Urgent Care Safety Manual

Urgent Care Workplace Hazards

Urgent care employees may encounter a wide variety of occupational hazards during routine and emergency patient care.

Common hazards may include:

• Blood and other potentially infectious materials
• Needlesticks and sharps injuries
• Respiratory and other infectious diseases
• Patient contact and bodily fluids
• Hazardous chemicals
• Disinfectants and cleaning products
• Medications and hazardous drugs
• X-ray and radiation exposure
• Medical equipment
• Oxygen and compressed gases
• Slips, trips, and falls
• Patient lifting and mobility assistance
• Ergonomic hazards
• Workplace violence
• Aggressive or impaired patients
• Emergency medical situations
• Electrical hazards
• Fire and evacuation hazards

The safety programs included in an urgent care facility’s manual should reflect its actual services and employee exposures.

Bloodborne Pathogens & Exposure Control

Employees who have occupational exposure to human blood or other potentially infectious materials should be protected through an appropriate Exposure Control Plan and applicable exposure-control procedures.

The program should address:

• Exposure determination
• Universal Precautions
• Engineering controls
• Work-practice controls
• Personal protective equipment
• Safer medical devices
• Needlestick prevention
• Sharps disposal
• Hepatitis B vaccination
• Employee training
• Exposure incident reporting
• Post-exposure evaluation and follow-up
• Recordkeeping

Employees should report needlesticks, cuts, splashes, and other occupational exposure incidents immediately.

Needlestick & Sharps Safety

Needles, lancets, scalpels, suture needles, broken medical devices, and other sharps can expose employees to bloodborne pathogens.

Urgent care facilities should establish procedures for:

• Selecting appropriate safer medical devices
• Activating safety features
• Avoiding unnecessary manipulation of sharps
• Proper sharps disposal
• Locating sharps containers near points of use
• Replacing containers before overfilling
• Reporting needlestick injuries
• Evaluating sharps-related incidents

Employees should never reach into sharps containers or attempt to retrieve discarded items.

Infection Prevention & Standard Precautions

Infection-prevention practices should be incorporated into patient care throughout the urgent care facility.

Standard Precautions should be applied based on anticipated exposure and may include:

• Hand hygiene
• Appropriate PPE
• Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
• Safe injection practices
• Sharps safety
• Environmental cleaning
• Proper handling of contaminated equipment
• Appropriate handling of laundry and waste

Employees should receive training appropriate to their responsibilities and potential occupational exposures.

Respiratory Infection Prevention

Urgent care centers frequently evaluate patients with influenza, COVID-19, tuberculosis, respiratory syncytial virus, and other respiratory illnesses.

Procedures may address:

• Recognition of potentially infectious patients
• Initial screening and triage
• Respiratory hygiene
• Patient masking when appropriate
• Separation from other patients when feasible
• Employee PPE
• Ventilation considerations
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Respiratory protection when required
• Employee exposure response

Potentially infectious patients should be identified as early as practical so appropriate precautions can be implemented.

Respiratory Protection

Some patient-care activities or infectious-disease exposures may require employees to use respirators.

When respirators are required, the respiratory protection program should address applicable requirements, including:

• Respirator selection
• Medical evaluations
• Fit testing
• Employee training
• Proper use
• Inspection
• Storage
• Program evaluation

Employees should understand the difference between respirators and other types of face coverings or medical masks used for different purposes.

Personal Protective Equipment

PPE should be selected according to anticipated employee exposure.

Depending on the task, PPE may include:

• Examination gloves
• Chemical-resistant gloves
• Protective gowns
• Laboratory coats
• Eye protection
• Face shields
• Medical masks
• Respirators
• Other task-specific protective equipment

Employees should understand when PPE is required and how to properly put on, remove, dispose of, or decontaminate it.

Hand Hygiene

Hand hygiene is a fundamental infection-prevention measure in urgent care facilities.

Employees should perform hand hygiene at appropriate times, including before and after patient contact and after removing gloves when indicated.

Facilities should provide appropriate handwashing facilities or hand-hygiene products in locations that support proper employee practices.

Safe Injection Practices

Employees who prepare or administer injections should follow safe injection procedures.

Practices should address:

• Aseptic technique
• Single-use needles and syringes
• Medication preparation
• Multidose vials
• Appropriate medication storage
• Sharps disposal
• Prevention of contamination

Medication preparation areas should be maintained to reduce the potential for contamination.

