By Duane Hammond and Kenneth R. Mead, MS, PE

IN 2004, NIOSH PUBLISHED AN ALERT TITLED “PREVENTING OCCUPATIONAL Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings,” with the purpose of increasing awareness of the health risks posed by working with hazardous drugs, and of providing employers and health care workers with preliminary recommendations to reduce the potential for occupational exposures. The need for an alert developed following an increase in published data documenting workplace contamination and/or health effects to workers who were exposed to hazardous drugs. The published data reveals evidence of health effects such as skin rashes, developmental and reproductive effects (including infertility, spontaneous abortions, and congenital malformations), and possibly cancer. Furthermore, the published studies provide evidence that workers are being exposed to hazardous drugs and are experiencing serious health effects despite current work-practice guidelines. The recommendations section in the alert provides information on how to reduce worker exposures, beginning when hazardous drugs enter a health care facility, through preparation, administration, and postadministration.  The alert highlights the importance of using ventilated cabinets, such as biological safety cabinets (BSCs) and barrier isolators,designed to protect workers from exposure to hazardous drugs in health care facilities.

CLICK HERE to download a PDF of this article (Adobe Acrobat 6.0+ is required)