OSHA Standards

Nursing homes and personal care facilities hazards are addressed in specific standards for the general industry. This section highlights OSHA standards, directives (instructions for compliance officers), and standard interpretations (official letters of interpretation of the standards) related to healthcare facilities.

The General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (the law that created OSHA) requires employers to provide workers with a safe workplace that does not have any known hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious injury. Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.

• Minnesota. HB 712.2 safe patient handling legislation signed into law May 2007.
  
  
• New Jersey [38 KB PDF, 7 pages]. S-1758/A-3028 safe patient handling practice act signed into law January 2008.
  
  
• Ohio. House Bill 67 was signed into law on March 21, 2006, Section 4121.48.
  
  
• Rhode Island [14 KB PDF, 5 pages]. House 7386 and Senate 2760 passed on July 7, 2006.
  
  
• Texas. Senate Bill 1525 was signed into law on June 17, 2005.

Frequently Cited Standards

Nursing homes and personal care facilities must comply with all the General Industry standards (29 CFR 1910). Of these, the following standards, in order, were the most frequently cited by Federal OSHA from October 2010 through September 2011, in Nursing and Personal Care Facilities Industry Group (SIC code 8050).

• 1910.1030, Bloodborne pathogens [related topic page]
  
  
• 1904.29, Recordkeeping forms and recording criteria [related topic page]
  


• 1910.1200, Hazard communication [related topic page]
  
  
• 1904.7, General recording criteria
  
  
• 1910.303, General requirements (Electrical) [related topic page]
  
  
• 1910.305, Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use
  


• 1904.32, Annual summary (Other OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping requirements)
  
  
• 1910.305, Wiring methods, components, and equipment for general use
  


• 1910.151, Medical services and first aid [related topic page]
  


• 1910.37, Maintenance, safeguards, and operational features for exit routes [related topic page]
  


• 1910.132, General requirements (Personal protective equipment) [related topic page]

Federal Registers

• Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis; Proposed Rule; Termination of Rulemaking Respiratory Protection for M. Tuberculosis; Final Rule; Revocation. Proposed Rules 68:75767-75775, (2003, December 31). OSHA is withdrawing its 1997 proposed standard on Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis (TB) because it is unlikely to result in a meaningful reduction of disease transmission caused by contact with the most significant remaining source of occupational risk: exposure to individuals with undiagnosed and unsuspected TB.
  


• Search all available Federal Registers.

Directives

• Enforcement Procedures for the Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens. CPL 02-02-069 [CPL 2-2.69], (2001, November 27). Includes revisions mandated by the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act.
  • Updated U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis [333 KB PDF, 67 pages]. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) 50(RR11), (2001, June 29). Updates and consolidates recommendations for the management of health-care personnel (HCP). Serves as Appendix E for CPL 02-02-069.
    
  
  
• Enforcement Procedures and Scheduling for Occupational Exposure to Tuberculosis. CPL 02-00-106 [CPL 2.106], (1996, February 9). Provides uniform inspection procedures and guidelines to be followed when conducting inspections and issuing citations under Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act and pertinent standards for employees who are occupationally exposed to TB.
  


• Search all available directives.

Standard Interpretations

The following letters of interpretation explain OSHA's requirements and how they apply in a particular situation. Note that enforcement guidance may be updated in response to new information and affected by changes to OSHA rules. To keep informed about such developments, you can visit OSHA's website. Example letters are listed below.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Protection. (2004, July 30). Defines the new enforcement policy for tuberculosis under 29 CFR 1910.134. Effective July 2, 2004, covered establishments must comply with 29 CFR 1910.134 when using respirators for protection from tuberculosis (TB).
• Comparison of Respiratory Protection for TB Standard (29 CFR 1910.139) with 29 CFR 1910.134. OSHA. Also available as a 132 KB PDF, 29 pages. Most of the requirements in 29 CFR 1910.134 and the former 29 CFR 1910.139 are basically the same, however five areas now have more detailed requirements; (c), Respiratory protection program; (e), Medical evaluation; (f), Fit testing; (k), Training and information; and (m), Recordkeeping.
  


• Safer medical devices must be selected based on employee feedback and device effectiveness, not Group Purchasing Organizations. (2002, November 21).
  


• Use of height adjustable beds help reduce back injuries during patient care. (2000, June 15).
  


• Application of provisions of the Bloodborne Pathogens standard to Funeral and Nursing Homes. (1992, June 1).
  


• Bloodborne pathogens standard requirements regarding employees performing residential services. (1992, September 4).
  


• Search all available standard interpretations.

Ergonomics Enforcement

• Ergonomics Enforcement: Nursing Homes
  • Beverly Decision [268 KB PDF, 90 pages]. Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), (2000).

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