The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a new and stricter\u00a0enforcement policy<\/a>\u00a0for the healthcare industry, promising to crack down on the most common hazards in hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities. The new federal enforcement policy, which OSHA expects states to adopt, as well, requires that OSHA inspections in these healthcare facilities focus on at least five major hazard areas,\u00a0regardless of the original reason for the inspection<\/em>.<\/p>\n The policy, released on June 25, represents the second time in two months that OSHA has warned those in the healthcare industry of its intent to increase enforcement. In April, OSHA issued revised guidelines for preventing workplace violence against workers in the healthcare and social service fields. The agency states that it is responding to \u201csome of the highest rates of injury and illness\u201d for these workplaces when compared with industries tracked nationwide. This includes \u201c57,680 work-related injuries and illnesses\u201d in U.S. hospitals, (more…)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced a new and stricter\u00a0enforcement policy\u00a0for the healthcare industry, promising to crack down on the most common hazards in hospitals, nursing homes, and residential care facilities. The new federal enforcement policy, which OSHA…<\/span><\/p>\n