OSHA INSPECTIONS

The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 requires that every wor ker be provided with a safe and healthful workplace and authorizes the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to conduct workp lace inspections. OSHA conducts workplace inspections in hospitals and checks for compliance with the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, the Enf orcement Policy and Procedures for Occupational Exposure to Tuberculos is, and the Hazardous Chemicals Standards, among others. The hospital epidemiologist bears considerable responsibility for developing and im plementing plans to protect employees from occupational exposures to i nfectious hazards such as bloodborne pathogens and tuberculosis. To pr epare for an inspection, the hospital epidemiologist must understand t he basis on which OSHA operates and must proceed in a thoughtful, coor dinated manner (Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1995;478-482).