Every facility should have an Injury and Illness Prevention Program to help identify work place hazards and organize training in safe work practices. An employee, typically the Clinical Director, should be assigned as the administrator in charge of the program. Because safety in the work place is a serious matter of importance, good safety practices and compliance with the provisions of the program should be recognized and made part of the employee work record. At a minimum, the following should be components of the facility’s program:

• Injury prevention
• Occupational safety and health hazards
• Code of safe practices
• Workplace violence prevention
• Employee health program
• Eye wash stations
• Work related injury and illness

Go to: Operations/Staffing/Personnel Files for more information regarding employee health files. Look at the Personnel File Guide.

OSHA’s new rule (link below) regarding workplace injuries and illnesses, which went into effect on January 1, 2017. Ambulatory surgery centers are partially exempt from some of the requirements of this OSHA rule (i.e., OSHA 300 log submission), but facilities are subject to a requirement that prohibits employers from discouraging workers from reporting an injury or illness. Employers must inform employees of their right to report work-related injuries and illnesses free from retaliation. This requirement can be met by posting the current version of this OSHA poster (link below). For a policy example click below.

 OSHA Final Rule Issued to Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses

 OSHA’s Free Workplace Poster

Go to: Compliance/Policy and Procedure Update/OSHA for an example of Work Related Injury and Illness Documentation Policy.