What happened in 1911 to create the start of OSHA?

by Rickky | Feb 21, 2020 | Biohazard Cleanup

What happened in 1911
to create the start of OSHA?

The OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is an agency of the United States Department of Labor and its mission is simple, “To assure safe and healthy working conditions for men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance”

 

The OSHA, which was established with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, carries out workplace inspections and has various training, compliance assistance, and health and safety recognition programs that are all designed to keep you safe in the workplace.

Yet for all they do today, it actually took a workplace tragedy over 100 years ago to bring about the change required and for the OSHA to be formed.

 

Triangle Waist Company factory

On March 25^th, 1911, fires ravaged the 8^th, 9^th and 10^th floors of the Asch building, home of the Triangle Waist Company factory, in New York City’s garment district.

The young women inside the factory, most of whom were immigrant Jewish and Italian women in their early 20’s, although some were as young as 14 and none were older than 39, were trapped behind locked doors with little to no way to escape.

 

The building only had one fire escape, which promptly collapsed during the attempts to rescue the workers, and with the fire escape broken and the tight and cramped factory blocked with tables, machines and other pieces of equipment, many workers did not make it out to safety.

 

We now know that that management had locked the doors to prevent theft but with so many people struggling to escape the fire, panicking as they did so, only to be met with doors that opened the wrong way and minimal buckets of water to actually fight the fire, the loss of life was inevitable.

 

When the fire service arrived they were also ill-equipped as their ladders didn’t reach the top floors of the building and the safety nets were just as ineffective, ripping like paper on impact.

The fire, which had been made worse by a number of preventable problems, ultimately resulted in 146 workers losing their lives that day.

 

The aftermath and the seeds of change

Following the tragedy, the families of the workers that lost their lives in the fire were distraught at what had happened to their loved ones and the manner of their deaths and soon this anger and pain turned to public outcry as more and more details about the cause of the fire and the terrible working conditions the deceased had endured were released.

As the fire had unfolded people had begun to gather in the streets and had witnessed this travesty first hand, one of those people, Frances Perkins, would later become secretary of Labor under President Roosevelt and she was so horrified by what she saw, stating there and then that something must be done.

 

Other powerful leaders that also had direct experience with the events of that day would also come together to bring about new workplace standards, passing them into law in the state of New York and becoming trailblazers for the rest of the country which would ultimately follow suit.

 

From tragedy to change

Change doesn’t occur overnight, however, following the Triangle Waist fire, a movement was happening to bring about change, first in New York and then on a national scale.

 

Actions were taken to prevent such horrors happening again and these would also act as the moral guidance to bring about change in wage and hour laws and certain other labor protections that would protect workers and their wellbeing.

 

Frances Perkins, who had witnessed the tragedy first hand, was selected by President Roosevelt to be the new Secretary of Labor in 1933 and as she had an extensive background in occupational safety and health with the state of New York, she soon began making changes.

She wanted to make sure that the workplace was “as safe as science and law can make them” and by 1934 she had created the Bureau of Labor Standards.

 

Unfortunately, it would take time and there would be other tragedies along the way, such as the Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire which resulted in major changes to fire codes and laws and the Farmington mining explosion which brought about the Coal Mine Safety and Health Act but so many of these seeds were sown in New York City in 1911 and they would continue to grow.

Almost 60 years later in 1970, after the passing and progression of numerous laws and acts, those seeds would bear fruit as the Occupational Safety and Health Act was enacted, creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

 

The responsibility of the Bureau of Labor Standards would pass to the newly created OSHA and soon permanent regulatory standards would be rolled out as real change started to take place.

 

There is still work to do and in an ever-changing working world there are new challenges to face, but so much of the OSHA as it is currently formed can trace its roots back to the tragic events of 1911 and a fire which would go on to impact policy and law over 100 years later.

 

Trauma Scene Cleaners

values OSHA training for our technicians

 

We provide intense training for all our employees from managers to technicians. We stay compliant with the OSHA standard for bloodborne pathogens BBP, 29 CFR 1910.1030 and we supply all proper PPE. Trauma Scene Cleaners is licensed to transport medical waste from the scenes we clean. Call us today for more details.

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Who Do You Call When Someone Dies in Their Sleep?

by Rickky | Jan 15, 2019 | Biohazard Cleanup

When someone dies in their sleep, it can either be expected or unexpected. Either way, it’s a sad event that leaves the friends and relatives of the deceased in pain after losing a loved one. So, who do you call when someone dies in their sleep? This article will go over what you’ll need to do if you’re in this situation.

Who Do You Call?

First things first, you’ll have two choices. For instance, if the deceased was under hospice care, call the hospice, and they’ll know who to call and what to do. The hospice will arrange for a person with the appropriate authority to come, pronounce the person as dead, and help to facilitate transportation of the body.

