OSHA requirements relate to accreditation standards
- One of the largest AOs says that over 85 OSHA standards are related to its standards for Emergency Management, Environment of Care, Human Resources, Infection Prevention and Control, and Leadership standards chapters.
- TJC says compliance with applicable OSHA regulations is expected under its Leadership chapter standards.
To participate in Medicare, a healthcare organization must first be certified by a state survey agency, and the state must find compliance with the minimum conditions of participation (CoPs) required by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). After that, a healthcare organization is subject to regular surveys by the state to determine continued compliance.
Alternatively, however, a healthcare organization may demonstrate continued compliance through accreditation by a CMS-approved, national accrediting organization (AO). All AOs must reapply for continued approval of their accreditation programs at least every 6 years. CMS explains that an approved, national AO has shown that its program meets requirements that are at least as stringent as minimum CoPs under the Medicare program.
One of the largest AOs, The Joint Commission (TJC), says that over 85 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards are related to its TJC standards for Emergency Management (EM), Environment of Care (EC), Human Resources (HR), Infection Prevention and Control (IC), and Leadership (LD) standards chapters. This makes sense because TJC and its standards focus not only on patient safety and the protection of property but also worker safety and health.
TJC standards are performance-oriented, whereas OSHA is often more prescriptive. That means to protect your healthcare workers, it’s important to meet not only applicable accreditation standards but OSHA standards too. In fact, TJC says compliance with applicable OSHA regulations is expected under its Leadership chapter standards, no matter if the OSHA regulations are referenced by the TJC standards. Your leadership team is accountable for OSHA compliance whether or not a regulation is referenced by TJC standards.
In addition, TJC points to the data collected under OSHA 29 CFR 1904 as one method to monitor facility conditions for TJC compliance. Part 1904 records will help a facility identify opportunities, reduce hazards, and solve issues.