COMMUNITY
A new NIOSH study published in the November 2014 Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) found that recommended safe handling practices for workers who administer antineoplastic drugs in healthcare settings are not always followed. According to NIOSH, reports from healthcare workers suggest that they perceive exposures to these drugs as inconsequential or so rare that employers and employees feel that PPE use is not justified.
The researchers conclude that better risk communication is needed to ensure that employers and employees are fully aware of the hazards and the availability of precautionary measures to minimize exposures.
The full study is available on the JOEH website at http://bit.ly/joehhazdrugs.
Further information about the study is available on AIHA.org at http://bit.ly/aihahazdrugs.
NIOSH’s safe handling guidelines for antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs are available at http://bit.ly/nioshsafehandling.
JOEH: Safe Handling Guidelines for Hazardous Drugs Are Not Always Followed
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