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Safety and Health Topics |
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Hazardous Drugs |
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In
Focus |
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Worker exposure to hazardous drugs has been
identified by OSHA as a problem of increasing health concern. Preparation,
administration, manufacturing, and disposal of hazardous medications
may expose hundreds of thousands of workers, principally in healthcare facilities and the pharmaceutical industry, to potentially significant
workplace levels of these chemicals. Antineoplastic cytotoxic medications,
anesthetic agents, anti-viral agents, and others, have been identified
as hazardous. These hazardous medications are capable of causing
serious effects including cancer, organ toxicity, fertility problems,
genetic damage, and birth defects.
The following questions link to information relevant to
hazardous drugs.
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What OSHA standards
apply?
Standards | Standard Interpretations |
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Where do I find examples of hazards and possible solutions?
Hazard Recognition | Possible Solutions |
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What additional information is available?
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In Focus |
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eTools
- Hospital. OSHA.
Focuses on some of the hazards and controls
found in the hospital setting, and describes
standard requirements as well as recommended
safe work practices for employee safety and
health.
- Healthcare
Wide Hazards - Hazardous Chemicals.
Provides
hazards and solutions for employee exposure
to hazardous chemicals, such as pesticides,
disinfectants, and hazardous drugs in the
workplace.
- Pharmacy.
Reviews safety and health topics
related to hazardous drugs including drug
handling, administration, storage, and disposal.
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