14
Click on the PowerPoint one more time so the following questions appear:
What does “Code Blue” mean?
What does “Code Red” mean?
What does “Code Green” mean?
Ask the class
Would anyone like to answer the first question?
Once they answer it, click on the PowerPoint. Repeat this for the next 2
questions until all 3 questions have been answered.
Click on the PowerPoint once, “Site Specific Codes” appears.
Explain that hospitals may have different codes. These will be explained in a
facility briefing when you start working on the job. You need to know what these
codes mean, and what to do when an alarm is announced. Some codes won’t
affect you, but some might require you to evacuate the building.
Working in a health care facility carries with it certain
risks.
NOTES FOR SLIDE 15
Before working in a health care
setting, all of your immunizations
should be current. To avoid getting
the hospital patients sick, it is very
important not to come to work sick.
Additionally, your supervisor should
be notified if anyone on your crew
becomes sick while working at a
health care facility.
The following are examples of immunizations workers should consider when
working within an ICRA environment:
Influenza vaccination (flu shot)
Tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis (Td/Tdap) vaccination
Varicella vaccination (Chickenpox)
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination
Hepatitis B vaccination
Something as simple as catching a cold at work may be an indication the
precautions are not working. Any illness or infection contracted at the facility
15
should be reported to the infection control department so they can take whatever
steps necessary to trace, track and contain any potential outbreaks.
Examples of immune compromising conditions are:
Hepatitis
chronic pneumonia
HIV
asbestosis
Hospitals hazards that are not on typical construction
sites.
NOTES FOR SLIDE 16
Only show the title of the
PowerPoint slide
“
Hospitals
hazards that are not on typical
construction
sites.”
ASK THE CLASS:
Think about the various utilities and
medical devices in a hospital room, are there any unique hazards in these rooms
that are not found on typical construction hazards?
Write the participant responses on a whiteboard or flipchart.
Review the information on slide 16 to fill in any gaps the list might have.
Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing
systems are critical, and can’t be
interrupted.
Medical Gas Lines - Medical gas lines are an extra utility to be concerned with in
hospitals. You may encounter color-coded outlets, and lines inside the walls.
Oxygen
Nitrogen
Nitrous oxide
Carbon dioxide
Low-
pressure “medical air”
High-
pressure “instrument air”
Negative-pressure vacuum
16
Glass Pipes - The glass is very resistant to chemicals
and won’t corrode, so it is
typically used for waste lines in hospitals and laboratories. You should assume
that these lines contain hazardous chemicals or biohazards.
Once the class has reviewed the hazards found in a hospital room ask
them if there are any unique hazards outside of the hospital that we need to
be aware of.
Helipads - Many hospitals have helipads, landing areas for ambulance
helicopters. If your construction project involves a crane or excavator, it must
lower its boom when a helicopter is operating nearby, as well as at the end of the
shift. Workers using aerial lifts near helipads must also watch for approaching
helicopters, the downwash could cause the lift to overturn.
Hospitals are concerned about hospital-acquired
infections.
NOTES FOR SLIDE 17
Hospital-acquired infections or HAI,
is when a patient acquires, or gets,
an infection inside the hospital.
ASK THE CLASS:
Does anyone have an example of a
hospital acquired infection that
happened to them or someone they
know?
Limit the number of stories to one or two in the interest of time.
Hospital-acquired infections are a huge problem. HAIs occur in all settings of
care, including hospitals, surgical centers, ambulatory clinics, and long-term care
facilities such as nursing homes and rehabilitation facilities.
According to a study published online September 2, 2013 in JAMA Internal
Medicine, HAIs are costing healthcare facilities almost $10 billion a year.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), about 1.7 million hospital-
acquired infections occur each year and more importantly, about 99,000 hospital
patients die from HAIs each year.
