Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs

About this book
This book deals with the health and safety of workers who handle
hazardous drugs. It is meant to be a starting point and a reference
guide of best practices to minimize worker exposure to hazardous
drugs in the workplace. This book has three parts:
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Part 1 gives an overview of current knowledge on hazardous drugs
••
Part 2 describes how to perform a risk assessment
••
Part 3 gives examples of best practices for each stage of
handling hazardous drugs
The book also includes eight appendices:
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Appendix 1: References and resources
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Appendix 2: Glossary
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Appendix 3: Monitoring the workplace environment
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Appendix 4: Personal protective equipment (PPE)
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Appendix 5: Biological safety cabinets (BSCs)
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Appendix 6: Selection of medical equipment
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Appendix 7: Cleaning agents
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Appendix 8: Spill kit checklist
Who this book is intended for
This book is intended primarily for the health care industry in B.C.,
including those engaged in community or home-based care.
However, Part 3 also provides guidelines for ancillary services,
such as transportation and cleaning, and for veterinary practices.
See Chapter 2: “Who is at risk of exposure?” for a list of occupations
in which workers are at potential risk of exposure to hazardous drugs.
Terminology
Appendix 2 contains a glossary of terms frequently used when
handling hazardous drugs. When these terms appear in the text of
this book, they will be indicated with bold type. If you place your
cursor over the bold text, a pop-up box will appear with the
definition of the term.
Best Practices for the Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs 1