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R&R Insurance Blog

Maureen Joy

Recent Posts

Needlestick Reduction Impacts Healthcare Worker Employee Safety

Posted by Maureen Joy

Healthcare workers are frequently exposed to bloodborne pathogens. OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration together with NIOSH - National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is continously working to educate employers and employees about these hazards and the best means of prevention.

A recent NIOSH-supported study shows how the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA) and OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens standard have significantly reduced needlesticks and bloodborne disease exposure for healthcare workers as recent as December 2011. OSHA's revised standard requires employers to provide safety-engineered devices to workers who are at risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens, to include employees in the selection of these devices, to review exposure-control plans at least annually, and to maintain specific sharps-injury logs.

For more information about bloodborne pathogens and needlestick prevention, visit OSHA's Safety and Health Topics page . To request a review of your organization's bloodborne pathogen plan or other safety programs contact Maureen Joy with R&R Insurance's Resource Center.

Topics: Safety, OSHA, Workers Compensation, Healthcare, Resource Center, Business Insurance

Home Care Employees - Preventing Workplace Violence

Posted by Maureen Joy

Home healthcare workers can find themselves in unprotected and unpredictable environments and can be vulnerable to verbal abuse, stalking, threats of assault, and even homicide.

NIOSH -National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has published a new resource (PDF*) to assist employers in preventing violence against home healthcare workers. This factsheet offers strategies for workers and encourages employers to establish a zero-tolerance policy for violence and provide workers with violence-prevention training. OSHA - Occupational Safety & Health Administration has guidelines for preventing workplace violence for health care and social service workers. For more information, visit OSHA's Workplace Violence or CDC/NIOSH’s Occupational Hazards in Home Healthcare sites.

Contact R&R Insurance - Resource Center if you would like to discuss this or other employee work place exposures

Topics: Safety, Workers Compensation, Healthcare, Resource Center, Business Insurance