A New OSHA Resource: Worker Safety in Hospitals
OSHA has recently launched a new educational resource on their website which has extensive materials to help hospitals prevent worker injuries, assess workplace safety needs, enhance safe patient handling programs, and implement safety and health management systems. The materials include fact books, self-assessments and best practice guides.
Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, said of the educational resource, “At the heart of these materials are the lessons from high-performing hospitals that have implemented best practices to reduce workplace injuries while also improving patient safety.”
As stated in a January 15th U.S. Department of Labor news release, “Hospital workers face serious hazards, including: lifting and moving patients, workplace violence, slips and falls, exposure to chemicals and hazardous drugs, exposures to infectious diseases and needlesticks. In 2012, U.S. hospitals recorded 250,000 work-related injuries and illnesses, almost 60,000 of which caused employees to miss work. Nationwide, workers' compensation losses result in a total annual expense of $2 billion for hospitals.”
To download an informative overview, click on the title How Safe is Your Hospital for Workers.
Click on the Worker Safety in Hospitals link to go directly to OSHA’s educational resources.
