Safer jobs for healthcare workers is the goal of an extended partnership agreement signed June 8, 2000 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. The new agreement emphasizes recognizing excellence in worker safety and health among healthcare institutions and encouraging participation in OSHA’s premier partnership, the Voluntary Protection Programs. OSHA and the Joint Commission will also continue developing and delivering joint educational programs.
OSHA and the Joint Commission have been working together since 1996 to help hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities understand how to meet the requirements of both organizations to provide a safe and healthful environment for workers who care for others. The two organizations have developed training materials and publications for healthcare facilities and provided specific examples in Joint Commission accreditation manuals to illustrate how compliance with OSHA standards also satisfies Joint Commission standards. The partnership helps organizations minimize duplication and focus resources on improving safety and health for workers who face a higher than average risk of occupational illness or injury.
Jeffress and O’Leary signed the expanded agreement at Joint Commission headquarters in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. In 1998, the OSHA-Joint Commission partnership received Vice President Gore’s prestigious Hammer Award.
The Joint Commission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluates and accredits more than 5,000 hospitals and more than 12,000 other healthcare organizations. The Joint Commission’s mission is to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public.
