ABSTRACT
The updated Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) beryllium standard for general industry, construction, and shipyards reduced exposure limits for this known human carcinogen and became effective in 2018. Occupational and environmental health nurses need to monitor updates recently proposed for general industry to clarify implementation of the standard.
Subject(s)
Beryllium/adverse effects , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/trends , Humans , Industry/organization & administration , Industry/trends , Reference Standards , United States , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/organization & administrationABSTRACT
The OSH Act requires OSHA to include provisions for medical examinations of employees in its standards. However, the specific test and examinations criteria are not outlined in the OSH Act. Instead, each standard has specific medical surveillance requirements. These are specific to the adverse health effects triggered by exposure to the hazardous substance. The OSHA uses the term medical surveillance to refer to its employee examination and testing provisions. Most occupational health professionals call this activity employee screening and reserve the term surveillance for aggregate analysis of population data. It is important to remember this distinction when referring to OSHA standards. Many standards are challenged in court resulting in changes to medical surveillance provisions of the standards. Some court decisions support OSHA's language. In either case, the court often sets precedents for future standards.
Subject(s)
Mass Screening/methods , Mass Screening/standards , Occupational Health Services/standards , Occupational Health , Population Surveillance/methods , Practice Guidelines as Topic , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration , Documentation , Humans , Mass Screening/legislation & jurisprudence , Mass Screening/trends , Occupational Health Services/legislation & jurisprudence , Occupational Health Services/trends , United States , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/legislation & jurisprudence , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/trendsSubject(s)
Braces , Lifting , Low Back Pain/prevention & control , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , Safety Management/methods , Biomechanical Phenomena , Braces/standards , Ergonomics/standards , Humans , Low Back Pain/etiology , Occupational Diseases/etiology , Protective Clothing/standards , Safety Management/legislation & jurisprudence , Splints , United States , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/trendsSubject(s)
Ergonomics/economics , Occupational Health , Safety Management , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/trends , Accidents, Occupational/prevention & control , Ergonomics/methods , Ergonomics/standards , Government Agencies , Health Facilities , Humans , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , United StatesABSTRACT
Beginning with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) activities to enforce the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention guidelines on Universal Precautions in 1987, this agency has had a direct and sustained impact on infection control programs. This article details how OSHA works, the OSHA inspection process, the bloodborne pathogens standard, current promulgation activities, other OSHA standards, OSHA reform, and the future of this agency.
Subject(s)
Health Facilities/legislation & jurisprudence , Infection Control , Infection Control/legislation & jurisprudence , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/organization & administration , Facility Regulation and Control/legislation & jurisprudence , Hepatitis B/prevention & control , Humans , Infection Control/organization & administration , Infection Control/standards , Infection Control/trends , National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. , Occupational Diseases/prevention & control , United States , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/legislation & jurisprudence , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/standards , United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration/trends , Universal Precautions/legislation & jurisprudenceABSTRACT
1. Many believe the effectiveness of OSHA has been stymied by political, social, and economic conditions. 2. OSHA has attempted to remedy rule making problems with consensus building techniques, generic standards, voluntary guidelines, information strategies, and performance based standards. 3. OSHA has upgraded its enforcement programs by increased fines, targeted inspections, and improved records. 4. The success of the agency in the 90s will be predicted on how well these new initiatives rectify past problems.