Online Continuing Education: May 2012

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

AMA Wants ICD-10 Deferred by Two Years, Texas Docs Want ICD-10 Junked

Nope, make it a two-year delay "at a minimum"—so urged the American Medical Association (AMA) the federal government on its plan to move the compliance date of ICD-10 by one year, to Oct. 1, 2013. The urging came hot on the heels of the statement of the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) in a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) secretary Kathleen Sebelius, saying HHS’s proposed one-year deferment of the ICD-10 compliance date was the perfect “middle ground.” The transition to the new coding system of ICD-10 impacts medical facilities...

OSHA Cites Cleveland Contractor for Parking Garage Collapse, Cites Cabinetry Company for Serious Violations

Despite OSHA training such as OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 training now being required by contractors, many workers are still exposed to unnecessary worksite hazards because of employer negligence, ignorance, or plain disregard of basic safety protocols. Such was the case of some workers in Cleveland, Ohio and in St. Hedwig, Texas. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that Cleveland Cement Contractors Inc. had committed six serious safety violations, including noncompliance with design and construction standards, after the worksite-safety...

Legislating Against Carcinogenic Indoor Tanning

Hold that tan! Amidst recent findings by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of the health hazards of tanning and the public backlash from the child-endangerment case of a New Jersey mother who allegedly took her 5-year-old daughter to a tanning booth, indoor tanning has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons. According to the CDC, the incidence rates of melanoma (a particularly dangerous form of malignant skin tumor) are rising and are particularly high among young white women. The CDC has warned the public that indoor tanning before age 35 causes the risk for melanoma to spike by...

CHIME, AHIMA Clash on ICD-10 Compliance Delay

Since the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) officially proposed a one-year push-back of the compliance date of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10), various stakeholders have filed their comments at the invitation of the HHS. Among the most significant opinions lodged had come from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). CHIME, in a letter sent to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) secretary Kathleen Sebelius, reiterated its...

Tanning Warnings Being Ignored, but Some Salons Joining Cancer-Awareness Campaign

Warnings that indoor tanning significantly elevates the risk of skin cancer—particularly, melanoma—are being ignored, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which recently released the findings of a survey on the use of tanning beds, booths or sun lamps.Professional cosmetologists—such as those who have, for instance, a Kentucky Cosme CE—are apprised of the health issues associated with certain substances, tools, and procedures, including tanning, in cosmetology class. Unfortunately, tanning warnings are being ignored. The survey found that among young (ages 18 to...

Chlorine Downs Restaurant Workers in W.Va., Workers Overexposed to Lead in Ohio Plant

Nine workers were sickened recently after being exposed to chlorine gas, which resulted from the inadvertent mixture of certain chemicals in a restaurant in South Charleston, W.Va. The workers had to be taken to hospital for treatment.Although OSHA training qualifications such as OSHACampus.com 10 training and OSHA 30 training now required for employment in many places, a lot of workers are still exposed to unnecessary worksite hazards because of employer negligence, ignorance, or simple disregard of basic safety protocols. The federal government’s worksite-safety watchdog Occupational Safety...

Computer-Assisted Coding Tools Make ICD-10 Easier

Facing an avalanche of new diagnostic codes in the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10, the medical-coding community is increasingly looking to computer-assisted coding (CAC) tools to automatically generate medical codes for billing from clinical documentation in EHRs and transcription systems.For medical facilities and practices, as well as for providers of online medical coding training courses, the delay in the implementation of ICD-10 gives additional time to transition to the new code set and to acquire tools such as CACs. Research firm KLAS reported recently that almost 50 percent of healthcare...

OSHA Penalizes N.E. Company for Facility Fire, and S.D. Company for Worker Death

OSHA has levied a total proposed penalty of $147,000 on New England Wood Pellet LLC for workplace violations that endangered the safety and lives of its workers, following a fire at its plant last year.Although OSHACampus 10 hr training and OSHACampus 30 hr training (both online training) are now pre-employment requirements, many workers are still exposed to unnecessary worksite hazards because of employer negligence, ignorance, or plain disregard of applicable safety protocols.An investigation by OSHA discovered many fire and explosion hazards caused by missing protective devices in the transport...

U.S. Legislation on Cosmetic Safety Introduced, EU Proposals for Salon Workers Met with Incredulity

An important step has been made toward a modern, more transparent regulatory oversight of cosmetics and personal-care products with the Cosmetic Safety Amendments Act of 2012 (H.R. 4395) introduced in Congress by Representative Leonard Lance. “Everyone agrees that we need to update the regulation of personal-care products,” noted Representative Lance. “This bill will continue to advance consumer safety and provide a regulatory framework that furthers growth and innovation for American cosmetics manufacturers and small businesses.”The development, close on the heels of news of toxic chemicals...

Ordinance to License Salons in Brookfield, Connecticut; Phthalates Found in Cosmetics

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Should you consider online environmental training?

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OSHA Cites 2 Contractor Companies for Different Work Safety Violations

OSHA has cited American Building LLC, a steel-erection contractor, for work-safety violations that resulted in the accidental fall and death of one of its workers at a construction site in Stamford, Cincinnati. The fatal accident happened last Oct. 25, 2011 during the installation of metal roofing onto a prefab building. The victim fell 35 feet to the ground. OSHA courses, such as OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 course (both online OSHA training), are now required by many employers; they provide excellent orientation on the essential protocols to follow to steer workers out of harm’s way.OSHA’s...

OSHA Cites American Biltrite for Worker Fatality

OSHA has cited Massachusetts-based American Biltrite Inc. for work-safety and health violations that have resulted in the death of one of its employees. The victim, according to a subsequent OSHA investigation, was crushed in a coating machine while trying to fix a jammed equipment. OSHA pointed to the company’s failure to use "lockout/tagout" procedures before letting the worker work within the machine's danger area as the violation that led to the victim’s death. OSHA proposed penalties totaling $51,300. Although OSHA 10 hour training and OSHA 30 course (both online OSHA training)...

Online Wastewater/Stormwater Training