Who Enforces Health and Safety in Healthcare?

Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are required to operate in the safest ways possible because there are many different types of hazards that don’t typically exist with other workplaces. If you run a healthcare facility, or are responsible for its safety, you will need to know who enforces the health and safety requirements for these types of areas. There are actually multiple different organizations that are responsible for this type of enforcement.

To start with, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is going to have oversight over healthcare facilities just like they do for any other workplace in America. From their point of view, hospitals and other related places will have to follow the same safety requirements as any other workplace along with certain other things specific to the type of facility being run.

The department of Health and Human Services provides oversight on virtually all types of medical facility in the country and will therefore have an interest in the overall safety of these facilities. They will look at a variety of different aspects of workplace safety including things like disease transmission, medical mistakes, and much more.

Local governments may also have requirements in place for facilities that operate in their region. Since healthcare facilities often use potentially dangerous medications, chemicals, and other things, these governments will often impose specific safety requirements.

Finally, all healthcare facilities should have their own internal team focused on safety. Having someone present to watch out for dangers and other problems so they can be addressed as quickly as possible will help to make any workplace safer.