Surgical inhalation anesthesia is essential to a successful, pain-free, surgical experience. As necessary as anesthesia gases are, they can pose a hazard to anesthesiologists, nursing staff and operating room personnel. Just as a syringe, which delivers life saving injections can be a danger if not handled properly, anesthesia gases and delivery systems can also be harmful to the health of those working in close proximity, if not regularly monitored for proper administration.  The Occupational Safety and Health Act, or “OSHA”, requires employers to provide an environment free of hazards.  Specifically, section 5(a)(1) of the general duty clause of OSHA, provides that employers may be fined if they “fail to prevent or abate a recognized hazard”.

 

Periodic air monitoring is the best way to ensure that your health care facility is free of anesthetic gas issues.  OSHA recommends that air sampling be conducted at least twice a year, to check both for leaks at the anesthetic locations and to ensure control measures are working effectively.
 

Three types of air samples are recommended in the health care workplace: personal, area, and source sampling. 
 

Personal sampling is critical to the safety of health care workers, as it measures trace anesthetic exposure to workers whose regular duties require them to be in close proximity to anesthetic gas. Personal sampling is performed by having exposed employees wear chemical badge indicators to read exposure levels.

Area sampling evaluates the overall level of contaminants in the work space and measures the spread of contaminants throughout the health care facility.  If the gases are above a certain level based on the personal or area sampling, additional tests will need to be performed to identify the source of the leak. 

Finally, source sampling detects malfunctions and leaks at the anesthesia delivery location and identifies improper ventilation at those locations.  OSHA requires that the maximum exposure limit of anesthetic gases be 25 parts per million (PPM) measured at a time weighted average, during simulated or actual anesthetic administration.

 

As Benjamin Franklin famously said in between flying his kite and signing The Declaration of Independence, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This could not be any more true than in the case of anesthetic gas testing (Trace Gas Testing) in health care facilities.  Simple testing which takes very little time and is relatively inexpensive, can protect the health and well-being of employees, as well as protect the facility from expensive fines and litigation. Discussing OSHA standards with supervisors and staff as well as keeping records of tests and any adverse events can also avoid problems. Further information about these standards can be found at the OSHA site, www.osha.gov.

Knowing the OSHA requirements can keep anesthetic exposure from being a major pain to you and your co-workers!

 

By:
 

Brian Benson

NITC 6005 Medical Gas Systems Specialist

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