Introduction
This paper will show how the facility will continue to stay abreast of the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards. The paper will also take a look at the activities and the frequency of training and audits that the hospital will conduct throughout the year. This paper will address the possibility of the fines the hospital has received and what causes the fines. The OSHA is an organization that provides a safe work environment for all staff members.
Assuring OSHA Compliance
OSHA compliance is of extreme importance in all work environments but especially in a healthcare setting. Healthcare workers are exposed to many significant health and safety hazards and more staff are hurt in this sector than other (US Department of Labor, 2012). Safe practices do not occur by chance and appropriate practices and procedures must be in place to ensure the safety of both staff and patients.
OSHA Compliance at a Hospital
In order to learn more about OSHA compliance within the healthcare organization where I am employed, I spoke with Kathy K. whose position title is safety officer.
I have done an extensive search on the internet finding much of your needed information for the upcoming OSHA audit. You should find it helpful in answering all of the questions you had. I have attached the first page of every website in case you would like to check them out in more detail.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed as an agency of the federal government that is charged with protecting workers from recognized safety hazards within the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was created as a result of passage of the “Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 in response to dangerous working conditions across the nation and as a culmination of decades of reform” (Walter, 2011, para. 5). President Richard Nixon signed the act into law on December 29, 1970 and The Occupational Safety and Health Administration was officially established on April 28, 1971 (Walter, 2011). During the 41 years on the job, The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has identified and addressed numerous work hazards, as well as provided solutions to mitigate and/or avoid placing workers in unnecessary danger. OSHA regulates as enforces regulations throughout the country, however the agency does declare that “states can run their own safety and health programs as long as those programs are at least as effective as the federal program” (http://www.dol.gov/compliance/laws/comp-osha.htm). The states that choose to implement their own version of the occupational safety and health plan are referred to as OSHA states, whereas those who implement no plan are required to follow the federal regulations, as set forth by OSHA. OSHA effects all workers and employers in the United States, as the desired effect of the Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act is “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources” (Williams-Steiger Occupational Safety and Health Act, 1970). OS...
The OSH Act gave OSHA the authority to come into work places and inspect facilities for health and safety risks. Due to shortages in personnel, OSHA inspects accidents and safety complaints that are filed, and those facilities that have a high volume of accident rates. If an individual state has an approved safety and health enforcement plan, than they may be exempt from yearly inspections by OSHA and have their own state personnel conduct the inspections. The Act sets a maximum penalty for safety and health violations, but OSHA has the authority to calculate fines. If an industry objects to the citation or fines, they can go before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. OSHA has been criticized on both ends, by industries for being too strict, and by unions for not being strict enough. In the 1980s, OSHA had instituted a policy that would exempt some workplaces from a complete inspection if they had a lower than average injury rate. However, that policy was abandoned when an employee died from a workplace that OSHA had not fully inspected. OSHA has implemented new procedures that have set higher penalties and increased the maximum fine for all types of infractions.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
PAST
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration or OSHA is a
part of the US Department of Labor, and was started in 1970 as part of the
Occupational Safety and Health Act. Its mission is to prevent work-related
injuries, illnesses, and deaths by issuing and enforcing rules (called standards) for workplace safety and health. Since it’s inception it has helped
to cut the incidents of workplace fatalities by sixty percent, and occupational
injury and illness rates by forty percent. This presentation will present what
OSHA has accomplished in the past, present and what it hopes to accomplish in the future.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration also known as OSHA is a U.S. regulatory agency that is used to implement the safety of employees, patients and the enviro...
The market is not always right. Unless the marketplace is policed, criminals reap the rewards, not society. Before the Savings and Loan crisis began, Rep Henry Gonzalez pleaded over and over for Congress to appropriate funds for bank examiners. Republicans blocked funding. When FDIC insurance was raised from $10,000 to $100,000, Gonzalez pleaded for more examiners. Republicans blocked funding. Throughout his administration, every year from 1993 to 2000, Clinton requested additional funds for SEC examiners. Republicans blocked funding.
Longtime mechanic Carlos Contreras says, "a million things can go wrong when working on a car." And a lot of them hurt like heck (Woolston, Chris. Car Mechanics. Healthday, n.d. Web.). Whether you’re in car restoration or own an auto shop, safety in the workshop is always the most important. Keeping yourself, your friends, your family, your customers and any other people safe amongst the dangers of motor vehicle repair is something you should always consider. Injuries occur on a daily basis in the workshop. Safety is the number one issue everyone should be concerned with, mechanic or not. One of the OSHA standards is regularly violated by shops and mechanics is the right to know the standard. This policy is depicts the use of potentially hazardous chemicals which is a very common occurrence in the automotive business. It simply requires that employees be notified of the possible dangers of any of the chemicals they are using. OSHA also insists that employees have a right to know how they might be affected by chemicals in the shop (Ray, Linda. Work. Chron, n.d. Web.). The right to know standard requires labeling all chemicals, and including lists with information, training for employees in use of the chemicals and a plan that outlines how the auto shop plans to follow the right procedures. Another subject would be the general protection of workers. Many auto shops also violate another OSHA regulation by not providing adequate safety equipment for the workers. Auto shops are required to have plans and safety equipment that can be dealt by the hazards that many employees are exposed to at work shop (Ray, Linda. Work. Chron, n.d. Web.). For example,...
United States Department of Labor (2004) Occupational Safety & Health Administration. In Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care & Social Service Workers. Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3148/osha3148.html