The United States Congress created OSHA in 1970 as a national agency that would help keep men and women safe in their workplace. The laws made by OSHA place the responsibility on the employer to provide a workplace that is safe for their employees.
Maintaining a safe and healthy work environment comes down to a partnership between employee and employer. Employers need to make sure they’re providing up-to-date OSHA compliance training on a routine basis, while staff members need to do their part by participating in the education being offered.
It’s vital to become familiar with your company’s safety standards and practices. Doing so is going to help promote an environment of safety for the entire team, and build confidence that everyone is safe at work.
In this article, we break down why OSHA standards are so important and some ways to get the most out of OSHA compliance training in healthcare.
What is OSHA Compliance?
OSHA stands for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, a government agency that is all about safety in the workplace. The public health agency established the right for everyone in the U.S. to be able to work in a place that’s both safe and healthy.
While we have thankfully come a long way since the days of routine coal mining accidents, present-day work environments still have safety concerns. Working in healthcare in this country can put you at risk for exposure to many things. These risks are never going to go away, it’s simply part of the job, which is why OSHA compliance matters so much for healthcare workers.
Simply put, OSHA compliance comes down to adhering to defined OSHA standards that would be applicable to your business.
Working Professionals and OSHA Compliance
As a healthcare worker, you probably already know that healthcare has one of the highest rates of work-related illness or injury of all industries across the U.S. Even more concerning is the substantial increase in the number of reported healthcare work-related illnesses or injuries over the last couple of years following the pandemic.
The risks aren’t confined to a medical setting, however. Similar dangers exist for industries adjacent to healthcare—for instance, body art professionals require knowledge and protection in managing bloodborne pathogens.
OSHA dictates that every employer must train their employees on all aspects of safety relevant to their workplace. For healthcare workers that need a quick introduction or brief refresher to the risks of bloodborne pathogens and infection control, even a simple 1 hour course will be very helpful. Whether an hour or five, OSHA compliance training will empower employees to maintain an awareness of potential new hazards, policies, procedures, and individual performance that will help keep their entire team safe.
4 Tips for Successful OSHA Compliance Training
Creating meaningful OSHA compliance training is not always easy. The good news is that it can be simplified by prioritizing the requirements specific to each company and industry while finding or creating content with relevant information.
1. Familiarize Yourself With Organizational Requirements
Not every service line or organization is exactly the same. Procedures, customers, resources, regulatory needs, and processes are unique. Training standards for employees will need to be unique, as well.
For the most part, training will likely be required at least once a year across all industries. Exceptions to this can exist, especially if regulations or processes change.
Of course, each employee ought to shoulder a certain amount of responsibility for their own safety. For example, they should take the initiative to learn what type of training is required and how often those requirements need to be met.
2. Find a Great Program
OSHA compliance training needs to be meaningful. In addition to accurate and relevant content on workplace safety standards, the most effective OSHA Workplace Safety Training Course should also be convenient to take while being engaging.
There are many programs out there that can range from 1 hour to 4-5 hours. Program selection should be guided by the needs of the company. After all, an employee that does not have the potential to come into contact with hazards would not benefit from training on the topic.
3. Learn From Case Studies and Real-Life Examples
Case studies are a phenomenal way to make educational content relatable. Employees need to know the “why” behind the “what”. They need to see the rationale for what they’re learning to adopt the standards for optimal workplace safety.
Since adult learners have different learning styles, hearing or seeing best practices in action helps that information really sink in. The licensed professionals who create the content for Premiere Education courses understand how important it is to see real-world applications, which is why they work hard to provide learners with that practical information.
4. Take It Seriously
OSHA compliance training needs to be a priority. Work-related illnesses and transmitted diseases are costly to the organization and could be life-altering for the individuals involved, which is why staff learns best when they understand that knowing this information is in their own best interest.
While it’s admittedly not the most exciting topic, it’s one of the most critical, and there are myriad ways to improve the learning experience for yourself:
- Make the information relevant. For your courses to be applicable rather than abstract, apply what you learn to your own company. Discuss with coworkers and supervisors how to implement and maintain safety protocols and report violations.
- Understand your organization’s needs—and your own. Not everyone learns at the same pace or for the same reasons, so it’s important to find courses that are both self-paced and deliver the information that’s most relevant for your and your company’s purposes.
- Don’t rush through it. While it may be tempting to speed through an OSHA compliance training course, in the end, learners are empowered when they know their responsibilities and are able to manage situations with knowledge and expertise.
Expand Your Knowledge, Enrich Your Career
As an organization evolves and grows, it becomes more imperative to follow health and safety regulations learned from thorough OSHA compliance training. From mask-wearing to protecting workers who are regularly exposed to blood and bodily fluids, the more you know, the more in control you are.
The licensed professionals at Premiere Education design courses that cover the details of bloodborne pathogens and infection control for healthcare workers in 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hour trainings as well as bloodborne pathogens training for body art professionals, and workplace safety for agricultural, construction, and maritime workers.
