JCAHO - Alliance Annual Report - August 7, 2013


ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
And The Joint Commission (TJC) and Joint Commission Resources (JCR)
August 7, 2013


  1. Alliance Background
    1. Date Signed
      July 27, 2004
       
    2. Dates Renewed
      November 8, 2006
      January 14, 2009
       
    3. Evaluation Period
      July 27, 2012 - July 26, 2013
       
    4. Overview
      The OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance provide TJC/JCR members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers. In particular, the Alliance continues to address reducing and preventing exposure to physical, chemical, biological, and airborne hazards in healthcare and addressing emergency preparedness issues.

      Implementation Team Members

      OSHA
       
      Morgan Seuberling
      Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs
      Sheila Arbury
      Health Scientist, Office of Occupational Health Nursing, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management (DTSEM)
      Jeffrey Lodwick
      Health Physicist, Salt Lake Technical Center, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management
      Patricia Bray
      Medical Officer, Office of Occupational Medicine, DTSEM
      Sharon Carr
      Health Scientist, Office of Biological Hazards, Directorate of Standards and Guidance

      TJC/JCR
       
      Jean Courtney
      Deputy Executive Officer, JCR
      Cathy Hinckley
      Executive Director, Publications and Education, JCR
      Kristine Miller
      Executive Editor, Environment of Care® News, JCR
      Barbara Braun
      Project Director, Department of Health Services Research, TJC
      John Fishbeck
      Associate Project Director, Standards and Survey Methods, TJC
      Patricia Kurtz
      Director of Federal Relations, TJC
  2. Implementation Team Meetings
    • October 22, 2012
    • February 7, 2013
    • July 10, 2013

    In addition to these formal meetings, the Alliance coordinators from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.
     
  3. Results
    The following table summarizes the Alliance's activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.
     
    Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives Goal 1: To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers through the publication of three Environment of Care® News (EC News) articles per year.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Product OSHA 300: A Log to Live By - Properly Documenting Work-Related Injuries/Illnesses Can Reduce Incidents

    Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources (JCR) Alliance, JCR developed an article that 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. The article was published in the October 2012 edition of the EC News and posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page.
      1,380
    Product Green and Clean: How Hospitals Can Protect Patients and Workers by Using Earth-Friendly and Sustainable Products/Practices

    Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources (JCR) Alliance, JCR developed an article that 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. The article was published in the January 2013 edition of the EC News and posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page.
      1,380
    Product Safety Synergy: The Importance of Stressing Safety for Both Workers and Patients in Health Care Organizations

    Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission (TJC)/Joint Commission Resources (JCR) Alliance, JCR developed an article that 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. The article was published in the June 2013 edition of the EC News and posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page.
      1,380
    Product Labeling the Hazard: OSHA to Institute "Global Harmonization" of Hazard Communications

    Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission (TJC)/Joint Commission Resources (JCR) Alliance, JCR developed an article that 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 Labelling of Chemicals. The article also provides information on the new labeling requirements in the HCS for hazardous chemicals. The article was published in the July 2013 edition of the EC News and posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page.
      1,380
    Product Protection Partnership: How Health Care Organizations Can Better Secure the Safety of Workers and Patients Alike

    Through the OSHA and The Joint Commission (TJC)/Joint Commission Resources (JCR) Alliance, JCR developed a second article that further 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. The article was published in the July 2013 edition of the EC News and posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page.
      1,380
     
    Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives Goal 2: To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on health care worker safety related issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Event 2013 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), May 5-11, 2013

    The TJC/JCR Alliance and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2013 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. 2013 Theme: "Worker Safety Works for Everyone."

    To help support the event, TJC/JCR published an article entitled "North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) Week, May 5–11, 2013: Safer Workplaces Emphasized; OSHP Day Set for May 8." The article was published in the April 2013 edition of the EC News and posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page in July 2013.
      1,380
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 1: To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's and the TJC's/JCR's Web sites) to employers and workers in the healthcare industry.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Product TJC/JCR and OSHA Alliance Web Page

    TJC/JCR maintains and updates the TJC/JCR and OSHA Alliance Web page on its Web site. The TJC/JCR Web page provides information on the Alliance agreement and related documents posted on the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. The page also contains links to the EC News articles that were produced through the Alliance during this reporting period.
      851
    Product OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web Page

    OSHA maintains and updates the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. The page includes the Alliance agreement, annual reports, news releases, information on activities and events of the Alliance, and links to the Alliance developed products and resources, such as the EC News articles.
      4,195
    Other June 30, 2013: Alliance Quarterly Review.

    Barbara Braun authored an article entitled "The Joint Commission Releases Free Monograph for Health Care Workers."
      36 National Alliances
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 2: To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding TJC/JCR best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by TJC/JCR through OSHA or TJC/JCR developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Other TJC Standards Access

    TJC/JCR provides OSHA with access to the TJC Standards for Hospitals, Laboratory Ambulatory, Behavioral, Long-term and Home Care. The standards allow for comparisons to infection prevention and control standards from the different types of healthcare institutions.
      2
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 3: To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or TJC/JCR Conferences, local meetings, or other events such as the JCR Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Exhibit 2013 JCR Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference, May 1-2, 2013, Las Vegas, Nevada

    Region IX OSHA personnel had been scheduled to staff an Alliance exhibit and distribute OSHA publications to safety and health professionals that attended the exhibit booth during the conference. However, the OSHA publications were not sent to the correct location. The Alliance did not have an exhibit for the 2013 event.
      Not Applicable
     
    TOTAL     13,364
  4. Upcoming Milestones
    In the upcoming year, the OSHA and TJC/JCR Alliance Implementation Team is planning a number of activities to provide health care workers and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to biological and airborne hazards in health care and addressing emergency preparedness issues.

    For example, OSHA and TJC/JCR will continue to jointly compose three articles for the standing column, "OSHA & Worker Safety, in JCR's publication, Environment of Care® News. The resources will be posted on the TJC/JCR Alliance-related Web page and OSHA will link the resources to the OSHA and TJC/JCR Web page, the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products Web page, and other appropriate locations on the Agency Web site. TJC/JCR will also evaluate the dissemination and impact of TJC/JCR's Alliance developed products. In addition, the OSHA and TJC/JCR Implementation Team are developing plans to promote the Alliance through an exhibit opportunity during the Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference in the spring of 2014.

    Finally, TJC/JCR representatives will be joining with other Alliance Program participants to support the 2014 NAOSH Week, May 4-10, 2014.

    Report prepared by: Morgan Seuberling, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, August 7, 2013.