A bill introduced by a local legislator that would help protect healthcare workers from surgical smoke is one step closer to becoming law.
State Representative Tim Bonner (R-Butler, Mercer) says House Bill 27 would ensure that operating rooms utilize surgical smoke evacuation systems to combat the adverse health effects of surgical smoke.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, surgical smoke may contain toxic gas, viruses, and bacteria, as well as more than 150 hazardous chemicals. Also burning one gram of tissue from surgical smoke has the same effect as breathing in three to six cigarettes.
Many other states require operating rooms in hospitals to utilize smoke evacuation systems. This bipartisan bill will now advance to the state Senate for consideration and vote.