In the event that the deceased was not under the care of a hospice, then get ready to call 911. To do that, you’ll need to be ready with some information:

• If the deceased has an Out-of-Hospital DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order or MOLST (Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) form,  you’ll need to find it and have it on hand. If you don’t have either form, EMTs will arrive at the premises and attempt to resuscitate the body as long as it’s warm, regardless of whether or not the person is breathing or has a pulse.
• Presenting the DNR to the EMTs upon arrival ascertains that the person has died and will contact the funeral home.
• You’ll also need to have the name of the deceased person’s physician, as well as the cremation service or funeral home to be called. If you don’t know which cremation service or funeral home to use, the deceased body will be transported to the morgue and later picked by the funeral home once you’ve chosen one.
• Even if you were present when an expected death occurred, be ready to answer questions from law enforcement as the death will be treated as “unattended,” unless a physician was present or hospice was involved. The sheriff’s deputies or police will come to investigate the death.

If the death for some reason left some sort of residues or blood, crime scene cleanup pros at Trauma Scene can handle the burden of removing such traces from a home.

How Long Can You Stay with The Body After Death?

That depends on where the death happens. If the death occurs at home, for example, you don’t have to rush to move the body immediately. This is especially important if you would like to spend a little more time with the deceased or if relatives or friends prefer to say goodbye before the body of the deceased is transported to the morgue. You may consider seeking advice on temporary after-death care from a funeral director or hospice worker.

If the death seems likely to occur in a facility such as a nursing home or hospital, it’s critical to discuss any important religious or ethnic customs or rituals with the facility early on, if possible. The idea is to give them time to plan so you can have appropriate time with the body after death.

Bottom Line

Who do you call when someone dies in their sleep? You can either contact the hospice that the deceased passed away in or contact 911. Now that you know who to call when someone dies in their sleep, it’s crucial to preplan for such untimely and unexpected events. Even with preplanning, losing a loved one can be distressing, but planning ahead keeps a sad event from becoming even more painful.

How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags

by Rickky | Dec 6, 2018 | Biohazard Cleanup

Biohazard medical bags are designed for medical waste. However, it is important for users to know which things they should put in red bags, and what should go in the trash. These bags can be used to dispose of liquid or solid medical waste contaminated with blood or any other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Here we will discuss how to dispose of biohazard waste bags, and what you should place in the bags.

What are Other Potentially Infectious Materials?

Typically, human bodily fluids will be placed in a biohazard waste bag. It can be human body fluids such as vaginal secretions, semen, synovial fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, pericardial fluid, pleural fluid, and amniotic fluid. Saliva that has blood in it (or any bodily fluid that looks visible contaminated with your blood) will also be placed in the bag. Any unfixed human organ or tissue from a human will also come in this category. Are you still confused? Do you want more clarification for the proper usage?  To help out, followings are the details.

How to Dispose of Biohazard Waste Bags

•  You should dispose of biohazardous wastes in the red bags.  These bags are designed to contain only biohazardous waste
•   If you are placing any sharps in the waste bag, place it in a      sharps container first, so the sharps don’t puncture the biohazard waste bag.
• You should check the reliability and construction of the red bag before lining in your medical waste bin.
• Separate and level the materials before putting them in the red bag
• You should always seal the red bag after removing it from your waste bin
• Use protective equipment such as the apron, gloves, eye protection, and face mask while handling those red bags

What You Should Avoid Putting in the Red Bag?

The red bags are specifically designed for biohazardous waste and OPIM. Do not places any of the items below in a biohazard waste bag:

•    Chemicals: including corrosives, formaldehyde, solvents, waste oils, alcohols, and anything similar.
•    Materials containing lead
•    Radioactive waste
•    Human remains including torsos, fetal remains, and cadavers
•    Pharmaceutical Waste
•    Hazardous waste including batteries light bulbs, and heavy metals
•    Chemotherapy waste
•    Compressed gas cylinders, aerosol cans, and inhalers
•    Uncontaminated solid waste including beverage containers and food wrappers
•    Empty intravenous tubing without any visible blood present
•    Sphygmomanometers, glass thermometers, and any other device that contains mercury
•    Mercury-containing dental wastes including contact and non-contact amalgam products, vacuum pump filters, amalgam sludge, chairside traps, empty amalgam capsules, and extracted teeth with mercury filling

In Conclusion

Now you might have an idea on how to dispose of biohazard waste bags.  With right usage, you will have to focus on the right disposal of red bags as well. Biohazard waste bags should be disposed of properly, and not like typical waste. You should contact licensed medical waste contractors for proper disposal. If you are looking to dispose of biohazard properly, or how to dispose of body fluids specifically, Trauma Scene has trained professionals to take care of all of your waste and clean-up needs.

