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The OSHA, TJC, and JCR Alliance aims to provide TJC-accredited healthcare organizations and other healthcare industry stakeholders with information, guidance, and access to resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Alliance will continue to address ergonomic hazards from lifting and repetitive tasks; workplace violence; bloodborne pathogens; tuberculosis; slips, trips, and falls; and other healthcare industry hazards, as appropriate. Specific outreach and communication objectives include:
- Sharing information on OSHA's National Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
- Sharing information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
- Developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and communicating such information (e.g., via print and electronic media, including JCR's Environment of Care News and TJC's The Joint Commission Online e-newsletter; social media; and the OSHA, TJC, and JCR websites) to employers and workers in the healthcare industry.
- Sharing information with OSHA personnel and healthcare industry safety and health professionals regarding good practices or effective approaches for safeguarding healthcare worker safety through training programs, workshops, seminars, webinars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
- Speaking, exhibiting, or appearing at OSHA, TJC, or JCR conferences, local meetings, or other events.
- Convening or participating in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on healthcare industry hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
Products and Resources
Alliance Program Participant Developed Products
Environment of Care® News Articles
2020
- Standing Up for Safety: Help Prevent Slips, Trips, and Falls (PDF). Discusses prevention of slip, trip, and fall injuries in healthcare settings.
2017
- Handling with Care: Practicing Safe Patient Handling (PDF). Discusses musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in healthcare settings and describes strategies for implementing a safe patient handling and movement program. (August 2017).
2016
- Assault Halt: OSHA and The Joint Commission Offer Guidance and Resources to Curb Workplace Violence (PDF). Discusses resources for preventing workplace violence in healthcare settings. (April 2016).
- Helping Health Care Workers to Breathe Easy: OSHA updates TB enforcement instruction (PDF). Discusses OSHA’s tuberculosis directive. (March 2016).
- Inpatient Workplaces under the Microscope: OSHA expands hazards policy enforcement at hospitals, nursing homes, care centers, and residential care facilities (PDF). Discusses OSHA’s healthcare enforcement priorities and the implications for the industry. (January 2016).
2015
- Protecting Patients and Staff from Infection Risks: Cleaning and Disinfecting Environmental Surfaces (PDF). Discusses preventing healthcare-associated infections while safeguarding workers against health hazards associated with cleaning products. (October 2015).
- Guidelines for Zero Tolerance: New OSHA Publication Helps Prevent Violence in the Health Care Setting (PDF). Features OSHA's revised Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers (EPUB | MOBI). OSHA Publication 3148. (August 2015).
- New Online Publications Focus on Respiratory Protection for Health Care Workers (PDF). Discusses new resources on respiratory protection for healthcare workers, including new OSHA/NIOSH publication, Hospital Respiratory Protection Program Toolkit: Resources for Respirator Program Administrators(EPUB | MOBI). (July 2015).
- Protecting Temporary Workers: Personnel Safety in the Health Care Setting (PDF). Addresses the responsibilities of health care organizations and staffing agencies with regard to temporary workers. (May 2015).
- Dangerous Disposal: OSHA's Fact Sheet on Safe Handling of Ebola-contaminated Waste (PDF). Highlights the OSHA/NIOSH/EPA fact sheet (PDF) on protecting healthcare workers who handle, treat, transport, or dispose of Ebola-contaminated waste. (April 2015).
- Laser Beam Safety Scheme: Why your health care organization needs to implement an effective medical laser safety program (PDF). Provides information on laser classification, laser hazards, and emphasizes the need for medical laser programs. (March 2015).
2014
- Glovesick: Hospital Gloves are Vulnerable to Permeation, Punctures, and Other Risks; Here's How to Keep Health Care Workers Safe (PDF). Provides information on several factors that can compromise the glove's ability to protect the worker, in addition to the pros and cons of commonly used material types for hospital gloves. (August 2014).
- North American Occupational Safety & Health Week Set for May (PDF). Highlights the 2014 NAOSH Week events held at the Department of Labor. (May 2014).
- OSHA Worker Safety in Hospitals Program Launched Online (PDF). Highlights the OSHA website for worker safety in hospitals and providing links to the agency's compliance assistance materials. The article also includes information on the comparison of The Joint Commission's standards with OSHA's requirements in a safety and health management system for the health care industry. (May 2014).
- Engineering Solutions to Workplace Violence: Prevent Workplace Violence via Safety-enhancing Design and Equipment (PDF). Highlights the dangers associated with workplace violence in the healthcare industry. The article reviews engineering and administrative controls. (April 2014).
2013
- Labeling the Hazard: OSHA to Institute "Global Harmonization" of Hazard Communications (PDF). Discusses OSHA's recent revision of the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS), 29 CFR 1910.1200, and the standard's alignment with the United Nations' Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals. The article also provides information on the new labeling requirements in the HCS for hazardous chemicals. (July 2013).
