Transcript Safety Regulatory Agencies

HEALTHCARE CORE CURRICULUM
HEALTH CARE SAFETY & STANDARD
PRECAUTIONS
Competency 1: Regulatory
Agencies
Dede Carr, BS, LDA
Karen Neu, MSN, CNE, CNP
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1. List regulatory agencies and the requirements
they set for safety standards for healthcare
facilities, their employees, and clients.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Identify selected safety terminology relevant to
healthcare.
Identify the CDC and list its safety requirement(s) as
they pertain to the healthcare environment.
Identify OSHA and State Health Departments (like
MDH), and list safety regulations as they pertain to
the healthcare environment.
Identify The Joint Commissions and describe its role
in regulating safety with the healthcare environment.
Identify the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
and list its requirements.
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VOCABULARY LIST
Read and study the vocabulary list for “Healthcare
Safety and Standard Precautions”
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Two very important regulatory agencies have led the
way in the battle against pathogens. They are
responsible for developing the guidelines to safeguard
health care workers, their patients, and the public.
An essential part of healthcare training is
understanding the purpose of these agencies and
learning the guidelines that pertain to specific
occupations.
The two agencies are the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) and Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA).
(Juliar, p. 144)
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) is a government agency that is part of the United
States Department of Health and Human Services.
By studying the causes and distribution of diseases
(epidemiology), the CDC is able to formulate safety
guidelines to help prevent and control the spread of
infectious diseases.
Other major tasks include the licensing of clinical
laboratories, maintenance of laboratory reference
centers for microorganisms, and operation of extensive
disease research programs.
(Juliar, p. 144)
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The Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory
Committee (HICPAC) of the CDC presented new
guidelines for isolation precautions in hospitals in
1996.
These guidelines designate two tiers of precautions:
1. Standard Precautions
2. Transmission-Based Precautions
(Berman et al., p. 688)
The two tiers of precautions will be discussed in
Competency #3 “Standard Precautions and
Transmission-Based Precautions.”
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Identify the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) and list its safety
requirements as they pertain to the healthcare
environment.
 Access at the website to learn more:
Centers for Disease Prevention & Control
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Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
was established in 1970 and is a governmental agency
that is under the Department of Labor. Its two functions
are to:
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Establish minimum health and safety standards for the
workplace and to
Enforce those standards.
OSHA is the “watchdog” of employee safety and has the
authority to conduct onsite inspections to verify
compliance with its standards.
It is the agency that requires employers to have an
exposure control plan and provide hepatitis B vaccines
to employees with occupational risk (Bloodborne
Pathogens Standards).
(Juliar, p. 144)
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Identify the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and list its safety
requirements as they pertain to the healthcare
environment.
Access the website to learn more:
Occupational Safety & Health Administration
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Workplace Safety
 Federal and state laws require that most
employers furnish a place of employment that is
free from recognized hazards that are causing or
are likely to cause death or serious physical harm
to employees.
 In most instances, an employee may anonymously
complain about an unsafe work environment and
be protected against employer reprisals.
(Lexis Nexis, Reed Elsevier Inc.)
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Example: Under the Minnesota Occupational
Safety and Health Act of 1973 (the Act),
Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) is authorized to
conduct workplace inspections to determine
whether employers are complying with standards
and providing a safe and healthful workplace.
 Workplace inspections in Minnesota are
performed by occupational safety and health
investigators (OSHIs) who are knowledgeable and
experienced in the occupational safety and health
field.
(Lexis Nexis, Reed Elsevier Inc.)
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The Joint Commission is a private, nonprofit organization
whose purpose is to encourage the attainment of high
standards of institutional medical care.
Because maintaining quality of care, trying to control
healthcare costs, and providing adequate services to the
community are a priority, many healthcare institutions seek
voluntary accreditation from The Joint Commission.
The Joint Commission establishes guidelines for the
operation of hospitals and other facilities and conducts
inspections to ensure that standards are being met.
Healthcare workers employed at The Joint Commission
accredited facilities should become familiar with the
standards that regulate the duties and areas for which they
are responsible.
(Juliar, p. 59)
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Identify The Joint Commission and list its safety
requirements as they pertain to the healthcare
environment.
Access the website:
www.jointcommission.org
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Identify your states Department of Health and
list its safety requirements as they pertain to
the healthcare environment.
Example: Minnesota Department of Health
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Example: The Employee Right-To-Know Act
was passed by the Minnesota Legislature
during the 1983 session and is enforced as
part of the Occupational Safety and Health
program in the Department of Labor and
Industry.
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REFERENCES,
Berman, A., Snyder, S.J., Kozier, B., & Erb, G. (2008).Asepsis.
In A. Berman, S.J. Snyder, B. Kozier, & G. Erb (Eds.). Kozier
& Erb’s Fundamentals of nursing: Concepts, process, and
practice (8th ed.) (pp. 668-709). Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Prentice Hall
Juliar, K. (2003). Minnesota health care core curriculum, 2e.
Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Publishing, Thompson Custom
Publishing
Lexis Nexis, Reed Elsevier Inc. (2011) Employment Law in Minnesota.
Retrieved from
http://research.lawyers.com/Minnesota/Employment-Law-inMinnesota.html
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