HEALTH & SAF E T Y
So, you can begin to see how using FMEA leads users to start thinking about design solutions to reduce risk and relying less on standard operating procedures, controls and training.
Summary This article shows how hospitals can improve their duty of care relating to injuries sustained in day-to-day activities by preventing the risk
of exposure by design. To do this, a full review of an end-to-end process is required. From this, tools like FMEA ensure that equipment design can be optimally used to ensure ‘no fault forward’ occurs.
The benefits of this approach is that staff become better protected by the use of appropriate technology and design practices rather than relying on the training, skills and standard operating procedures.
Injuries can be avoided and FMEA provides a great opportunity to try and prevent the risk occurring in the first place. This can be done by design where a solution is developed that directly addresses the risk. In the second recommendation, using a no-spill design such as the NeedleDock ND5 shown in Fig 6 and 7, can directly address the risk and bring the risk priority number under control. A no-spill design ensures a ‘no fault forward approach’. A designed solution would help to protect the ancillary workers and non-clinical occupations from injury from a device that does not spill. This reduces the physical and psychological wellbeing of someone who has suffered such an injury, helps the hospital to avoid negative publicity for not being in control of the processes for managing risk and avoids costly litigation.
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Figure 4
This specific example, using needle stick injuries, is just one area where a hospital can improve its duty of care to patients, its workforce and the workforce of its suppliers and subcontracted partners. Injuries are preventable, but it requires the right approaches to do this. Using tools like FMEA can ensure strong design-based solutions are implemented and staff and patients are protected at all times. Litigation and compensation pay outs are increasing and it would be a proactive step to invest in equipment design to prevent the injury happening in the first place.
CSJ
About the author Figure 5
Chris Stanton is the founder of NeedleDock, a sharps disposal system that uses positive segregation to help protect staff, reduce waste and cut costs. Chris has led product development teams for large multi-national companies, such as General Electric and Philips, and has been successful in introducing many new innovative products to market. Chris is using his experience, gained across a broad range of industries, to deliver reliable solutions to unmet needs within the healthcare sector.
Figure 6 Figure 7 52 l
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM MARCH 2021
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