How a "total disposable" program was started and made to work.

The cost for reusable and disposable syringes was studied in Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, a university hospital in the northern part of Thailand. The cost for operating reusable syringes includes that for cleaning and sterilization. This consists of labour, replacement for defective syringes, tap water, electricity, depreciation of instruments. The cost for disposable items was calculated from the number of syringes used multiplied by the price of the individual size. Results showed that 34,598 syringes were used monthly from August to October 1989. The cost for reusable syringes was 84,714 baht in comparison with 81,874 baht for disposable items. The latter was cheaper by 2,840 baht per month. It is concluded that disposable syringes are cheaper, at least in this university hospital.

Central Supply, Hospital↗

PubMed1992

A participatory workplace health and safety training program for ethylene oxide.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has regulated ethylene oxide (EtO) on the basis of its acute toxicity and its potential carcinogenic and reproductive effects since 1971. OSHA's 1984 EtO standard and its 1988 revisions focused new attention on health and safety training and other preventive measures. An EtO health and safety training program for hospital sterilization workers was developed by the staff of an independent occupational and environmental health clinic. Participatory and empowerment training methods were central to the approach. Also included were hands-on, demonstration, interactive presentation, and other methods. An EtO Health and Safety Training Manual was developed based on the training experiences. This paper presents the challenges, benefits, and limitations of incorporating participatory and empowerment approaches in the design, implementation, and evaluation of EtO health and safety training.

Central Supply, Hospital↗