O C T O B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 2 7
F
luid waste
that spills
onto OR
floors is
annoying to
splash around in and a
pain to clean up. It's also
dangerous. A coworker of
mine once slipped on a wet
spot and broke his fall with
what turned out to be bro-
ken wrist. It was an unfor-
tunate accident, which
occurred when the only
available option to collect
fluid waste involved suck-
ing as much runoff as pos-
sible into open containers,
adding a solidifying agent
and lifting the containers
into red bag waste.
That method is the sim-
plest, but also the most dangerous, option for keeping OR floors dry.
Open containers expose you to sloshing fluid when adding the solidi-
fying agent and increase the risk of repetitive strain injuries every
time you bend down to pick up and move filled containers. Fluid
Bobby Underwood, BSN, RN, CNOR, CRNFA | Thornton, Colo.
Keep Fluid Off the Floor
A look at automated collection and
disposal options that will keep your staff safe.
• LOW FLOW Overflow in the OR increases exposure risks to potentially
infectious fluid waste and creates slipping hazards around the surgical table.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
