OSHA Initiative Regarding Workplace Safety For In-Patient Care Facilities

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently announced an initiative affecting inspections at in-patient care facilities. The Agency plans to:

• Expand the resources OSHA directs for inspections at these sites, and
• Direct inspectors to focus on five recently identified “key hazard” areas:  (1) musculoskeletal disorders related to patient and resident handling; (2) bloodborn pathogens; (3) workplace violence; (4) tuberculosis; and (5) slips, trips and falls.

In addition to this announcement, OSHA released a Directive to Regional Administrators and State Designees, which provides guidance to OSHA investigators on how to detect each of the new five newly identified hazards.

Employers should familiarize themselves with the details of the directive now, before OSHA inspectors are at their door.

For more details on this initiative, read the Reed Smith Employment Law Watch blog post written by Sara A. Begley and Amanda D. Haverstick here.