With nurses, doctors, other medical staff, janitors, maintenance, and patients coming and going, hospitals are some of the busiest facilities in operation. All staff, suppliers and contractors contribute to daily hospital and facility operations which can lead to increased risk for accidents and injuries. With so many individuals contributing to daily operations, it’s important to ensure that employees and third-party suppliers are compliant.
However, according to the Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada, 47,014 workers in the health and social services industry filed lost time claims in 2018. A lost time claim is “a claim submitted to the WCB for an occupational injury or disease that causes a worker to have time away from work beyond the day of injury” (Government of Alberta). How can hospitals and other health care facilities mitigate risks to ensure safe workplaces for employees and third-party contractors? Let’s start by taking a look at the most common incidents in the healthcare industry.
What are the most common incidents in the healthcare industry?
- Overexertion and bodily reaction from the manual lifting, moving and repositioning of patients.
- Slips, trips and falls from spilled water and liquids on the floor, damaged flooring, loose cords, hoses and wires.
- Contact with sharp objects like surgical instruments, broken glass, and needles.
- Violence such as assault, verbal threats, and physical attacks by patients, distraught family members, intruders and even co-workers.
- Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) are very serious and potentially fatal. These infections can arise in any healthcare facility, including hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and long-term care facilities.
How can hospitals and other health care facilities ensure safe workplaces for employees and third-party contractors?
The need for ongoing, site-specific education and training for third-party suppliers has become increasingly important as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the health care industry and facilities. According to provincial and territorial workers’ compensation boards, “17,000 workers in Canada have filed claims for lost wages because of COVID-19”. 75% of which are from health care and social-assistance employees.
As we can see from the most common incidents listed above, safety needs to be at the forefront of all healthcare facilities to protect patients and staff. These facilities need to outline and define infection control strategies for their staff and vendors, safe workplace plans and violence prevention mitigation plans. They should also provide training that is required by healthcare governing bodies to ensure that staff and vendors are compliant and aware of their part in maintaining a safe and healthy workplace environment.
What are the best practices for managing healthcare safety, security and compliance?
When considering all the safety, security and compliance concerns within the healthcare industry, it can seem overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be this way. ComplyWorks has solutions already built and implemented within the healthcare industry to help facilities manage this complexity. Our solutions can help manage and track employees and third-party suppliers within healthcare facilities to help mitigate potential safety, security and regulatory risks. If you don’t have one already, it’s a smart solution that offers an easy and affordable way to address these challenges.
How ComplyWorks’ solutions can help:
- Manage supplier compliance challenges
- Improve incident reporting processes
- Manage security
- Train your staff and keep them up to date on best-practices
- Find workers faster
Have peace-of-mind knowing you are hiring and working with fully certified third-party contractors and suppliers who are compliant with all regulations relevant to a specific job - reducing risk and keeping safety at the forefront. ComplyWorks has also partnered with a leading screening company to provide clients with the ability to perform background checks before hiring. can help manage and track employees and third-party suppliers within healthcare facilities to help mitigate potential safety, security and regulatory risks.
