Reportin
ng Hazards
Students are encouraged to
o report all ‘near m
misses’ and hazard
ds so that a hazarrd investigatio
on can be carried out to prevent a recurrence. Stud
dents can report hazards to the H&S Rep or M
Manager in their w
work area (see the H&S notice boaard in the area). Emergen
ncy Evacuation
n
All areas haave emergency evvacuation signagee and Emergency Preparedness response fo
olders. Students sshould familiarisee themselves with the procedure fo
or each new aarea that they aree placed in. Health Sa
afety & Wellbe
eing
Informatio
on for Studen
nts
KEEP
PING SAFE
WHILE O
ON PLACEME
ENT AT Waittemata DHB
(W
WDHB)
The healthcare environment can be a very bu
usy and demandin
ng. Working and studying, lo
ong and unsocial hours, and learning new skills, can all add to the demands. SStudents are enco
ouraged to talk to
o their supervisor if they are havingg difficulty in
n their placementt and see the univversity counsellor if becoming concerned. It goes with
hout saying that aa healthy student is one that is besst prepared to cop
pe with the deemands of work aand study in todayy’s health care environment. It is important to remember onee’s own ‘care’ and
d to get exercise, ttake time out, have a good diet aand get enough slleep! nformation aboutt WDHB Occupational Health and SSafety Service In
is avaailable on the WD
DHB intranet site or by calling 09
9 4868920 NSH ext. 2829 or W
WTH ext. 6134 No: 011‐01‐010
Classification N
Datee Issued: November 2014 Occcupational Health & SSafety
Information for Students While on Placement at Waitemata DHB
Vaccinations
The nature of health care work places staff and students in a very busy, demanding environment and at a small, increased risk of acquiring illness or injury at work. WDHB has processes in place to minimise these risks. All students are asked to become familiar with these processes and to work safely. WDHB requires that all new healthcare workers and students have been screened for immunity to the common vaccine‐preventable diseases prior to placement. These include Measles, Rubella, Chickenpox and Hepatitis B. Where there is no immunity, vaccination is undertaken. For students this process is managed by their university. WDHB offers the annual Seasonal Influenza vaccine free to all staff and students on placement. Blood and Body Fluid Accidents (BBFA)
Orientation
Each area has a Health & Safety Rep who will carry out orientation to the areas specific hazards and processes. Infection Control
The basis for prevention of transmission of infectious diseases and resistant bacteria is adhering to what is referred to as Standard Precautions. These are a set of infection control practices which should be used regardless of a patient’s perceived or confirmed infection status and include: 1. Hand hygiene before & after patient contact, before and after a procedure or body fluid contact, and after contact with the patient’s environment. 2. Appropriate use of PPE (personal protective equipment) when there is known or potential exposure to blood & body fluids, non intact skin, or mucous membranes. NB PPE should be donned and removed according to guidelines, ensure you are familiar with these techniques. 3. Safe handling of contaminated linen & waste 4. Safe sharps management 5. Respiratory etiquette Maintaining these precautions as everyday practice significantly reduces risk to both patients and students/staff. Additional isolation precautions for infectious diseases e.g. influenza, TB and multi drug resistant organisms e.g. MRSA and ESBL are sometimes required. Door signage will provide guidance. If you are unsure and feel the need for further information it is important you seek advice from the clinical and nursing leaders, or the Infection Prevention & Control (IP&C) Team. In the event of a potential exposure, students at risk will be identified by a ‘contact tracing’ process run jointly by the IP&C and Occupational Health and Safety Service (OH&SS). If there has been a breakdown of appropriate infection control procedures then prophylaxis is available for some infectious diseases, where there has been a known high‐risk exposure. Management in other situations may require a stand down period for a non‐immune health care worker or student.
Students who come into contact with blood or body fluids are at increased risk of acquiring a blood borne infection (Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, HIV) if there has been an accident from an infected patient source. Accidents could include a needle‐stick puncture, scalpel laceration or contact with mucous membrane/non intact skin with blood, tissue or other body fluids that are potentially infectious. This risk is minimised with good infection control practices, PPE and vaccination against Hepatitis B. All BBFAs should be promptly reported to the person in charge in your area who will follow the OH&SS process for managing students who have a blood or body fluid accident. The process includes notification to OH&SS who will follow up with you including the offer of prophylaxis where indicated, and referral for monitoring for up to 6 months. All students should also report a BBFA as an accident using the Riskpro incident reporting system (electronic). This can be accessed on the intranet site under OH&SS. Accidents/Incidents
Many jobs within healthcare require the moving and handling of people and objects and at times awkward postures. Students should liaise with their supervisor about correct handling techniques prior to undertaking these tasks. Trips and falls make up the greatest number of injuries at Waitemata DHB so remember to walk not run! If an injury (other than a BBFA) is sustained and requires medical attention while on placement, a student must see their GP for treatment and initiation of an ACC claim. Also report the injury to the person in charge in your placement area so that a hazard investigation can be undertaken. Each Learning Institution should have an Incident/Accident reporting process which should be followed by Students.