Fire Safety and Hazard Communication
Training
11/08/2005
Fire Safety
Fires can spread very quickly and can consume
an average size room in less than 5 minutes.
 If working in the hospital, many areas have
patients who cannot evacuate on their own.
Because of this, the hospital is designed to
protect these patients with fire rated walls and
doors called compartments.
 Also key to protecting the lives of patients, staff,
and visitors is fire response.

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Response to FIRE/SMOKE
Remove anyone in immediate danger
Close the door
PULL THE ALARM (found along your
exit route)
Call the emergency number for your
campus to give location of fire:
1.
2.
3.
4.
•
•
•
Call 5-4444 for the East Baltimore Campus.
Call 0-0222 for the Bayview Campus
All other buildings call 9-1-1.
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How are you to respond to a fire
alarm in your area?
Healthcare Occupancy :
Defend in place. Close doors, clear hallways, and place
all patients and visitors in their rooms. Only evacuate
patients on orders from the Baltimore City Fire
Department, Safety Department, and the Security Shift
Supervisor.
Business Occupancy:
Evacuate patients, visitors, and employees to a
connecting building if possible. If you work in a standalone building, evacuate to the outside at least 50 feet
from the building.
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Is your area
healthcare or business occupancy?
If you are unclear if the floor you are
working on is a healthcare or business
occupancy, check out HSE policy #408 at
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/Policies/HSE_Polici
es/indiv_sections/hse408.pdf
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Where is your closest
fire alarm pullstation?
Fire alarm pull stations will ALWAYS be
found along your exit route.
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Fire Extinguishers
 DO
NOT attempt to use
fire extinguishers, even
for small fires, unless
you have been formally
trained on an annual
basis by your employer.
This annual training
includes hands on
training.
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Elevators
 Do
not use
elevators in
buildings that
are in alarm.
 Use the stairs or
exit to a
connecting
building.
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Smoking Policy
Smoking by staff
members, visitors and
patients
is permitted only in
designated areas.
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What should you do in the
meantime?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Keep all egresses clear including stairwells.
Do not block fire equipment such as pull stations, fire
extinguishers, and fire hose connections.
Do not block open self-closing smoke/fire doors.
Keep all required flammable liquids in a flammables
cabinet.
Smoke only in designated areas.
Make Sure All Your Exit Lights Are Lit
Check Stairwell Doors To Make Sure They Latch
Know Your Egress Routes
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JHH Emergency Management
Code Red—fire
Code Orange—bomb threat
Code Yellow Bio—bioterrorism
Code Yellow Chemical—chemical
Code Yellow Radiation—radiation
Code Yellow ED—patient influx of up to 10 patients
from a single event
Code Yellow Hospital—patient influx of more than
10 patients from a single event
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Hazard Communication Program
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Also called OSHA’s “Employee Right-to Know” law.
States every employee has a right and the responsibility
to know every hazard associated with each chemical
they work with.
The primary objective is for you to know how and where
to find specific hazard information.
This is communicated in two ways—Material Safety Data
Sheets (MSDSs) and labels.
The written program is HSE policy #701 and can be
found at
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/Policies/HSE_Polici
es/indiv_sections/hse701.pdf
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Hazard Communication Program
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)—documents
that contain all pertinent information about a
chemical. All MSDSs for JHI are kept at the
Health, Safety, and Environment Office.
 Contact your supervisor to make your request
for an MSDS.
 You have a right to access the information within
1 day and to obtain a copy of the document
within 5 days.

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Hazard Communication Program
Labels—every container needs to have a label that is
written correctly and clearly.
 The labeling is the responsibility of the user.
 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)—MSDSs and labels
explain which type of PPE should be worn when handling
that particular chemical.
 PPE shall not be worn outside of the lab or work area.
 You have the right to refuse to work with specific
materials until hazards are communicated and safety
training obtained by your department.

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Chemical Spills
Chemicals Spills should be cleaned up
by the users according to the
label/MSDS instructions. If the spill is
of such a magnitude that the users are
unable to contain it, call the Centrex
emergency number, 5-4444, for
assistance.
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Bloodborne Pathogens
Annual Training
Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Introduction
Annual refresher training for Bloodborne Pathogens
is mandated according to the OSHA regulation
1910.1030 and JHMI Exposure Control Programpolicy #HSE 501. This policy can be found on HSE
website at www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/
 You need this training because at some point in your
job you may be exposed to blood and/or body fluids.
Specific job codes of employees enrolled in the BBP
are outlined in the Exposure Control Program.
 Training will consist of: different types of blood
diseases, routes of exposure, what to do if you are
exposed, how to clean up spills, and prevention.

