Archive for: OSHA - General
Staying clear of whistleblower protection problems in your practice
It may not be well known, but OSHA oversees whistleblower protection investigations not only for its own jurisdiction, but for 12 other regulatory areas.
Employees reporting violations of federal law (e.g., an OSHA complaint) are protected from retaliation by employers. An innocent personnel action taken by the employer might be seen as whistleblower retaliation by OSHA.
Medical Environment Update—OSHA horror stories highlight safety faux pas
Healthcare workers share their tales of extreme but true safety miscues that will make even a veteran safety officer cringe and how they converted these situations into training opportunities in the October issue of Medical Environment Update.
Here is an excerpt from that article and a look at what else is covered in October issue.
Nursing facilities now under OSHA recordkeeping microscope
OSHA announced a new recordkeeping national emphasis program (NEP) to find employers who are underreporting injuries and illness in traditionally high hazard work settings.
Reviewing exit route compliance
OSHA Standard 1910.37 addresses the requirements for exit routes. Fines can be assessed if the exit route is obstructed with materials or equipment, or if an exit route includes a door that can be locked.
Weekly Poll: OSHA and GHS
A new rule in the Federal Register indicates OSHA has proposed aligning the hazard communication standard with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS).
OSHA says the alignment will improve the quality and consistency of information. Although this will affect manufacturers and importers rather than healthcare facilities, are you aware of the GHS system?
Do you do mock OSHA Inspections? We want to meet you.
If you consult on OSHA compliance; or if you do mock OSHA inspections for healthcare facilities, especially in non-hospital settings, OSHA Healthcare Advisor wants to meet you.
Laboring with Springsteen, The Clash, Devo, Bob Marley, Los Lobos, and The Seven Dwarves
What do those mentioned above have in common?
According to a note from the Department of Labor newsletter, they all sing about work, much like the singing Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis figuratively did with her pre-Labor Day address to the Union League Club of Chicago on September 2.
Medical Environment Update—Preparing your outpatient facility for a pandemic
Hospitals may be the focus for a serious pandemic worries, but a mild virus could flood outpatient facilities, reports the September issue of Medical Environment Update.
Here is an excerpt from that article and a look at what else is covered in September issue.
NIOSH has an agenda for safety in the healthcare workplace
This should stop you in your tracks.
In 2005 there 668,000 nonfatal injury or illness episodes in healthcare and social assistance workplaces, according to NIOSH. That averages one episode every 47 seconds.
Kennedy, a healthcare reform and safety champion
With the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the American Nurses Association (ANA) issued a statement expressing their profound sadness at the loss of a true champion for healthcare reform.
The statement also called attention to Kennedy’s support for healthcare safety issues and in particular the Needlestick Prevention Act:
What was most remarkable about Senator Kennedy was that he always remembered people far removed from the world of power and influence. As an advocate of the Federal Needlestick Prevention Act, he took the time to personally phone a nurse who had contracted HIV through a needle stick injury, to let her know that the bill that would help protect nurses had passed and was on its way to be signed into law. This act of kindness and generosity of spirit was not an unusual occurrence.
The Senator’s “tireless work on what he called ‘the fight of his life,’ health care,” is where he leaves his greatest legacy, says the ANA.
