ISSU E
Safety Bulletin
01
FACILITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES
VOLU ME
01
From the
Safety Manager
June is National
Safety Month!
by Jon A. Hanson
National Safety Month
focuses on reducing the
leading causes of injury and
death at work, on the road, at
home, and in in communities.
The National Safety Council
has highlighted the following
safety topics.
Stand Up to Falls:
Article Link
Recharge to be in Charge
(Focus on Fatigue):
Article Link
Don’t Just Sit There (Focus
on Ergonomics):
Article Link
Please join me in reviewing
our workplace procedures to
see if we can mitigate injuries
here at work.
JUNE 1, 2018
MONTHLY NEWS LETTER OF
The purpose of the Respiratory
Protection Program (RPP) is to
ensure that all employees,
including health care workers
(HCWs) in clinical departments
that are required to wear
respiratory protection as a
condition of their employment,
are protected from respiratory
hazards through the proper
use of respirators.
It is the responsibility of the
ECHCS Occupational Safety
and Health (OSH) Program in
partnership with the
Occupational/Employee Health
Services (EHS) to ensure that
From the Enviornmental Engineer
GEMS: VHA Practice Green Health Award for 2017
by Ray Marsh, M.S.
In May 2018, ECHCS received
its second VHA Partner for
Change Award in 2017 to
signify the hospital’s recycling,
diversion and sustainment
efforts. Each year, recycling
data goes to a national
database for review by VHA.
Those facilities showing
improvement are recognized
officially.
In our case, it’s remarkable
mostly due to transition clean-
up efforts. After transition, the
new hospital can continue this
positive upward trend.
We diverted several thousand
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Denver
Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Aurora
June is National Safety Month
From the Industrial Hygienist
Respiratory Protection Program
by Dan Kerley
those individuals that are
required to wear respiratory
protection as part of their duties
are medically capable of wearing
a respirator and that they are
trained and fit tested annually.
OSH is planning to perform
respiratory fit tests and training
during the whole month of
October to ensure the ECHCS
employees are current with their
annual fit tests.
Also, the OSH Program is
working with the Talent
Management System (TMS) to
better track the status of the VA
gallons per month of industrial
waste from the sanitary sewer
since 2016. Federal Bureau of
Prisons in Lakewood receives our
recycled wastes rather than
sending it to the landfill.
This service is at no charge; and
also a major rehab
program. GEMS looked at many
recycling opportunities to
generate revenue, but found the
economic benefit non-existent
due to the exorbitant costs. Food
waste composting isn’t practical
for us. Food and Nutrition Service
successfully plans meals to
reduce food waste. We’re looking
to add this as another recycling
this issue
ECHCS Employee’s annual
respirator fit test in the ECHCS
Respiratory Protection Program
(RPP).
In TMS, there are two courses
in the Respiratory Protection
Program curriculum that are
required annually.
1. The OSHA Respiratory
Protection for
Healthcare
2. Workers (VA 9484)
ECHCS Respiratory
Protection Program
(the annual fit test)
venue to further increase our
numbers and contribute to a
higher VHA recycling level in
2018. It also saves space in
the landfill. ]
Dumpster Days are a way for
Services to reduce carbon
footprint contribute their waste
rather than waiting for their
relocation to Aurora.
GEMS is also scheduling
meetings with each Service
environmental compliance
champion to collect their
hazwastes before their
transition to the new facility in
July 2018.
 SAFETY HOTLINE
You can report safety
concern’s anonymously From the Industrial Hygienist
by calling:
RMRMC (720) 723-6598
Hazardous Drugs in the Health Care Setting
by Dan Kerley
SAFETY MANAGER
Jon Hanson Historically, the only In 2016, NIOSH published a https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topic
Clermont x2649 pharmaceutical considered to document “NIOSH List of s/hazdrug/pubs.html
RMRMC (720) 857-5531 be “hazardous drugs” were Antineoplastic and Other
antineoplastic agents, Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare The USP Pharmacopeia
________________ cytotoxic, or cancer chemo Settings” that superseded the Forum is the group that
therapy drugs. 2004 document. This document developed two (2) standards
not only updated the list of that gives guidance on the
SAFETY SPECIALIST
More recently, the use of hazardous drugs identified in handling of a hazardous drug
Demetrius Ortega (HD) with respect to keeping
Clermont x2110 hazardous drugs has 2004 and 2014, but it also
expanded to also treating non- revised the list into three (3) the drug free from contaminant
RMRMC (720) 857-5504 (USP 797) and protecting the
cancerous medical conditions. distinct categories:
health care worker (HCW) from
*** In 2004, the National Institute 1. Antineoplastic Drugs being exposed to the HD that is
Fred Williams for Occupational Safety and 2. Non-antineoplastic being handled (USP 800).
Clermont x2604 Health (NIOSH) published Hazardous Drugs, and
If you have any questions or
RMRMC (720) 413-9703 “Preventing Occupational 3. Drugs with reproductive
comments, I am interested to
Exposure to Antineoplastic and effects.
hear from you. Please call 303-
Other Hazardous Drugs in the
*** 399-8020 ext. 2166 or email
Health Care Setting”. The link below is a list of NIOSH
Melany Money daniel.kerley@va.gov
publication associated with
(720) 788-6733 https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/doc
Hazardous drugs used in
________________ s/2004-165/pdfs/2004-165.pdf Healthcare.

