Ultra Sound and Osha

OSHA and the Health Care Industry 1

Running Head : OSHA AND HEALTH CARE

OSHA and the Health Care Industry

Partners in Creating a Better Working Environment

OSHA and the Health Care Industry 2

Towards the third quarter of the twentieth century , the Congress has recognized that personal injuries and illnesses at work cause substantial losses to the economy and is a hindrance to interstate commerce ( OSH Act of 1970 , 2004 . This led to the establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA ) through the Occupational Safety and Health Act

of 1970 . Basically , OSHA ensures the safety of the working men and women in the United States . This it does by working with both employees and employers to create safe and healthy working environments (OSHA , 2007

OSHA encompasses workers in almost all industries , with the exception of those who are self-employed or those working in small farms (Veasey et al , 2002 . One of the industries that is receiving a lot of attention from different sectors , the OSHA included , is the health care industry . This is for a number of reasons . First , health care is the second fastest-growing sector in the U .S . economy , next to information technology (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [NIOSH] , 2007 U .S . Department of Labor , 2006 . Health care workforce is estimated to be at over 12 million and still increasing Furthermore , and perhaps the primary reason for OSHA 's interest in the health care industry , occupational injuries among health care workers have increased over the past decade (NIOSH , 2007 . On the contrary injuries and illnesses in construction and agriculture have experienced decline during the same period

The health care industry itself covers a wide range of facilities and services . Included in this sector are hospitals , clinics , out-patient surgery centers , delivery centers , dental offices and nursing homes (OSHA , 2007 . Because of the large number of services offered in this industry , health care workers are exposed to a number of workplace hazards . For one , hazardous chemicals abound in most health care facilities . These include formaldehyde , which is used in preserving specimen for pathology ethylene oxide , glutaraldehyde and

OSHA and the Health Care Industry 3

paracetic acid , which are used for sterilization and a variety of other chemicals used in health care laboratories . In response to such an issue , OSHA has created a safety program to protect health care workers from such hazards . According to OSHA , the hazard posed by these chemicals must be properly communicated to all people concerned Chemical manufacturers and pharmaceuticals have the primary responsibility of evaluating the hazards of the substances and goods they produce (OSHA , 2008 . OSHA further requires that a Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS ) be prepared to be conveyed to customers . In the workplace , OSHA requires that employers provide labels and MSDS for the exposed workers , and provide appropriate training in handling (including disposal ) of hazardous chemicals and drugs

Health care workers are also exposed to bloodborne pathogens - infectious materials which can cause diseases in humans such as hepatitis B...