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Bloodborne Pathogens
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms
such as viruses and bacteria that are
carried in blood, other potentially
infectious materials (OPIM) and unfixed
tissue that can cause disease in humans.
 The three most common bloodborne
diseases are HIV, HBV, and HCV although
the list of diseases are not limited to these
three.

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Examples of Other Potentially
Infectious Materials
Semen
Vaginal secretions
 Cerebrospinal fluid (colorless liquid that surrounds the
brain and spinal cord).
 Synovial fluid (fluid that lubricates and cushions the
joint).
 Pleural fluid (fluid between the pleural membranes of
the lung and the inner chest wall).
 Peritoneal fluid (fluid in the gastrointestinal organs).
 Amniotic fluid (fluid which surrounds the fetus).
 Saliva (in dental procedures).
 Any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood.

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Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Small but real hazard. Attacks the T4 cells which
defend the body against infection. There is no
vaccine or cure, however, an exposed person can be
placed on Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP),
preferably within 1-2 hours of the exposure. This
drug can decrease the chances of developing HIV up
to 79%.

Symptoms include depression, diarrhea, thrush (bad
taste and white coating in mouth), weightloss,
fatigue, nausea and vomiting.
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Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
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Main target organ is the liver which is needed to
remove poisons that build up in the blood.
Currently 1.25 million in the U.S. are affected.
Can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term).
There is a vaccine.
Some people will experience no symptoms.
Others will experience flu-like illness including jaundice,
dark urine, extreme fatigue, anorexia, nausea,
abdominal pain, and sometimes joint pain, rash, and
fever.
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Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
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Main target organ is the liver which is needed to
remove poisons that build up in the blood.
There is no vaccine.
Currently 4 million in the U.S. are affected.
Can be either acute (short-term) or chronic (longterm).
Not everybody with hepatitis C has symptoms.
People who do have symptoms feel like they have
the flu. This can include: feeling tired, feeling sick to
your stomach, fever, poor appetite, stomach pain,
diarrhea, muscle and joint pains, dark yellow
urine,yellowish eyes and skin .
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Routes of Exposure
Parenteral—through the skin via punctures
and open wounds.
 Mucous membranes-splash to the eyes,
nose, and/or mouth.
 Sexually
 Prenatal
 But not through casual contact!!!

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Prevention
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Standard Precautions: consider all patients and body
fluids/blood to be infectious.
Dispose of all materials with blood/body fluids into red bags
and sharps into sharps containers prior to disposal in red
bags.
Wear Personal Protective Equipment!! Gloves and eye/face
protection (safety glasses, goggles, face shields).
Use safety devices that have been trialed by employees and
approved through JHMI’s Protective Devices Committee. A list
of protective devices can be found at
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/hse/notices/Protective_Devic
es_Table.pdf
Hand washing is still the most effective means to prevent
transmission.
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Prevention
The Hepatitis B vaccine is offered free of charge to all
Hopkins employees at Occupational Health.
 The vaccine is not required, but it is strongly
recommended.
 The Hepatitis B vaccine only protects employees from
Hepatitis B. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.
 If you decline the vaccine when you are first hired, you
can still receive the series of shots anytime during your
employment thereafter.
 Contact Occupational Health, 98 North Broadway, at
410-955-6211 or Occupational Health at Wyman Park at
410-516-0450 if you have any questions or to make an
appointment.

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Limitations of Engineering Controls
Gloves—are not puncture resistant.
 Safety sharps—only work if the user
activates the safety mechanism.
 Sharps Containers—can malfunction if
employees dispose of items other than
sharps in the container such as paper
wrappers, gauze, and tape. User must lift
the lid to assure disposal of sharp.

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Post-Exposure Management
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Wash the exposed site
CALL 5-STIX on the East
Baltimore campus. Homewood
campus call Occupational
Health (6-0450) during office
hours and Security (6-7777)
during off-hours. Employees
on the Bayview campus can
either call 5-STIX or Bayview
Employee Health at 0-0477
(for BBP exposures only).
If recommended, initiate
Post-Exposure Prophylaxis
(PEP) within 1 - 2 hours after
exposure for optimum efficacy
Inform supervisor, complete an
incident report, and report to
the injury clinic for your
campus.
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How to clean up spills
Wear gloves and eye/face protection.
 Wipe up the spill with disposable towels
and discard in red bag.
 Pour bleach/water solution or other
approved disinfectant over the spill area
and let sit for 10 minutes
 Wipe up the bleach with disposable towels
and discard in red bag.

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Do you have questions or
comments?
Contact During Office Hours:
Health, Safety, and Environment
2024 East Monument Street
Suite B-200
410-955-5918
OR
Call the 5-STIX line after hours
11/08/2005