Specimen Collection & Handling

Urgent care facilities may collect blood, urine, respiratory specimens, cultures, and other diagnostic samples.

Employees should:

• Use appropriate PPE.
• Follow safe collection procedures.
• Use appropriate specimen containers.
• Prevent leakage and contamination.
• Label and transport specimens appropriately.
• Clean contaminated surfaces.
• Dispose of contaminated materials properly.

Point-of-Care Laboratory Testing

Urgent care facilities may perform rapid diagnostic testing, blood glucose testing, urinalysis, pregnancy testing, infectious-disease testing, and other point-of-care procedures.

Safety procedures should address:

• Employee training
• Biological exposure
• Chemical exposure
• Sharps
• Equipment operation
• Quality-control materials
• Specimen handling
• Cleaning and disinfection
• Waste disposal

Hazard Communication

Urgent care employees may use disinfectants, sterilants, laboratory chemicals, cleaning products, and other hazardous chemicals.

Hazard Communication procedures should address:

• Chemical inventories
• Container labeling
• Safety Data Sheets
• Employee training
• Chemical hazards
• Protective measures
• Spill response
• Non-routine tasks

Employees should know how to obtain information about the hazardous chemicals they use.

Cleaning, Disinfection & Environmental Safety

Patient-care areas, examination rooms, procedure areas, laboratory spaces, and frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected according to appropriate procedures.

Employees should be trained regarding:

• Product selection
• Required contact times
• Chemical hazards
• PPE
• Dilution when applicable
• Ventilation
• Blood and body-fluid cleanup
• Equipment compatibility
• Waste disposal

Cleaning chemicals should not be mixed unless specifically permitted by product instructions and company procedures.

Medical Waste

Urgent care facilities may generate sharps waste, blood-contaminated materials, specimen waste, and other regulated or medical waste.

Procedures should address:

• Waste identification
• Appropriate containers
• Container labeling
• Sharps disposal
• Storage
• Internal handling
• Employee exposure prevention
• Removal by appropriate waste services

Employees should not compress or reach into bags or containers containing potentially contaminated waste.

Medication & Hazardous Drug Safety

Depending on the services provided, employees may prepare, administer, or handle medications that present occupational exposure hazards.

The facility should identify medications requiring special handling and establish appropriate procedures for:

• Storage
• Preparation
• Administration
• PPE
• Spill response
• Waste disposal
• Employee exposure

Additional controls may be necessary when hazardous drugs are handled.

X-Ray & Radiation Safety

Urgent care centers may operate diagnostic X-ray equipment.

Radiation safety procedures should address applicable requirements and may include:

• Authorized operators
• Employee training
• Equipment operation
• Restricted areas
• Shielding
• Exposure monitoring when required
• Equipment inspection
• Warning signs
• Pregnancy-related occupational considerations
• Recordkeeping

Employees who are not involved in the procedure should remain outside controlled areas as appropriate.

Oxygen & Compressed Gas Safety

Urgent care facilities may store and use oxygen cylinders and other compressed gases.

Cylinders should be:

• Properly secured
• Protected from damage
• Stored appropriately
• Kept away from incompatible hazards
• Handled using appropriate equipment
• Protected from unauthorized use

Employees should understand oxygen-enriched fire hazards and safe cylinder handling practices.

Medical Equipment Safety

Employees may use examination tables, autoclaves, diagnostic equipment, defibrillators, oxygen equipment, laboratory devices, and other medical equipment.

Equipment should be:

• Used by trained personnel
• Inspected as appropriate
• Maintained according to established procedures
• Operated according to manufacturer instructions
• Removed from service when unsafe

Electrical cords, plugs, controls, guards, alarms, and other safety-related components should be maintained in safe condition.

Ergonomics & Patient Handling

Urgent care employees may assist patients who have limited mobility, are injured, are unconscious, or require assistance transferring between wheelchairs, examination tables, and other locations.

Employees should:

• Evaluate the patient’s mobility before assisting.
• Use appropriate transfer techniques.
• Obtain assistance when necessary.
• Use available patient-handling equipment.
• Avoid unnecessary lifting, twisting, and reaching.
• Recognize situations where manual handling presents an unacceptable risk.

Slips, Trips & Falls

Urgent care centers may experience spills, wet floors, cords, equipment, clutter, and other walking-surface hazards.

