mendations for improvement of OSHA & JCAHO compliance.
OSHA was established in 1970 by Congress under Public Law 91-596. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the main mission of OSHA is to "assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions" (OSHA, 2008, p. 1). To achieve this OSHA maintains a set of tools such as standards, enforcement, and compliance assistance. These tools are to enable employers, like those in the healthcare industry, to maintain a safe and healthful workplace.
Healthcare facilities are addressed in specific standards for the general industry in Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, which requires employers to "furnish each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harms to his employees" (Healthcare, 2008, p. 1). From workplace violence to hazardous materials, healthcare facilities must comply with OSHA standards for these health hazards to be in compliance with Section 5(a)(2) of the OSH Act that employers must "comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act" (Healthcare, 2008, p. 1).
Healthcare facilities in the U.S. employ more than 1.6 million workers at more than 21,000 work sites (Occupational, 2008, p. 1). For healthcare workers, there are numerous occupational health and safety hazards throughout the healthcare facility. Currently, OSHA operates the primary safety and health programs in 29 of the 50 states, while the other 21 states operate "OSHA-approved" State Occupational Safety and Health programs (Occupational, 2008, p. 1). States that operate their own programs must have job safety and healthcare standards that are "at least as effective as comparable federal standards" (Occupational, 2008, p. 1). In most cases, the states that operate their own programs ha...