In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a public health report which finds that a healthcare delivery organization, or HDO's foundational cultural, procedural, and systemic choices impact both patient and worker safety. Why focus on healthcare worker safety, besides keeping your employees safe? According to OSHA, “patient and worker safety often go hand-in-hand.' That's 152,000 more cases than the next most dangerous industry, manufacturing.Įmployer-reported hospital workplace injuries and illnesses(Source: U.S. In 2010, when you combine the healthcare and social assistance industries, there were 653,900 reported cases of injury and illness, more than any other private sector industry.

sustained an estimated 294,000 nonfatal work-related injuries and illnesses in 2014. Since OSHA's inception, average daily workplace deaths have dropped by more than halfĪccording to the Houston Chronicle, the healthcare industry has more workplace-related illnesses and injuries than any other industry. OSHA's first computer system ran on 1 MB of RAM with 40 MB of storage The first five industries targeted by OSHA for safety hazards were marine cargo handling, roofing and sheet metal work, meat and meat products, miscellaneous transportation equipment (primarily mobile homes), and lumber and wood products Today, OSHA's 2,100 inspectors (including state partners) monitor 130 million workers at 7 million workplaces. That law, the Occupational Safety and Health Act, spawned the creation of a new agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA. In 1970, Nixon signed into law the first federal program aimed at preventing job-related death, injury, and illness for the entire American workforce. President at the time, Richard Nixon, cited technological progress, describing it as a “mixed blessing,' which had resulted in new products that improved consumers' lives, while at the same time causing “unpleasantness and pain' for workers.

In 1969, 14,000 workers were dying each year from traumatic injury on the job, with thousands more getting hurt or sick. Here, we're taking a look at how OSHA got its start, how it impacts worker health and safety today, particularly workers in the healthcare field, and how you can improve safety in your hospital or healthcare environment.

Osha stands for