August 12, 2025 Safe + Sound Week celebrates the measures that ensure the safety of your practice staff. But But before you pop the champagne, it’s essential to return to basics. While hard hats, construction sites, and factories often come to mind when thinking of OSHA, healthcare environments are actually among the riskiest workplaces. Ironically, a healing environment can be among the most challenging and hazardous workplaces. Healthcare can present many risks, including exposure to bloodborne pathogens and sharps, respiratory illnesses, upset patients, and more. In a critical field like healthcare, the risks are significant, but so are the rewards. With the right tools, you can protect your staff and maintain high-quality care while avoiding common mistakes that lead to OSHA violations. Sharps Safety We’re sorry if you’re squeamish. Anyone working in healthcare understands the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. From routine dental checkups to the dreaded annual flu shot, healthcare workers encounter many potential OSHA hazards. Fortunately, modern healthcare technology mitigates many of these risks with proper procedures. Most sharps, like needles, are now equipped with self-sheathing technology, minimizing the possibility of injuries. While there are safeguards, needle stick injuries are still prevalent. The World Health Organization states that 3 million healthcare workers worldwide are exposed to bloodborne pathogens annually. Looking to avoid this pitfall? Train your staff and provide the appropriate sharps. Ensure staff know how to use sharps safely, from use to disposal. Your practice should also provide a secure trash can to dispose of sharps and partner with an OSHA-compliant healthcare waste organization to remove and dispose of used sharps. If a healthcare staff member is pricked by a sharp? Provide immediate first aid and have them undergo blood tests to ensure their safety. When it comes to bloodborne pathogens, time is of the essence; quick action can prevent further issues. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Not just a Fashion Trend Healthcare professionals are three times more likely to contract respiratory illnesses than those in other industries. While it seems like an unavoidable part of the job, proper use of PPE minimizes these risks. The most effective way to ensure staff are protected is by providing comprehensive training on the correct use of PPE. This training should cover when and how to wear various equipment, from masks and gloves to gowns and face shields. To eliminate any barriers to use, your practice must provide all necessary PPE to staff at no charge. Wearing the correct PPE provides critical protection for your staff, safeguarding them from infectious respiratory pathogens. PPE protects your employees’ health and helps prevent the spread of illness to other patients and colleagues, creating a safer environment for everyone. Navigating Conflict, Ensuring Security Another common OSHA violation in healthcare is, unfortunately, workplace violence. Healthcare workers are five times more likely to experience workplace violence than other workers. The good news is that this issue is finally getting serious attention. This issue has received attention at the state level, with most states increasing penalties for attacks against healthcare workers and implementing additional logs, training, and safety measures. Although this still falls under OSHA’s General Duty Clause, a federal law addressing this issue has been in development for years and is likely to be announced by the end of this year. To keep staff safe, train your team and empower them to report workplace violence. Ensure staff know the procedures for handling an unruly patient or visitor, and follow up after any incident. It is unfortunate that this occurs, but by supporting your staff, you can minimize risks and create a safer workplace. Keep Your Staff Safe and Sound Remember, a strong culture of compliance, rooted in empowerment and education, is the foundation for any successful practice. You can significantly reduce risks and avoid costly violations by proactively training your team, providing the right tools, and empowering them to speak up. Smart solutions can streamline training, policies, procedures, and more, ensuring all staff know the safeguards to protect them at work. A safe practice is a strong one, and it will thrive, allowing your team to continue providing your patients the highest quality of care. Meet with a compliance expert today to learn more about OSHA in your practice.
