Passing OSHA's Test

Wisconsin Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
Wisconsin Health Care Association
and the
Wisconsin Division of Health Section of Occupational Health

present

Passing OSHA's Test

As many as half of all nursing homes in Wisconsin soon could find themselves the recipient of a letter from OSHA indicating the agency believes their facility's lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) rates are too high. The letter will give facilities a choice: Agree to participate in OSHA's Cooperative Compliance Program or face traditional inspection and enforcement.

The management staff of all organizations should take action now to ensure that their organizations comply with OSHA regulations to minimize the risk that OSHA will inspect, cite and penalize its home for violations. This training program will discuss OSHA's CCP initiative and how it applies to you; how to implement a safety and health plan; and/or how to audit your OSHA compliance status and prepare for an OSHA inspection.

Don't wait for OSHA compliance officers to come knocking on your door!

Dates and Locations

Monday, January 26,1998
Paper Valley Hotel
333 West College Avenue
Appleton, WI 54913
920-733-8000

Tuesday, January 27, 1998
Country Inn
2810 Golf Road
Pewaukee, WI 53187
414-547-0201

Thursday, January 29,1998
Holiday Inn Civic Center
205 South Barstow Street
Eau Claire, WI 54701
715-835-6121

Seminar Overview

An OSHA inspection is an experience most employers would rather avoid. Nursing homes hoping to avoid OSHA oversight and inspection will find that task much more difficult, if not impossible, as a nationwide OSHA compliance and enforcement initiative is launched this month. As part of the initiative, as many as 180 of Wisconsin’s nursing homes with lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) rates between 7 and 28 will be identified and asked to participate in its new Collaborative Compliance Program (CCP).

The CCP incorporates a technologically advanced system of data collection to pinpoint problem employers based on injury and illness rates. And if a company’s rates put it on OSHA’s radar screen, they will be given a simple choice: Either you address the hazards in your workplace or OSHA will come and inspect, cite, and possibly fine. It then makes available materials for employers to conduct self-audits, training information, and consulting assistance to get the employer moving in the right direction on better hazard control activities.

Participation in the CCP program also may benefit participating facilities, resulting in: fewer injuries and illnesses; a reduced LWDII rate that translates into reduced worker’s compensation and insurance costs; identification and correction of safety and health hazards; effective worker training; and improved quality of work life. When Wisconsin began its state CCP program as one of the first four CCP pilot states, 80% of the original 200 CCP-participating companies experienced a decrease in lost workday injuries and illness and all employers enjoyed a 19.9% reduction in injury rates between 1994 and 1996. In addition, worker’s compensation rates were reduced for the top 50 employers by 21% and for all employers targeted by 24%. More conclusively, 119 companies on the list actually dropped off of the inspection list when their injury rates no longer qualified them for the “Worst 200” list.

This seminar will help you determine whether OSHA’s CCP initiative applies to you; how to implement a safety and health plan; and/or how to audit your OSHA compliance status and prepare for an OSHA inspection. Here’s just a few of the reasons you should attend:

Discover how to create a safer workplace while realizing savings in worker’s compensation rates, insurance costs and lost productivity.

Take action to ensure compliance with OSHA regulations and minimize the risk that OSHA will inspect, cite and penalize your facility for violations.

[Note: In Wisconsin, it is the Department of Commerce and not OSHA that regulates and enforces health and safety requirements in municipal and government- operated facilities.]

Intended Audience

This seminar is designed for, but is not limited to, administrators, human resource and personnel professionals, directors of nursing and infection control nurses, safety managers, directors of maintenance, department heads and others responsible for the safety functions within a nursing home’s operations. If your facility is one of those targeted by OSHA, it is especially imperative for management to understand both the costs and the amount of time and resources required in the conditions of agreement in order to participate in the state’s CCP.

