[Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms

[Lee & Peggy Wenk]

Forgot to add:

4. Formaldehyde Monitoring:
Each OR room would have to have formaldehyde monitoring of all positions 
involved in the handling of the formalin. This can be time consuming and 
expensive, to have to do this for each OR (who says the ventilation flow is 
the same in each OR?). It would be easier to monitor if the formalin was in 
one (or a few) room(s) outside of the OR, with only a few people involved in 
pouring the formalin into the containers with the tissue. Or, if only fresh 
tissue was stored in a refrigerator outside the OR, then no monitoring of 
formaldehyde would need to be done in the OR area.

So in other words, there are not "rules" as to how much formalin can be in 
an OR, just like there are not "rules" as to how much formalin can be stored 
in a lab. There is the OSHA Formaldehyde Standard that must be followed 
(29CFR1910.1480). And there there are all kinds of complicated storage regs 
as to amount of formalin, size of room, ventilation rate through room, etc.

It would just be so much easier if NO formalin was allowed in the OR rooms.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)

-----Original Message----- 
From: Lee & Peggy Wenk
Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 7:44 AM
To: Candace J. Wagner ; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms

I think this is mostly a safety issue, and suggest NOT allowing any amount
of formalin in OR/surgery rooms.

1. Training:
Doesn't matter how much or how little formalin is in the room. If it is
being used in a room, then everyone using it MUST receive yearly training on
formaldehyde and on spill kits, according to OSHA. So anyone who picks up
the tissue and puts it in a container with formalin must be trained yearly -
every tech, every nurse, etc. That can be a LOT of people. Who is going to
do the training and the documentation?

2. Spill Kits:
If there is formalin in the OR rooms, there must be formaldehyde spill kits
in the room, or very, very close by the room. And everyone one working in
the OR must know where the kits are and how to use them (training). This not
practical inside each OR room (no space, sterilization, etc.), so there are
usually kits very near by each OR. That would usually mean having one kit
for every X number of OR's, with wall signs marking their locations. Are
there enough "nursing stations", cleaning rooms, spaces in hall, etc. to
position spill kits, to have enough kits available close by all the rooms?

3. Spill:
If there is a formalin spill in the OR - I don't even want to think about
evacuating everyone from the OR, including the patient who is opened up on
the table.

The better idea is to have one or a couple of locations (separate rooms)
where the formalin is stored, and then bring the tissue to those locations,
and place the tissue in the formalin at those locations. Then you have to
train just those people pouring the formalin on the tissues in those
locations, and it would be easier to store spill kits and contain the
spills.

Some hospitals don't allow formalin on the OR floor. They have refrigerators
in rooms near the OR, where the tissue is stored fresh after removed from
surgery. Then every hour or two, all the tissue is taken to the lab (either
the OR has runners, or the lab has runners). There is a documentation
issue - have to write down what tissue is dropped off in the refrigerators
and when, by whom, and then what tissue was picked up, when and by whom.
Tissue can easily be overlooked, and left in the refrigerator for a long
period of time.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)

-----Original Message----- 
From: Candace J. Wagner
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2014 1:50 PM
To: 'histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [Histonet] Formalin in operating (surgery) rooms

Hello all out in Histoland,
I had a surgery tech ask me if there was a specific amount of formalin
allowed in the surgery rooms.
I could not find anywhere any documentation on a specific amount.  We supply
our surgery dept. with the formalin they need, usually about 2 gallons in
each room now, but just wondering if anyone has any idea if there is such a
"specific" amount?? Thanks

-CJ-



----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this e-mail message and any
attachments
are intended solely for the addressee(s) and may contain confidential and/or
legally
privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient of this
message or if this
message has been addressed to you in error, please immediately alert the
sender by reply
e-mail and then delete this message and any attachments. If you are not the
intended
recipient, you are notified that any use, dissemination, distribution,
copying, or storage
of this message or any attachment is strictly prohibited.


_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet


_______________________________________________
Histonet mailing list
Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet