Welcome to Mahaska Health Partnership

Safety

Policy:
It is the policy of Mahaska Health Partnership that

Tornado:

1. During sever thunderstorms or tornado, staff will follow tornado plan. (see tornado plan)

2. If staff is at a client's home, seek shelter in an appropriate location free of potential flying debris or glass and wait until storm has passed.

3. If traveling on the highway, seek shelter under a bridge culvert, ditch, or home if possible.

Fire:

1. During a fire, staff will follow fire plan. (see fire plan)

2. If staff is at a client's home, remove client, family, and self from danger of fire and call 911.

MSDS:

1. Home Care employees are permitted to use household chemicals purchased by the client.

2. Home Care employees receive hazardous communication training yearly, as well as training on the safe use of household chemicals/solutions during their preservice
training. Specific curriculum for HCA hazardous communication training is available in the homemaker office site.

Inclement Weather:

1. Staff will not travel on roads officially closed by local, county, or state police.

2. If travel is required, police officials, DOT, or county road crews will be requested to take employee to client's home.

3. When travel appears to be hazardous or unadvisable, consideration will be given to the recommendations of local, county, and/or state police. The department
director or her designee, and/or the hospital administrator will make the determination regarding the extent of travel and the extent of service to be delivered that day.

4. All snow and ice will be removed promptly from sidewalks surrounding the home care office during winter weather.

Equipment:

1. Office furniture and equipment will be used for intended use only.

2. All electrical cords should be used per safety recommendations and must be UL approved.

3. All appliances such as microwave, toaster, and other appliances used in the recommended fashion.

4. All departmental equipment not operating in accordance with its intent should be reported to the agency director and a work order for repair should be prepared
promptly and given to the maintenance dept.

5. Equipment used in client's homes and clinic setting will be used in the fashion recommended by the manufacturer and assessed by staff to be operating correctly via quality control checks, physical inspection, and/or annual
maintenance inspection.

6. Should equipment provided by a private vendor to a client in their home fail to operate as intended, the client will be instructed by agency staff to not use the
equipment and notify the vendor and request replacement and/or repair of equipment.

7. Mahaska Health Partnership Community Health will utilize vendors who are JCAHO accredited. Should the client select a vendor who is not JCAHO accredited; MHPCH will request that the selected vendor comply with JCAHO
standards with regards to environmental safety equipment management.

Communication:

1. Cellular phones will be used in the event of environmental disasters.

2. A phone tree for agency personnel will be implemented for communication in the event of adverse weather, environmental disasters, or major hospital
emergencies.

Staff:

1. All staff are responsible for their own work environment; desk drawers being closed for safety, electrical cords tacked down, ect.

2. All floors will be clear of clutter, and toys will be picked up at the end of immunizations clinics. Spills will be cleaned up promptly.

3. All personnel will follow the MSDS guidelines for cleaning solutions used within the offices.

4. Staff will not use unknown cleaning solutions from unmarked containers.

5. All staff of the home care department will adhere to the safety policies of Mahaska Health Partnership.

6. All staff will comply with the instructed use of safety and protective equipment as issued.

US Patent Numbers 7,720,998 B2, 7,836,207