Investigators who inspect health care facilities are required by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA to expand their resources to better focus on some of the key hazards at the workplace that cause injuries to employees.
Specifically on that list of health care facility workplace hazards are slips, trips and falls. These are a big part of the nearly 58,000 work-related injuries reported by hospitals annually in the United States. Surprisingly, this rate is nearly twice as high as the number of work-related injuries reported by private industry. Because of the high numbers and growing rates of workplace injuries that include slip and falls, OSHA has decided to expand its use of enforcement.
OSHA’s goal is to lower the number of workplace injuries in health care facilities, which is among the highest in the country, according to OSHA. The good news is that the majority of workplace injuries in health care facilities are preventable. With tighter regulations and more strict inspections, health care workers can enjoy a much lower risk of getting an injury from a slip and fall accidents at work.
Health care workers will be pleased to discover that OSHA inspectors are being further trained and equipped with resource materials to make additional changes to boost safety for health care workers in hospitals, clinics and other health care industry locations. OSHA’s duty is to ensure that employers implement the highest in safety standards, including flooring quality and conditions, to boost employee health and well-being.
If you are the owner or facilities manager of a health care facility and want more information on how to boost the safety of employees and customers for slip and falls, please contact a walkway auditor near you to schedule an appointment.
Source: OSHA.gov
Leave a Reply