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The syllabus of an OSHA inspection

Staff Development Weekly: Insight on Evidence-Based Practice in Education, August 26, 2005

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Keep your staff prepared by reviewing these basics of what will happen if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) arrives at your hospital for an inspection:

1. The OSHA will begin with an opening conference to review the reasons for the visit with all interested parties, including union representatives. The meeting details the parameters of the inspection and the OSHA reviews all pertinent policies and procedures, training documents, and other records.
2. The OSHA inspector walks through the area in question with management.
3. The OSHA will interview employees, especially new ones, to make sure their level of training matches the level of more experienced workers.
4. At the end of the inspection, a closing conference takes place with everyone who attended the opening conference to discuss findings. The OSHA will seek hospital input on how to resolve any issues and will estimate the time frame in which the agency will send its written findings and possible fines.
5. If and when the findings arrive, the hospital must fix the problem by the date instructed by the OSHA. The hospital must also publicly post the OSHA findings and penalties.

Source: Adapted from Briefings on Hospital Safety, August 2005, published by HCPro, Inc.

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