ENVIORNMENTAL
PROTECTION SPECIALIST
Garland Dotson
Clermont x3103
RMRMC (720) 908-7060
________________ From the Safety Specialist
ENVIORNMENTAL
ENGINEER Fire Alarms, When do I Evacuate?
Ray Marsh by Demetrius Ortega, Safety Specialist CFI-1, CLSS
Clermont x2613
(303) 929-7361
________________
The number one question I If you do not see strobe lights,
INDUSTRIAL HYGIENIST get asked about the fire alarm but you hear an announcement
Dan Kerley is “Do I evacuate? Or do I stay “Code Red, Building X, floor 2”,
Clermont x2166 Fire Alarms ! Fire Alarms ! put?” you should listen to the
RMRMC (720) 857-5529 They are such a nuisance, annunciation and determine
*** every time you have The answer to the question how close you are to the
something to do the fire alarm lies within the question, if you location of the fire for two
Daniel Felzien is going off and the Safety hear an alarm, respond to reasons.
Clermont x7091 office is running another drill. what you are hearing.
RMRMC (720) 857-5232 1. If the announcement
________________ Maybe if you close your door If you see strobe lights, that is identifies the space that is on
you may be able to drown out the first indicator that you fire is adacent to you,
VA Eastern Colorado Health the sound and get some work have a fire in the area you are (adjacent, one floor below, one
Care System, Denver done. With the opening of the in and you should simply floor above, or right next to the
1055 Clermont St. Bldg. #7 new hospital (RMRVAMC) evacuate everyone out of the area), you should respond to
Rocky Mountain Region VA area. the area and determine if it is
* * * * Medical Center quickly safe to enter, once you
coming upon us there seems Your evacuation of the area determine it is safe, you should
Rocky Mountain Regional
to be a lot of confusion on should be performed until you
Veterans Affairs Medical
what to do in a fire alarm? no longer see strobe lights or
Center, Aurora
you are outside of the
Energy Center Bldg. #6
building. Continued on page 3
From the Safety Specialist
Continued …
open the door and assist with
rescuing and removing
patients and staff from the area
of fire.
2. If you are told to evacuate,
you need to know the location
of the fire so you do not
evacuate into or through the
area of fire.
The fire alarm procedures did
not change from what we
currently do now at Clermont,
and it aligns with the fire drill
procedures of almost all
hospitals around the country.
Another question I get asked is For more information about fire
“What are my evacuation drill procedures, or to schedule
routes out of the area?” an in-service stand up on the
procedures please contact me
For fire, we do not want you at demetrius.ortega@va.gov
following routes but ask you
simply follow exit signs. In a
fire we need all occupants out
of the area of fire as quickly as
possible, and stopping to read
a map or memorizing a route
may lead to a delay in the
evacuation.
The safety office has a
requirement to perform more
than 20 fire drills a quarter

Image source: www.actenviro.com

So, remember what we do
here and follow the same
guidelines at the new facility.
which is roughly 80 fire drills a
year all of which are an
excellent time to participate,
ask questions and learn what
your fire drill procedures are.

From the Pathways Student Admin Support

The Challenges of Commuting Safely
by Christina Mascarenas, M.A.

