Healthcare Safety Toolkit Library

Violence in healthcare has escalated over the years and constitutes approximately 74% of workplace violence events reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics. It is imperative that organizational leaders develop plans to prevent violence and train staff to identify and de-escalate violent behaviors as well as respond appropriately when an event occurs. This toolkit contains many resources to help facilitate the development of comprehensive violence prevention programs within your organization.

Maternal health encompasses the health of the pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in women’s healthcare. Healthcare provider’s goals in maternal care are to reduce morbidity and mortality by providing safe, quality services to the mother and her baby. This objective can be accomplished by identifying risks, educating patients and following recommended guidelines of evidence-based practice. This toolkit supplies resources to benefit in the improvement of maternal health.

The final regulatory rules on emergency preparedness for ambulatory surgical centers. This is an excellent resource to ensure that an ambulatory surgery center’s current emergency preparedness plan meets the regulatory expectations.

The final regulatory rules on emergency preparedness for critical access hospitals. This is an excellent resource to ensure that the critical access organization’s current emergency preparedness plan meets the regulatory expectations.

This podcast features a 20-minute discussion with leaders in hospital Emergency Preparedness regarding the handling of Protected Health Information (PHI) during disaster situations. Tune in and listen to the latest information and be prepared to face emergencies while keeping the integrity of PHI intact.

The ESF-8 Portal was created by the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) as a resource featuring tools and applications that are utilized to gather Emergency Status information on facilities licensed by the department. This resource has step-by-step instructions on how to submit and utilize the ESF-8 portal for emergency preparedness purposes and during statewide or local emergencies.

Healthcare organizations are great role models of healthy environments in the community. Healthcare facilities are encouraged to become 100% tobacco-free to protect patients, staff and visitors from secondhand smoke. This resource provides tools to transition to a tobacco-free organization.

Wet floors pose a significant slip/trip/fall hazard in hospitals. While mopping floors is a key component of any infection prevention program, the wet floor that results can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. This tool is an excellent document to train new hires in the Environmental Services department as well as a quick reminder for existing staff.

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.

Healthcare organizations should take the possiblity of an active shooter event occuring in their facility very seriously. These resources provide key tactics on managing violent and disruptive behavior as a risk reduction process.

Active shooter training is vital for all staff in a healthcare organization as they are the eyes and ears of the facility. These resources help ensure staff are trained and prepared to address violent/aggressive behavior/situations.