OSHA resources to protect healthcare workers

Photo by Natanael Melchor on Unsplash

You might think that construction workers or manufacturing employees have the highest rate of workplace injuries. To the contrary, however, it’s healthcare workers.

On average, U.S. hospitals recorded 6.8 work-related injuries and illnesses for every 100 full-time employees, nearly twice the rate for private industry as a whole. The numbers are even higher for nursing and residential care facilities.

The most typical injuries include overexertion and repetitive stress; slips, trips, and falls; contact with objects; workplace violence; and exposure to harmful substances (including needle sticks).

Thankfully, if you are healthcare employer, OSHA has myriad publications to help.

The most helpful include:

• A self-assessment, How Safe Is Your Hospital for Workers?
• A guide, Worker Safety in Your Hospital
• A guide, How Safe Is Your Hospital for Workers?

OSHA also has publications specific to healthcare topics such as Bloodborne Pathogens, Disposal of Contaminated Needles, Safe Patient Handling, Workplace Violence, and others.

Bottom line? If you are a healthcare employer, you should be taking employee safety as seriously as you take patient safety, and, with the all of the resources OSHA has available, you have no excuses if you’re not.