The OSHA and AORN Alliance will provide AORN's members and others, including perioperative healthcare providers and small businesses (e.g., ambulatory surgery centers), with information, guidance, and access to training resources to protect employees' health and safety. In particular, the Alliance will address preventing exposure to bloodborne diseases, and exposure to smoke plume generated from the use of electrosurgery units (ESU) and lasers, and laser safety. Goals of the agreement include:
Outreach and Communication
- Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and AORN's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
- Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or AORN's conferences, local meetings, such as the annual AORN Congress or other AORN sponsored events.
- Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding AORN's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by AORN and through OSHA or AORN's developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
- Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects, including bloodborne diseases, exposure to surgical plume, and laser safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
- Encourage AORN local chapters to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including bloodborne pathogen hazards, exposure to surgical smoke from electrosurgery units (ESU) and lasers, and laser safety.
Products and Resources
Alliance Developed Products
- OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Sharps Safety Checklist for Health Care Facilities. Provides guidance for health care personnel to ensure compliance with the sharps safety requirements in OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. The checklist includes, but is not limited to, exposure control, safety handling procedures, injury logs, and management of sharps devices.
- Laser Safety Checklist. Provides guidance for perioperative personnel to ensure a safe environment for patients and health care workers during the use of laser technology.
- Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel. Describes the hazards of using sharp-tip suture needles, the effectiveness of using blunt-tip suture needles and emphasizes OSHA requirements.
- Sharps Safety in the Operating Room; Creating an Injury Prevention Program. Provides healthcare workers with a reference tool that provides information about developing and implementing an Operating Room Sharps Safety Program.
OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages
OSHA eTools
Publications and Newsletters
- AORN Management Connections. OSHA Offers New Resources for Healthcare Compliance.
Additional Resources
- AORN/OSHA Alliance page.
- Use of Blunt-Tip Suture Needles to Decrease Percutaneous Injuries to Surgical Personnel. NIOSH Safety and Health Information Bulletin.