A national survey of regional poison control centers' management of occupational exposure calls.
Regional poison control centers (PCCs) were surveyed nationally to assess their policies and practices in handling work-related exposures. A 24-item survey was mailed to the executive directors of 44 American Association of Poison Control Centers' certified PCCs nationwide. The survey also requested permission to call the PCC to conduct a blinded role-playing exercise of a case of work-related trichloroethane exposure. Responses on the management questionnaire were compared with the actual responses provided by information specialists in the role-playing exercise. Seventy-five percent of PCCs completed the survey; 43% completed the telephone role-playing exercise. Survey respondents generally overestimated what they thought was routinely done to assess work-related calls, compared with what actually occurred at the time of the work-related call in the role-playing exercise. For example, 32% indicated that their PCC asked about the activities of nearby workers, but none of the PCC staff actually did so. Eighty-nine percent of the PCC executive directors surveyed thought that their staff routinely advised callers to notify their employer about work-related exposure concerns, but this occurred in only 11% of the calls. We concluded that PCCs' responses to work-related calls are inadequate. Given the public health impact of work-related calls, PCCs should develop, implement, and monitor written protocols to better address the public health issues of workplace poisonings.
Bresnitz
E A
EA
Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, MCP Hahnemann School of Medicine, MCP Hahnemann University of the Health Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Gittleman
J L
JL
Shic
F
F
Temple
B
B
Henretig
F
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003625:Data Collection; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000592:standards; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000032:analysis* / Q000506:poisoning; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017146:Models, Organizational; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D011050:Policy Making; D018635:Rescue Work / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards; D012381:Role Playing; D014240:Trichloroethanes / Q000032:analysis / Q000506:poisoning; D014481:United States
D015386:Hazardous Substances; D014240:Trichloroethanes