- North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) Week, May 5-11, 2013: Safer Workplaces Emphasized; OSHP Day Set for May 8 (PDF). Emphasizes the importance of protecting workers, avoiding injury and illness, and eradicating hazards while at work as their support for the 2013 NAOSH Week. The article also highlights the 2013 NAOSH Week Kick-off event held at the Department of Labor. (July 2013).
- Protection Partnership: How Health Care Organizations Can Better Secure the Safety of Workers and Patients Alike (PDF). Discusses the interrelationship between patient and worker safety in healthcare facilities. The last in the two-part series, the article explores the significance of mutual patient and worker safety, provides the means that both groups can be better protected, and presents the characteristics of a culture of safety. (July 2013).
- Safety Synergy: The Importance of Stressing Safety for Both Workers and Patients in Health Care Organizations (PDF). Discusses the interrelationship between patient and worker safety in healthcare facilities. The article also provides information on The Joint Commission's monograph, "Improving Patient and Worker Safety," which provides action steps to successful integration of patient and worker safety. (June 2013).
- Green and Clean: How Hospitals Can Protect Patients and Workers by Using Earth-Friendly and Sustainable Products/Practices (PDF). Discusses the importance of adopting sustainable products and practices for cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting healthcare facilities. The article also provides requirements for selecting green cleaning products. (January 2013).
2012
- OSHA 300: A Log to Live By - Properly Documenting Work-Related Injuries/Illnesses Can Reduce Incidents (PDF). Discusses the evolution of the OSHA work-related injury/illness log, the use of the 300 log to target prevention resources, and the proper way to complete the log. (October 2012).
- Sharp Focus: How health care workers can prevent exposure to bloodborne pathogen (PDF). Reviews the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and presents guidelines for preventing sharps injuries. The article also includes proper disposal procedures and summarizes the benefits of a good exposure plan. (June 2012).
- North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week May 6-12, 2012: Job safety stressed; kick-off event May 7 (PDF). Emphasizes the importance of preventing harm, eliminating hazards, and safeguarding health while on the job as TJC/JCR support for 2012 NAOSH Week. The article also highlights the 2012 NAOSH Week Kick-off event held at the Department of Labo. (May 2012).
- Top 10 OSHA Citations in Health Care - OSHA releases information for October 1, 2010-September 30, 2011 (PDF). Highlights the top ten OSHA citations issued to healthcare facilities in Fiscal Year 2011. The information is based on the percentage of federal OSHA inspections within the health care industry (Standard Industrial Classification Code 80, Health Services) that resulted in specific standard citations. (February 2012).
- OSHA Issues Directive on Workplace Violence: Health Care Organizations May Be Inspected After Incidents or Complaints Occur (PDF). Provides health care facilities identify and abate incidents of workplace violence. (January 2012).
2011
- Worker Exposure to Hazardous Drugs Subject of NIOSH Alert and Guidelines: The Joint Commission and OSHA Lend Support to National Effort to Curb Hazards (PDF). Discusses protecting workers through evaluation, recognition, and control of occupational exposure to hazardous drugs found in health care facilitie. (November 2011).
- Nobody Likes It Hot: Preventing Heat Stress in At-Risk Workers (PDF). Includes signs and symptoms of various heat related illnesses and prevention and treatment tactics. (June 2011).
- The Hazard Communication Standard in Health Care: Labeling, MSDS, and Other Aspects of Dealing with Chemicals (PDF). Discusses hazard communication within the health care industry and how the proposed revisions to the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard would impact current practices. (May 2011).
- Protecting the Protectors: Best Practices for Protecting EMS Responders (PDF). Discusses protecting emergency medical services responders from hazardous substances releases. (February 2011).
- Putting the Brakes on Health Care "Road Rage" Recognizing and Opposing Disruptive Behavior to Help Maintain Safety and Security (PDF). Highlights workplace violence within the healthcare industry, including a specific focus on workplace bullying. (February 2011).
- Underserved Health Care Workers: Lack of Coverage for Frontline Workers Can Compromise Patient Safety (PDF). Highlights the dangers associated with workers serving in the healthcare industry with little or no access to their own medical coverage. (February 2011).
Related Safety and Health Topics Pages
- Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention. (October 2018).
- Ebola. (September 2019).
- Healthcare. (May 2019).
- Hospital Worker Safety (see Worker Safety in Hospitals). (December 2016).
- Tuberculosis. (March 2017).
- Workplace Violence. (May 2019).
Additional Resources
- Alliance webpage. TJC and JCR webpage for the National Alliance with OSHA. (January 2019).
- Improving Patient and Worker Safety: Opportunities for Synergy, Collaboration and Innovation (PDF). TJC Monograph. (November 2012).
- Inspection Guidance for Inpatient Healthcare Settings. OSHA Memorandum. (June 2015).
- Safe Patient Handling: Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Homes (PDF). OSHA Publication, 3708. (February 2014).
- NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication. (May 2015).
- Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers (PDF). OSHA Publication 3148. (January 2015).
- Workplace Violence Prevention: Implementing Strategies for Safer Healthcare Organizations. TJC and OSHA-sponsored event. (July 2018).