How to Dispose of Blood and Body Fluids

by Rickky | Nov 19, 2018 | Biohazard Cleanup

All Body fluids are potential carriers of pathogens and other organisms that can transmit infections. Body fluids refers to a variety of things including blood, urine, drainage from cuts, vomit, feces, nasal discharge, semen, and saliva. There is a risk of infection by coming in contact with these body fluids. The risk is higher if the fluids come into contact with a break in the skin or through penetrable contact such as with a needle. The body fluids can also cause an environmental bio-hazard if not disposed of properly. For that reason, care must be taken when handling and disposing of blood and body fluids. Below you will find out how to dispose of blood and body fluids.

How to Dispose of Blood and Body Fluids

Herein are the standard procedures for disposing of blood and body fluids

1. Wear Protective Gloves When Disposing of Body Fluids

Gloves are a must have for all persons that handle blood and body fluids. Gloves are a requirement in tasks such as cleaning blood spills and or other body fluid spills, emptying trash cans, handling contaminated sharp objects, and cleaning contaminated equipment and clothing. Gloves are also necessary when cleaning wounds, caring for bloody noses, changing diapers and cleaning up vomits.

2. Face Protection

You are required to approach all body fluids as potentially infected with HIV, Hepatitis B, and other infections. For that reason, you need maximum face protection when disposing of blood and body fluids. Full body protection is especially necessary for the event of splashes, sprays, and spatter when cleaning contaminated rooms.

3. Flush Body Fluids Down the Toilet

Urine and feces should be flushed down the toilet. You can also dispose of blood by flushing down the toilet.Collect medical waste into a plastic bag, seal it and then store in a sealed rubbish bin before transportation to the disposal site. Dressings and other contaminated items should also be put in a plastic bag, sealed and stored in a sealed rubbish bin, before being transported to the disposal site.

4. Rinse and Wash Clothes and Linen in Hot Water

For items such as bed linens or clothes that have come in contact with blood and body fluids, first, rinse them with cold water in a sink before washing with hot water in washing machine. Ensure to separate contaminated clothes; wash them separately from other clothes and linens.

5. Put Contaminated Sharp Objects Into Puncture-resistant Containers

Needles, syringes, and broken glass, plus other contaminated sharp objects must be handled with puncture-proof gloves. Collect these items into a closed puncture-proof container and seal it before disposing of them. You should always have a sharps disposal box somewhere close.

6. Wash Contaminated Surfaces

Any floor or furniture surfaces that have come in contact with blood and body fluids need thorough cleaning with soap and water, and then with a medically approved disinfectant. Items that qualify for cleaning include floors, counters, changing tables, mats and medical equipment.

If in the course of blood and body fluids disposal you are exposed to infectious materials through an open wound or a cut in the skin, thorough washing, with antibacterial soap and running water, is recommended.

How to dispose of blood and body fluids? By wearing gloves and sometimes facial and body masks. Contaminated items need to be washed thoroughly, or stored in sealed bags and containers before transportation to the damp site. Contact Trauma Center for assistance with the cleaning of crime scenes, trauma scenes, and disposal of bio-hazard wastes.

What are the Four Categories of Death?

by Rickky | Oct 30, 2018 | Biohazard Cleanup

Do you know what are the four categories of death? In death investigations, a forensic pathologist will often perform an autopsy. During this process, the expert will study the effect of injury, medical treatments, and diseases on the human body, then make the conclusion on the manner of death in the court. Here are some basic facts about each category of death.

What are the Four Categories of Death?

1. Natural Death

A natural death is typically the end result of a disease or an internal malfunction due to old age. This is particularly true when elderly people have different illnesses and conditions, but none of them together or alone might clearly result in death, and it isn’t certain which condition causes death.
For instance, a person who dies from complications from a heart attack, a sudden heart failure, or influenza should be considered as having a natural death. Most health departments don’t encourage listing old age as a cause of death as it doesn’t benefit medical research or public health.

2. Homicide

When a person kills another, it is known as a homicide. This type of death often requires a volitional act and might result from negligent, reckless, or accidental activities.
In general, homicides can be categorized into many legal types, such as manslaughter, murder, justifiable homicide, euthanasia, capital punishment, killing in war, depending on the cases of the death and the intent or state of mind of the criminal. These acts of killing can be treated very differently in different countries. While some cases are considered crimes, others can be required by the legal system.

3. Suicide Death

Suicide is basically the act of causing one’s own death on intention. There are many risk factors for this issue such as substance abuse, personality disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or depression. Those people who have previously tried suicide are often at higher risks for other attempts in the future.
The most effective ways of preventing suicide are to improve economic conditions, report suicide cases properly in the media, treat substance misuse and mental disorders, and limit access to suicide methods like poisons, drugs, and firearms. The most common suicide method can vary between different countries.