A few times a week I commute
from Pueblo to Denver to work
at the VA hospitals. The traffic
is stop and go with endless
opportunities for car accidents.
According to the 2010
Colorado State Demographer
report 54,000 people commute
to Denver from El Paso County
every day for work. As a
commuter, it feels like all of
southern Colorado is driving to
Denver.
The digital information sign’s
last last count of 195 deaths on
Colorado roads is a reminder
of the dangers that can occur.
One early morning before the
sun rose, I was a few cars
behind a truck that rolled over.
It was startling to see people
abruptly stop their vehicles and
jump onto I-25 to help the
people trapped in the flipped
truck. Leaving Denver isn’t any
better since I have been stuck
in traffic several times when the
police were cleaning up the
aftermath of a car wreck.
Common sense would suggest
that these deaths could be
prevented. I have noticed the
distracted driving seems to be
worse with every drive.
According to the Colorado
Department of Transportation
(CDOT) “distracted driving is the
act of driving while engaged in
anything.”
The most common distractions I
have witnessed are texting and
talking on the phone. The phone
is in the driver’s face instead of
paying attention to the view in
front of them. I don’t understand
what text is so important to
endanger lives.
Then there are the cars flying
by, traveling 90 to 100 miles per
hour. Drivers swerving in and
out of the lanes, I think to
myself, just pick a lane and stay
in it. The road ragers who are
always in a hurry. Then the
scariest driver, the tailgater. I
was taught, if you can’t see the
tires of the car in front of you,
your too close
CDOT reported 648 deaths on
Colorado roads last year.
Following some of CDOT’s
safety tips such as expect the
unexpected and allow travel
time, slow down, don’t tailgate,
stop texting and drive the speed
limit could prevent you or a
loved one from being a part of
2018’s fatalities data.
 From the Safety Specialist
Overloaded
by Fred Williams, CHST, STS, CESCO
Are you curious why your
circuit breaker may need to be
reset?
While in my early 20’s, I can
remember working on a
customer’s car with no
available electric outlets. Our
work crew had to used various
power tools to complete the
job. We turned on the
generator and plugged in our
tools. When the second power
tool was turned on, the
generator made a funny noise.
All the tools that were plugged
into the generator stopped
working. Initially we blamed
each other for unplugging our
coworkers power tools but, this
was not the case.
Developing partnerships within
our departments will permit
ECHS the potential for
obtaining awards.
There are four main award
categories: Health Care Facility
Applications, Higher level
awards for hospital, Health
Systems and Visionary Leader
Award.
The recycling program has
been revamped at Clermont
“To care for him who
Campus and Aurora Campus.
shall have borne the
We are currently reviewing the
battle and for his widow,
other facilities on what we can
and his orphan.” do to improve in the areas of
reducing waste, using
- Abraham Lincoln
The generator was overloaded.
We located the rating for the
generator which was 15 amps.
The data plate on the tools
revealed that each tool was
rated at 12 amps.
A 120 VAC outlet that is
connected to a 15-amp circuit
breaker gives us about 1800
available. Using a safety factor
reduction of 20% takes us
down to 1440 usable watts.
Most rooms in our homes are
connected to a 15amp switch;
not including our kitchen area,
which is usually has different
requirements. Using the
From The Environment Protection Specialist
Eastern Colorado Health Care Recycling
by Garland Dotson, M.S.
environmentally friendly
chemicals, reduction of water,
energy usage, healthier food
options for employees and
patients.
The Bureau of Prisons is
collecting our recyclable
materials once a week at both
campuses. By using Bureau of
Prison to collect our recyclable
materials is cost effective by not
hiring three or more people to
sort, move and transport recycle
materials.
An inmate is paid between five
to ten cents an hour with annual
pay of $208.00 per person;
while paying a WG-05 annually
guideline of proper (NEC)
National Electric Code wiring,
we should theoretically be able
to look on the back of each of
our appliances we are using
and add the total watts up.
If our devices do not exceed
1440 watts, the chance of
overloading the breaker will be
decreased. When we exceed
the allowable watts, that is
what throws the breaker. In
addition, we must use properly
rated extension cords and
surge protectors that match the
ratting for power tools and
electronic devices.
$36,317 (not including benefits).
We are not only reducing our
foot print into the lands fields,
but also affording training and
experience in the field of
recycling and construction jobs
once they are released.
Current numbers for April 2018
are:
Cardboard: 4,378lbs
E-Waste: 2,305
Metal: 89,840lbs
Pallets: 4,520
Paper: 678lbs
Plastic: 2,027
Toner: 797