OSHA Update: Could This New Website Make Hospitals Safer for Employees?

We often think of a hospital as one of the safest places to be–but what about for hospital employees? Healthcare professionals face an increased risk of injury and illness every day while at work. Fortunately, OSHA (the Occupational Health and Safety Administration) recognized this need and developed a hospital-specific website with health and safety training resources designed to reduce work-related injuries and risk.

The site, Worker Safety in Hospitals: Caring for our Caregivers, launched on Jan. 15 and aims to set a new standard for safe patient handling that lowers employee risk while improving patient care and reducing hospital costs.

Training materials on the site are divided into three categories-Understanding the Problem, Safety and Management Health Systems, and “Safe Patient Handling-that lay out safe approaches for tackling healthcare-specific risks, like safe handling of patients and hazardous drugs, as well as general safety tips to prevent slips, trips and falls.

Healthcare employees regularly face risks and injuries that include chemical and drug exposure, needle-sticks, slips, falls, violent patients, and even musculoskeletal injuries from lifting and repositioning patients. With these risks in mind, OSHA looked at effective health and safety plans at leading hospitals that have been successful in reducing worker injury and improving patient health. The information and training materials on the site are a compilation of the best plans and practices they could find.

Hospital workers and managers can access helpful fact books, self-assessment tools and guidelines for safe practices on the site. TheWorker Safety in Hospitals website can be accessed here.

If you are a hospital risk manager interested in improving your hospital’s health and safety, please contact Dan Taylor for information and questions on developing a health and safety plan customized to your hospital’s needs.

How can AMI Environmental help protect building occupants and the reputation of owners?

At AMI Environmental, our main goal is to assist organizations and create a safe working environment, while adhering to government regulations. With decades of experience in healthcare, our Industrial Hygiene Professionals’ purpose is to help our clients not only protect building occupants and workers, but also to manage risk. Allowing you to then enjoy the peace of mind knowing everyone will be protected from harm. AMI will work to establish and maintain a safe built environment, including surveying your facility for risks, and assist in the recording process. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dan Taylor at dantaylor@amienvironmental.com.

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