Healthcare Safety Toolkit Library

The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) provides quick tips on how to prevent surgical fires in the OR. The information can be posted in highly visible areas of the surgical suite.

This 2019 article from the peer-reviewed publication Anesthesiology provides information on the three ingredients for fire, their sources in the surgical suite and expert-recommended training on rapid extinguishment of a fire.

Each surgical area should have designated team members with defined responsibilities to fulfill if a fire occurs. This resource by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) provides a detailed list of defined responsibilities, making it easier to designate each role.

Using lasers safely in the surgical area is vital for patient and staff member safety. This sample laser safety policy was created by Duke University Medical Center.

The Association of Surgical Technologists (AST) presents a guide on laser safety best practices.

Active shooter planning in the healthcare arena is an important part of the emergency operations plan. This resource provides tools to incorporate active shooter incident planning as a preventative measure of the emergency operations plan.

It is essential to understand a security program. These resources help build and sustain a security program in healthcare. Sources delve further into risk considerations of law enforcement's presence in the emergency room and guidance to infant abductions.

Although it is healthcare's goal to maintain a safe environment at all times, violence remains a significant concern today. It is vital to implement processes to prevent workplace violence. Security practices can include an array of methods. The following documents provide best practices and alternative approaches that may be applied when handling violent encounters.

Reducing the risk of encountering an active shooter situation is important to any business, especially healthcare. These resources provide tools on how to plan what to do in the event of an active shooter/violent situation.

Acitve shooter events are increasing more and more across the U.S. and the experts have developed tools to help the lay person identify a potential active shooter as a risk reduction strategy.