[MCOH-EH] ACOEM Outreach Regarding HCP Protections

[Behrman, Amy]

Dear MCOH Colleagues,

I hope this weekend has brought you some brief respite from the escalating crisis that endangers our clinician colleagues and their patients.  PPE deficiencies, particularly for respiratory protection, likely drive agonizing decisions at most of our hospitals daily.

This email is sent on behalf of ACOEM leadership,  seeking your input as MCOH clinicians and experts as it relates to an OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for HCP.  If you have evidence (or even anecdotes) from the past several weeks that an ETS is indicated, ACOEM would like to hear all that you are comfortable sharing.  Please send your responses directly to ACOEM's Director of Government Affairs, Pat O'Connor, at patoconnor at kentoconnor.com.  Pat has served ACOEM for many years, and guarantees that responses to him will be ensured anonymity and de-identified for hospital worksites as well as individuals. If you reply to the MCOH listserv only, your responses will simply be to the listserv.

Wishing you all strength, health and resilience in this terrible time, Amy

 Specific questions from ACOEM are


  *   What is the current state of  N95 inventory/supplies in your facility? Do you have any supply? How long will it last days, 1 week, 2 weeks, more?
  *   Are you rationing the equipment you have? For what procedures are you using N95s? Patient evaluation, testing, COVID patient care, intubation/aerosol generating procedures?
  *   To what extent is your facility  equipped with and using elastomerics and PAPRs? Shortages?
  *   Is the system clear for getting additional PPE from suppliers? State or federal government stockpiles? Have you been able to secure supplies? From what source?
  *   Do you expect anticipate that you will be able to secure supplies in the next week, few weeks?
  *   Aside from the obvious PPE issues, how would you  rate compliance with engineering and administrative controls recommended by CDC?
  *   Is your facility  allowing exposed, but asymptomatic HCWs to treat patients? Is there still a serious shortage of tests that can be used to determine whether HCWs are exposed and should be quarantined, or whether they can be allowed to work?.


Amy J Behrman, MD, FACOEM, FACP

Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine

Medical Director, Occupational Medicine

Perelman School of Medicine

University of Pennsylvania

3400 Spruce Street

Philadelphia, PA  19104
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