The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health requested public comment on the content and conduct of two separate but related national surveys, one of healthcare workers' safety and health practices and the other of employer safety and health practices. The goal of the healthcare worker survey is to collect information describing exposures, safety and health practices, and use of exposure controls for several targeted hazards including chemotherapeutic drugs, chemical sterilants, high level disinfectants, anesthetic gases, surgical smoke, aerosolized medications, and cleaning and disinfection agents. The goal of the management survey is to collect information describing facility-based health and safety resources, safety and health management programs, policies and practices for the same health and safety hazards covered in the worker survey.

In response to needs cited by stakeholders for hazard and exposure surveillance data in the healthcare industry, national surveys of healthcare workers and management are being planned as part of the NIOSH surveillance research program. The comments and information submitted to the docket will be considered in assessing appropriate methods of conducting the surveys and in refining draft survey questionnaires which are available below.

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Pre-Meeting Information

73FR17983 – 04/02/08 (1 page, 3,707kb)

Draft Management Questionnaire – 3/1/08 (50 pages, 8,4207kb)

Letter and list of invitees to public meeting – 3/17/08 (6 pages, 1,2407kb)

Healthcare workers’ safety and health – Worker Core Module – 3/1/08 (25 pages, 4.590kb)

Module A: Aerosolized Medications (Respiratory Therapists) – 3/1/08 (11 pages, 2,300kb)

Module B: Antineoplastic Agents (Pharmacists, Pharmacy Technicians) – 3/1/08 (10 pages, 2,090kb)

Module C: Antineoplastic Agents (Oncology Nurses) – 3/1/08 (8 pages, 1,650kb)

Module D: Chemical Sterilants – 3/1/08 (8 pages, 1,6207kb)

Module E: High Level Disinfectants – 3/1/08 (8 pages, 1,550kb)

Module F: Surgical Smoke (from Lasers or Electrosurgery Devices) – 3/1/08 (8 pages, 1,500kb)

Module G: Anesthetic Gases (Administration) – 3/1/08 (6 pages, 1,170kb)

Module H: Anesthetic Gases (Bystanders who do NOT Administer) – 3/1/08 (5 pages, 1,020kb)

Module I: Waste Anesthetic Gases (Post anesthesia Care and Surgical Recovery) – 3/1/08 (3 pages, 603kb)

Module J: Housekeeping or Environmental Services Staff – 3/1/08 (7 pages, 1,330kb)

Meeting Information

Meeting Agenda (1 page,120kb)

Presentation by J. Boiano (NIOSH) (23 pages, 2,510kb)

List of meeting attendees (3 pages, 495kb)

Targeted hazards and occupations by module (TABLE) (1 page, 238kb)

Submissions in order of receipt

Submission to Boiano (NIOSH) from Katz (American Society of Anesthesiologists) – 3/3/08 (2 pages, 385kb)

Submission to Boiano (NIOSH) from Swinker (American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine) – 5/2/08 (1 page, 193kb)

Submission to Boiano (NIOSH) from Berry (American Society of Anesthesiologists) – 5/3/08 (2 pages, 252kb)

Submission to Boiano (NIOSH) from Branson (American Association for Respiratory Care) – 5/5/08 (1 page, 190kb)

Submission to the docket from Varner (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center – 5/7/08 (1 page, 220kb)

Submission to Boiano (NIOSH) from May (Association of Surgical Technologists) – 5/6/08 (4 pages, 779kb)

Submission to the docket from Byrns (Illinois State University) – 5/7/08 (1 page, 171kb)

Submission to the docket from Kent (Empire Health Services) – 5/7/08 (1 page, 135kb)

Submission to the docket from Cunha (Marshfield Clinic) – 5/7/08 (1 page, 174kb)

Submission to the docket from McNeely (Harvard School of Public Health) – 5/7/08 (1 page, 231kb)

Submission to the docket from Pajot (Ontario Safety Assn. for Community and Healthcare – 5/7/08 (1 page, 226kb)

Submission to the docket from Dunn (Dornoch Medical Systems, Inc.) – 5/13/08 (1 page, 215kb)

Submission to the docket from McKinney (Montgomery County HHS) – 5/14/08 (1 page, 328kb)

Submission to the docket from Private person – 6/13/08 (1 page, 132kb)

Submission to the docket from McNally (United Health Services Hospitals) – 6/13/08 (1 page, 252kb)

Submission to the docket from Coughlin (Kenmore Mercy Hospital) – 6/13/08 (1 page, 217kb)

Submission to the docket from Katz/Berry (American Society of Anesthesiologists) – 6/16/08 (6 pages, 1,170kb)

Submission to the docket from Prickett (Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healhtcare) – 6/18/08 (3 pages, 600kb)

Submission to the docket from Anderson (Kindred Healthcare) – 6/19/08 (1 page, 136kb)

Submission to the docket from Private person – 6/19/08 (1 page, 173kb)

Submission to the docket  from Warburton (ChemDAQ Inc.) – 6/24/08 (6 pages, 989kb)

Submission to the docket from Coffey (American Society of Health-System Pharmacists) – 6/25/08 (6 pages, 1,560kb)

Submission to the docket from Pollack  (American Hospital Association) – 6/26/08 (21 pages, 4,070kb)

Submission to the docket from Cox (American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc.) – 6/26/08 (2 pages, 423kb)

Submission to the docket from Becker (Tennessee Hospital Association) – 6/27/08 (5 pages, 1,070kb)

Submission to the docket from Temkin (American Health Care Association) – 6/27/08 (5 pages, 1,020kb)

Submission to the docket from Speidell (Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association) – 6/27/08 (5 pages, 1,040kb)

Submission to the docket from Sweeney (Healthcare Association of New York State) – 6/27/08 (5 pages,1,180kb)

Submission to the docket from Blanchard-Saiger (California Hospital Association) – 6/30/08 (3 pages, 567kb)

Submission to the docket from Smith (Delaware Healthcare Association) – 6/30/08 (21 pages, 3,160kb)

Submission to the docket from Reuter-Rice (National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners) – 6/30/08 (1 page, 166kb)

Submission to the docket from Liddell (Saint Francis Hospital-Memphis) – 6/30/08 (1 page, 159kb)

Submission to the docket from Thiemann (American Association of Nurse Anesthetists) – 6/30/08 (5 pages, 959kb)

Submission to the docket from Ristic (American Dental Association) – 6/30/08 (2 pages,349kb)

Submission to the docket from Landon (Missouri Hospital Association) – 6/30/08 (3 pages, 504kb)

Submission to the docket from Mallory (Oncology Nursing Society) – 7/1/08 (3 pages, 540kb)

Submission to the docket from Raske (Greater New York Hospital Association) – 7/1/08 (5 pages, 1,010kb)

Submission to the docket from Leighton (Hospital & Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania) – 7/1/08 (24 pages, 4,840kb)

Submission to the docket from Cain (Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology) – 7/1/08 (3 pages, 498kb)

Submission to the docket from Scholtz (Ohio Hospital Association) – 7/1/08 (24 pages, 4,540kb)

Submission to the docket from Holmes (New Jersey Hospital Association) – 7/1/08 (2 pages, 322kb)

Post-Meeting Information

Responses to comments received – 10/03/08 (116 pages, 21,070kb)