Seminar Presenters

Terry Moen, Chief, Section of Occupational Health, Division of Health
James Barry, Environmental Engineer, Section of Occupational Health, Division of Health
John Lupo, Occupational Health Consultant, Section of Occupational Health, Division of Health
Eric Hands, Occupational Health Consultant, Section of Occupational Health, Division of Health
George Gruetzmacher, Advanced Environmental Civil Engineer, Section of Occupational Health, Division of Health

Registration

The registration fee to attend this seminar is $75.00 per person. Extensive training materials, including a three-ring binder of seminar handouts, will be provided to each seminar participant. Please send the registration form and the appropriate remittance by January 14, 1998 to Wisconsin Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (WAHSA), 204 South Hamilton Street, Madison, WI 53703.

Please make checks payable to WAHSA.

To receive a copy of the registration form, please click and leave an E-mail your specific request to the WAHSA office.

For Further Information

For additional information, please contact the WAHSA office: Telephone: 608-255-7060; Fax: 608-255-7064; E-Mail: [email protected]

Seminar Schedule

7:45 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Registration -- coffee, juice, breakfast pastries, fruit.

8:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.
“The New OSHA: Partnership Approaches”

Learner Objectives:
Discuss the realm of employee health and safety protections regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Identify current data-driven agency initiatives to get employers to voluntarily comply with workplace safety standards through expanded intervention tools, partnership techniques, compliance assistance, outreach and training.
Explore the OSHA 200 log, identifying how a facility’s lost workday injury and illness (LWDII) rate is calculated, and the ramifications involved for facilities placed at the different LWDII levels.
Examine the LWDII levels used to select Collaborative Compliance Program (CCP) participants and the employer requirements for facilities choosing to participate in the program.
Identify the minimum records checks for an OSHA inspection and review OSHA’s recordkeeping requirements.
Discuss OSHA’s guidelines on preventing violence in the workplace and examine why the risk of exposure to violence is greater in the health care industry than in any other industry.

Participants will examine specific risk factors, such as low staffing levels during times of increased activity, isolated work with residents during examinations or treatments, and failure to train staff to recognize and manage escalating hostile or assaultive behavior, which increase the likelihood that a violent act will occur.

10:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
Refreshment Break

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
“Bloodborne Pathogens and Tuberculosis: What You Need to Know”

Learner Objectives:
Examine the bloodborne pathogen federal standards and discuss bloodborne facts related to contamination, the handling of sharps, reporting of exposure incidents, personal protective equipment, and vaccinations.
Discuss the enforcement protections and scheduling for occupational exposure to TB and consider methods used to prevent the transmission of TB in health care facilities.
Examine respiratory protection requirements including fit testing and checking procedures, disposable respirators, and the selection and use of particulate respirators.

12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m.
Lunch

12:45 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
“Chemical Hazard Communication, Ergonomics and Personal Protective Equipment”

Learner Objectives:
Examine the chemical hazard communication standard.
Consider several common ergonomic compliance issues of particular concern to nursing homes, such as back injuries resulting from the lifting and transfer of nursing home residents, and several uncommon ergonomic compliance issues, such as repetitive stress injuries resulting from medical records data entry.
Outline the top 10 cited OSHA standards.

2:20 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.
Refreshment Break

2:40 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
“Physical Plant Considerations; Assessing Your Facility’s Health & Safety Programs; and The Cost of Noncompliance”

Learner Objectives:
Explore physical plant problem areas such as asbestos contamination, confined spaces, and compliance with lockout/tagout standards.
Discuss OSHA’s expectations for the facility’s evaluation of training and education programs.
Identify the potential penalties associated with violations; and the rights and responsibilities of employers, employees and OSHA.

4:00 p.m.
Adjournment

Certification

WAHSA has requested six (6.0) hours of continuing education credit from the National Association of Boards of Examiners for Nursing Home Administrators.

Wisconsin Association of Homes and Services for the Aging
204 South Hamilton Street
Madison, WI 53703
Telephone: (608)255-7060 FAX:(608)255-7064