a point (if we are not there already) where our collective focus will shift from supporting a work-at-home strategy to planning for employees to return to the workplace. There will be a great number of issues to address prior to that happening. From a facility management perspective, one immediate question is...

Update – Emergency Use of Uncertified Respirators: OSHA Releases Guidance in Alignment with FDA and CDC

Kevin Coghlan | April 8, 2020

OSHA recently provided some much-needed compliance relief for healthcare providers (HCPs). On April 3, 2020, OSHA released two enforcement guidance memorandums to Regional Administrators and State Plan Designees regarding the emergency use of respirators that are not NIOSH-certified and respirators for which the use-by date has expired. This supplements earlier guidance that was the subject...

Emergency Use of Uncertified Respirators: Can the FDA Allow Use of Uncertified Respirators to Protect Workers?

Nanette Moss and Kevin Coghlan | March 30, 2020

Can the FDA allow uncertified respirators to be used to protect worker health and safety? Check out the newest post on this issue: OSHA Releases Guidance in Alignment with FDA and CDC On March 28, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) to allow healthcare providers (HCPs) to re-use...

How to Know If an N95 Respirator is Real or Counterfeit

Kevin Coghlan | March 26, 2020

As the supply of N95 respirators for healthcare workers continues to dwindle, a number of counterfeit or uncertified respirators are beginning to surface in the marketplace. If a hospital is struggling to maintain its supply of N95 respirators, there are other options that can be used in place of the standard N95 respirator. The Centers...

Reusable Elastomeric Respirators: Proper Use by Healthcare Workers

Nanette Moss and Kevin Coghlan | March 26, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a surge of patients to urgent care, emergency room and drive- up testing locations. Healthcare workers depend upon N95 disposable respirators to protect them from exposure to the respiratory droplets that transmit the disease. The supply of N95 respirators is being rapidly depleted as the crisis prolongs. Fabric facemasks...

Are People Infected with the Novel Coronavirus Contagious Before They Have Symptoms?

David MacIntosh | March 24, 2020

According to current information on the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) and the disease it causes, known as COVID-19, people infected with the virus are contagious before they have symptoms. Research that Tells Us Asymptomatic Persons Are Contagious A research letter published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on February 21, 2020 is perhaps...

Why Measures to Prevent Community Spread of Coronavirus are Critical

David MacIntosh | March 24, 2020

Current directives to combat COVID-19 in the United States are based on limiting community spread of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The tactics include social distancing, frequent hand washing and related actions. But why is it that doctors, scientists, and other specialists have counseled government authorities to recommend these methods in particular? Coronavirus (COVID-19): Why is...

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Why is this pandemic happening now?

Jack McCarthy | March 23, 2020

The ongoing novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei, China, in December 2019, and was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. The disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”). Since this virus is new there is no worldwide immunity. This...

Beyond the Pharmacy: Preparing for Hospital-wide Compliance with USP 800

Erin Higgins | March 16, 2020

Over the past year, there’s been a lot of discussion about how hospital pharmacies can prepare for USP 800. While hazardous drug safety is not a new concern, the new regulations set forth in USP 800 will require most hospitals to make significant changes in order to achieve and maintain compliance. However, even though the...

Successful Strategies for Creating a Culture of Laboratory Safety

Steven Lee | March 2, 2020

It’s been over 10 years since the tragic death of a staff research assistant in the chemistry department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Devastating and high-profile laboratory accidents such as this have elevated safety concerns for academic and biotech research facilities in recent years, driving many to seek ways make safety an...