Resources for Safety and Health Program Elements

Implementation of workplace safety and health programs is an essential factor in reducing the extent and severity of work-related injuries and illnesses. OSHA's experience in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) has also indicated that effectively managing safety and health protection programs can reduce workers' compensation costs and improve employee morale and productivity. The following references were selected to assist in developing a safety and health program for nursing homes and personal care facilities.

• Work Smart – Be Safe, An Orientation to Long Term Care Safety Handbook [9 MB PDF, 60 pages]. (2007). This handbook was developed by the State of Illinois’ Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program in collaboration with OSHA. It provides a generic overview of hazards encountered by nursing home workers, including exposure to bloodborne pathogens and other infectious agents, unsafe walking surfaces, hazardous chemicals, and the risk of workplace violence. It also describes measures that can be taken to protect long-term care workers.
  
  
• Ergonomics: Success Stories. OSHA. OSHA has collected these accounts from health services including nursing home employers that have implemented ergonomics programs or used best practices with successful results.
• Borderview Rehabilitation and Living Center
• Citizens Memorial Healthcare
• Heritage Enterprises, Inc.
  
  
• "OSHA Releases Nursing Home Guidelines." Job Safety & Health Quarterly (JSHQ) 14.3(2003, Spring). OSHA released its ergonomics guidelines for nursing homes, and is making steady progress in implementing its ergonomics strategy.
  


• "Caring for Caregivers at Braxton." Job Safety & Health Quarterly (JSHQ) 14.3(2003, Spring).
  


• Caring for Caregivers [7 MB PDF^*, 52 pages]. Job Safety & Health Quarterly (JSHQ), (2002). Outlines ways to teach workers how to protect themselves on the job.
  

General Safety and Health Program Resources

• Safety & Health Management Systems. OSHA eTool. Discusses four crucial questions that should be asked when developing and implementing a safety and health program. The best Safety and Health Programs involve every level of the organization, instilling a safety culture that reduces accidents for workers and improves the bottom line for managers.
  
  
• $afety Pays Program. OSHA, (2008, June 5). Assists employers in estimating the costs of occupational injuries and illnesses and the impact on a company's profitability.
  
  
• Safety and Health Add Value. OSHA Publication 3180. Also available as a 200 KB PDF, 6 pages. Describes how safety and health add value to your business, your workplace, and your life.
  
  
• For more information, see OSHA's Injury and Illness Prevention Programs Safety and Health Topics Page.

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^*These files are provided for downloading.