[MCOH-EH] Hazardous Drug Spills on Employee Uniforms

[Dr Amber H Mitchell]

An excellent and extremely important question!  According to USP 800 (effective July; http://www.uspnf.com/sites/default/files/usp_pdf/EN/USPNF/revisions/800-rb-notice.pdf)

Clothing may also retain HD residue from contact, and may transfer to other healthcare workers or various surfaces. Washing of non-disposable clothing contaminated with HD residue should only be done according to facility policy as drug residue may be transferred to other clothing. Potentially contaminated clothing must not be taken home under any circumstances.

This gets complicated, of course when employees pay for their own scrubs which must then be discarded or laundered by the employer.  To consider is a more strict internal policy, that those working with hazardous drugs (preparation, administration, disposal) that have been identified by the facility's task analysis/exposure assessment should only be wearing facility-provided scrubs/uniforms (similar to those in the OR).

The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard is clear - if scrubs/uniforms are contaminated with blood/OPIM, they must be removed immediately, but because scrubs/uniforms are not PPE they are not required to be laundered by the employer.  They should be safely bagged/tagged and laundered at home, though this would definitely not be the best or safest policy and it is a big pitfall when thinking about the safest way to protect workers and workers' families.

If I could wave a magic safety wand - I would follow suit to all other (safer) countries and not allow scrubs/uniforms of any kind to be worn outside of a healthcare/hospital facility.  It's just gross and when thinking about hazardous drugs... gross and toxic.

Amber


Amber H Mitchell, DrPH, MPH, CPH
President | Executive Director
Email | amber.mitchell at internationalsafetycenter.org<mailto:amber.mitchell at internationalsafetycenter.org>
Web | www.internationalsafetycenter.org<http://www.internationalsafetycenter.org/>

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Safer Workers | Better Healthcare TM



From: MCOH-EH <mcoh-eh-bounces at mylist.net> On Behalf Of Amy Olson
Sent: Monday, March 19, 2018 11:30 AM
To: 'MCOH/EH' <mcoh-eh at mylist.net>
Subject: [MCOH-EH] Hazardous Drug Spills on Employee Uniforms

Happy Monday,
How do you handle soiled employee uniforms when it is hazardous drugs? Specifically, the uniforms are the personal property of the employee.

Amy Olson, BSN, MS, COHN-S
Director, Employee Health and Wellness
Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital
500 Seventh Avenue South, Suite 103
St. Petersburg, FL  33701
P 727-767-8211 | F 727-767-8399
aolson9 at jhmi.edu<mailto:aolson9 at jhmi.edu>
www.HopkinsAllChildrens.org<http://www.hopkinsallchildrens.org/>

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