Employees should:

• Clean or control spills promptly.
• Keep aisles and exits clear.
• Manage cords and equipment.
• Maintain adequate lighting.
• Report damaged walking surfaces.
• Use warning signs or barriers when necessary.

Workplace Violence Prevention

Urgent care employees may interact with patients or visitors who are frightened, frustrated, impaired, emotionally distressed, or aggressive.

Workplace violence prevention procedures may address:

• Recognizing warning signs
• Reporting threatening behavior
• De-escalation
• Facility security
• Panic or alarm systems
• Communication procedures
• Working alone
• Access control
• Emergency assistance
• Law-enforcement notification
• Incident reporting and investigation

Employees should know how to obtain assistance without unnecessarily placing themselves or others at risk.

Patient & Visitor Security

Urgent care facilities should consider security risks associated with public access, waiting rooms, treatment areas, medications, employee-only areas, and parking areas.

Security measures may include:

• Controlled access
• Staff-only areas
• Visitor management
• Appropriate lighting
• Security cameras
• Alarm or panic systems
• Procedures for disruptive individuals
• After-hours security

Electrical Safety

Medical equipment, computers, laboratory devices, refrigerators, portable equipment, and other electrical systems should be maintained in safe condition.

Employees should:

• Inspect equipment before use when appropriate.
• Report damaged cords and plugs.
• Avoid unauthorized electrical repairs.
• Keep electrical equipment away from inappropriate wet conditions.
• Remove unsafe equipment from service.

Fire Prevention

Urgent care facilities should address fire hazards associated with electrical equipment, oxygen, compressed gases, chemicals, storage areas, and other facility operations.

Employees should understand:

• Fire reporting procedures
• Alarm systems
• Emergency exits
• Evacuation procedures
• Fire extinguisher responsibilities
• Oxygen-related fire hazards
• Emergency responsibilities

Exits and evacuation routes should remain accessible.

Emergency Action Plan

Urgent care employees should be prepared for emergencies that affect patients, visitors, or the facility.

The Emergency Action Plan may address:

• Fire
• Medical emergencies
• Severe weather
• Power failure
• Utility failure
• Chemical spills
• Infectious-disease events
• Workplace violence
• Security threats
• Evacuation
• Shelter-in-place
• Emergency communication

Employees should understand their responsibilities during emergencies and how patients requiring assistance will be managed.

Employee Exposure Incidents

Employees should immediately report occupational exposures such as:

• Needlesticks
• Sharps injuries
• Blood or body-fluid splashes
• Respiratory exposures
• Chemical splashes
• Medication exposures
• Other potentially hazardous contact

Procedures should provide for prompt evaluation, documentation, medical follow-up, and corrective action when appropriate.

Housekeeping & Facility Safety

Safe urgent care operations depend on maintaining clean and orderly patient-care and employee areas.

Procedures may address:

• Examination rooms
• Waiting areas
• Laboratories
• Medication areas
• Storage rooms
• Employee areas
• Restrooms
• Parking areas
• Entrances and exits
• Waste-storage locations

Hazards identified during inspections should be corrected in a timely manner.

Incident Reporting & Investigation

Employee injuries, exposures, near misses, workplace violence incidents, equipment failures, and other safety events should be reported and evaluated.

Investigations should focus on identifying contributing factors and corrective actions that can prevent recurrence.

Corrective measures may involve:

• Equipment
• Procedures
• Training
• Staffing
• PPE
• Facility design
• Security
• Communication
• Supervision

Urgent Care Safety Training

Training should reflect employee responsibilities and potential exposures.

Training may include:

• Bloodborne pathogens
• Exposure Control Plan
• Needlestick prevention
• Infection prevention
• Respiratory protection
• PPE
• Hazard Communication
• Chemical safety
• Medical waste
• X-ray safety
• Compressed gas safety
• Patient handling
• Workplace violence prevention
• Emergency procedures
• Fire prevention
• Incident reporting

Additional training should be provided when employees assume new responsibilities or when new hazards, equipment, chemicals, or procedures are introduced.

Customized Urgent Care Safety Manuals

Urgent care centers differ in the services they provide. Some facilities perform only routine examinations and basic diagnostic testing, while others provide X-rays, laboratory testing, wound care, suturing, intravenous treatment, medication administration, occupational medicine, and other procedures.

A customized Urgent Care Safety Manual can be developed around your facility’s services, employees, patient-care activities, medical equipment, chemicals, medications, diagnostic procedures, and occupational exposures.