Healthcare Safety

Healthcare Regulatory Agencies

The Joint Commission (TJC)

• TJC Comprehensive Accreditation Manual for Hospitals

Federal Agencies:

• Healthcare Financing Administration (HCFA) Conditions of Participation 
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• Food and Drug Administration
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

State of Tennessee Rules:

• Division of Radiological Health
• Division of Laboratory Licensing
• Division of Healthcare Facilities
• Division of Emergency Medical Services
• Division of Environment and Conservation
• Division of Food and General Sanitation
• Occupational Safety and Health

State of Tennessee Departments

• Tennessee Department of Labor (TOSHA)
• Tennessee Department of Health
• Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation

Metropolitan Nashville (Davidson County)

• Metropolitan Health Department of Nashville and Davidson County
• Metro Nashville Davidson County Health & Safety Regulations

Other Accrediting Agencies:

• College of American Pathologists
• American College of Radiology

General Healthcare Safety

• NIOSH Guidelines for Protecting the Safety and Health of Healthcare Worker, Sept. 1988
• OSHA Hospital eTool
• OSHA - Information Regarding Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
• OSHA - Hazardous Medications
• Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
• Smallpox Vaccination and Adverse Events Training Module
• FDA - Cleared Sterilants and High Level Disinfectants
• FDA - Preventing Surgical Fires

Hazardous Drugs

• OSHA Safety & Health Topics - Hazardous Drugs
  • OSHA - Controlling Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Drugs
• CDC - Hazardous Drug Exposures in Healthcare
  • CDC - Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Agents
• Work Precautions for Handling Hazardous Drugs Highlighted by NIOSH, OSHA, Joint Commission
• NIOSH Publication No. 2004-165: Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings
  • NIOSH List of Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings 2010
• ASHP Technical Assistance Bulletin on Handling Cytotoxic and Hazardous Drugs

Professional Organizations that Promote Healthcare Worker Safety

• International Healthcare Worker Safety Center
  The International Health Care Worker Safety Center at the University of Virginia Health System is dedicated to the prevention of occupational transmission of bloodborne pathogens.
• American Hospital Association 
  The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities.
• American Society of Healthcare Engineers
  American Society for Healthcare Engineering is the Advocate and Resource for Continuous Improvement in the Health Care Engineering and Facilities Management Professions.
• International Healthcare Safety and Security Foundation
  The Foundation is a not-for-profit educational entity dedicated to the professional advancement of healthcare security, safety and risk management administrators.
• American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
  The mission of ASHP is to advance and support the professional practice of pharmacists in hospitals and health systems and serve as their collective voice on issues related to medication use and public health.
• American Nurses Association
  ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace.
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology

Other

• HCPRO's Healthsafety Supersite (commercial site with free reference material)